Royal Canin

Royal Canin Maxi Digestive Care review

Name: Royal Canin Maxi Digestive Care
Brand: Royal Canin

44.9/100Average

DryAdultSenior

A large-breed kibble for dogs whose stomach is the weak link in an otherwise sturdy animal, and it puts most of its design effort there. The fibre work is spread over beet pulp, vegetable fibres and psyllium. Fat runs generously at 18.0%. It sits in our Average band because so much of the recipe arrives without a species attached.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Large adults with unsettled digestion, where rice, beet pulp and psyllium do the steadying
Older large dogs too: the bag covers adult and senior
Dogs who do better on a smaller, denser bowl, at 377 kcal per 100g
Big dogs starting to feel their joints, with glucosamine and chondroitin listed
Skin extras included, from fish oil, borage oil and marigold extract

Worth watching

Poultry is a family, so the bird can change between batches
Glucosamine from hydrolysed crustaceans, which matters in a shellfish-free home
Wheat flour, wheat, barley and maize gluten all appear
A rich food, so portions want watching on a dog that mostly supervises the garden

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

How this scores

How we score

44.9/100Average

Protein and processingAverage

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyPoor

ValueAverage

The details

Dog fit

Listed for large adult and senior dogs. The dogs it is written for are heavier than 15kg, so scale the portion and let the waistline settle it.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult, Senior

Main protein

Poultry

The score, in context

Royal Canin Maxi Digestive Care 44.9

All one Average. Typical dry food: Good.

The analysis is the food's best side; the score comes off a list that names families and categories where a careful reader wants animals.

What's in it

Dehydrated poultry proteinDried before mixing, so the protein is already in the kibble. Poultry can mean chicken, turkey, duck or goose.
RiceThe cereal that gives most dogs the least trouble.
Wheat flour, wheat
Animal fatsNo species given.
Vegetable protein isolate, maize glutenPlant protein topping up the protein figure; a dog makes less of it than of the animal sort.
Hydrolysed animal proteinsBroken small enough to absorb with little work. Unnamed.
BarleyThe most useful of the plant side.
Vegetable fibres, beet pulp, psyllium husks and seedsThe digestive machinery: bulk, stool quality and a soluble fibre that holds water in the gut.
Fish oil, soya oil, borage oil, marigold extractBorage brings gamma-linolenic acid, marigold lutein. Fish oil means it is not fish free.
Hydrolysed crustaceans, hydrolysed cartilageGlucosamine and chondroitin, no dose printed.

Vitamins A and D3 with iron, iodine, copper, manganese, zinc and selenium, all dosed per kilo, plus clinoptilolite, a mineral clay used in manufacture.

Preservatives and antioxidants are declared as categories, with no names.

Named ingredients

Dehydrated poultry protein, rice, wheat flour, animal fats, vegetable protein isolate*, wheat, hydrolysed animal proteins, barley, maize gluten, vegetable fibres, beet pulp, fish oil, soya oil, minerals, psyllium husks and seeds, borage oil, marigold extract (source of lutein), hydrolysed crustaceans (source of glucosamine), hydrolysed cartilage (source of chondroitin).

Against the range

A single large-breed recipe. Protein converts to 30.8% of dry matter, fat to 19.8% and estimated carbohydrate to 39.6%, under the typical adult dry food.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

377.4 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

28%

Fat

18%

Fibre

2.9%

Ash

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

30.8%

Fat

19.8%

Fibre

3.2%

Ash

6.6%

Carbs

39.6%

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

40.9%

Carbs

48.8%

Veg

4.5%

Oils

5.5%

Other

0.2%

Pricing & size