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Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Gastrointestinal Low Fat Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 7.7-lb bag
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet

Adult Gastrointestinal Low Fat Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 7.7-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $7.53/lb

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Gastrointestinal Low Fat Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 7.7-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 60/100 (B) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.

ACF

Plant-protein-dominated formula. brewers rice as the #1 ingredient.

PQI

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 22% ⓘ
Protein
20%
min (as fed)
Fat
5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4.7%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10.5%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

32 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    brewers rice

    Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version.

  2. 2
    chicken by-product meal

    Ground organs, bone, and tissue. Nutritionally dense, especially the liver and gizzard fractions. Named species ('chicken') is what matters. Generic 'poultry by-product meal' is the one to worry about.

  3. 3
    barley

    Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.

  4. 4
    natural flavors

    Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.

  5. 5
    dried plain beet pulp

    Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

  6. 6
    pork digest
  7. 7
    pea fiber

    Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.

  8. 8
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid.

  9. 9
    powdered psyllium seed husk
  10. 10
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  11. 11
    monocalcium phosphate

    Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard mineral inclusion in complete dog foods.

  12. 12
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  13. 13
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  14. 14
    sodium aluminosilicate

    Anti-caking agent that keeps powder ingredients flowing. Functional, not nutritional.

  15. 15
    fish oil

    Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.

  16. 16
    fructooligosaccharides

    Prebiotic fiber, often called FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria, similar in function to inulin.

  17. 17
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  18. 18
    rosemary extract

    Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.

  19. 19
    preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid
  20. 20
    hydrolyzed yeast

    Yeast broken down with enzymes. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins and amino acids.

  21. 21
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  22. 22
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  23. 23
    zinc oxide

    Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.

  24. 24
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

  25. 25
    manganese proteinate

    Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.

Showing first 25 of 32. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.