Royal Canin

Royal Canin Maxi Starter review

Name: Royal Canin Maxi Starter
Brand: Royal Canin

44/100Average

DryPuppyAdult

Written for the two ends of weaning: a large-breed mother through late pregnancy and nursing, and her puppies on their first solid meals. The numbers follow that brief, with fat at 22.0% and 417 kcal per 100g. DHA comes from algal oil, and a butyric acid salt is in for a gut just learning its job.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Breeders and owners weaning a large-breed litter
A mother in late pregnancy and nursing, when energy needs climb fastest
Puppies whose brains and eyes are still developing. Algal oil supplies DHA in a form they use straight away
New digestive systems, with hydrolysed yeast at 0.30% and a butyric acid salt on the list
A food that stays rich in a small volume

Worth watching

No calcium declared, the number that matters most for a large-breed puppy
Rice first, with wheat gluten and maize behind it
Poultry protein, animal fats and hydrolysed animal proteins all name no species, and fish oil means it is not fish free
Rich at 417 kcal per 100g, so portions need care on any dog past weaning

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

How this scores

How we score

44/100Average

Protein and processingPoor

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyAverage

ValueAverage

The details

Dog fit

Listed for large-breed puppies at weaning and their nursing mothers. Ask Royal Canin for the calcium figure before a growing giant eats nothing else.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy, Adult

Main protein

Poultry

The score, in context

Royal Canin Maxi Starter 44.0

All one Average. Typical dry food: Good.

The analysis is rich and meat-leaning; the unnamed bird, unnamed fats and a rice-first list are what pull the score down.

What's in it

RiceThe cereal that unsettles the fewest dogs, a defensible start for a weaning food.
Dehydrated poultry proteinWater already out, so most of it reaches the kibble as protein. Poultry covers any domestic bird.
Animal fatsNo species named. This is where the energy comes from.
Wheat gluten, maizeGluten is a concentrated plant protein, so not all of the protein comes from the bird.
Hydrolysed animal proteins, mineralsAnother unnamed animal source.
Beet pulp, soya oil, vegetable fibres
Fish oilNot fish free.
Psyllium husks and seeds, FOS
Hydrolysed yeast0.30%Manno-oligo-saccharides and betaglucans to settle a gut.
Algal oil (DHA), butyric acid salt, marigold mealButyrate is the fuel the cells lining the colon run on.

Fully dosed, with zinc at 136 mg and manganese at 55 mg per kilo, and vitamin D3 at 1200 IU, a generous figure that fits a growth recipe.

No calcium figure on the label. For a large-breed puppy, ask the maker for it.

Named ingredients

Rice, dehydrated poultry protein, animal fats, wheat gluten*, maize, hydrolysed animal proteins, minerals, beet pulp, soya oil, vegetable fibres, fish oil, psyllium husks and seeds, fructo-oligo-saccharides, hydrolysed yeast (source of manno-oligo-saccharides and betaglucans) (0.30%), algal oil Schizochytrium sp. (source of DHA), butyric acid salt, marigold meal.

Against the range

One weaning kibble. Rice leads, dehydrated poultry protein follows, and animal fats, wheat gluten and maize come next. Fat is declared at 22.0% and energy at 417 kcal per 100g, with protein converting to 32.6% of dry matter and carbohydrate estimated at 32.4%. Ash is high at 8.4%, and calcium is not printed.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

417.3 kcal/100g

Protein

30%

Fat

22%

Fibre

1.8%

Ash

8.4%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

32.6%

Fat

23.9%

Fibre

Ash

9.1%

Carbs

32.4%

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

29.8%

Carbs

58.4%

Veg

0.5%

Oils

9.2%

Other

2.1%

Pricing & size