Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic Select Protein (Dry)

Share

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic dry dog food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3 stars.

The Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic Selected Protein product line includes four dry dog foods, each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Selected Protein Adult PD
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Selected Protein Adult PR
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Selected Protein Adult PV
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Selected Protein Moderate Calorie Adult PW

Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Selected Protein Adult PV was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic Selected Protein Adult PV

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 22% | Fat = 11% | Carbs = 59%

Ingredients: Dried potato, venison meal, potato protein, coconut oil, natural flavors, vegetable oil, fish oil, salt, dl-methionine, l-lysine, choline chloride, taurine, monosodium phosphate, 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 supplement (vitamin B2), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], trace minerals (zinc oxide, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), rosemary extract, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.2%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis20%10%NA
Dry Matter Basis22%11%59%
Calorie Weighted Basis20%25%55%

The first item in this dog food is dried potatoes, a dehydrated item usually made from the by-products of potato processing. Compared to cornmeal, dried potatoes contain slightly more protein.

The second ingredient is venison meal. Venison meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh venison.

The third ingredient is potato protein, the dry residue remaining after removing the starchy part of a potato.

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The fourth ingredient is coconut oil. Depending upon the quality of the raw material, coconut oil is rich in medium chain fatty acids.

Coconut oil has been reported to have a beneficial effect on a dog’s skin and coat, improve digestion, and reduce allergic reactions.1

After the natural flavors, we find vegetable oil, a generic oil of unknown origin. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in any oil is nutritionally critical and can vary significantly (depending on the source).

Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of any item vaguely described as simply “vegetable oil”.

The seventh ingredient lists fish oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, fish oil should be considered a commendable addition.

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 affect the overall rating of this product.

With one notable exception

This dog food also contains chelated mineralsminerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic
Selecetd Protein Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Even though this is a prescription product, we continue to limit our judgment to the estimated meat content of the recipe as well as the apparent quality of its ingredients. And nothing else.

Our ratings have nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to this product’s ability to effectively treat or cure a specific health condition.

So, to find out whether or not this dog food is appropriate for your particular pet, you must consult your veterinarian.

With that understanding…

Judging by its ingredients by themselves, Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic Selected Protein dry dog food looks to be an average kibble.

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 22%, a fat level of 11% and estimated carbohydrates of about 59%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 22% and a mean fat level of 11%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 59% for the overall product line.

Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the potato protein, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a limited amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic Selected Protein dry dog food is a potato-based kibble using only a limited amount of various meats as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3 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 specific health benefits 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

04/16/2011 Original review
05/03/2012 Last Update

  1. Dr. Bruce Fife, Healthy Ways Newsletter, Vol 4:3
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


  • S2012

    We also are feeding our Westie the potato and rabbit formula for her allergies. A year and a half ago, the vet recommended this food and she has been on it ever since. She really likes it, and we slowly introduced the vegetable treats made by RC too, she missed getting treats! Now, she also can have apple cinnamon treats as well. We bathe her once a week in the prescribed shampoo and also wash her linens on a weekly basis. SUCH a great improvement. She still has allergies, but this makes it more manageable! 

  • Alice Berdy

     Was your diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease? My dog has been having so much trouble with vomiting I don’t know what to feed him anymore. I tried the duck version and it made him sick. I am going to try the venison and see how that goes. If he can tolerate the venison, I was going to supplement the diet with one meal of the frozen venison patties for more protein.

  • Crazymike66

    doesnt the royal canin dog food have duck in it instead of venison?  

  • Laurenleelarson

    I just got this today for allergies and my vet had a treat suggestion.  We are using the dry food, but he said to make small balls with the canned food and freeze them to be used as treats.

  • Carla Steinman

    You might want to try Dick Van Patten’s Limited Ingredient Natural Balance.  They have a venison and potato, but I think it’s a sweet potato. My GSD did well on it and liked it – her stools were great.   Still having problems with her skin, though and the vet wants me to try Hill’s Z/D (I just can’t go there after reading the review).  Good luck to you!

  • Tina

    Mgarv,

    I have a
    gordon setter and he has had some really bad skin conditions(very flakey and
    little scabs),  since he has been on this dog food(hypoallergenic HP, all his
    skin conditions have gone away.  He loves his treats too, so I only give him
    sweet potatoes(I dehydrate them myself but they see them on line(sammy
    yammies).  He has been on this food for about 6 months now and it took a while
    for his skin to be completely normal, but now his fur is soft and no more flakes
    or scabs

  • Travishawkins7

    I am going through the same with my 2yr old pit bull, she is the greatest dog, and it sucks that she has to be so limited. I have been feeding her royal canin potato and rabbit for about 3 months now, she seems to like it. The vet also gave us a 3 week supply of medicine, which takes the rash away, the meds ran out a week ago, still crossing my fingers it doesn’t come back. I wish the food was cheaper! Keep me posted

  • Scsegura

    I have a little black pug, and she was having skin conditions also on her face, and my vet put me on hypoallergenic adult pv dry dog food and its looking alot better now, and she seems to really like it too

  • Mgarv

    My dog was prescribed this food so that we can try and rule out what is causing her skin condition.  We had a number of expensive tests to rule out a various things like thyroid disorders, fungus, bacteria, etc.  The vet believes she has allergies.  We tried a skin spray that contained hormones, but she had an adverse reaction.  She is currently being bathed once a week with shampoo from the vet.

    She could have seasonal allergies (although it’s winter and we still see it), allergy to dust mites, or perhaps it has something to do with her diet.

    As it was explained to me, this formula has few ingredients and it is supposed to be the only thing she eats for at least two months.  We are primarily feeding her the canned version.

    So I am curious if anyone else is feeding this for allergies.  If so, I’d like to know if this has helped determine with the skin condition and with the dog’s skin allergy.  I’m wondering if we are going to find out nothing after two months or more of the trial.  She really misses her treats.

    Thanks for all the informative articles.

  • aimee

    Hi arydeb,

    My dog is on RC venison and potato and doing very well. Like your dog he had persistent problems. My guy had lack of appetite, vomiting, bloody stool, and days when he just felt unwell and stayed in his crate all day.

    After an extensive medical work up and several diet trials this diet is the charm! 

    The rating doesn’t reflect a lower plane of nutirtion as much as it does that the diet isn’t a high meat based diet.

      

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi Arydeb,

    Unfortunately, due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, my reviews have absolutely nothing to do with trying to predict whether any food (prescription or otherwise) is right for any animal.

    As this article reminds readers:

    “Our ratings have nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to this product’s ability to effectively treat or cure a specific health condition.

    So, to find out whether or not this dog food is appropriate for your particular pet, you must consult your veterinarian.”

    If this prescribed food is helping your greyhound stay healthy, then you surely continue to follow your veterinarian’s recommendation.

    This food may be 2.5 stars to us – but to your greyhound’s immune system, it’s must be a 5-plus!

    Hope this helps.

  • arydeb

    Hi Mike, I am quite discouraged by this review. The Royal Canin Rx Rabbit food seems to be the only one my recently  retired Greyhound tolerates. Since I got her about a year ago she had very loose stools no matter how good the food or how expensive or how I cooked for her. The advice from the Greyhound chat group was to learn to live with it, that loose stools are normal on Greys, till one day we ended up Emergency she was so dehydrated!  At that time, about 6 months ago, the ER Dr. put her on the RC Rabbit & Potato.  Since then, she’s had normal stools, 2 or 3 times a day, rather than 10! But I am concerned that perhaps she’s not getting enough nutrition?  I am now afraid to try anything else that might upset her tummy… It seems she’ll be on it for life, regardless of the cost.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi Meagan,

    Hydrolyzed protein is protein that’s been broken down into its constituent amino acids. It is a proven way to treat animals who have been shown to suffer from numerous allergies.

    Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian and due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific health advice regarding your dog’s response to these products.

    Wish I could be more help.

  • Megan

    Mike:  Royal Canin has the Selected Protein which you reviewed here, but also has the Hydrolized Protein.  What is Hydrolized Protein?  I noted your comment above re: the “amount” of protein.  My dog suffers from joint inflammation and was on steroids for years until I got a new vet who suggested the Selected Protein.  He’s not been lame since unless I take him off the food, then he either gets very ouchy or goes dead lame.  That’s why I’ve stuck with it even though I can’t really afford it.  Now, I’m looking around for something cheaper and for the price am thinking I could feed him potatoes and meat myself.  

  • Megan

    Dear Mike Sageman:  I just want to thank you so very much for your reviews.  They are very helpful and your insights and reviews are very educational.  THANKS!

  • Megansambo

    My dog did very well on this food for several years until they changed the formulation and then some of his old symptoms began to come back.  I have stayed with the food because at least he still is overall fairly well, however, since it is so very overpriced, I am now considering a change.  Thanks Gabriele, you confirmed my feelings and observations about the new formula.  

  • Shawna

    That is AWESOME Sharky112!!!

    What recipe/s will you be using when you do the switch to grocery store meats?

  • Sharky112

     Rachel – we have a 2.5 yr old Dane – same problems + intermittent diarrhea and interdigital cysts in between toes. Tried everything, antibiotics, prednisone, LTD ingredient diets, prescription diets. What has FINALLY helped – we put him on Baytril for 2 weeks to help with the bacterial infections in his toes (from licking the open cysts) and put him on a raw diet. We started with chicken & have gradually added beef. (We are using Instinct Raw Frozen, but will be switching to grocery store meat soon). He’s doing great! The only drawback is the cost – but it’s worth it as it has resolved all the issues – itches, armpits, toes & diarrhea..Wishing you good luck!

  • Liisa

    Funnily enough, meat is not that cheap here.

    Originally I fed them raw chicken breasts, but it was pretty expensive and one of my dogs got v sick… The vet told me to avoid the chicken as a ‘main’ diet.

    Beef is v expensive, lamb is horrendously expensive (it has to be imported) and pork, I gather, is not good for dogs.

    I freeze pork spare ribs for 3 months before giving them to the dogs as a ‘supplement’ and treat every week.

  • sandy

    have you considered a raw diet there considering the abundance of different meat sources?

  • Liisa

    I have retired to Thailand and, as you can imagine, there are not too many choices of dog food available.

    As a couple of my dogs had mild allergy problems, I have fed them this brand for a couple of years – only to find that it has not helped at all…

    Not a problem, as I thought it was a ‘good’ (albeit incredibly expensive) brand, so at least my dogs were getting the best diet possible…

    I only wish I had discovered this web site a couple of years ago!

  • Rachelbirri

    We have a 1.5 year old Great Dane. When he was just a puppy, about 4 months, he started getting pink areas under his arms and stomach. They suggested it was allergies, so we tried medicated bathes and wipes. Then as he got older, about 8 months, it became a much larger problem. He had outbreaks of severe itchiness every day. He has been prescribed this exact brand of dog food. I can say that for the first few months it seemed to really help with his skin. Now I am not sure if it’s that his body has gotten used to it or if maybe the problem has changed but it is almost as bad as it was before he started the food. So at least in our case it didn’t help long term and it is very expensive. I am actually looking now for a new solution.

  • Lauren

    My dog Tango has many issues! Since adopting him 2 years ago, we’ve had issues with his stomach (diarrhea, loose stool, gas, etc.). A few months ago we switch to Blue Buffalo Basic, and it has tremendously improved his stomach issues. However, around the same time, Tango began developing itchy skin. He focuses on certain areas like the base of his tail, but mainly his paws (the underside of his paws are red and almost hairless at this point). Our vet seemed to think it was seasonal, so we did Benadryl/Prednisone/Temiral throughout the summer. As summer is now over, we expected his allergies to subside, but they have not. Our vet suggested a hyperallergenic food, so we chose RC Venison formula. I see a lot on here about improving bowels, but have you seen any improvements with skin and itching with this formula?

    We also plan on doing allergy testing soon. I know the skin test is more effective, but it is out of price range, so we are going to go with the blood test. In your professional opinion, have you seen better results with a different product regarding skin licking/biting/itching? Also, any suggestions with treats? Thank you!

  • sandy

    Valerie,

    Honest Kitchen Zeal is a whitefish & sweet potato food.

  • sandy

    Valerie,

    Have you tried a raw diet? Primal has a rabbit formula. They also have quail, pheasant, and turkey & sardine.

  • sandy

    Oh by the way – Nature’s Select has a salmon & sweet potato formula. It’s for sensitive stomachs. It’s salmon meal, brown rice, sweet potato meal, pumpkin meal, fish meal. I have one friend that’s switched her IBS boston terrier dog to this food with success.

  • sandy

    That’s ok. I’m a baby nurse by profession! Work around lots of stools!!

  • Valerie

    Thank you Sandy! I will look into it further! I have to say, we have only been using the PW formula for three days, we had to switch with no mixing because of the rabbit shortage, but we’ve had two full days of actually solid stools, which, has never happened before, ever. I’m very excited right now, sorry for the too much information.

  • sandy

    Valerie,

    Have you looked into Addiction foods? They have unique proteins like brushtail and kangaroo and rabbit. They have dehydrated raw, kibble and cans.

  • Valerie

    My dog also has IBD, he was on Z/D for a while, and although he looked better and was able to gain weight, his stools have never been solid. I had never been happy with feeding him that stuff, and was able to finally have the vet agree to let him try a limited ingredient diet. He had been on Natural Balance Duck and Sweet Potato before the z/d, but his health was still declining, so duck is out. We started feeding him the Hypoallergenic PR, and his stools started firming up almost immediately. Everything was looking great, but a month and a half later, we find out it’s on backorder everywhere, even online, apparently they are having issues importing the rabbit. The vet also said to check out EVO rabbit, and it is also out of stock, and I’m reading that they just periodically take it off the market. We are trying the whitefish, I hope it works out. I am happy that it actually smells like fish, but I am wondering about the third ingredient being powdered cellulose, something I thought I left behind with the Z/D… I really hope we can find a diet that works for him that you can actually get whenever you run out.

  • Gabriele Joiner

    Our 9 year old female dog Rottie/Aussie Mix has been on RC Potato-Venison for about 6 month and did very well on it until they changed the formulation. She does not like the new kibble and walks away from it unless I mix some deer meat in with it. I think that the company wanted to save money by changing the formulation, the new kibble looks different and smells different. I did inform our Vet about this and also called RC to let them know that I thought they cheapened the kibble with this new formulation and what the reaction of our dog was to the new food. I was told that they would pass this information on and that was it. I wish I could find an other product with just Venison and Potato in it as the only protein and carb source. I do think that this Dog Food is way over priced for what you get.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Ralphie… Since your dog appears to be improving, why switch? Unfortunately, due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, it would be impossible for me to provide custom product comparisons. Please see our FAQ page and our reviews for more information. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers.

  • Ralphie

    Because of an Inflammatory Bowel Disease that caused continuous diarrhea, my vet suggested that along with some medications I feed my dog Royal Canin Hypoallergenic PW (Potato & White Fish) kibble, which has resulted in some improvements.
    I tend to favor products made by Natural Balance. I am thinking to switch from Royal Canin to Natural Balance L.I.D. Sweet Potato and Fish formula which contains salmon rather than White Fish meal.
    Is it your opinion that Natural Balance may achieve the same results as Royal Canin or maybe better because of superior quality?
    Your input is greatly appreciated. Thank you

    Your input

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Michele… Thanks to your suggestion, I’ve added RC Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic Select Protein in the canned version to my To Do list. However, due to our current backlog of products for review, it could be a while longer before we get to it. Thanks again for your suggestion.

  • Michele

    Will you please review the companion canned venison formula for this brand?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Janice… Oops. Thanks for catching that typo. I’ve now edited this review to correct the error. Thanks for calling it to my attention.

  • Janice

    The second ingredient above is listed as “venison meal.” Yet in your review you discuss the second ingredient simply as venison, with 80% moisture. Did you overlook something, or is there a typo above?

    Thank you, and best wishes.

  • erin c.

    thank you

    I believe the words “natural flavor” is in the ingredients list of ground beef at Frys grocery store. I kept staring at it and thinking, “Is that what I think it is?” I’ve never heard of such a thing. Why would they add flavoring to ground beef? I was suspicious so I quit buying it. Most of my time at the store is spent reading labels for both human and pet foods.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Erin… Natural flavors are food additives that may not actually be truly “natural”. Due to their high cost, most commercial flavorings are actually man-made flavorants that are in reality what are known as “nature-identical”. Nature-identical means they’re only the chemical equivalent of a true natural flavor extract.

    According to US Code, a natural flavor is:

    “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or any other edible portions of a plant, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose primary function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

    Hope this helps.

  • erin c.

    What does “natural flavors” mean exactly?