Royal Canin

Royal Canin X-Small Ageing 12+ review

Name: Royal Canin X-Small Ageing 12+
Brand: Royal Canin

33.4/100Average

DryAdultSenior

A softened recipe for the very small dog who has made it past twelve. It sits in our Average band, largely because cereal comes before the poultry. Layered gut support, a light mineral load and a plaque entry make it a gentle food to keep in the cupboard.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Very small dogs of twelve and over, the age the bag is built around
A lighter diet for shorter walks, at 379 kcal per 100g
Gut support for an elderly dog: chicory pulp, FOS, yeast MOS and psyllium
Marine omega 3 from algal oil as well as fish oil
An old dog that picks at dinner, with hydrolysed proteins to keep the kibble tempting

Worth watching

Rice and wheat flour both ahead of the poultry
Wheat and maize in several forms, if an older dog is kept off cereal
Fish oil, so it is not fish free

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

How this scores

How we score

33.4/100Average

Protein and processingPoor

Nutritional balanceAverage

TransparencyPoor

ValueAverage

The details

Dog fit

Listed for very small adults and seniors, twelve years and up. The energy figure is our estimate, so judge portions by the waistline as well as the table, which runs from 24 grams at 1kg to 68 grams at 4kg.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult, Senior

Breed size

Small

Main protein

Poultry

The score, in context

Royal Canin X-Small Ageing 12+ 33.4

All one Average. Typical dry food: Good.

Cereal reaching the bowl before the meat explains most of the band, and it understates how useful the bag can be for a very old, very small dog.

What's in it

Rice, wheat flourFirst on the list, so this is cereal-led with meat worked in.
Dehydrated poultry proteinsPoultry by family only, no bird named.
Maize flour, wheat
Animal fatsUnnamed.
Maize gluten, wheat glutenPlant protein lifting the analysis.
Hydrolysed animal proteinsFor palatability. Species not given.
Chicory pulp, psyllium, FOS, yeastsPrebiotics in layers, plus soluble fibre.
Minerals, with pentasodium triphosphate0.35%The plaque entry, for a mouth with twelve years of work behind it.
Fish oil, algal oil, soya oilAlgal oil supplies EPA and DHA directly.
Marigold mealLutein for the eye.

Vitamins A, D3 and C with iron, iodine, copper, manganese, zinc and selenium, plus preservatives and antioxidants.

Poultry, fats and hydrolysed proteins are named by family only, so this cannot clear a dog with a problem with one particular bird.

Named ingredients

Rice, wheat flour, dehydrated poultry proteins, maize flour, animal fats, wheat, maize gluten, wheat gluten, hydrolysed animal proteins, chicory pulp, minerals (including pentasodium triphosphate (0.35%)), fish oil, psyllium husks and seeds, soya oil, yeasts products, fructo-oligosaccharides, algal oil Schizochytrium sp. (source of EPA and DHA), yeasts (source of manno-oligosaccharides), marigold meal.

Against the range

Rice and wheat flour open the list ahead of the poultry, with maize and wheat glutens helping the protein along. Fat is held to 16.0% and ash to 4.8%. Poultry, fats and hydrolysed proteins are named only by family.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

379.2 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

24%

Fat

16%

Fibre

1.7%

Ash

4.8%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

26.1%

Fat

17.4%

Fibre

1.8%

Ash

5.2%

Carbs

49.5%

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

16.5%

Carbs

78.7%

Veg

0.5%

Oils

3.6%

Other

0.7%

Pricing & size