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Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Glycobalance Dry Dog Food, 17.6-lb bag
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet

Adult Glycobalance Dry Dog Food, 17.6-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $5.85/lb

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Glycobalance Dry Dog Food, 17.6-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 67/100 (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

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: 39% ⓘ
Protein
35%
min (as fed)
Fat
10%
min (as fed)
Fiber
9.8%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10.5%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

31 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
    barley

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

  3. 3
    pea fiber

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

  4. 4
    wheat gluten

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

  5. 5
    corn protein meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Similar in role to corn gluten meal, pads the protein number on the label without matching meat amino acids.

  6. 6
    chicken fat

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

  7. 7
    dried plain beet pulp

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

  8. 8
    tapioca

    Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.

  9. 9
    natural flavors

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

  10. 10
    powdered psyllium seed husk
  11. 11
    potassium chloride

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

  12. 12
    marine microalgae oil

    Plant-source omega-3 from algae. Useful especially in vegetarian or limited-fish formulas.

  13. 13
    calcium carbonate

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

  14. 14
    salt

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

  15. 15
    choline chloride

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

  16. 16
    rosemary extract

    Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.

  17. 17
    preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid
  18. 18
    l-arginine
  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
    sodium selenite Flagged

    Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →

Showing first 25 of 31. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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