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BRAND VS BRAND · KIBBLE

Eukanuba vs Royal Canin

Eukanuba vs Royal Canin: a bag of each brand facing off on an arcade fighting-game screen

Eukanuba against Royal Canin, measured across 28 and 86 kibble recipes: 25.8% vs 25.2% protein and 37% vs 40% starch, as fed.

SAME MAKER

Eukanuba and Royal Canin are both made by Mars, so this is a choice between two ranges from one company rather than between two companies. The differences below are in the recipes, not the kitchen.

THE SHORT VERSION

How They Differ

  • Protein is close: 25.8% for Eukanuba and 25.2% for Royal Canin as fed.
  • Eukanuba is lower in starch, about 37% of the food as fed against 40%.
  • Eukanuba more often leads with meat, fish or egg as the first ingredient (96% of recipes against 41%).
AT A GLANCE

Side by Side

Measure Eukanuba Royal Canin Average kibble
Kibble recipes compared 28 86 1,742 in total
Protein, as fed 25.8%21.0% to 32.0% 25.2%19.0% to 32.0% 27.2%
Fat, as fed 14.2%9.0% to 21.0% 14.5%9.0% to 23.0% 14.4%
Starch, as fedEstimated, not measured. It is what is left of the guaranteed analysis once protein, fat, fiber and moisture are taken out, with ash assumed at 6%. That leftover is mostly starch but also carries sugars and the fiber a crude-fiber test misses, so read it as a close estimate rather than an exact figure. Measured as fed, the same basis as the bag. 37%22% to 46% 40%32% to 49% 37%
Calories per cup 354254 to 465 339229 to 485 398
Meat, fish or egg listed first 96% 41%
Grain-free recipes 0% 0%
Most used proteins Chicken 93%, Egg 57%, Lamb 21% Chicken 95%, Pork 10%, Egg 3%
Recipes with corn, wheat, soy Corn 100%, Wheat 86%, Soy 25% Corn 93%, Wheat 95%, Soy 1%
By-products 89% 95%
FDA recalls, last 5 years None1 older in the archive None
Made by Mars Mars

Brand figures are averages over every kibble recipe we review from that brand, with the lowest and highest recipe underneath. Freeze-dried, frozen, wet food and toppers are left out so the numbers compare like with like, and so are prescription diets, which are fed for a medical condition on a vet's advice. Everything is as fed, the way the bag prints it; the switch above the table shows protein and fat on a dry matter basis instead, which takes the water out so foods of different moisture compare evenly. Why we use as fed.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Closest Matching Recipes

Brand averages hide the recipe you would actually buy. These are the pairs that come closest on protein, fat and starch, preferring recipes built on the same main protein, which is where a like-for-like choice gets made.

CHOOSING

Which Fits Your Dog

  • If you are cutting back on starch, Eukanuba starts lower.
  • The brands overlap more than the averages suggest: Eukanuba runs from 21% to 32% protein as fed and Royal Canin from 19% to 32%, so the right recipe matters more than the name on the bag.
SAFETY

Recall History

FDA recall notices from the last five years that name the brand or its maker. Older notices sit in each brand's archive below: still on the record, but not counted, since a recall that old says more about how a company used to run than how it runs now.

Eukanuba

No FDA recalls in our record for Eukanuba in the last five years.

Archive: 1 older recall
AUG 14, 2013
POTENTIAL SALMONELLA

Iams; Eukanuba. Limited lots of Iams and Eukanuba dry dog and cat food (P&G)

Royal Canin

No FDA recalls in our record for Royal Canin in the last five years.

WHO MAKES THEM

About the Brands

Eukanuba

Eukanuba is a premium dog food brand owned by Mars, Incorporated. It is known for performance nutrition for working, sporting and service dogs, and it also sells puppy, adult, senior and weight management formulas. In 2026 the brand organized its lineup into three lines: Growth & Maintenance, Premium Performance and Solutions.

since 1969. Every Eukanuba food we review

Royal Canin

Royal Canin is a pet food brand owned by Mars, Incorporated, and Royal Canin USA operates as a Mars subsidiary. It is known for breed-specific, size-specific and veterinary therapeutic diets, and the company says it focuses on science-based health nutrition for cats and dogs.

Based in St. Louis, MO, since 1968. Every Royal Canin food we review

KEEP COMPARING

More Brand Comparisons

How we compare: every figure comes from the guaranteed analysis and ingredient list of recipes we review, not from the brands' own claims. Starch is our estimate, since no manufacturer prints it. Figures refreshed October 20, 2026.

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