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Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Starter Mother & Babydog Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag
Royal Canin

Size Health Nutrition Small Starter Mother & Babydog Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $5.78/lb

Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Small Starter Mother & Babydog Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 63/100 (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 not stated.

ACF

Low protein quality. chicken by-product meal delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.

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: 31% ⓘ
Protein
28%
min (as fed)
Fat
20%
min (as fed)
Fiber
3.4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

35 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    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.

  2. 2
    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.

  3. 3
    chicken fat

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

  4. 4
    corn

    Whole corn is more nutritious than it gets credit for, with decent amino acids and steady carbs. The bigger concern is when corn dominates the top of the ingredient list at the expense of named meat.

  5. 5
    wheat gluten

    Concentrated wheat protein. Like other plant gluten meals, it pads the protein number on the label without contributing meat-quality amino acids.

  6. 6
    dried plain beet pulp

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

  7. 7
    natural flavors

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

  8. 8
    fish oil

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

  9. 9
    monocalcium phosphate

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

  10. 10
    vegetable oil

    Unnamed plant oil. Could be soy, canola, corn, or a blend. Named oils like sunflower or canola are more transparent.

  11. 11
    sodium silico aluminate

    Same role as sodium aluminosilicate. Anti-caking agent at trace inclusion.

  12. 12
    potassium chloride

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

  13. 13
    salt

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

  14. 14
    fructooligosaccharides

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

  15. 15
    hydrolyzed yeast

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

  16. 16
    l-lysine

    Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.

  17. 17
    choline chloride

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

  18. 18
    marigold extract
  19. 19
    zinc proteinate

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

  20. 20
    manganese proteinate

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

  21. 21
    zinc oxide

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

  22. 22
    ferrous sulfate

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

  23. 23
    manganous oxide

    Inorganic manganese. Functional, cheaper than chelated forms, less efficiently absorbed.

  24. 24
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

  25. 25
    calcium iodate

    Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.

Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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