Rating: 
Royal Canin Mini puppy food formulas earn the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
The Royal Canin Mini puppy product line includes three dry dog foods… each designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for growth (in this case, small breed puppies).
- Royal Canin Baby Dog 30 (weaning to 8 weeks)
- Royal Canin Mini Puppy 33 (2 months to 10 months)
- Royal Canin Mini Indoor Puppy 27 (weaning to 10 months)
Royal Canin Mini Puppy 33 dry dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Royal Canine Mini Puppy 33
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, chicken, rice, dried egg product, dried beet pulp, natural chicken flavors, wheat gluten, fish oil (source of EPA/DHA), dried brewers yeast, potassium chloride, sodium silico aluminate, flax seed, salt, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), choline chloride, L-lysine, taurine, salmon meal, dried brewers yeast extract (source of mannan-oligosaccharides), Vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin A acetate, niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2) supplement, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), trace minerals [zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, zinc proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], preserved with natural mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E) and citric acid, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The third ingredient includes corn gluten meal. Corn 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 fourth 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.
The fifth ingredient 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.
The sixth ingredient mentions rice. 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 particular item.
The seventh ingredient is dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The eighth ingredient lists 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.
After the natural chicken flavor, we find wheat gluten… another source of inferior plant-based proteins.
Like corn gluten (already mentioned), this ingredient can also raise the apparent protein content reported in this food.
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, the yeast extract listed here is probably used as a flavor and immune system enhancer. Although you may have heard otherwise, the glutamic acid found in yeast extract is a food additive generally recognized as safe by the USFDA.1
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 Puppy Foods
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Royal Canin Mini “puppy” appears to be an average 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.
To start, all three Royal Canin Mini puppy products vary significantly in measured protein content as well as the actual source of that protein.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 37%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 33%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 33% and a mean fat level of 22%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 37% for the overall product line.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Yet when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn and wheat gluten meals, this looks like the profile of a dry dog food containing no more than a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Royal Canin Mini puppy is primarily a plant-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of chicken meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.
Recommended.
Those looking for an adult kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Royal Canin Mini Adult dry 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
01/17/2010 Original review
08/20/2010 Review updated
- L-Glutamic Acid, FDA Select Committee on GRAS Substances ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.