Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Dog Food: Foods For Dogs With Sensitivities
About the Company
Royal Canin was founded in France in 1968 by veterinarian Jean Cathary. Her mission was to create a science-based dog food. This give dogs the optimal nutrition they need for a healthy, balanced, and full life. Therefore, its formulas focus on what is best for dogs, rather than dog owners. Fortunately, the company's mission remains the same today.
Today, the company is based in Missouri. It has offices and company-owned plants across the country. However, it distributes its products around the world. Therefore, dogs everywhere can benefit from its healthy options.
Royal Canin partners with veterinarians daily. This partnership continues to improve its formulas and meet the evolving needs of dogs. Its hypoallergenic formulas focus on meeting food sensitivities. These range from skin problems, gastrointestinal issues, and more. The formulas have been developed by veterinarians for optimal nutrition for dogs with sensitivities.
This video by Royal Canin explains why it creates so many formulas to meet the different needs of dogs:
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Rating
Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Dog Food Review
Not all dogs will benefit from a veterinarian-based diet like Royal Canin hypoallergenic formulas. But, for dogs who are prone to allergens, or otherwise need a special diet, these foods can be life savers to them and their owners.
Like I do with all dog foods I review, I checked out some customer reviews about the Royal Canin hypoallergenic formulas. For these formulas, I found little to complain about. What got a little confusing was the negative reviews about the Royal Canin brand. Although they aren't sprecific to the hypoallergenic formulas, I have to consider them.
Therefore, I took these into consideration. Reviews, along with my personal research, made my rating a 4 out of 5.
Pros
Royal Canin hypoallergenic formulas give dogs with sensitivities the perfect balance. You won’t find many “extras” that you do in other dog foods, like fruits and vegetables. That’s because the formulas limit the number of ingredients for less risk for food sensitivities.
Still, they have the right amount of nutrients for your dog. For example, it has high fiber content to aid in your dog’s digestion and reduce allergen risk. I like that that Royal Canin also adds in important minerals and vitamins. For example, Omega 3 fatty acid sources, to help improve skin and coat ailments and internal organ health.
Cons
If you’re highly concerned about potatoes in your dog’s diet, you may want to look elsewhere for a sensitivity formula. Royal Canin uses potatoes as one of its main proteins, as it is a protein source that typically causes less risk for allergens than many meat proteins.
Customers seem to have a loving relationship with the Royal Canin hypoallergenic line. However, with Royal Canin itself, the company has very mixed reviews. Since Royal Canin is the brand, I have to take some of this into consideration, which lowered my rating.
On Consumer Affairs, for example, several customers note that their dogs have gotten incredibly sick after switching to Royal Canin formulas. Apparently, the common symptoms discussed are diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
However, I want to point out that there is always a risk of illness when you switch your dog’s food. You should, therefore, always check with your vet before doing so to avoid possible complications. Additionally, most of these customers direct their complaints at Royal Canin in general, not its hypoallergenic formulas.
Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Dog Food Ingredients Review
Owners of dogs with food sensitivities who are prone to excessive weight gain prefer the Royal Canin Selected Protein Adult PW Moderate Calorie formula. This formula provides potato and whitefish as its proteins, which typically cause no allergic reactions for most dogs.
Here is the hypoallergenic formula’s Guaranteed Analysis:
- Crude Protein (min) 22.5%
- Crude Fat (min) 7.5%
- Crude Fiber (max) 9.8%
- Moisture (max) 10%
- Omega 3 (min) 0.79%
- EPA (min) 0.23%
- DHA (min) 0.1%
This particular formula is best for dogs who gain weight quickly and have food sensitivities. It uses whitefish and potato as its two main proteins. For normal diets, the use of potato as the first protein could be concerning, since it has a high risk of contamination from pesticides. For regular diets, you want a real animal meat protein as the main ingredient.
But, for dogs with sensitivities, potato and whitefish is a good combination to provide sufficient protein with lower risk of allergens. And, when sourced from trusted farms, you won’t have to worry about pesticide contamination. According to Royal Canin’s website, it puts its suppliers through a very strict process to ensure it gets only quality ingredients for your dog.
This hypoallergenic formula is gluten-free and grain-free to pose less risk for allergies to dogs. It also is very high in fiber to aid digestion, further lowering allergen risk. Additionally, you’ll find plenty of healthy oils, like fish oil and coconut oil, to provide your dog with essential fatty acids.
Overall, I see this formula as absolutely being able to meet your dog’s dietary needs if he has sensitivities. With a high fiber, moderate calorie content and less risky allergen-causing ingredients, it fits the bill perfectly.
Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Dog Food Recall History
There is no history of a dog food recall for Royal Canin Hypoallergenic dog food in the last two years according to the FDA and Royal Canin reviews.
Final Thoughts
I have plenty of reason to believe that Royal Canin hypoallergenic formulas are safe – and a good option – for dogs with sensitivities. With that being said, these foods are designed for specific digestive problems, so they aren’t the perfect solution for every dog.
Therefore, I suggest speaking with your veterinarian about these formulas to decide whether or not they’re right for your dog with sensitivities. I believe in Royal Canin as a brand and that it tries to do what’s best for dogs. From its ingredient sourcing to its manufacturing process, Royal Canin is heavily involved in each step.
If your dog is suffering from sensitivities, checking out these formulas is worth your time. The science-based formulas can get your allergy-prone dog back on track to begin enjoying his meals, and life, again.