If you’re a dog owner, you want to make sure your furry friend is getting the best nutrition possible. With so many brands to choose from, it can be tough to decide which one is right for you. In this article, we’ll be exploring the quality and reputation of Royal Canin, a popular dog food brand. So, is Royal Canin a good brand? Let’s dive in and find out.
Choosing the right dog food can be a precarious matter, as it depends on the type and condition of the dog it’s fed to. Some brands or types of dog food may be good for certain dogs, but not for others. However, there are a few renowned brands that are able to balance all these factors and keep both their customers and their dogs happy, and Royal Canin is one of them.
Pet owners have included Royal Canin dog food on their list of must-have foods for pets. This recognition has not only come from advertising but also from the solid and trustworthy foundation of pet foods that Royal Canin has built over the past 50 years. Their food has withstood the test of time and criticism and still holds its merits.
Origins of Royal Canin
Contrary to what one might think, Royal Canin does not have a luxurious origin story. It actually started from humble beginnings, not in a pet store or a dog food manufacturing plant, but in a garage belonging to a veterinary surgeon. In 1968, during a period of civil unrest in France, Dr. Jean Cathary, who ran a veterinary practice in a small village, noticed that many of the pets he treated had skin and coat problems and other health issues. He suspected that the food they were being fed lacked proper nutrition and was contributing to these ailments.
To address this, Dr. Cathary began experimenting with recipes in his garage oven to create a special formula for pets with these afflictions. The result was highly effective in keeping these problems and diseases at bay for those dogs. Dr. Cathary went on to register the trademark “Royal Canin” and started a pet food company that mass-produced pet food using extruders from the USA, which were not commonly used in France and Europe at the time. With just forty staff members, Royal Canin’s factory began mass-producing their recipes and advertising on television, leaving competing products in the dust.
In 1972, Royal Canin was sold to the Guyomarc’h group, a family business in livestock feeding, which led to an era of research and development to improve the quality and benefits of their pet food. To this day, research-based foods are their specialty. After changing hands several times, Royal Canin was purchased by Canadian and USA veterinary food brands Techni-cal, Medi-cal, and IVD for 82 million dollars.
Today, Royal Canin operates 12 production facilities around the world and has three research centers in Europe, the USA, and Asia, including China and South Korea. Among their largest facilities is one in Poland that was considered “the ninth most modern aspect that belongs to a company” at the time, with a laboratory included in the building.
Best Selling Products – Royal Canin
Royal Canin Puppy Foods:
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition X-Small Puppy Dry Dog Food
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Large Puppy Dry Dog Food
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Medium Puppy Dry Dog Food
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Puppy Dry Dog Food
Royal Canin Adult Dog Foods:
- Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Yorkshire Terrier Adult Dry Dog Food
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Large Adult Dry Dog Food
- Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Medium Adult Dry Dog Food
The Core of Royal Canin
Royal Canin is a science-based pet food specifically made for pets. Their scientists, including Doctor Daniel Cloche, have been at the forefront of researching bone-related diseases and disorders in dogs. They are not to be underestimated in this regard. In the 1990s, the company’s chairman, Henri Laguarde, was known for pushing for this scientific-veterinary research-based approach. He prompted the company to build up their research so that “no veterinary university or veterinarian should be able to refute Royal Canin’s nutrition facts and arguments.”
Their approach of respecting the dog’s body type, breed, age, and many health-related factors gave the company an immensely strong foundation that can’t be shaken. Their company’s core was “knowledge and respect,” and it still is for the betterment of its existence until now. This approach carried into the workplace when Laguarde made an effort to change “traditional” to “specialist,” and the traditional had to be omitted from every single reference, document, and computer. The well-trained teams of advisors for breeders and professionals were called “Cytotechnicians” as a new term to call these advisors and sales staff. These advisors had deep roots in the canine world, as they were judges in dog shows around the world and had immense skills at breeding dogs.
Sponsoring dog shows and publishing scientific encyclopedias about dog and cat breeding and nutrition, which was called “Focus” and is now known as “Veterinary Focus Magazine,” were additional achievements towards dogs and cats, demonstrating their dedication and passion for these creatures.
Law and violations
Other than having one of their facilities violate the “Clean Water Act” in 2005 and recalls by the FDA of multiple brands that had melamine in pet foods in 2007, Royal Canin found 8 products with melamine in their pet foods during a routine inspection, which was their second time. The third and final time was in May of 2017 when their pet foods had melamine traces believed to stem from contamination of Chinese rice proteins in their food. Soon after, they released a statement that they would no longer use Chinese rice proteins in their pet food again.
Since then, there have been no recalls or issues with their food products, and there have been no reported cases of pets falling ill due to these tracers as they undergo inspections in their facility themselves and by proper authorities. This should help dog owners not to be concerned about their pets consuming Royal Canin products. This gave them enough time to reconcile their responsibility and grow better in terms of transparency and criticism by customers.
The company has had a clean slate for years, making it one of the few major brands that have put effort into evolving their ideas and transitioning to changes in generations.
Royal Canin Dog Food
Royal Canin is well-established in the dog food world, as we have seen. The variety of dog food they produce for specific needs of different breeds, ages, and health makes it very versatile in what they offer to every dog owner out there. Our reviews of Royal Canin show how they maintain a very high standard for dog food and keep their rating always over 4 stars out of five.
Amazon has put up Royal Canin as “Amazon’s choice” for some of their Dog food products. This achievement is given to very well-priced and highly-rated products that are on Amazon, making it the most suitable for dog owners to give their dogs this food without worries.
Chewy has over 309 products of Royal Canin on their site. Out of those 309 products, 287 are 4 stars and up out of 5 stars. This means that 92% of their products on Amazon are 4 stars and up. This amazing figure can only be achieved when an overwhelming majority of customers are satisfied with their purchases and their dogs are happy.
Their merits speak louder than words. The hundreds of thousands of reviews accumulated from many sites give them the grounds to have those 4 stars and up ratings. Aside from a tiny majority that has 3 to 5 stars, most hold a solid 4 and 4.5 in most cases. The 3-star products are very rare; they are often given this rating for having fillers and such. But they are in the very tiny minority of dog foods made by Royal Canin.
These low-starred foods are prone to be changed by Royal Canin themselves as they strive to bring better and better dog food for their customers’ happiness. The sheer variety of pet food and age-based food has given pet owners a lot to believe in. Wet pet foods for puppies help owners feed puppies with great nutritional benefits. The chicken meals they use in these products have a high amount of proteins that are simply not found in normal fresh chicken. The minerals and digestive fibers in their senior dog food category are immensely popular like the puppy foods as they are generally the go-to pet food for senior dogs.
Adult dogs have positive reactions to Royal Canin products. Not only are they highly recommended by veterinarians because of their health benefits, but they are also often used as alternatives to medicine that have side effects on dogs. They are also super delicious to dogs, and even picky eaters like Pomeranians and Chihuahuas often find themselves delighting in these meals.
Their foods are very calculative and well-researched. They own the majority support from customers. They try their best and always do good for canine research in nutrition and health. There is almost nothing bad about their foods.
Conclusion
Many brands have come and gone, and newer brands appear every few years in the dog food industry. However, a brand like Royal Canin is rare and has a rich history of success and long-standing support behind them. Their dog foods are the result of over 50 years of dedicated research and love mixed in. Royal Canin deserves to be called a good brand, if not a great one.
