VS

By Hailey David
 This booklet is a comparison of Royal
Canin’s Recovery Support (RS) and Purina
Veterinary diets’ Dietetic Management (DM). Both
of these foods are a type of critical care food that
are used in extreme cases such as illness or surgery.
I’m specifically looking at critical care food for
felines. DM by Purina is available in both dry and
canned food. There’s also a specific DM for cats
and dogs. RS by Royal Canin only comes canned,
there is no dry formula but it is used for both cats
and dogs. I’ll only be comparing the wet food for
cats.
Guaranteed Analysis Comparison
Royal Canin Recovery Support
Crude Protein (min) 9.5%

Crude Fat (min) 5.7%

Crude Fiber (max) 2.6%

Moisture (max) 79%

Metabolizable Energy:
191 kcal/can (5.8 oz. can)

(Royal, n.d.)

Purina Veterinary Diets Dietetic Management

Crude Protein (min) 11.5%

Crude Fat (min) 4.5%

Crude Fiber (max) 2%

Moisture (max) 78%

Metabolizable Energy:
191 kcal/can (5.5 oz. can)

(ADW, n.d.)
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS SUMMARY

The abbreviation “kcal” is short for the word

kilocalories. This is the same term used to calculate
the calories in human food, the word is just
shortened to “calories”. This means that for a pet to
eat a 5.8 oz. can of RS, they will have eaten 191
calories. If a pet eats a 5.5 oz. can of DM, they will
have eaten 191 calories. Since Purina’s can of food
is slightly smaller than Royal Canin’s, giving
Purina’s can a higher amount of calories. If Purina
sold a 5.8 oz. can instead of a 5.5 oz. can it would
be 201 kcal/can.

The percentages listed in the guaranteed

analysis is an estimation of the amount of product in
the food. For example, in RS the crude protein is
listed as 9.5%. This means that 9.5% of the can is
protein. DM has a higher amount of protein than RS
but that’s not necessarily a good thing. Protein
comes from different sources and some sources are
better than others. Just because a food may have a
higher percentage doesn’t mean its better. There are
some companies that use higher quality products
while others don’t but in this case both Royal Canin
and Purina Pro Plan are known to use high quality
ingredients in their food.
INGREDIENTS

For both RS and DM, a meat is listed as a

first ingredient. For DM, a meat by product is listed
as the second ingredient while RS doesn’t list a
byproduct until the 15th ingredient. Why does that
matter? The ingredients in the food are listed from
heaviest to lightest.

You may have heard that byproducts are bad

but that’s actually a myth. Byproducts are also
called “meal” when listed in the ingredient list.
Byproducts include things such as the stomach,
kidneys, brain, liver, spleen, and more. Hair, teeth,
horns, and hooves are not byproducts. (PetEd, n.d.).
In the wild when a carnivore kills its prey organ
meat is the first thing to be eaten (Isle, 2015). These
organ meats are what are considered byproducts or
meals (Feed, 2015).

TEXTURE

Royal Canin’s RS comes in a pate form

while Purina’s DM is flaked. To cats this can make
a big difference. Cats are very picky eaters and like
different textures. Your cat may not like pate but
they may like flaked or vice versa.
PRICE

On Chewy.com, a popular website that sells

pet food, DM is listed at $46.99 for a case of 24 5.5
oz. cans. A case of 24 5.8 oz. cans of RS is listed at
$57.99. Your cat should eat 5-6 ounces of food a
day. If you choose to feed your cat DM it would
cast roughly $1.96 a day for 24 days. It would cost
roughly $2.41 a day for 24 days to feed RS.

RATINGS

The rating on Chewy.com for Purina DM is 5 stars.

95 out of 96 reviewers recommend this food. The
Rating for Royal Canin’s RS is 5 stars. 20 out of 20
reviewers recommend this food (chewy, n.d.)

SUMMARY

Pruina Proplan Dietetic Management has a higher

percent of Crude Protein, higher amount of calories,
better quality ingredients, comes in a slightly
smaller can, also comes as a dry kibble, and is the
cheaper option of the two.

Royal Canin Recovery Support has a higher

percentage of crude fat, crude fiber, and moisture. It
has slightly fewer calories, can be used for cats and
dogs, comes in a slightly bigger can, but it costs
more. The rating for both cans are extremely close.
WHICH IS BEST?

Only your vet will be able to determine which food

is best for you. For example, some animals might
require more calories than others or they might
require more fat. The needs of each animal varies
but either of these foods would be a great choice.
Cat eating dry food. Tabby cat eating pet food....
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.shutterstock.com/video/clip-6674213-
stock-footage-domestic-cat-eating-dry-food-tabby-
cat-eating-pet-food-white-background.html

Close-up portrait of a cat and dog. (n.d.). Retrieved

from http://www.care2.com/greenliving/curious-
facts-about-cats-and-dogs.html/close-up-portrait-of-
a-cat-and-dog-2

DM Dietetic Management® Cat Food. (n.d.).

Retrieved from
https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.com/products/d
m-dietetic-management-cat/

Interpreting Dog Food Labels. (n.d.). Retrieved

from http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2
1659&aid=668

Poultry by-product meal. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.feedipedia.org/node/214

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DM Dietetic

Management Formula Canned Cat Food, 5.5-oz,
case of 24. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-
veterinary-diets-dm/dp/49830
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Recovery RS Canned
Dog & Cat Food, 5.8-oz, case of 24. (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.chewy.com/royal-
canin-veterinary-diet-recovery/dp/33997

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet® Feline and Canine

Recovery® RS canned cat food and canned dog
food 5.8 oz. - Loaf in Gel (24 cans/case). (n.d.).
Retrieved from
https://www.royalcanin.com/products/royal-canin-
veterinary-diet-feline-and-canine-recovery-rs-
canned-cat-food-and-canned-dog-food-5.8-oz-loaf-
in-gel-24-cans-case-/260205

What is "Kcal" on My Pet's Food Label? - Sammy

Snacks. (2014, October 13). Retrieved from
https://ancestrypetfood.com/kcal-in-pet-food/

Why Don't Wolves Eat All That They Kill? (n.d.).

Retrieved from http://isleroyalewolf.org/node/42