Scrumbles vs Royal Canin Dog Food

Scrumbles vs Royal Canin Dog Food: Which Is the Best Choice for Your Dog?

If you’re searching for the best dog food, there’s a good chance you’ve come across Royal Canin. It’s frequently recommended by vets and stocked widely in pet shops.

But many dog parents also ask:

• Is Royal Canin good dog food?
• Why is Royal Canin so expensive?
• Is there a better dog food for sensitive stomachs?

Choosing the right food for our pets is one of the most important decisions we ever make for them. That’s where Scrumbles often comes into the conversation.

This guide compares two popular pet food brand's Scrumbles and Royal Canin dog food based on digestibility, ingredients, suitability for sensitive dogs, safety, value and sustainability.

TL;DR:
Royal Canin dog food is often recommended for specific veterinary needs. Scrumbles is designed for everyday feeding, focusing on gut health, digestibility and natural ingredients. For dogs with sensitive stomachs or owners searching for the best dog food for long-term health, Scrumbles is often the preferred choice.

What Dog Owners Look for in the Best Dog Food

The best dog food for your pooch should most importantly be one that results in a clean bowl! Outside of that, high quality dog food should serve to:

• support healthy digestion and firm stools (for pretty, pickupable poops)
• have transparent labelling with clearly named sources of animal protein
• avoid unnecessary nasties like sugars, added salts and artificial ingredients
• be kind to sensitive stomachs
• be complete and safe for every day feeding giving your dog everything they need to thrive
• offer the best nutrition without breaking the bank

When Is It Time to Rethink Your Dog’s Food?

Most pets thrive on consistency, so changing their dog food too often, or without transitioning, isn’t ideal. A sudden switch can overwhelm the digestive system, leading to uncomfortable symptoms like loose stools, bloating or extra-windy evenings on the sofa.

There are plenty of non-medical reasons to change food too. Your dog may have gone off their usual recipe, you might be looking for higher-quality ingredients, or you could be trying to improve digestion that just isn’t quite right. Practical reasons can play a part too such as availability issues, price increases, or wanting a more sustainable option.

If you’re wondering whether your dog's current food is right for them, some common signs to watch out for would be:

• Ongoing itching or skin irritation
• Frequent digestive upsets, including loose or inconsistent stools or smelly toots!
• A coat that looks dull, dry or flaky rather than glossy
• Lower energy levels, reduced playfulness or reluctance to head out for walks

These signs often point to food that’s harder to digest or lacking the gut support your dog needs for long-term wellbeing, which is why many owners start searching for a gentler, more digestible option.

So now we know some of the reasons you might be looking to change your pet’s food, it’s time to review which is best for you.

Scrumbles Dog Food: Overview

Scrumbles is a family-owned, independent pet food company, founded in 2018 by Aneisha and Jack. Scrumbles has one clear focus; celebrating gut health as foundational to overall wellbeing. They have a range of doggy recipes to suit all tastebuds offering complete probiotic packed dry dog food, grain-free single source protein wet food recipes, and guilt-free treats recipes that support gut health and other benefits like dental care, calming and training. Scrumbles is widely available in supermarkets, speciality pet stores and online retailers. 

Key features:

• Added prebiotics, probiotics or postbiotics in recipes for gut health
• No added sugar or salt
• No pea protein concentrates
• Gluten and Grain Free options
• Hypoallergenic free from common allergens like beef, dairy, soy, gluten and egg
• Sustainable protein sources; all recipes are pollo-pescatarian to tread lightly on the planet
• High meat content up to 66% in dry food and 70% in the wet dog food recipes
• all-natural ingredients 

This makes Scrumbles particularly suitable for dogs with:

• Sensitive stomachs
• Loose stools
• Excessive flatulence
• Food intolerances
• Skin issues linked to gut health

Royal Canin Dog Food Overview:

Royal Canin was founded in France in 1968 and is now owned by Mars Petcare, one of the world’s largest pet food companies.

The brand is best known for its science-led approach to nutrition, with recipes designed around specific breeds, sizes, life stages and medical needs including hydrolysed options. Royal Canin products are widely stocked in veterinary practices and pet retailers, and the range includes both everyday diets and prescription-only formulas.

Royal Canin focuses on meeting precise nutritional targets rather than prioritising ingredient simplicity. As a result, recipes commonly include meat derivatives, cereals and plant-based ingredients alongside vitamins and minerals to deliver a consistent nutrient profile at global scale.

For some dogs, particularly those with diagnosed medical conditions, this approach can be appropriate under veterinary guidance. However, many pet parents looking for the best everyday dog food may prefer brands that place greater emphasis on natural ingredients, digestibility and gut health.

Scrumbles vs Royal Canin: Availability

Scrumbles customers are able to order via a one-off and subscription service directly via their website, online via the likes of Ocado and Amazon, or in-store via Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Co-Op, and Wilko. Customers don't need to enter any data to create a subscription, and can build it with any products, quantities, and frequencies they choose, as well as being able to add one-off items.

Royal Canin is available in more countries and can be purchased online and via speciality pet stores. 

Scrumbles additionally offers a convenient subscription offer for regular direct deliveries with an on-going discount of 10% off every order.

How do Scrumbles and Royal Canin compare on Ingredients?

Ingredients are one of the biggest factors pet parents look at when deciding what the best dog food is for their pet, particularly if their dog has a sensitive stomach, itchy skin or inconsistent poos. While both Scrumbles and Royal Canin produce nutritionally complete dog food, they take very different approaches to what goes into their recipes.

Scrumbles places a strong emphasis on digestibility, gut health and ingredient quality, recognising that many common health issues in dogs start in the digestive system. This focus on simple, digestible ingredients is why many owners switch to Scrumbles after struggling with loose stools, excessive wind or skin issues.

Example of Scrumbles Chicken Dry Dog Food Recipe:  60% Chicken (28% Dehydrated Chicken, 26% Freshly Prepared Chicken, 4% Chicken Fat, 2% Chicken Stock), 20.3% Rice, 13.5% Oats, 2.5% Dried Alfalfa, 1.5% Salmon Oil, Vitamins & Minerals, 0.7% Whole Linseed, 0.4% Dried Carrot, 0.1% Yeasts (source of prebiotic MOS), 0.02% Extract of Yucca Schidigera, Dried Spearmint.

Technological Additives: Probiotic: Enterococcus Faecium 4b1707 (DSM 10663, NCIMB 10415, 1 x 10⁹cfu).

Royal Canin recipes are nutritionally complete and can be effective for veterinary or medical needs and for dogs with severe ingredient intolerances, Royal Canin offers hydrolysed protein options. Typical ingredients across many recipes include meat derivatives and animal by-products and cereals. 

Example of Royal Canin Chicken Dry Dog Food Recipe:  Dehydrated poultry proteins, wheat, maize flour, wheat flour, maize, hydrolysed animal proteins, animal fats, dehydrated pork proteins, barley, maize gluten, beet pulp, minerals, soya oil, yeasts products, fish oil, yeasts (source of manno-oligosaccharides), algal oil Schizochytrium sp Technological Additives: None stated

Pricing

To help you understand the difference in cost between Royal Canin and Scrumbles you can look at the price per day on All About Dog Food.

Royal Canin pricing varies significantly depending on the specific recipe, breed, size and whether the diet is veterinary-prescribed. According to All About Dog Food, Royal Canin Medium Adult 7+ dry dog food is £0.81 per day for an average 14kg 12+ years dog, with some specialist and prescription recipes costing more.

In comparison, Scrumbles Adult Chicken Dry Dog Food dry dog food costs £0.83 per day, and wet dog food £1.98 per day for a 14kg 12+ years dog, with further savings available through subscription.

*Prices taken from All About Dog Food. May be subject to change. The average pooch is based on 12 years, 14kg. Price and information may be subject to change. As of 20/01/2026.

Product Comparisons

Adult Dry Dog Food

Scrumbles Adult Chicken Dry Dog Food vs Royal Canin Medium Adult 7+ Dry Food:

*Prices taken from All About Dog Food website. May be subject to change. The average pooch is based on 12+ years, 14kg.

Sustainability

Sustainability is an increasingly important factor for pet parents choosing the best dog food, with concerns around how ingredients are sourced, to how food is transported and packaged. 

Royal Canin produces dry and wet dog food that can be stored at ambient temperature, which is generally less energy-intensive than frozen food models. When it comes to packaging, most Royal Canin dry food bags and wet food pouches are not widely recyclable in household recycling and are typically disposed of with general waste. While the company has published broader corporate sustainability commitments through its parent group Mars Petcare, packaging recyclability at a product level remains limited for consumers.

In contrast, Scrumbles designs its recipes specifically for ambient storage, helping to keep transport and storage energy use lower, as well as opting for lower carbon animal protein sources. Scrumbles offers:

• Mono PE Recyclable bags for dry food and treats (soon to be kerbside recyclable)
• Recyclable 150g wet food trays (soon to be kerbside recyclable)
• Recyclable sleeves and trays for 395g wet food (soon to be kerbside recyclable)
  

Both brands support animal welfare causes through food donations and charitable partnerships such as All Dogs Matter. Scrumbles goes a step further by being a member of 1% for the Planet, committing 1% of annual sales directly to social and environmental causes. Additionally Scrumbles chooses sustainably certified fish protein sources. 

For pet parents who consider sustainability part of what defines the best dog food, Scrumbles’ focus on recyclable packaging, ambient efficiency and transparent environmental giving is often a deciding factor.

What do customers say about Scrumbles? 

Scrumbles has a product rating of 4.5/5 over the past year on Trustpilot. Reviews frequently reference customers seeing improvements in their ipets' health, including better digestion, increased energy levels, and shinier coats

For example Lesley was very happy with Scrumbles recipes, and the improvements to her pooch’s #2’s.

Whilst this customer couldn't believe the difference they saw to their dog's coat, and interest in the food.

How to switch to Scrumbles

Now that you’re equipped with all the info you need to make a wise decision about what’s best for your floof, you may be considering making a change.

We always recommend transitioning onto a our gut-friendly recipes slowly to reduce the risk of upset tums. For puppies with extra sensitive bellies, this should be done over a minimum of two weeks, and for adult floofs at least 8 days. To transition, gradually increase the portion of Scrumbles to your old food. Starting off with 25% of Scrumbles and 75% of the old food, working your way up to 100% Scrumbles by the end of the period.

By following this process you should be able to introduce the new recipe seamlessly. However, even so, it is quite normal to see some changes in their stools or flatulence during this time. By the end of the transition they should be back to normal, or ideally even better!

If you have any questions about our recipes or need any help, drop us a line at hello@scrumbles.co.uk

Final Verdict: Which Is the Best Dog Food?

Choose Royal Canin if your dog needs a specific veterinary diet e.g. hydrolysed proteins or a prescription diet. 

Choose Scrumbles if you want a strong all round option designed around what many people mean when searching for the best dog food:

• Animal protein led nutrition
• Gut-friendly support
• No added sugar
• Digestibility and everyday wellbeing

Common Questions Dog Owners Ask About Royal Canin and Scrumbles

Is Royal Canin good dog food?

Royal Canin is nutritionally complete and can be useful for specific medical conditions, but many pet parents may opt for recipes that prioritise a higher meat content and natural ingredients with gut benefits.

Why do some dogs experience loose stools on Royal Canin?

Dogs with sensitive digestion may struggle with:

• Cereal-heavy recipes
• Lower digestibility proteins

• Lack of probiotics

This is a common reason owners look for alternatives like Scrumbles.

What is the best dog food for sensitive stomachs?

Foods with:

• Fewer ingredients
• Added prebiotics and probiotics
• No artificial flavourings or sugars

Scrumbles is designed specifically around these principles.

Whilst you're here why not check out:

1. Scrumbles vs Lily’s Kitchen
2. Dreamies Cat Treats: are they good or bad for my cat?
3. Webbox Cat Treats: Are They Good or Bad for My Cat?