# Opinion on Royal Canin



## Nikkib4e (Jan 18, 2009)

Eva will be 9 weeks on Monday. She is our first GSD and we're trying to take extra special care of her. I don't know what kind of food the breeder was feeding her (Should have asked







), and we started her out on Nutro Small Bites Puppy. That made her sick within 24 hours. After doing some research we bought the Royal Canin Maxi for Adult GSD and have been feeding her 1/2 a cup twice a day (one cup total). So far it seems to be doing fine for her, and I'm going to make sure with the Vet on Tuesday that this diet will be good for her now and in the long run. 

My question is has anyone had any problems with Royal Canin on a puppy that young? I've been trying to do my research but I want to make sure I get as much info as I can. And while I trust my vet, I would like the opinion of experienced GSD owners as well. Thanks!


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## gmcenroe (Oct 23, 2007)

I fed my Juli Royal Canin puppy up until 6 months then switched to GSD 24. I'm not 100% sure but she developed some kind of allergy in last month whether it was the food I am not sure, but I switched her to Orijen which is grain free this last week and she seems to be doing much better. Only way to test this would be to put her back on RC, but I think I will stick with Orijen adult now.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

my opinion is that RC is ok, and certainly better than the standard gocery store fare. the problem ive always had w/ them is that the prices for their kibble seem more in line with what id consider higher quality foods. for example, where i live, i can buy orijen or wellness core or innova cheaper than RC gsd24.

as usual, whatever you feed has to work for your dog. if she thrives on that food then its the right food.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I agree, that stuff is WAY too expensive for the quality. (Or lack there of.)

RC recommends the adult for a GSD OVER 18 months. (But since their website is so [email protected], I can't tell if that is because they just want people to buy "puppy food"







, or if there is something going on with the vit/min levels that make it unsuitable for a baby puppy.) 

How is she doing on only 1 cup a day? Are you using a REAL "measuring cup"?

The reason I ask is that my pup and pups that belong to friends were eating close to 3 times that amount at that age. (And they were eating a higher quality food.) I'm not saying that your puppy needs that much, I don't know, I was just curious how her weight/condition is.


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## Nikkib4e (Jan 18, 2009)

Unfortunately I only have available to me the foods that they sell at Petsmart or Petco. I live in a fairly small town and the closest place I can get something like Innova or Canidae is about 90 miles away.

Yesterday she only ate one cup (I think someone was sneaking her too many treats) but today she's already been through one cup already and it's just past lunch time. Like I said, we're going to the Vet tomorrow so I'll see what he says and go from there. Just from what I read on some other posts I thought feeding her Adult food would be ok. So far it seems to be working for her but I'll just keep my eyes peeled. Thank you!


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Nikkib4ewe're going to the Vet tomorrow so I'll see what he says and go from there


i am going to go out on a limb here (cough, cough) and say that in a vast majority of cases talking to a vet about nutrition will be counter productive. it would seem logical that a vet would be well versed in nutrition and knowledge about pet foods.....but most just haven't been well trained in that area. imo, there are people on this board who will be a much better resource in this area than your vet. of couse, there is the rare vet who is very knowledgeable about nutrition and all the foods available. i trust my vet w/ my dogs life and have complete faith in all aspects or her knowledge.......except when it comes to dog food and what will work best for my dog. when i told her i was going to switch kimba to a grain free (orijen) to see if it would alleviate her soft stools, she said she had never heard of it and that EVO was the only grain free she would recommend for my dog, who was 6 months old at the time. awful advice due to lack of product knowledge. ok, im done with my rant.

as far as petco or pets mart, i think petco now sells wellness dog food. petsmart sells blue buffalo. ive seen both cheaper than Royal Canin and would prefer both over RC if i had to shop at those locations. maybe others can chime in about other choices at those stores


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Petco has some pretty good foods! Solid Gold, AvoDerm, Wellness, Pinnacle, Natural Balance, Blue Buffalo, there are quite a few quality choices at Petco. I'm not sure about Petsmart, haven't been to one in awhile.


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## Nikkib4e (Jan 18, 2009)

Well, you were absolutely right about the vet. First of all, she had never even HEARD of earthbath, and then she tried to push Science Diet on me. 

Needless to say, we're finding another vet. 

This weekend I'm going to do some hunting around and see what other food options are available around here.


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## jimmym1981 (Dec 5, 2008)

I LOVE earthbath!!!


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## larrydee33 (Feb 25, 2007)

Does anyone on here have any evidence that vet's are being paid off or at the very least given incntives to sell Science Diet?

Why else would they keep pushing this crap?


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

here is part of an article from the Wall Street Journal (though its an older article) 

_By TARA PARKER-POPE 

STAFF REPORTER of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

NEW YORK - Shopping at a pet store here, Meredith Kane grabs a 4-pound bag of Hill's science Diet. At $9, it is nearly double the price of cat food sold in supermarkets. But Ms. Kane is unswerving in her devotion to this "designer" brand for her cats, Cecily, Oscar, Kit Kai and A.J. 

Why? "My vet recommends it," she says. 

Every year, millions of people spend a total of $9.4 billion on pet food - and many, like Ms. Kane, choose brands solely on a veterinarian's recommendation. Over examining tables across the country, more pet doctors lately are trashing trusted brand names like Purina and Kal-Kan, calling them "junk food," and directing people to shell out an extra $20 or so for a month's supply of super-premium "high science" foods. 

The biggest beneficiaries: Hill's Science Diet lines, made by toothpaste giant Colgate-Palmolive Co., and Eukanuba and Iams brands from Iams Co. of Dayton, Ohio. Sold only through pet stores and veterinary clinics, the designer brands pack more calories per bite and promise higher-quality ingredients based on "pioneering research in animal nutrition" tailored to a pet's "life stage" or age. 

The result: Vet suggestions ringing in their ears, many pet owners have switched brands - and the life-stage category has amassed a Doberman-sized $2 billion chunk of the market. 

But few pet owners know just how far premium-market-leader Hill's has gone to sew up the vet endorsements. 

'Vets Trust Them' 

Borrowing a page from the pharmaceuticals companies, which routinely woo doctors to prescribe their drugs,* Hill's has spent a generation cultivating its professional following. It spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year funding university research and nutrition courses at every one of the 27 U.S. veterinary colleges. Once in practice, vets who sell Science Diet and other premium foods directly from their offices pocket profits of as much as 40%.* 

"Vets trust them," says Janil Norris, a fresh graduate of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. While she was in school, *a Hill's program allowed the struggling student to pay just $3 a bag for a special prescription brand for her cat, Buffalo Sean. A bag normally runs about $25. She also received a small stipend, courtesy of the Hill's program, to study orthopedic surgery with a Los Angeles vet. "Hill's was just always around," she adds.* _


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