Royal Canin Dog Food Reviews, Coupons and Recalls 2024
Quick Guide
When it comes to variety, few dog food companies offer as many product choices as Royal Canin. This company was founded all the way back in 1968 and it has grown into one of the largest pet food companies in the United States, known for offering a variety of size- and breed-specific formulas as well as veterinary diets. According to research, they are not like many high-quality dog food brands that believe pets are equal to people and thus should receive a similar quality when it comes to their diet. They believe that dogs are unique animals with unique and specific nutritional needs. All of their formulas are backed by research and sound nutritional science.
If you visit the their website, you may be easily overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options that are available to you. They try to divide their products into categories, grouping their formulas by size, life stage, or special nutritional needs. Their size-based nutrition is based on the idea that dogs of different sizes have different physiological needs and they tailor-make special dog food diets to meet those needs. Their life stage formulas are catered to the unique needs of puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs. The other categories into which their products can be divided include breed-specific formulas, recipes based on specific lifestyles (such as indoor dogs or sporting breeds), and recipes for dogs with special nutritional requirements.
Their website states that the brand’s mission is “to constantly bring, thorugh health nutrition and shared knowledge, the most precise nutritional solution for cats’ and dogs’ health nutrition needs”. Their formulas are based on sound scientific knowledge and made with nutritious ingredients. If you do some digging on the the brands website, you will not find much specific information about the sourcing of their ingredients. In the FAQs for the site, a question regarding the sourcing of their ingredients is answered with vague references to food safety requirements, availability, and sustainability. Many of the FAQs are devoted to addressing the use of by-products, grains, and fillers in their products.
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Royal Canin Recalls 2024:
The company was founded in 1968 and it was purchased by Mars, Inc. in 2001. Mars, Inc. is one of the largest food manufacturers in the country and they own manufacturing facilities in South Dakota and Missouri as well as several oversees locations. Mars, Inc. also produces other pet food brands like Eukanuba, Iams, Nutro, Pedigree, and Natura. Their website claims that all of the products they sell in the United States are produced in company-owned facilities located in the U.S. or Canada. While this is certainly a good thing, it doesn’t prevent the company from experiencing recalls. There are several recalls in their recent history – here are the details:
- In February 2006, the FDA issued a recall for a number of Royal Canin Veterinary Diets due to excessive levels of Vitamin D3.
- In April 2007, the FDA issued a recall for several Veterinary Diets and Sensible Choice products due to melamine contamination.
- In May 2007, the FDA issued a recall for numerous Sensible Choice dry foods due to melamine contamination.
Royal Canin Dog Food Coupons 2024
Because they offer such a wide variety of different products, you will also find a wide range of prices. Their size-specific formulas range in price from about $12 for a 2.5-pound bag up to $60 or so for a 30-pound bag of breed-specific food. Their Veterinary Diets range from about $25 for a 4.4-pound bag to over $100 for a 32-pound bag. To save money on these products, look for Royal Canin dog food coupons online or sign up for the brand’s newsletter on the website.
Royal Canin Reviews
They offer two main product lines for dogs – one is a line for sized-based nutrition and the other is comprised of veterinary diets. The size-based nutrition options for their products are divided into four categories: X-Small & Mini, Medium, Maxi, and Giant. They also divide their products into categories based on life stages such as Puppy, Adult, and Maturity for older dogs. According to the website, their food formulas are designed to provide optimal nutrition for dogs of certain sizes and in specific life stages. An analysis of the ingredients list for many of their products reveals, however, that there are no significant nutritional differences between most of their formulas. In fact, many of their products are made with by-product meals as well as corn, wheat, and soy ingredients. It also common for these products to list a carbohydrate rather than a protein as the first ingredient on the list.
Is this Food Good for my Dog?
Because they offer such a wide variety of product choices, it is difficult to judge the quality of the brand as a whole. Their website states that each of their formulas consists of a blend of more than 50 nutrients in a precise combination to ensure complete and effective nutrition. While this might sound like a good thing, it equates to ingredients lists that are a mile long and full of unidentifiable ingredients. They prey upon ill-informed pet owners who do not understand the basics of canine nutrition and simply choose a product that sounds like a good match for their pet – this is especially true for their breed-specific recipes. In reality, these recipes are not remarkably different. A quick review of several of their products reveals the use of corn, wheat, and soy ingredients as well as non-nutritive fillers. While they might not be the worst you can feed your dog, it is definitely not a high-quality brand.
Dry Food: Their dry food comes in a wide variety of formulas, each catering to a specific nutritional need, size, or life stage. If you peruse the company website you will find dozens and dozens of different recipes. To make things easier for their customers, they categorizes their formulas according to size, life stage, lifestyle, and special needs. Here is a list of product lines that they currently offer for dry food:
- Size Health Nutrition
- Lifestage Nutrition
- Canine Breed Health Nutrition
- Canine Lifestyle Health Nutrition
- Special Needs Nutrition
Veterinary Diets: They also offer a line of veterinary diets which are catered to specific medical problems and nutritional needs. Here is a list of the categories into which these diets are divided:
- Food Sensitivity
- Urinary Health
- Digestive Support
- Weight Loss Support
Canned Food: In addition to an assortment of dry food options, they also has a large and varied wet food offering. Many of the same formulas available in dry food form are also available in different sizes of canned food.
Size Health Nutrition Medium Adult Dog Dry Review:
This Size Health Nutrition Medium Adult Dog Dry Food formula belongs to the Size Health Nutrition line of products which features recipes that are catered to dogs of different sizes. This recipe in particular is marketed for medium-sized dogs which, according to the their website, “are famous for their energy, and were historically working dogs”. This recipe offers the balanced energy a medium-sized dog needs to maintain a healthy weight while also included nutrients to support his immune system health, digestive health, and skin health. This recipe offers 100% complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs over 12 months of age and it is 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
The first ingredient in this recipe is brewer’s rice which, in addition to being a carbohydrate, is relatively low in nutritional value. Brewer’s rice is a byproduct of the beer-making produces and while it does provide some B vitamins, it contains far fewer nutrients than whole-grain rice. Other carbohydrates included in this recipe are wheat, corn gluten meal, and oat groats as well as dried plain beet pulp. Wheat and corn-based ingredients have a high risk for triggering food allergies or sensitivities in dogs and they are difficult for your dog to digest. Plus, they offer very limited nutritional value for dogs. Dried plain beet pulp is usually included as a source of dietary fiber and it also acts as a prebiotic. In general, however, it is not considered a quality ingredient.
When it comes to the protein content of this Size Health Nutrition Medium Adult Dog Dry Food formula, the main source is chicken by-product meal. It is difficult to judge the quality of this ingredient because it does not come from a single source. While chicken meal is a high-quality ingredient and a concentrated source of quality protein, chicken by-product meal is not so great. It is especially troubling that this is the only source of protein included in this recipe except for the grain distillers dried yeast, though it is difficult to say how much protein this ingredient actually contributes. The total protein content of this recipe is 23% but it is very likely that the majority of this protein content comes from plant-based sources.
The remaining ingredient in this Size Health Nutrition Medium Adult Dog Dry Food formula consist primarily of fats, extracts, and supplements. The main source of fat used in this recipe is chicken fat which is one of the only high-quality ingredients included in this recipe. While it may not sound appetizing to you, chicken fat is a concentrated source of energy for dogs and a valuable addition to this recipe. This recipe also includes vegetable oil which is not only a plant-based fat, but an unnamed fat. It may help to balance out the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid content of the recipe but it isn’t a quality ingredient. The supplements included in this recipe help to provide nutritional balance and it is good to see some chelated minerals here – these are minerals that have been bound to protein molecules which makes them easier for your dog’s body to digest and absorb.
Overall, this Size Health Nutrition Medium Adult Dog Dry Food formula has a guaranteed analysis as follows:
- Crude Protein (Min) – 23%
- Crude Fat (Min) – 12%
- Crude Fiber (Max) – 3.1%
- Moisture (Max) – 10%
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Min) – 0.48%
- Calories – 336 per cup
Bottom Line:
Overall, it is difficult to say that Royal Canin dog food products offer anything more than moderate nutritional quality. While this brand does use some quality ingredients in their products such as chicken fat for concentrated energy and chelated minerals for nutritional balance, but there are way too many low-quality ingredients and non-nutritive fillers. Their products often feature carbohydrates as the first ingredients and many of their recipes include corn, wheat, and soy-based ingredients. This brand appeals to many dog owners because they offer size, life stage, and breed specific formulas but if you do some research you will find that the actual differences between these products are minimal. All in all, this is not a brand of dog food that is recommended if you want to provide your dog with a high-quality diet.
My dog has been to the vets numerous times due to diarrhoea and getting up in the middle of the night we changed vets and after the consultation the vet gave her buscopan and royal canin intestinal food dry the change in her is remarkable I would recommend this food for anyone who has a dog with tummy trouble
My dog has been eating Royal Canin hydrolyzed protein for two year, and has been sick for three weeks, dihherra and vomiting.. very concerned.