Royal Canin

Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy review

Name: Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy
Brand: Royal Canin

44.9/100Average

DryPuppy

A Labrador growth kibble that keeps fat deliberately in check, at 14.0% as fed against protein of 33.0%. It lands in our Average band because of what the label leaves unnamed. The calcium figure a big-pup owner looks for is printed, and it falls inside the range large breed growth works to.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Lab pups whose owners are already thinking about waistlines
Calcium printed, at 1.37% of dry matter
Starting joint support early: glucosamine and chondroitin both listed
Coat and skin, with borage oil and fish oil on the list
A lighter bowl, at an estimated 358 kcal per 100g against the 376 typical of puppy dry food

Worth watching

Maize second and maize gluten in the top half, so grain supplies a good part of the protein
No species named for the meat, which rules out an elimination plan
Soya oil, an unnamed vegetable protein isolate and hydrolysed crustaceans, for a pup sensitive to soya or shellfish
Wheat flour halfway down the list

Written by our editorial team. Independent guidance, not veterinary advice.

How this scores

How we score

44.9/100Average

Protein and processingAverage

Nutritional balanceExcellent

TransparencyPoor

ValueAverage

The details

Dog fit

Listed for Labrador puppies. There is no fixed daily scoop while a pup grows, so start from the bag's chart and adjust by what you feel over the ribs.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy

Main protein

Poultry

The score, in context

Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy 44.9

All one Average. Typical dry food: Good.

The label reading sets this band, with category-named meats and maize high up, while the analysis underneath it is carefully judged for the breed.

What's in it

Dehydrated poultry proteinLeads, with no bird named. Dried, so the share is roughly what the kibble ends up with.
Maize, rice, maize flourThe cereal base. Carbohydrate is ordinary for a kibble at 38.8% of dry matter.
Vegetable protein isolateNames no plant.
Animal fats, maize glutenGluten adds plant protein.
Hydrolysed animal proteinsNo species.
Wheat flour, beet pulp
Fish oil, soya oil, borage oilBorage is there for gamma-linolenic acid, for the coat.
Minerals, vegetable fibres, psyllium
Fructo-oligo-saccharides, hydrolysed yeastFOS 0.34%Prebiotics for digestion.
Hydrolysed crustaceans, yeast extracts, marigold extract, hydrolysed cartilageGlucosamine (from shellfish), betaglucans, lutein and chondroitin, none dosed.

Vitamins A, D3 and E with iron, iodine, copper, manganese, zinc and selenium, all dosed per kilo, plus clinoptilolite and a yucca extract.

Hydrolysed crustaceans put shellfish in the recipe.

Named ingredients

Dehydrated poultry protein, maize, vegetable protein isolate*, rice, maize flour, animal fats, maize gluten, hydrolysed animal proteins, wheat flour, beet pulp, fish oil, minerals, vegetable fibres, soya oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides (0.34%), psyllium husks and seeds, hydrolysed yeast (source of manno-oligo-saccharides), hydrolysed crustaceans (source of glucosamine), borage oil, yeasts extracts (source of betaglucans), marigold extract (source of lutein), hydrolysed cartilage (source of chondroitin).

Against the range

A breed growth kibble on a maize and rice base, with dried poultry protein and hydrolysed animal proteins supplying the animal content and no species named. Calcium is printed and converts to 1.37% of dry matter. The closing entries are the brand's coat and joint set, none of them dosed.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

358.4 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

33%

Fat

14%

Fibre

1.7%

Ash

6.9%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

36.3%

Fat

15.4%

Fibre

1.9%

Ash

7.6%

Carbs

38.8%

As-fed composition

Estimated breakdown of the finished product by ingredient category, from the declared ingredient list and ingoing weights. These are estimates, not measurements.

Meat

40%

Carbs

47%

Veg

9.8%

Oils

2.6%

Other

0.6%

Pricing & size