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Royal Canin X-Small Adult 8+ Dry Dog Food

Overall Score

The overall score is an average of the ingredient quality and ingredient safety concerns. For more information, see our evaluation criteria.

1.5
4 color scale
Royal Canin X-Small Adult 8+ Dry Dog Food
Home Royal Canin Royal Canin Dry Royal Canin X-Small Adult 8+ Dry Dog Food

Royal Canin X-Small Adult 8+ Dry Dog Food

Royal Canin X-Small Adult 8+ Dry Dog Food
1.5
4 color scale

Overall Score

The overall score is an average of the ingredient quality and ingredient safety concerns. For more information, see our evaluation criteria.

Ingredient Quality

3 out of 10

  • Product is calculated to contain 42% carbohydrate Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrate but they are used for energy, texture and taste. Starch is also required for extrusion in dry foods. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of food quality as it can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods that are high in carbohydrate can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies also show that dogs fed a high carbohydrate content have changes to their gut bacteria. Learn more
  • Contains fats that are highly processed or inflammatory Seed oils, such as safflower, sunflower or flaxseed oil, provide calories and taste. They are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause systemic and gut inflammation. Other oils like soybean are highly processed and may contain trans fats. Studies shows that ultra processed foods are linked to a higher rate of all-cause mortality in humans. Learn more
  • Contains unspecified animal sources, which are a less expensive source of meat While protein from animal sources is an important ingredient that’s highly digestible, the animal source should be named. You will want to see beef, salmon or chicken, not animal, fish or poultry. Unnamed protein sources are of much lower quality, especially meals, which are typically from rendered waste. Learn more
  • Product contains two or more added amino acids Multiple amino acids are typically only found in lower quality foods that rely on less complete plant sources of protein. Learn more
  • Is fortified with excessive vitamins When vitamins come from whole food sources, they include the full spectrum of cofactors, which makes them safe and bioavailable. While a couple of added vitamins are acceptable, five or more implies the food is of poor nutritional value. Learn more
  • Is fortified with excessive minerals Five or more added minerals indicate a lower quality food that’s lacking naturally occurring minerals from whole food sources.

Ingredient Safety

0 out of 10

  • Product is ultra processed Extruded foods are heated four separate times during production, which will cause major losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Studies shows that ultra processed foods are linked to a higher rate of all-cause mortality in humans. Learn more
  • Contains rice Arsenic contamination is a significant concern with rice since it naturally absorbs arsenic and the water it's grown in can be contaminated with arsenic. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues. Learn more
  • Contains known GMO ingredients in the top 5 ingredients including corn There are limited safetey studies on geneticaly modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off. Learn more
  • Contains natural flavor Natural flavors are often animal digest or MSG, which are low quality ingredients with limited safety studies. Learn more
  • Contains ingredients known to contain higher pesticide/herbicide residues including wheat Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers pose a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. Foods with the largest reported amount of residue will be penalized, including crops that are known to be spray-dried with glyphosate. Learn more
  • Contains synthetic preservatives Antioxidants are used as preservatives for shelf stable foods to prevent oxidation of fats and degradation of water soluble nutrients. Natural antioxidants like mixed tocopherols are preferred as artificial antioxidants have limited toxicity studies and may be linked to cancer. Learn more

Other Concerns

Notable product facts

  • Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is not provided. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation and disease. Learn more
  • Product doesn't specify whether the fish is farmed or wild caught Farmed fish is less nutritious than wild caught fish and does not contain the same healthy fatty acid balance. Fish farming also threatens wild fish species. Learn more
  • Ingredient splitting Splitting is a technique of manipulating the ingredient list to move certain ingredients higher or lower on the ingredient list. This is often used to diguise the amount of lower quality ingredients in the food, such as corn or peas. Learn more

Ingredients On Package

Brewers rice, chicken fat, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, corn, brown rice, natural flavors, wheat gluten, dried chicory root, vegetable oil, fish oil, psyllium seed husk, potassium chloride, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, L-arginine, L-lysine, L-tyrosine, monocalcium phosphate, DL-methionine, fructooligosaccharides, sodium tripolyphosphate, choline chloride, salt, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), niacin supplement, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], magnesium oxide, trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], taurine, GLA safflower oil, L-carnitine, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), green tea extract, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

Guaranteed Analysis





Crude Protein (min) 22%
Crude Fat (min) 16%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.6%
Moisture (max) 10%

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