Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Limited Ingredient (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

Royal Canin Veterinary Limited Ingredient Diets gets the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.

The Royal Canin Veterinary Limited Ingredient Diets product line includes six dry dog foods… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.

  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Potato and Rabbit
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Potato and Venison
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Potato and Whitefish
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Potato and Duck (2 stars)
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Potato and Duck Light (2 stars)
  • Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Potato and Venison Large Breed

Royal Canin Veterinary Limited Ingredient Diets Potato and Venison Formula dry dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Potato and Venison

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

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

Ingredients: Dehydrated potato, venison meal, potato protein, coconut oil, natural flavors, venison, fish oil, vegetable oil, salt, l-tyrosine, dl-methionine, taurine, vitamins [dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], choline chloride, trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, 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) = 4.1%

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 ingredient in this product is dehydrated potato… a dried product made from potatoes and retaining most of the tuber’s original healthy nutrients.

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.

This less expensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in 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 flavor, we find venison. Although it is a quality item, raw venison 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 seventh ingredient includes fish oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids… and (depending on the level of its purity) should be considered a healthy addition.

The eighth item is 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”.

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 Veterinary Limited Ingredient Diets
The Bottom Line

The veterinary product reviewed here may or may not be suitable for your particular pet. Moreover, it is not our intention to judge the capability of any dog food to treat a specific health condition.

Nevertheless…

Judging by its ingredients alone, Royal Canin Veterinary Limited Ingredient Diets appears to be an above-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.

Low protein. Low fat. And high carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.

What’s more, when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the potato protein, this looks like the profile of a kibble with only a modest amount of meat.

Had it not been for the limited meat content of these products we’d have been inclined to award this line our next higher rating.

Bottom line?

Royal Canin Veterinary Limited Ingredient Diets is a potato-based dry food using only a modest amount of meat meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.

Recommended.

By the way, both duck products have been downgraded by one star due to their use of duck by-product meal in their recipes.

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

09/06/2010 Original review
04/16/2011 RCVD Limited Ingredient dog food discontinued and now replaced by RCVD Hypoallergenic product line
04/16/2011 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.


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  • MB

    I have a 5 year old shitzhu who is overweight. I have always had a chalange with dog food for her, she is very picky and allergic. Because she constantly had ear infections, the vet suggested a duck diet. I had a hard time finding the right dog food that contained only duck and had the best ingediants. I chose to cook duck for her and sometimes give it with dr. harveys freeze dried vegetables ot Stella and chewys duck paties. I am concerned about her weight and not sure if she is getting everything she needs. Do you have any recommendations on what is the best dog food i can give her that will not make her gain weight, perhaps help her lose weight? She is allergy free, yet her weight is bothering me very much and also her anal glands fill up quickly right after we get them squeezed. does that have anything to do with her diet?weight? any suggestions?

  • Ljcody

    Does anyone know anything about the Royal Canin Uninary SO dry dog food- my Shiba Inu has struvite crystals in her urine and was prescibed this- she has eaten it for over a year without problems- I just went to get another bag at vets and the price increase is almost $10.00 for a 6 lbs bag! Any suggestions??

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Leonard… Since this is a prescription product, I’d suggest starting with the instructions on the package or consulting your prescribing veterinarian.

  • Leonard Ditano

    What is the number of cans of Royal Canin Urinary SO per day for a dog weighing 70pounds

  • Holly

    After talking to a friend who has had Danes forever, I am going to try Nutro for sensitive stomachs, along with a little pumpkin and yogurt once a week.

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Yeah Gordon – That’s where vets make their money – on the meds – so a mainstream vet certainly won’t skip recommending vaccinations, de-worming meds, flea/tick meds, etc.
    Sometimes medications can CAUSE problems. I personally steer clear of chemical vet meds, especially in the so-called ‘preventative’ category.

    Gordon, I like your emphasis that BARF diets are approved by Nature. That’s similar to Nutrition Isn’t Rocket Science. And here’s another one – Real Food Is For Real Animals.

  • Holly

    Gordon-She is definitely up to date with vaccinations and de-worming. Thank goodness we don’t have to worry about that!

  • Gordon

    Like Shameless says, check with your Vet when considering to mimick a BARF diet. However, having said that, such diets are approved by Nature for pups as well. You may increase to 4% of body weight. In addition to that, I wouldn’t be surprised if your Vet incorrectly advises you against raw feeding, as most conventional Vets know only to prescribe those mainstream limited ingredient prescription diets. And from what you say, your Vet would most likely be clueless about raw and nutrition in general. Most Vets are trained by big company marketing to prescribe those certain prescription diets because all they know is what they’ve been advised about, what suits which problem, and not how each may actually work.

    Alternatively, try sandy’s suggested alternative kibble brand, and maybe even have a look at the Brother Complete Allergy Formula if you can access it. It also contains no potatoes (Not that this is causing the diarrhea, but worth a try).

    And just another thing to consider. Is your pup up to date with vaccinations and de-worming meds. This is very important as parasites can cause diarrhea as well, and pups before and up to the age of 6 months need more regular doses of worming meds, then after that age period, usually every 3 months from then. But surely your Vet covered that base with you?

  • Holly

    Gordon- suprisingly, she really doesn’t have a flatulence problem.
    About the raw food, it’s really overwhelming. I don’t know if we’re ready for that right now. Although, raw bones are supposed to help firm up stools, so that might help. We are so concerned about introducing anything new that could hurt her stomach more. I definitely will look in to the dry foods mentioned.
    Any other suggestions or experience is welcome. Thank you for comments so far!

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Holly – Here is a link that has locations of co-ops where you can purchase bulk raw meat and organs:
    http://www.dogaware.com/diet/rawgroups.html

    Since your dog is a puppy, it’s best to do some research (or ask your vet) about a balanced diet and amount to feed.

  • Gordon

    Yeah Shameless, the reason I suggested part time raw, is because feeding raw isn’t cheap either, and feeding a Great Dane raw full time with a dog that large would be even more expensive. Imagine the cost? For commercial raw anyway. But bulk buying raw meaty bones and scraps from larger butcher outfits that usually have specials on every now and then, in every country I’d imagine. But if one goes that avenue, I would suggest also including about 15% rich green type veggies like, my favourite, kale, and spinach, with added raw egg and at least one or 2 fruits (no grapes or apple core and seeds or pear core and seeds – all else of apple and pear parts are OK) then put them through a mixer or shredder and mash them up really, then add them to 85% raw meaty bones. Perhaps even grind down the bones a little so it can mimick an almost commercial raw diet. Make up a lot of these servings and store in the freezer contained in freezer bags or containers. No need to cook at all. When preparing to serve your dog such a meal, make sure you’ve taken a serve out of the freezer to thaw for at least a few hours, or do what I do and one day before, place such in the fridge (Plenty of time to thaw soft enough to eat).

    When preparing such own homemade raw formulations, make sure to calculate the weight of each serving size, to be approximately 2 to 3 % of your Great Dane’s total weight.

    I would do the above myself instead of using commercial raw BARF if I had the time.

    Also as sandy states, most grain free limited ingredient foods still contain some form of potatoes and from what I read lately may cause some allergies including unwanted side effects like diarrhea, and ones with tapioca may also suffice to fix the problem. It’s just a matter of trial and error, especially since your Vets can’t even offer more effective alternatives.

    BTW, I confess, I don’t know much about tapioca (Will Google it), but I’ve heard it is a great binder alternative for kibble and is completely calories free?

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Holly – I’d go raw full-time. Real Food is best for all animals. To not BustYourBudget, there are many raw feeding co-ops around where you can buy in bulk. Or ask your local butcher for meat deals and meat scraps.
    Here is a Great Dane website forum link topic about digestive problems. As I scanned the responses, I notice numerous raw feeding advocates:
    http://allaboutgreatdanes.yuku.com/topic/9410/Fighting-diarrhea-time-for-a-food-switch

  • sandy

    Holly,

    There’s Nature’s Variety LID that are made with tapioca and peas (if there’s a potato sensitivity), and there’s Natural Balance LID made with potatoes. There’s also California Natural, a limited ingredient food line, and one of my friend’s IBS dog has transitioned from prescription food to Nature’s Select Salmon & Sweet Potato with success.

  • Gordon

    Holly – I don’t know what the costs of those limited prescription diets are, but have you considered feeding your Great Dane part time raw food. I personally wouldn’t know whether feeding raw would fix her diarrhea, but it would be inclined to believe that it would fix her flatulence problem. Raw foods are what Nature intended for dogs. Also, do you ever it any raw meaty bones. Pups, especially need these types of foods!

  • Holly

    Hi. I have a question about my 6 month old great dane. She has always had diarrhea and sometimes vomiting unless she is on metrinidazole. The vet told us to try purina one large breed puppy food. Again diarrhea. Then he said to try prescription i/d diet. Again diarrhea. Now he is telling us to give her Royal Canin Venison and Potatoes, but she eats so much that I would go broke trying to feed her this all the time. Any suggestions? They have done a lot of testing and seem to think it’s irritable bowel syndrome.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Marilyn… Royal Canin made some changes to its veterinary product line (earlier this year?). But you’ll probably need to call the company to find out if the one you mention has been changed. Wish I could be more help.

  • Marilyn

    Has Royal Canin changed its ingredients in the Potato and Duck formula? Our last bag was considerably lighter than ever before and our dog is having more frequent stomach issues. She had been doing so well with the old formula.

  • Marilynn

    Sandy,

    Thanks a million…you are the best!!!

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