Royal Canin food for dogs of small and large breeds: composition, reviews

Who produces this food?

Royal Canin was born in France in 1967. The original product was specifically designed for German Shepherds. But over time, the developers expanded the range and created a sample menu for other breeds.

Currently, the company's production complexes are located in 11 countries. They all work according to French standards. Thanks to massive advertising, the product became recognizable everywhere. It is especially popular among novice dog breeders.

Buy “Royal Canin” inexpensively in the Dinosaurik online store

Dinosaurik is one of the largest online pet stores in Moscow. We offer a wide range of dry dog food from the French brand.

The following diets are intended for small breed dogs of different ages and digestion levels: “Mini Digestive Care”, “X-Small Junior”, “X-Small Adult”, “X-Small Adult 8”, “Mini Adult”, “Mini Light Weight Care” .
For puppies and adult dogs of medium breeds - “Medium Junior”, “Medium Adult”, “Medium Starter”.
For pets of large and giant breeds - “Maxi Adult”, “Maxi Junior”, “Maxi Adult 5+”, “Maxi Ageing 8+”, “Maxi Starter” and “Giant Adult”, “Giant Puppy”, “Giant Junior” .
For certain dog breeds (Yorkshire Terrier, Poodle, Pug, Chihuahua, Labrador, German Shepherd, Dachshund, West Highland White Terrier).

Order delivery on our website right now!

Types of Royal Canin dog food

They produce dry and wet canned food and nutritional supplements. Available in dry form:

X-small. Designed for miniature pets weighing up to 4 kg.
Mini. For small breeds up to 10 kg.
Medium. Recommended for animals of average weight in the range of 10-25 kg.
Maxi. Designed for large breeds – 25-45 kg.
Giant. For very massive dogs whose weight reaches 45 kg or more.

Wet canned food is designed mainly for small pets. The entire line includes five types of products:

Starter Mousse. Used to accustom puppies to a daily diet up to 8 weeks. And also for pregnant and lactating dogs.
Mature 8+. For small breeds up to 10 kg and older than 8 years.
Junior. Food for baby miniature dogs from 2-10 months.
Adult Light. Food for small mature breeds that are overweight.
Adult Beauty. A complete diet that ensures healthy skin, beauty and shine of the coat.

► The line of nutritional supplements includes:

Energy – for mature dogs with increased energy consumption.
Educ is a useful product used in training babies older than two months and mature animals.

► The entire Royal Canin line is divided into:

daily diet for puppies;
daily nutrition for mature dogs;
therapeutic, preventive diets.

Daily diet for puppies

Babies need an abundance of protein, vitamins and minerals. Small breed puppies quickly gain excess weight. For large ones, the emphasis is on building a backbone. Therefore, the composition of the diet should be different for them according to their needs.

Royal Canin for young animals:

Junior. Available for puppies of specific breeds. The packaging shows the baby and his breed is written in English. If you can’t find a package with a picture of your pet, you can choose an option based on its size. The weight of the animal is also indicated on the package.
Starter. Designed for feeding lactating bitches and babies up to two months. With the help of “Starter”, puppies are accustomed to a normal diet. It is also divided according to the weight of the animals. For the smallest ones there are wet canned food.
Junior Active. Dry food formulated for active young animals of large breeds. It fully provides them with the necessary energy supply.
Urban Junior. This diet includes antioxidants. They help puppies actively develop in polluted cities.
Indoor Junior. Royal Canin for small breed dogs with sensitive digestion.

Daily nutrition for mature dogs

For individuals of reproductive age, natural, balanced food rich in vitamins is selected. The diet can be chosen according to the type of character and degree of activity.

Food for mature individuals is represented by the following types:

Adult. This brand produces individual food for certain breeds. They also differ in weight category. Canned food is produced for growing young animals.
Royal Canin 5-8+. Nutrition for middle-aged individuals.
Ageing 10-12+. Specially developed composition for elderly dogs. The aging period may begin at different times in some breeds. Therefore, different numbers may be indicated on food bags. It is produced in a dry wet version.
Urban Adult. A diet for residents of noisy cities living in polluted environments and stress. Meets the needs of small and large breeds.
Indoor Adult. Designed for homebodies and sofa lovers.
Agility. Suitable for pets with average activity.
Endurance 4800. Designed for especially active dogs leading an active lifestyle.

Therapeutic and preventive diets

Pets can also get sick, requiring care and special dietary nutrition. Specially developed medicinal foods can support the body during treatment and during the recovery period. However, you should not abuse them. Preventative feeds are produced for long-term use.

Types of medicinal feeds Royal Canin:

"Cardias." Nutrition for cardiovascular diseases.
"Royal Canvelles Caliper". Wet canned food to restore strength during the rehabilitation period.
"Gastrointestinal". Dietary product with minimal fat content. Recommended for pets with sensitive digestion.
"Kalm." Diet for dogs up to 15 kg. Used to reduce stress during adaptation.
"Recovery". Wet food for the treatment of anorexia in animals.
Fiber Response. Diet with increased fiber content.
"Veith control." Diet to combat obesity.
"Diabetic". For pets with diabetes - dry and wet food.
"Dermacomfort". Nutrition against the occurrence of dermatitis.
"Hepatic." Used for abnormal liver function.
"Mobility". For joint disease.
"Dental Special". For dogs with oral complications.
"Sensitive control". Hypoallergenic food for sensitive pets.
"Urinari". Useful against problems in the urinary system and for prevention purposes.
"Anallergenic." Available for allergy sufferers in the form of wet canned food.
"Renal". A special diet for pets suffering from kidney disease.
"Newted." For castrated, sterilized dogs of medium and large breeds.

Royal Canin Dog Food Review

Royal Canin dry and wet food is produced by Mars in the EU countries (Poland, France) and Russia (for the local market).
The official website is, there is information about the composition of the entire line, recommended feeding rates, etc. This food belongs to the premium class. In addition to dog food, Royal Canin also produces cat food. Mars also produces pet food under the brands Whiskas, Perfect Fit, KiteKat, Chappi, Pedigree, Sheba, Cesar.

Royal Canin food composition

Since not only dry food, but also wet food is very popular, in this review we will take a look at the compositions of both.

Composition of dry food

Let's look at the composition of Royal Canin dry food using the example of the X-Small Junior option (food for puppies of very small breeds):

Photo of the composition indicated on the package.

In first place is plant protein isolate, and dehydrated proteins of animal origin (poultry) are only in third place. Thus, most of the protein in the feed is of plant origin, and it is less digestible than animal protein. It is also not clear from which plants this protein was obtained. Its percentage is not indicated either.

The second place is occupied by rice, which, together with wheat and cereal flour located a little further, act as sources of carbohydrates. Sources of fats and fatty acids in the feed are “animal fats” (which animals are not specified), soybean oil and fish oil.

Animal protein hydrolyzate is a natural flavoring additive and also a source of protein. “Plant fiber” (which plants are not specified), psyllium husks and seeds are sources of fiber. The latter also contain the prebiotic inulin. Minerals - dietary supplement of minerals.

Fructooligosaccharides are a prebiotic and good for digestion. Yeast hydrolyzate is a source of prebiotic mannan-oligosaccharides and B-group vitamins. Marigold extract is a source of lutein (good for vision and more).

In general, the composition, to put it mildly, is not nearly as good as many people think. But this is food for a growing puppy who needs the highest quality nutrition possible. Here the main protein is vegetable, and many other ingredients are written in general terms.

Among the technological additives are: clinoptilolite of sedimentary origin (completely safe, absorbs excess moisture and prevents the product from caking); sodium tripolyphosphate - food additive E451, is a stabilizer; Preservatives, antioxidants - it is not specified which ones.

Composition of wet food

Let's look at the composition of Royal Canin wet food using spiders for Yorkshire terriers as an example.

Photo of the composition indicated on the bag.

The first ingredient is meat and meat by-products, a source of protein. The percentage is not specified, how and what kind of meat by-products it includes. Plant by-products - it is not clear what it is and how much it is, probably used as a source of fiber.

Cereals are a source of carbohydrates. It is not specified which cereals and how many there are. Minerals - supplement of minerals. Oils and fats are a source of fats and fatty acids. “Sources of carbohydrates” - what lies behind this ingredient is not clear.

The list of supplements includes vitamins and minerals, but their quantities are indicated per 1 kg, and the packaging is per 85 grams. So the indicators per package will be 12 times lower. However, this is not very important, since wet food is only a supplement to the diet.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of this food include:

very wide range, there is food for dogs of all sizes, ages and breeds;
there is a veterinary line, including wet food;
good vitamin and mineral supplement;
widespread, you can buy it in almost every pet store.

Disadvantages of Royal Canin food:

in many formulas, most of the protein is of plant origin (less digestible);
Many formulas do not specify the grains used, they simply say “cereals”;
antioxidants/preservatives used are not specified;
relatively high price (many super premium foods with the best composition cost almost the same).

Another disadvantage is that the composition does not indicate the percentage of the main ingredients.

Composition of ready-made food

The manufacturer diligently hides the exact recipe of the food. But there is still data on Western sites that can be taken as a basis. Let's look at the composition in detail:

Dehydrogenated proteins are the predominant component. This is a powder obtained from poultry waste through chemical processing.
Brewing grain from rice waste. It is obtained by grinding rice grains.
Brown rice is an easily digestible complex carbohydrate once cooked.
Flour made from chicken by-products. It includes underdeveloped eggs, paws, beaks and other slaughterhouse waste. This concentrate contains 3 times more protein than fresh poultry.
Chicken fat. It contains Omega-6 - a polyunsaturated acid that has a beneficial effect on the dog's body.
Gluten is wheat gluten. This mass is vegetable protein. It significantly increases the protein value on the package. In fact, this cheap product is poor in amino acids, which are essential in the life process of a dog’s body.
Cornmeal made from gluten. Another plant protein resource.
Corn is not the most desirable component in the diet. Apart from calorie content, it has virtually no other nutritional value.
Powdered cellulose. Plant fiber from vegetable processing residues. Does not contain any nutritional value.

Royal Canin dog food reviews

Royal Canin dry food has been sold on the Russian market for a very long time and is one of the most famous and popular. That’s why there are a lot of reviews about it on dog owner forums. Below we have collected some of the newest and most informative ones.

Reviews from veterinarians

Many users note in their reviews that they bought this food on the recommendation of a veterinarian. And this is not strange, because Royal Canin has a veterinary (medicinal) line. However, we did not find direct reviews from veterinarians about Royal Canin food in independent sources.

Customer Reviews

Margot writes:

Hi all! Today I will share a review of Royal Canin Mini Junior food, intended for small breed puppies (up to 10 kg) up to 10 months old. I bought it on the recommendation of the breeder from whom I got the puppy. The cost of the food is almost 400 rubles per pack of 800 grams, I will say in advance that it does not justify such a price.
After three months of feeding, the puppy developed a skin rash, the vet diagnosed a food allergy! I began to understand the food and it turned out that this Royal Canin composition is based on chicken, and also contains corn. Both of these cause allergies.
It would have been possible to take Royal Canin without chicken, but I didn’t take the risk and took another manufacturer, namely Grandorf Junior Lamb & Rice. I bought it on the website https://zoopassage.ru/, for a pack of 1 kg only 560 rubles. It's only a little more expensive, despite the fact that it contains no corn and comes first with lamb and turkey!
Overall, Royal Canin is unreasonably expensive with mediocre quality. There are a lot of better foods for that kind of money!

Maria writes:

My Spitz girl is very picky, she will go hungry but won’t eat food she doesn’t like. I realized this in the process of choosing food, through trial and error, until I came to Royal Canin. This food belongs to the premium class.
I take Adult X-small - a special food for small breeds. It contains small granules, ideal for small jaws. The packaging lists the composition and a lot of useful information about the food, there is a table with the calculation of the daily portion based on the dog’s weight.
The Spitzula likes the food and eats with appetite. After use, no allergic reactions are observed, the eyes do not water, the coat is in excellent condition. I think this food is good and recommend it.

Nastya writes:

Our baby has been eating Royal Canin Adult dry food for exactly a year now. I can say that it is not bad, it does not cause allergies (despite the fact that it contains chicken), the dog gets full and eats with pleasure. Another packaging with a convenient clasp.
But there are also disadvantages - the price of the feed is high, and the composition is not very good. But we have a small town and the choice of food is also small, this and several others similar. I know that there are better feeds for this price, unfortunately they are not sold here. But it’s good that this one fits, that’s good.

What breeds is this food suitable for?

Breed health nutrition – created for purebred pets. It takes into account individual requirements for proteins, vitamins and nutrition.

The premium diet is recommended for the following breeds:

Afghan Hound;
Bedlington Terrier;
Dogue de Bordeaux;
Jack Russell Terrier;
miniature schnauzer;
Italian Greyhound;
Newfoundland;
German Pinscher;
Russian colored lapdog;
Pomeranian Spitz;
Pekingese;
small poodle.

The developers took care of the individual shape of croquettes for bulldogs, for example. It corresponds to the special anatomical structure of the pet’s jaw. And in the German Shepherd’s diet, the emphasis is on components that strengthen the joints.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any product, Royal Canin brand nutrition has positive and negative sides.

Pros of nutrition:

A varied range of diets.
Specialized health-improving product line. Its composition and quality significantly exceeds everyday use.
The balanced composition completely replenishes the body of your four-legged friend with the necessary substances and vitamins.
Reasonable price.

Minuses:

contains components of dubious origin;
there is no exact information on the number of components in percentage terms;
Russian analogues are inferior in quality to French manufacturers.

Video: review of Royal Canin dog food, its composition and reviews