Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Puppy Dog Food Review (Dry)
Highly Recommended
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Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Puppy Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4.5 stars.
The Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Puppy product line includes the 16 dry dog foods listed below.
Each recipe below includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Puppy
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat gluten, chicken fat, wheat, brewers rice, brown rice, powdered cellulose, natural flavors, brewers rice flour, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, vegetable oil, sodium silico aluminate, monocalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, psyllium seed husk, fructooligosaccharides, sodium tripolyphosphate, vitamins [dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], hydrolyzed yeast (source of beta glucans), salt, taurine, choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta l.), trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], l-carnitine, Yucca schidigera extract, chondroitin sulfate, carotene, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.9%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 27% | 14% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 30% | 16% | 46% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 26% | 33% | 41% |
Ingredient Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the choice cuts have been removed.
In addition to organs, this item can also include feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs and almost anything other than prime skeletal muscle.
On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The quality of this ingredient can vary, depending on the caliber of the raw materials obtained by the manufacturer.
The second ingredient is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. And aside from its energy content, this grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The third ingredient is wheat gluten. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once wheat has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.
Although wheat gluten contains 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
The fourth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The fifth ingredient is wheat. Wheat is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).
The sixth ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The seventh ingredient lists brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The eighth ingredient is powdered cellulose, a non-digestible plant fiber usually made from the by-products of vegetable processing. Except for the usual benefits of fiber, powdered cellulose provides no nutritional value to a dog.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Royal Canin product.
With 6 notable exceptions…
First, brewers rice flour is a finely-ground grain by-product made from the small broken fragments left over after milling whole rice.
Second, beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
Next, we note the inclusion of vegetable oil, a generic oil of unknown origin. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in any oil is nutritionally critical and can vary significantly (depending on the source).
Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of an item so vaguely described. However, compared to a named animal fat, a generic vegetable oil cannot be considered a quality ingredient.
In addition, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
We also find taurine in this food. Taurine is an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
And lastly, this product contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Puppy Dog Food looks like an average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 30%, a fat level of 15.6% and estimated carbohydrates of about 46.4%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 31.4% and a mean fat level of 17.1%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 43.5% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 55%.
Which means this Royal Canin product line contains…
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the wheat gluten in this recipe and the corn gluten contained in others, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.
Our Rating of Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Puppy Food
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Puppy is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of named by-product meal as its main source of animal protein, thus receiving 4.5 stars.
Highly recommended.
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Royal Canin Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Royal Canin.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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More Royal Canin Brand Reviews
The following Royal Canin dog food reviews are also posted on this website:
- Royal Canin Adult Breed Health Nutrition Dog Food Review (Wet)
- Royal Canin Canine Health Nutrition Dog Food Review (Wet)
- Royal Canin Dog Food Review
- Royal Canin Lifestyle Health Nutrition Urban Life Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Giant Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Large Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Medium Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition X-Small Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Gastrointestinal Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Selected Protein Dog Food Review (Dry)
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