# Royal Canin



## comanchesue (Apr 7, 2015)

What is wrong with Royal Canin food? I've read several posts that disparaged it-including one that admitted the dog did best on it. 

My cat has just been diagnosed with early stage kidney disease and Royal Canin is one of the samples I was given for a kidney disease diet.


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

I know it's not the best of foods,but when my tiny chi had stomach problems that she suffers a lot from,the vet put her R/C gastro.Well all i can say it was the best thing for her.She doesn't get it every day only about once a fortnight and she hasn't suffered any diarrhoea since.


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## Jessicashield (Feb 13, 2015)

I've never used it so don't know personally although these reviews on it may answer your question... 

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/royal-canin-medium-dog-food/


http://m.zooplus.co.uk/feedback/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/royal_canin_size/mini/13427


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

It's a low quality food but the formulas used in the prescription diets do provide their desired effects, usually. I have had to feed it when my dog was very ill.

However, even though they DO help with many sick dogs, the foods are simply too low quality for long term feeding and health- too many byproducts and poor quality ingredients.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

My main gripe with RC is that they use cheap, low quality ingredients but market the product as top end with a price tag to match.
You can get much better quality kibble for much less money


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## UninvitedBatCat (Feb 15, 2015)

Wicked Pixie said:


> My main gripe with RC is that they use cheap, low quality ingredients but market the product as top end with a price tag to match.
> You can get much better quality kibble for much less money


That's my issue with it too. My Penny was on RC when I first got her and she was totally fine on it, but when I started researching into the ingredients in it and the ingredients in many other "premium " dog foods I started worrying about long term problems. It's unbelievable what reportedly goes into some pet foods. I'm in the UK and I switched to Lily's Kitchen. No "meals" or "derivatives". I feel much better knowing exactly what my Chi is eating rather than a vague "dead animals" on the ingredients list. I'm happy to pay a premium price for that peace of mind.


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## jshiloh (Apr 21, 2014)

Just like any commercial kibble, it's loaded with carbohydrates, byproducts, fillers, stabilizers and other unnatural chemicals. There is less nutrition that your dog can use, and more junk to fill the bag A's turn a profit. Frankly, I don't understand why anyone with half a brain feeds their dog something crunchy and bread-like that comes from a bad. That's just plain unsound common sense. There is no food related illness that a dog can have that won't be helped by a wholesome diet of raw meat, bones, organs, and a small amount of seeds, fruits and vegetables.


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## ChiChiLove (Feb 4, 2013)

Most of my dogs ate royal canin at some point in their lives. They don't now though, as I researched foods and decided to move them onto grain free diets. The improvements I saw in my pups speak for themselves.
However, I do feed my cats royal canin. After one of my cats developed a urinary obstruction that nearly cost his life, I switched all of them to the urinary diet. They do well on it and I have no complaints except for the larger poops. 😣


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

jshiloh said:


> Just like any commercial kibble, it's loaded with carbohydrates, byproducts, fillers, stabilizers and other unnatural chemicals. There is less nutrition that your dog can use, and more junk to fill the bag A's turn a profit. Frankly, I don't understand why anyone with half a brain feeds their dog something crunchy and bread-like that comes from a bad. That's just plain unsound common sense. There is no food related illness that a dog can have that won't be helped by a wholesome diet of raw meat, bones, organs, and a small amount of seeds, fruits and vegetables.


Some people with half a brain /and no common sense as you put it,can't feed their dogs seeds ,fruits ,organs etc.Not a very nice thing to say,some people have no alternative but to feed their dogs commercial foods


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## comanchesue (Apr 7, 2015)

Thanks for all the replies and the links!


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

michele said:


> Some people with half a brain /and no common sense as you put it,can't feed their dogs seeds ,fruits ,organs etc.Not a very nice thing to say,some people have no alternative but to feed their dogs commercial foods


I agree that not everyone is in a place to feed a home prepared fresh diet BUT it doesn't mean they have to feed overpriced, unsuitable foods that are heavily marketed such as Royal Canin kibble. 
Everyone has a choice, but most people are not aware of how damaging these diets are. Threads like these are great, because education is the key.
When people stop believing the hype put out by the big manufacturers and do a little research of their own they will start making better choices for their pets.


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

It's the only one Dottie can eat Stella,if she was a normal dog i wouldn't dream feeding her R/C,she doesn't have the kibble she has to have the wet food,it works for her


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## comanchesue (Apr 7, 2015)

I've always had cats and know they are different-but they have always eaten Purina dry food and have always been sleek, shiny, and healthy. I've had 2 cats live til their early 20's and currently have a 13 year old, a 10 year old and a 8 year old cat-all kibble fed. The 13 year old has a shiny coat and still plays like a kitten. Based on this-I do not think kibble is damaging whatsoever.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

Your dog/cat, your choice.
There are loads of different diets available now, and plenty of easily accessible information about them.
Personally, I would never feed kibble, not even the top quality ones. I see it as food replacement nuggets, not real food. That is the choice i make for my dogs, but I am not judging anyone for the choices they make for theirs. 
If you want to feed kibble, do your research, be aware of what you are buying, and get a good one (high meat content from named sources, no grain, no artificial additives etc) Don't be brainwashed by expensive marketing campaigns.


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## comanchesue (Apr 7, 2015)

No, :grin: not brainwashed and I know how to research.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

I am a RAW feeder now and I have friends that do not feed RAW and some are huge breeders/exhibitors that still feed things like Purina saying there has never been a recall and their dogs do fine on it. I know tons of people who have dogs that lived well into their 20's without having any health issues feeding the junk dog foods. I have had dogs that have gotten sick on high quality kibble like Fromm and Orijen. I lost my heart Yoshi last year to Cancer that was fed the premium kibbles most of his life. I had problems with transitioning to RAW the first time I tried and almost lost 2 then with 2 different issues. Honestly to each their own, people feed what works for them.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

Yoshismom said:


> I am a RAW feeder now and I have friends that do not feed RAW and some are huge breeders/exhibitors that still feed things like Purina saying there has never been a recall and their dogs do fine on it. I know tons of people who have dogs that lived well into their 20's without having any health issues feeding the junk dog foods. I have had dogs that have gotten sick on high quality kibble like Fromm and Orijen. I lost my heart Yoshi last year to Cancer that was fed the premium kibbles most of his life. I had problems with transitioning to RAW the first time I tried and almost lost 2 then with 2 different issues. Honestly to each their own, people feed what works for them.



Thanks for saying this. It really is very true. It really is to each their own. Their is no scientific evidence that one dog is any 'better' or healthier than the next dog, based on diet alone. It really is like Russian Roulette with raw or commercially fed dogs. I was just reading an article on raw feeding yesterday. And while researchers don't knock that it is a great way of feeding, being that you at least know what's in your dogs food. They did stress, the far higher levels of salmonella poisoning as a result of feeding raw. There are risks with everything. My BF's boxer died a year ago after living 14 long years. Well above the lifespan of the breed. And his diet was whatever his daddy ate lol! Pretty much heated leftover dinners, sometimes dog food. It was very random. But he lived a long and happy life and died peacefully at home of old age. Now personally, I pay the big bucks for higher quality pre made food for my dogs ( Fromm and Stella's), and at the moment this way suits my lifestyle best. I am not however opposed to someday feeding raw.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

There is no scientific proof regarding salmonella poisoning and raw feeding. A raw feeding group I am in did its own research, and of a thousand members with over two thousand dogs not one case of salmonella, e coli or any other food poisoning bug could be linked to the dog food. It is commonly used as a scare tactic by the anti-raw brigade, but there is no truth in it. In reality, ALL dogs carry salmonella regardless of what they are fed.
As long as you follow basic food hygiene rules, the same as you would preparing meat for your family, then the risk is minimal.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

I'm going by what I read. There is no scientific proof that a raw fed dog is healthier than kibble or pre made raw either. Nor that they live longer, or have less health problems. We can go back and forth about this til we are blue in the face. My opinion will remain the same and so will yours.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

i wasn't disagreeing with your opinion, just pointing out that there have been no studies on the health risks of feeding raw, to prove it either way. Any evidence is purely anecdotal.
There is no big company producing raw food that would invest the money required for that type of study


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

Okay. I found the article and made a thread. I'm always open to learn new things. And with that, I try my best not to be negative or judgmental towards others. With that, I hope to share my opinions in a healthy way with those who are willing to listen and respect my opinions as I do theirs. Whether we are in agreements or not. I find it healthy and both fascinating to share in a debate on topics in which we are all passionate about. The well being of our dogs.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

I have seen that article before Meoshia. I will add my comments on that thread tomorrow, as it is late here now.


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

Ah, the raw argument.

I personally choose to feed kibbe to my dogs. I feed a very quality kibble.

However, my ferrets eat a raw diet- I believe they are incapable of living healthy lives without a fully raw diet as they are incapable of handling any plant material at all. There is simply no way to feed an acceptable diet unless it is raw.

I can see both sides of the argument, but am comfortable with my decision to feed my dogs Acana.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Wicked Pixie said:


> There is no scientific proof regarding salmonella poisoning and raw feeding. A raw feeding group I am in did its own research, and of a thousand members with over two thousand dogs not one case of salmonella, e coli or any other food poisoning bug could be linked to the dog food. It is commonly used as a scare tactic by the anti-raw brigade, but there is no truth in it. In reality, ALL dogs carry salmonella regardless of what they are fed.
> As long as you follow basic food hygiene rules, the same as you would preparing meat for your family, then the risk is minimal.


I just posted this thread:
http://www.chihuahua-people.com/chi...m-hopes-hazards-raw-pet-food.html#post2261842

"Oh. So the federal regulatory agency considers 10% salmonella occurrence in grocery store poultry as “background noise” but 7.6% in pet food as cause for alarm? That’s hardly an even-handed approach to consumer protection."


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

No-one is disputing that there is some level of potentially dangerous bacteria in raw meat (whether destined for dogs or humans) we must remember that there is also bacteria in kibble, all those recent recalls have been or salmonella.
Dogs are designed to deal with bacteria, it doesn't make them sick. The strong stomach acid kills off any pathogens, and they even have anti-bacterial agents in there saliva, which is why you don't get sick if licked by a raw fed dog.
The risk is to people, not dogs. Which is why basic hygiene rules must be followed. wash hands after handling raw meat, store in a separate area of the fridge etc. Just the same as when handling meat you are going to eat yourself, or preparing your dogs kibble meal (Interestingly, the commonest causes of food poisoning in the UK is not meat, but salads and take aways)
Is raw fed dog poo full of toxins and potentially harmful bacteria? Of course it is! That is why we pick up, and wash our hands after, all poo is toxic. All dogs and cats shed pathogens like salmonella in their faeces, regardless of diet.
There have been no scientific studies proving or disproving that people are at risk of food poisoning from feeding raw. There are thousands of people around the world who feed raw meat to their pets and remain perfectly healthy. Raw feeding isn't a new fad, I know breeders who have been feeding raw for forty years.
A fully raw fed dog is capable of dealing with the bacteria found in raw meat. HOWEVER, a kibble fed dog does not have the same level of stomach acid and strong immune system. It takes a few weeks on raw food for the dog to re-set its digestive system. I believe that the kibble fed dog is at a much higher risk of succumbing to food poisoning than a raw fed one.
Do I believe raw is the best, most natural way to feed? Yes, that is why i feed my dogs this way. Do I believe that raw is the only way to feed a dog? No, it doesn't suit every household, different people have different abilities and circumstances.
The choice is yours, but be educated, don't let scare tactics and misinformation sway your decision.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

With all this discussion about raw vs kibble vs premade, I buy the best kibble I can--always a 5 grade grain free. Fromm, Acana and some newer ones. I have always fed kibble and probably always will. Stella and Chewies are very expensive for me, but I have used them.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

I agree with Stella on the Salmonella. There is more salmonella in kibble than RAW food and dogs from my research digest differently than us so there is no worry for them to get salmonella poisoning like we can. I worry more about cleaning properly with prep. of RAW than I do about the dogs getting RAW. Honestly I worry about touching kibble and salmonella as well.


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## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

We started with RC. (Before I knew anything about dog nutrition) Corn, corn, and corn. And isn't wet food best for kitties, especially with kidney problems?


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## comanchesue (Apr 7, 2015)

I had the kidney diagnosis confirmed with a different vet and had the advice for wet confirmed as well for Lizzie. She'll get the Hills Prescription KD and probably my other gal cat will as well. We tried both the Canin and Hills and all she did with the Canin was lick the gravy off the morsels  Both vets say the wet is best because of higher moisture content and Kidney disease can lead to dehydration.

Had to switch Kip (my chihuahua blend) over to wet as well, he just wasn't doing well on the Blue Buffalo (mixed wet with dry). He's getting both Merricks and Wellness right now and waiting to see if he develops a preference. 

All this wet food is a little smelly


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