Rating: 
Royal Canin Mini Weight Care dog food gets the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
According to the manufacturer, Royal Canin Mini Weight Care 28 is designed “for overweight small breed adult dogs (up to 20 pounds) from 11 months to 8 years of age”.
The product meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
Royal Canin Mini Weight Care 28
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, oatmeal, corn gluten meal, chicken, brown rice, rice hulls, rice, natural chicken flavor, chicken fat, dried beet pulp (ssugar removed), dried brewers yeast, anchovy oil (source of epa/dha), pea fiber, fructo-oligosaccharides, potassium chloride, flax seed, calcium carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, choline chloride, salt, dl-methionine, dried egg product, salmon meal, magnesium oxide, 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), niacin supplement, vitamin a acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2)], trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], l-carnitine, tea (green tea extract), marigold extract (tagetes erecta l.), rosemary extract, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E) and citric acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 7.5%
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 almost 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second ingredient is oatmeal… a quality whole-grain obtained from coarsely grinding raw oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in fiber, B-vitamins and (unlike most other grains) is entirely gluten-free.
The third ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubber-like residue remaining after corn has had all its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) dissolved 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 is 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 fifth item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The sixth ingredient includes rice hulls… a cheap by-product of the rice milling process. Rice hulls are used here to add dietary fiber to the recipe… which dilutes the total number of calories per serving.
This is clearly an example of the dieting principle known as “lowering caloric density”. Rice hull fiber also has the ability to help produce a sense of fullness to a dieting pet.
The seventh item 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.
After the natural chicken flavor, we find 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.
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 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 completely acceptable.
The next item is dried brewers yeast. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, brewers yeast contains about 45% protein… and is rich in other healthy nutrients.
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 two notable exceptions…
First, 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 Weight Care Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Royal Canin Mini Weight Care looks like 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.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 31%, a fat level of 10% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.
Above-average protein. Low fat. And above-average carbs… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Yet when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Royal Canin Mini Weight Care is a plant-based dry dog food using only a moderate amount of chicken meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.
Recommended.
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
01/19/2010 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.