I copied the first few ingrediends from their web site :
Chicken meal, rice, chicken fat, corn gluten meal, rice flour, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), natural chicken flavor, brown rice, wheat gluten meal
Chicken meal as the first ingredient is good, but you don't want anything with
corn or any kind of "gluten" meal. I don't like anything by Royal Canin to be honest. white rice isn't nutritionaly great and it's the second ingredient, corn gluten meal is nothing but a "filler" to raise the protien content and not good nutritionaly, rice flour and beet pulp - more fillers, wheat gluten meal - another filler. See the problem?
Here's a copy of the ingredients of the food I use, just for an example of what you're looking for (Nature's Variety):
Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Medley
INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat, Ground Flaxseeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Natural Chicken Flavor, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins...
Here's ingrendients in one of their grain-free formulas:
Chicken Meal Formula
INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Tapioca, Chicken Fat, Pumpkinseeds, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Montmorillonite Clay, Natural Chicken Flavor, Vitamins
So, the difference is - the RC has "fillers" in it and the "holistic" brands don't. Whether or not you go with something containing WHOLE grains, or grain-free depends on your dog - if you see big bulky or frequent, really soft poops, try grain-free, if grain-free makes the stool loose, go with something with whole grains.
A few other good brands to consider - Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Acana or Orijen, Taste of the Wild - there are more, but those seem to be the most popular.
