Rating: 
Royal Canin Mini Adult dog food earns the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
The Royal Canin Mini Adult product line lists three dry dog foods. Each recipe is designed for dogs considered small at adulthood and meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
- Royal Canin Mini Adult 27
- Royal Canin Mini Toy Indoor Adult 25
- Royal Canin Mini Indoor Adult 21 (2 stars)
Royal Canin Mini Adult 27 dog food was selected to represent the others in the product line for this review.
Royal Canin Mini Adult 27
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, brewers rice, chicken meal, rice, corn gluten meal, oatmeal, chicken fat, natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp, dried brewers yeast, anchovy oil (source of DHA), soya oil, potassium chloride, salt, flaxseed, DL-methionine, choline chloride, sodium tripolyphosphate, vitamins [dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, d-calcium pantothenate, niacin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), folic acid], salmon meal, dried egg product, magnesium oxide, trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], marigold extract (Calendula officinalis L.), L-Carnitine, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E) and citric acid, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.1%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to brewers rice… the second and (more likely) the dominant ingredient in this dog food.
Brewers rice consists of the small grain fragments left over after milling whole rice. This is an inexpensive cereal grain by-product and not considered a quality ingredient.
The third ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The fourth ingredient again mentions rice. But is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s difficult to judge the quality of this item.
The fifth item lists corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins low in many of the essential amino acids dogs need to sustain life.
This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The sixth item includes oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, fiber and is (unlike many other grains) mostly gluten-free.
The seventh ingredient lists chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
After the natural chicken flavor, we find dried beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The tenth ingredient includes dried brewers yeast. Although it is a by-product of the beer making process, brewers yeast contains about 45% protein… and is naturally rich in vitamins and minerals.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.
With three notable exceptions…
First, we call your attention to soya oil. Soybean oil is red flagged here only due to its suspected (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.
Next, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
And lastly, this food does contain chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Royal Canin Mini Adult Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Considering everything we know about its ingredients alone, Royal Canin Mini Adult appears to be an average dry dog food.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 30%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 44%.
Containing just 23% protein, the Indoor Adult 21 product has been downgraded due to its apparently lower meat content.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 48% for the overall product line.
Average protein. Near-average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
On the surface, decent numbers.
But all three of these Royal Canin Mini Adult products appear to at least partially rely on their corn or wheat glutens to boost their advertised protein content.
When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the added grain glutens, this looks like the profile of a dry dog food containing only a modest amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Royal Canin Mini Adult is a plant-based dry dog food using only a modest amount of chicken or chicken meal as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand three.
Recommended (excluding the Indoor Adult product)
Those looking for a growth-rated kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Royal Canin Mini Puppy dog food.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
01/18/2010 Original review
08/21/2010 Review updated
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.