Royal Canin

Royal Canin Medium Puppy review

Name: Royal Canin Medium Puppy
Brand: Royal Canin

49.9/100Average

DryPuppy

An energy-dense growth kibble that sits in our Average band. Fat carries much of the load at 20.0% declared, and carbohydrate comes out at an estimated 32.5% of dry matter, lower than most growth kibbles manage. The weak spot is naming: poultry, animal fats and hydrolysed proteins never say which species, and there is no calcium figure.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Busy medium breed pups. At 410 kcal per 100g it keeps up with one
A lower starch bowl, with carbohydrate at an estimated 32.5% of dry matter against 39.0% for a typical puppy dry food
DHA from algal oil for brain and eye development
Homes happy to include pork, named as dehydrated pork protein
Digestion support from fructo-oligo-saccharides and hydrolysed yeast at 0.30%

Worth watching

No calcium percentage on the label, which matters most for a growing pup
Rich at 20.0% fat, so a quieter pup needs the scoop measured
Wheat gluten and maize gluten lift the protein figure without adding meat
Unnamed poultry and hydrolysed animal proteins rule it out for an elimination diet

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

How this scores

How we score

49.9/100Average

Protein and processingAverage

Nutritional balanceExcellent

TransparencyAverage

ValueAverage

The details

Dog fit

Listed for medium breed puppies. Ask Royal Canin for the calcium figure before you commit, and adjust the daily amount as your pup grows.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy

Breed size

Medium

Main protein

Poultry

The score, in context

Royal Canin Medium Puppy 49.9

All one Average. Typical dry food: Good.

Strong nutritional balance is held back by a label that names categories for most of its animal ingredients.

What's in it

Dehydrated poultry proteinThe lead protein. Poultry is a type, and the species is never named.
Animal fatsSecond on the list and unnamed. Much of the energy comes from here.
Maize, rice, wheat flour, wheat, maize flourThe cereal side, spread thinly across several entries.
Wheat gluten, maize glutenPlant protein that adds to the protein figure without adding meat.
Beet pulpDoes the fibre work, which is light at 1.7% of dry matter.
Dehydrated pork proteinNamed outright, unlike the poultry.
Hydrolysed animal proteinsNo species given.
Minerals, soya oil, yeasts products, fish oil
Fructo-oligo-saccharides, hydrolysed yeast0.30%The yeast supplies manno-oligo-saccharides and betaglucans for the gut.
Algal oil, Yucca Schidigera juice, marigold mealAlgal oil from Schizochytrium is the DHA source.

Fully dosed vitamins and trace minerals, including vitamin A at 15500 IU, vitamin D3 at 1000 IU, zinc at 132 mg and manganese at 50 mg per kg.

No calcium figure on the label. Ash is 9.3% of dry matter, but the split a growing pup depends on is not given.

No glucosamine or chondroitin on the list.

Named ingredients

Dehydrated poultry protein, animal fats, maize, wheat gluten*, beet pulp, dehydrated pork protein*, maize gluten, rice, wheat flour, hydrolysed animal proteins, wheat, maize flour, minerals, soya oil, yeasts products, fish oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, hydrolysed yeast (source of manno-oligo-saccharides and betaglucans) (0.30%), algal oil Schizochytrium sp. (source of DHA), Yucca Schidigera juice, marigold meal.

Against the range

One recipe, energy-dense for a growing medium pup: 20.0% fat as fed and 410 kcal per 100g, against the 376 typical of a puppy dry food. The cereal side is spread thinly across maize, wheat, rice and their glutens and flours, and no calcium figure appears.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

409.5 kcal/100g

Protein

32%

Fat

20%

Fibre

1.6%

Ash

8.6%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

34.8%

Fat

21.7%

Fibre

1.7%

Ash

9.3%

Carbs

32.5%

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

44.9%

Carbs

41.6%

Oils

13%

Other

0.5%

Pricing & size