Label analysisGrade DListed ingredientsKibble (Extruded)

Royal Canin

Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy Dry Dog Food

Editor ingredient insight

Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Puppy leads with chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, and brown rice, with high protein, lower fat, controlled minerals, and glucosamine.

It is worth considering for Labrador puppy growth, not for high-fat or by-product-free puppy feeding.

Lower transparency leadPlant booster present
Illustration of chicken beside a dog-food bowl
Primary protein ingredient · Chicken

01. NUTRIENT PROFILE

Key nutrients & mineral profile

As-fed basis
Disclosed protein and fat
Protein 31%Fat 12%Other 57%Other includes moisture, ash and remaining components.
Position within the same processing type

Compare protein, fat and energy density in low, typical and high bands.

Protein positionHigher

This food is on the higher side for crude protein among extruded foods.

Fat positionLower

This food is on the lower side for crude fat among extruded foods.

Calorie densityTypical

This food sits around the typical calorie range among extruded foods. Check the feeding guide and weight trend alongside this comparison.

Key guaranteed nutrientsAs-fed
Calcium1.08%
Phosphorus0.9%
Crude fiber3.8%
Omega-3Not disclosed
Omega-6Not disclosed

Undisclosed values are not treated as zero.

02. INGREDIENT QUALITY & DISCLOSURE

Disclosed ingredients & ingredient grade

The analysis uses the registered ingredients. Complete-panel coverage is not verified, so an unlisted ingredient cannot be assumed absent.

Listed ingredients

Read the listed ingredients below. Complete-panel coverage is not verified here; do not infer that an unlisted ingredient is absent.

Chicken ingredient illustration
Primary protein ingredient · Chicken
D1.5/6Ingredient gradeConservative
Ingredient #1 · Chicken by-product mealLowest
By-product Meal
Ingredient #2 · brewers riceLower
Refined Carb
Ingredient #3 · brown riceUpper
Whole Grain
Ingredient #1Lowest

Chicken by-product meal

Chicken by-product meal is a by-product meal. It can still contribute protein, but the primary-ingredient read should stay conservative. It reads as an bottom-tier protein source.

Ingredient #2Lower

brewers rice

brewers rice is a refined carbohydrate source. It usually reads as a starch and energy source rather than a protein driver. It reads as an lower-tier carb source.

Ingredient #3Upper

brown rice

brown rice is a whole or coarse grain ingredient. It usually plays more of a carbohydrate and fiber role than a core protein role. It reads as an upper-tier carb and fiber source.

Available ingredient listIn disclosed order
Chicken by-product meal — High-caution ingredientsbrewers rice — Neutral ingredientsbrown rice — Neutral ingredientscorn — Neutral ingredientswheat gluten — High-caution ingredientschicken fat — Neutral ingredientsnatural flavors — Support positive ingredientscorn protein meal — High-caution ingredientsdried plain beet pulp — Support positive ingredientspea fiber — Neutral ingredientssodium aluminosilicate — Neutral ingredientsfish oil — Support positive ingredientsegg product — Primary positive ingredientsvegetable oil — Neutral ingredientsmonocalcium phosphate — Neutral ingredientscalcium carbonate — Neutral ingredientspowdered psyllium seed husk — Support positive ingredientspotassium chloride — Support positive ingredientsvitamins[DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, vitamin A acetate, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex] — Support positive ingredientsfructooligosaccharides — Neutral ingredientssodium tripolyphosphate — Neutral ingredientsyeast extract — Neutral ingredientssalt — Neutral ingredientsrosemary extract — Neutral ingredientspreserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid — Neutral ingredientsDL-methionine — Neutral ingredientsglucosamine hydrochloride — Support positive ingredientscholine chloride — Support positive ingredientstrace minerals[zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate] — Support positive ingredientstaurine — Support positive ingredientsmarigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.) — Neutral ingredientsYucca schidigera extract — Support positive ingredientsL-carnitine — Support positive ingredientscarotene — Neutral ingredientschondroitin sulfate. — Support positive ingredients
Primary positive ingredientsSupport positive ingredientsAlternative proteinNeutral ingredientsCaution ingredientsHigh-caution ingredients
Protein sourceIngredient guide

Unclear animal protein source

Animal protein · Chicken by-product meal (#1), egg product (#13)

Plant protein · wheat gluten (#5), corn protein meal (#8)

Animal-based does not always mean clearly sourced.

Unspecified animal protein is read conservatively.

Included support ingredientsNutrient guide
Fish oilSkin and joint support ingredientPsyllium huskGut support ingredientFOSGut support ingredientYeast cultureGut support ingredientGlucosamineJoint support ingredientTaurineHeart support ingredientLuteinEye support ingredientYucca extractStool odor support ingredientL-carnitineHeart and weight support ingredientChondroitinJoint support ingredient

03. CHOOSING FOR YOUR DOG

What to consider before feeding

Chicken by-product meal supply animal protein at the start of the ingredient list. brewers rice, brown rice supply carbohydrate energy. The recipe combines animal protein sources with carbohydrate sources.

wheat gluten, corn protein meal supplement plant protein further down the list, after the first three ingredients. The crude-protein figure includes both animal and plant contributions. chicken fat add fat and energy; fat content is a separate choice criterion from the protein sources.

Across the registered ingredients, multiple protein sources appear, including chicken, egg. If a protein must be excluded, any of these sources can change the decision; the first ingredient alone does not make this a single-protein diet.

What works well in this food

  • Crude protein is on the higher side.
  • Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.

Check before feeding

  • By-product meal is a rendered ingredient that can include parts such as heads, feet, and organs. It can still provide protein, but it is harder to tell exactly what parts are included and in what proportion, so ingredient transparency is read more conservatively.
  • Plant proteins can lift crude protein on the label, but the real animal-protein share still needs a closer check.
  • By-product meal and grains both sit high in the recipe, so this does not read as a meat-centered formula.

When this food fits your dog

Among foods made the same way, protein is higher, fat is lower, and calorie density is typical. This combination is worth comparing when protein matters but a higher-calorie food is not the aim. High protein alone does not make it an active-dog-only food; judge weight changes against total daily calories.

Consider it first when

  • Public-data-first comparison
  • Baseline shortlist building
  • Conservative first-pass screening

Choose another food first when

  • You want a stronger ingredient-quality story first
  • You need dog-specific fit instead of public-review screening

Plant-protein concentration remains the clearest trade-off here.

04. COMPARE FOODS

Smart chicken alternatives

Exact protein-type matches come first, then close protein-family matches fill the comparison.

05. MANUFACTURING & DISCLOSURE

Manufacturer background & public information

Royal Canin background

Founded in 1968 in France.

Disclosure confidence C1

There is a usable disclosure baseline, but the public record is still fairly thin.

Recall information

This brand has a confirmed public recall history, with a recent 2023 mislabeling case in public sources.

May 12, 2026

Final word

Interpret this for my dog

The food-first public score is only the starting point. Once your dog’s activity, weight goals, life stage, and health status are applied, the recommendation order and interpretation can change.

Treat this review as an early screen. If the food stays interesting, verify it again with your dog-specific context before acting.