Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food – Detailed Review

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal HE (High Energy) Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz Cans

The product we’re going to be talking about today, the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food, is a canned dog food manufactured by Royal Canin, a sub-brand under the company Mars, Petcare Incorporated.

One thing we like about Royal Canin is that any product with a Royal Canin seal still offers the same thing that the veterinarian founder in 1968 was offering, curing dogs of various health conditions.

The Royal Canin recipe is approved by AAFCO, a voluntary association charged by the law to regulate the distribution and the sales of animal food (majorly dogs’ and cats’), and also, animal drugs.

The AAFCO believes that this dog food recipe provides your dog with the balanced and complete nutrition necessary for his maintenance and growth as an adult dog.

 

 

 

Table of Contents

Who Is The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food For?

A gastrointestinal diet is for dogs who have some form of digestion issues, most especially issues with digesting fats. So, if your dog falls under this category, your vet would most likely recommend a diet for him, such as the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food. Other digestion issues that might make your vet recommend this food include diarrhea, lack of appetite, and vomiting. If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms, even if he digests fat properly, he can still take this meal.

Now, this particular dog food is a “high energy” dog food. What that means is that not only does your dog have to have a digestion issue to take this, he must also require a high energy diet. Your dog would require a high energy diet if he gets tired very often and almost never has enough energy for work and play.

 

 

So, if your dog does not need this amount of energy but has digestion issues, check out our alternative tab below.

There, you would find other similar products that will cater to your dogs need. If you don’t find what you want there, click here to check out our other product reviews.

Finally, if your dog has an imbalance of good bacteria in his gut, it’s unhealthy. Not to worry, though, this dog food is what your dog needs.

The proteins that are present in this recipe are easy to digest and that’s what helps maintain the balance of bacteria in your dog.

Now that we know that the featured product is for your pooch, let’s now look at the ingredients that are present in this recipe. We would also be looking at the benefits of each one, as well as how they affect your pooch.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal HE (High Energy) Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz Cans

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What Are The Ingredients Of Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food?

The ingredients contained in the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food are as follows:

  1. Water sufficient for processing.
  2. Pork by-products.
  3. Chicken.
  4. Salmon.
  5. Brewer’s rice.
  6. Powdered cellulose.
  7. Vegetable oil.

 

 

Water Sufficient For Processing

The most important in wet dog food is water, for obvious reasons. You need a sufficient amount of water to add the necessary moisture needed in the dog food. That’s all there is to this ingredient, really.

See also  Dog Food Bowls: All You Need To Know

 

Pork By-Products

AAFCO defines by-products as “non-rendered, clean parts, other than the meat of the animal”.

It’s usually gotten after mammals and poultry have been slaughtered, in this case, a pig.

From mammals, these parts usually include blood, stomach, kidney, spleen, lung, intestine, bone, and so on.

These are basically parts that humans would not naturally eat but are still beneficial and healthy enough for dogs.

By-products are a commonly contested dog food ingredient. Many people believe that they are basically cheap meat gotten from slaughterhouse waste. On the other hand, experts and manufacturers have a different view.

They sya that by-products are good enough for dogs as they provide them with as much nutrition as they need for healthy growth.

Also, it’s a huge plus that they are so affordable as they make the overall dog food much more affordable.

One tip they often give, though, is to avoid generic by-products and go for those whose animals have been listed (e.g. “pork” by-product). This is because they are usually of far greater quality.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal HE (High Energy) Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz Cans

Click here to get it on amazon!

 

 

 

 

Chicken

This is the most popular meat in dog food. Why? Because a lot of dogs love its taste, it’s very affordable, and finally, it’s a great source of protein.

In addition, it’s easy to digest. So, looking at the fact that this recipe is meant to be an “easy to digest” recipe, it’s great that chicken is used.

One thing you might have to take note of, though, is that because of how common chicken is in dog food, it has a higher intolerance rate than any other meat.

So, if your pooch has dietary intolerance, you might want to find out if he’s good with chicken before you get this food.

 

Salmon

Raw salmon is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acid. It also contains as much as 60% moisture in this raw state. When it’s cooked, the meat produced by the salmon is even further reduced, dramatically.

So, it’s good that the featured product today already has pork-by products and chicken as their meat-based protein sources.

That being said, the fatty acid produced by this meat helps give your dog a really shiny coat and a healthy-looking skin.

Also, it provides a longer-lasting source of energy. While carbohydrates provide a burst of energy, energy coming from fats is usually more long-lasting because it burns over a long period of time, giving your dog enough energy for work and play.

 

Brewer’s Rice

When small pieces of rice kernel are separated from the bigger kernels in milled rice, the result is brewer’s rice.

These fragments don’t contain the same nutrients as whole grain. Typically, Brewer’s rice is seen as a grain of lower quality, just an inexpensive filler.

Well, that is the truth. But it’s not in any way harmful to your dog. It’s simply an ingredient that makes the whole food more affordable for you.

Also, it’s the least of the major ingredients that can impact the overall quality of the food.

 

Powdered Cellulose

One thing to note is that this ingredient — and the next one we’re going to talk about — would not affect the general quality of this dog food. This is because they are in very small quantities in the recipe.

This cellulose is gotten from minute pieces of plant fibers and wood pulp. It’s basically used for its fiber content.

This fiber content is necessary for easy digestion. Apart from this, this ingredient does not have any other nutritional benefits.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal HE (High Energy) Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz Cans

Click here to get it on Amazon!

 

 

 

 

Vegetable Oil

Royal Canin does not specify what type of vegetable oil is used in this recipe. Different vegetable oils have different nutritional benefits.

So, without knowing what particular vegetable oil this is, we cannot really say what the nutritional benefit of this ingredient is. Which makes this quite a controversial ingredient.

 

 

What Are The Benefits Of The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food?

Here are some of the benefits of the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food:

  1. The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food is pretty affordable for the amount of quality you’re getting.
  2. If your dog has any form of digestion issues, this dog food helps a lot.
  3. This diet provides your dog with enough energy for him to be able to exercise properly.
  4. It contains proteins that are easily digestible. These proteins help maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria inside your pooch’s guts.
  5. It’s great for underweight dogs who don’t eat as many calories as they need to.
  6. The salmon in the recipe serves as a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps to give your dog great skin, as well as, a healthy fur.
  7. This meal comes with more animal-based protein than plant-based protein. This is great as animal-based protein is far more nutritious than plant-based protein.
  8. It’s a wet dog food, which means that it’ll be more palatable for your dog. It’ll also be great for small dogs who find chewing kibble quite difficult.

 

See also  Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Formula Dry Dog Food – Extensive Review

 

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal HE (High Energy) Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz Cans

Click here to get it on Amazon! 

 

 

 

 

What Are The Cons Of The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food?

  1. The vegetable oil used in the recipe is not named. Whenever an ingredient is not properly named, it becomes suspicious, because then, you cannot fully determine how healthy it is.
  2. While wet food is great for most pooches, it’s difficult for you, the owner. This is because it spoils very fast once it’s out of the can.
  3. It’s not very sweet. Although being a wet food, this is slightly more palatable than most, it’s still not sweet. So, you might have to mix this with some extra flavors and sweeteners to actually get your dog to eat it.

 

Check out these other helpful articles below:

 

 

What Are The Alternatives To The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food?

If you want something different from the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food, you can check out these alternatives:

  1. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food: kibble, prescription diet.
  2. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food: vegetarian, prescription diet.
  3. Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food: low-fat diet.

 

Kibble Alternative: Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal HE Dry Dog Food 22 lb bag

Click here to get it on Amazon!

 

 

 

 

If your dog is more of a kibble guy, rather than a canned food guy, then you can get a similar recipe made into kibbles.

Unlike the featured product that has pork by-products as its main meat source, this recipe has chicken by-product instead.

It also comes with brown rice and brewers rice. While Brewers rice can be seen as simply an affordable filler, brown rice is one of the healthiest grains out there. It’s a whole grain, so all of its parts are still intact, unlike white rice which is refined.

This processing of refining removes a lot of nutrients and fiber present in the grain. So, because brown rice is whole, all of these fibers and nutrients are left intact. And that fiber really helps indigestion.

It also comes with “chicken fat” which provides essential omega-3 fatty acids for healthy skin and long-lasting energy.

 

Vegetarian Diet: Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Vegetarian Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz

Click here to get it on Amazon!

 

 

 

 

If you’re a non-meat eater, for whatever reason, and you want your pooch to also imbibe such a lifestyle, we’ve got you covered.

Apart from just wanting your dog to be a vegetarian, a vegetarian diet might be necessary if your dog has a lot of food sensitivities relating to meat.

It gives your dog a shiny looking coat, as well as healthy skin because of its linoleic acid, biotin, and zinc. Furthermore, it reduces the excretion of purines, which is an element of bladder stone.

As its main ingredients, this recipe comes with water sufficient for processing, soy protein isolate, brewer’s rice, rice flour, vegetable oil, brown rice, flax meal, and powdered cellulose.

The only ingredient we don’t like on that list is the unnamed vegetable oil. Because we don’t know the type of vegetable oil used, it’s difficult to ascertain its nutritional values, and whether it’s good for your dog or not.

 

Low Fat Diet: Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz

Click here to get it on Amazon!

 

 

 

 

If you have an overweight dog, or perhaps your dog is already consuming as many calories as he needs on a daily basis, then it’s best that you opt for this option instead.

The featured product we talked about today has increased calories to match your dog’s energy needs.

However, if your dog does not need more calories, and will be healthier with a low-fat diet, then go for this.

It’s also canned dog food, which means that it will pose no problems if your dog does not fancy kibble at all.

See also  Purina ONE SmartBlend Sensitive Systems Adult Formula Dry Dog Food – Detailed Review

The main only meat ingredient present in this recipe is pork by-products; that should be enough, considering the fact that this diet is trying to provide as little caloric content as possible.

Speaking of caloric content, that of this recipe is 895 kcal/kg in total, and 345 kcal/13.6-ounces can.

 

 

Quick Comparison Table

Featured Dry Food Option Vegetarian Option Low Fat Option
Product

Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal HE (High Energy) Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz Cans

 

Get it on Amazon!

 

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal High Energy Dry Dog Food

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal HE Dry Dog Food 22 lb bag

Get it on Amazon!

 

 

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Vegetarian Canned Dog Food

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Vegetarian Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz

Get it on Amazon!

 

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz

Get it on Amazon!

 

Ingredients Water Sufficient for Processing, Pork By-Products, Chicken, Salmon, Brewers Rice, Powdered Cellulose, Vegetable Oil Chicken By-Product Meal, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat, Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Natural Flavors, Egg Product, Grain Distillers Dried Yeast, Dried Plain Beet Pulp Water Sufficient for Processing, Soy Protein Isolate, Brewers Rice, Rice Flour, Vegetable Oil, Brown Rice, Flax Meal, Powdered Cellulose Water Sufficient for Processing, Pork By-Products, Rice Flour, Corn Grits, Corn Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Calcium Carbonate, Guar Gum, Natural Flavors, Gelatin By-Products, Carrageenan
Kibble/Canned Canned Kibble Canned Canned
Best For Dogs who need more calories in their diet. Dogs who need more calories in their diet but prefer kibble to canned food. Dogs who need a vegetarian diet, maybe because they have food sensitivities. Dogs who require very little fat in their dog, mostly overweight dogs.

 

 

 

 

What Do People Think About The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food?

Most people who got the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food for their dogs loved it. It was healthy for their dogs and it helped most dogs with digestion problems. Various digestion problems like vomiting, diarrhea, and problems with digesting fat were cured after people used this for their dogs for a few weeks.

One common comment, though, is that this food is not very sweet. So, to get your dog to actually eat this, you would have to add different flavors or sweeteners into it. It’s kind of like making kids eat their greens.

 

 

Should I Get The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food?

We think that the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food is great food, especially for the price. One thing we like about this diet is that it contains a lot of animal-based protein. Animal-based protein is a lot healthier than plant-based protein. So, it’s good that there is so much meat in such an affordable diet.

We must mention, though, that a few low-quality fillers were used in this recipe. This does not harm your dog in any way. However, if you have the money, it would be better you get something that’s more expensive but has higher quality fillers.

On a final note, this is a veterinary diet. That means that you would need a recommendation from your vet before you can feed this to your dog.

 

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastro Intestinal HE (High Energy) Canned Dog Food 24/13.6 oz Cans

Click here to get it on Amazon!

 

 

 

Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food FAQs

Is The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food good for dogs?

The Royal Canin Gastrointestinal High Energy Canned Dog Food is a decent commercially available dog food. It contains a lot of protein from meat sources which is far better than plant-sourced protein when it comes to canine nutrition.

Also, it is quite affordable and it has been known to do as it says.

It does contain a number of cheap fillers, though, which is why we are not over the top for this product. But, altogether, for the price, you can definitely do a lot worse.

 

What Dog Food Is Comparable to Royal Canin Gastrointestinal?

If you want a product that is similar to the Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Dog Food, you can check out the following products from the same brand:

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food: kibble version.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Gastrointestinal Low Fat Canned Dog Food: the vegetarian version.

From other brands, similar food products would include:

Earthborn Holistic Weight Control Grain-Free Dry Dog Food.

Ollie Healthy Turkey Feast.

 

Is Royal Canin The Best Dog Food?

Compared to dog foods from many other brands, Royal Canin fares better. The brand insists on consistent research and that no academic community must be able to refute the ingredients used in their products. It’s definitely a tall order and one reason many consider them one of the best in the market.

The brand does try to include excellent, high-quality ingredients in its products. However, like most commercial dog food companies, it has not (probably cannot) do away with the low-quality fillers. Let’s face it, they are a business, and bringing down production costs is a goal.

Hence, for what it’s worth, Royal Canin is a great brand. It’s recommended by vets too and many dogs have benefitted from their products.

 

Is There A Recall On Royal Canin Dog Food?

Royal Canin has had two food recalls. One in 2006 issued by the FDA for high levels of Vitamin D3. The other was issued in 2007 also by the FDA for the reason of potential melamine contamination. There hasn’t been any recall on Royal Canin Dog Food since.

 

Is Royal Canin Dog Food Made In The USA?

Royal Canin Dog Food is made in the USA.

 

Why Do You Need A Prescription For Royal Canin Dog Food?

Pet foods that are referred to as veterinary diets require your vet’s approval before you can get them. It’s important to get your vet’s approval first before ordering such foods as they usually contain lower levels of certain nutrients than is legally mandated for pets ordinarily.

Hence, your vet must give his approval and recommend a dosage before you buy it. It’s simply to ensure that you use it safely for your pet.