Royal Canin German Shepherd Adult 5+

Dry Extruded complete

German Shepherd Adult 5+
Average
our rating

Is Royal Canin German Shepherd Adult 5+ a good dog food?

We score it 46/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

Why this score?

This recipe achieves a final score of 46 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list added +3.6 points. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -13. Additionally, the processing format deducted -7 and the carbohydrate content contributed -2.3.

Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.

99% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.

Complete extruded dry food for senior dogs, with rice, corn flour and wheat gluten as the main ingredients.

Why you might choose it

  • Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

  • 99% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.

View the source page

Estimated composition

oil21.4%
carb21.0%
supplement18.9%
fibre17.4%
meat12.8%
veg8.4%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
25%
Fat
19%
Fibre
3.60%
Ash
5.90%
Phosphorus
0.60%

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Vitamin A: 29126 IU; Vitamin D3: 780 IU; Iron (3b103): 72 mg; Iodine (3b201, 3b202): 5.9 mg; Copper (3b405, 3b406): 14 mg; Manganese (3b502, 3b504): 72 mg; Zinc (3b603, 3b605, 3b606): 144 mg; Selenium (3b801, 3b811, 3b812): 0.18 mg

Technological additives

Clinoptilolite of sedimentary origin: 10 g

Storage

Store the product in a cool, dry place.

Feeding guide

Feeding amounts provided are a guideline. Fresh water should be available at all times.

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for senior dogs
  • Doesn't list beef, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
  • Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
  • Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish oil
  • Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - white
  • You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein

These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.

Ingredients (19)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1RiceRice - whitecarbmedium-7.2
2maize flourCorn flourcarbmedium-7.0
3wheat glutenWheat Glutencarbpoor-6.8
4dehydrated poultry proteinsDehydrated Poultry Proteinsmeatgood-6.6
5animal fatsUnspecified Animal Fats and Oilsoilpoor-6.4
6hydrolysed animal proteinsHydrolysed Animal Proteinmeatmedium-6.2
7cellulose powderPowdered Cellulosefibrepoor-6.0
8vegetable fibresVegetable fibrefibremedium-5.8
9beet pulpBeet Pulpfibremedium-5.6
10mineralsVitamins and mineralssupplementmedium-5.4
11soya oilSoybean oiloilmedium-5.2
12fish oilFish Oiloilgood-5.0
13copra oilCopra Oiloilmedium-4.8
14yeasts productsYeastsupplementgood-4.6
15dried tomato pulp (source of lycopene)Tomatoveggood-4.4
16hydrolysed collagen (0.9%)Collagensupplementgood0.90.9
17yeasts (source of manno-oligosaccharides)Yeastsupplementgood-4.2
18marigold mealCalendulaveggood-4.0
19hydrolysed cartilage (source of chondroitin)Hydrolysed Cartilagesupplementgood-3.8

Brand

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-09-09
Scored with
Model v2 (methodology)
Product page
www.royalcanin.com

Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.

Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Scored with model v2 on 2026-09-22. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.49.915+3.64
Meat share of dry matter12.8%0.116+1.48
Carb share of dry matter20.2%-0.113-2.27
Oil share of dry matter23.0%-0.088-2.03
Vegetable share of dry matter8.2%-0.002-0.01
Supplement share of dry matter18.9%-0.009-0.17
Recipe graded poor19.2%-0.045-0.86
Number of poor ingredients3-0.868-2.60
Largest single poor ingredient6.8%0.056+0.38
Undeclared quantities99.1%-0.131-12.97
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Additive penalty-0.190.236-0.05
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.996-7.00
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.49.915+3.64
Meat share of dry matter12.8%0.116+1.48
Carb share of dry matter20.2%-0.113-2.27
Oil share of dry matter23.0%-0.088-2.03
Vegetable share of dry matter8.2%-0.002-0.01
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.177+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter18.9%-0.009-0.17
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.371+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.022+0.00
Recipe graded poor19.2%-0.045-0.86
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.182+0.00
Number of poor ingredients3-0.868-2.60
Largest single poor ingredient6.8%0.056+0.38
Undeclared quantities99.1%-0.131-12.97
Prints ingredient percentagesno3.194+0.00
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Frozen or chilled freshno11.440+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no-0.506+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)no-1.988+0.00
High carb and low meatno-1.250+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.0-0.073+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.0-0.339+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.016.475+0.00
Additive penalty-0.190.236-0.05
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Rawno13.322+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno7.712+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno6.583+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno4.857+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno0.072+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno11.127+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno9.320+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno4.569+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-2.321+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.996-7.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.833+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.711+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno2.935+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno2.292+0.00
Processing-type offset
-0.01
Additives declared on label
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
45.9
Final score
46/100

Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.

Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges

How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein2527.2 (band 18 to 40%)95
Fat1920.7 (band 5.5 to 20%)100
Fibre3.63.9 (band 0.5 to 5%)100
Phosphorus0.60.7 (band 0.4 to 1.6%)82.6

Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 8% from the food type.

Low confidence: partial analysis or moisture estimated from the food type.

This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.

Transparency: what the label discloses

How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.

ItemPoints
Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
Printed percentages on the label (0.9% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)0.2/20
Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
Additives declared (mandatory)10/10
Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file0/5
Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)5/5
Feeding guidance given (mandatory)10/10
Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory)5/10
Country of manufacture stated (voluntary)10/10
Batch and date labelling (mandatory)5/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared).

Safety: recall history

Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.

No recalls recorded in our database.

See all current recalls we track.

Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it

The marketing claims made on the pack and product page, and how much evidence sits behind them. We record the claims as stated; we do not assess whether they are true.

ClaimTypeSubstantiation
developed to support healthy ageing (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
help to support your dog's cartilage health (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
help to promote a good balance of intestinal flora (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion

Limited: at least one claim rests on manufacturer assertion alone.

The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.

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