Nutro Dog Food Review
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The Nutro Company makes premium foods for dogs and cats. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Nutro MAX was one of the most popular dog foods sold in United States pet stores.
Nutro Adult Lamb and Rice was the #1 lamb and rice dog food sold in the U.S. in pet specialty stores in 2006.
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified Nutro as one of the brands fed to dogs that had frequently appeared in the dietary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) cases they had been studying.
Is Nutro a good brand? Should you feed this food to your dog?
Check it out with our unbiased review.
Nutro Dog Food: Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Protein | kcal/Cup/Tray |
| Nutro Wholesome Essentials Large Breed Adult Farm Raised Chicken | Dry | 21% | 336 kcal/cup |
| Nutro Ultra Adult Dry Dog Food | Dry | 25% | 341 kcal/cup |
| Nutro Natural Choice Senior Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food | Dry | 27% | 319 kcal/cup |
Brand Score
Our reviews are based on extensive research and years of professional knowledge of dog food brands. In order to remain objective, we do not accept gifts of free products or write sponsored posts on this site.
We’ve Nutro dog foods closely and graded the brand according to the PupJunkies standard. Our criteria include ingredients, quality, customer experience, recall history, working with veterinary nutritionists to formulate the food, nutritional standards, research, and price.
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About Nutro
Nutro, a subsidiary of Mars Incorporated, is a major pet food company based in Franklin, Tennessee. Despite attempts to prove their foods contain adulterated substances or excessive minerals, these claims have been unsuccessful. Nutro dog foods, such as Nutro Adult Lamb and Rice, were popular before grain-free dog foods gained popularity.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified Nutro as being fed to multiple dogs in cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, with data suggesting various Nutro recipes were involved. The FDA has not found a definitive cause of the dietary DCM problem and has not advised dog lovers to stop feeding grain-free diets to their dogs.
The FDA advises against dog foods that use legumes as main ingredients, as they are generally considered the first 10 ingredients listed in a food’s ingredient list before the first vitamin or mineral ingredient. Additionally, caution should be exercised when dog foods “split” ingredients and use multiple legumes lower in the ingredient list, as they can make up a large amount of the food.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Nutro is a company that sources ingredients from trusted farmers and suppliers worldwide, testing them for quality and safety. They work with farmers in various parts of the world, including chickpea, sugar beet, pea, lentil, rice, and lamb.
Nutro does not add artificial preservatives or flavors to their food and offers customers the choice to buy grains, chicken by-products, or soy protein.
The company has manufacturing facilities in Franklin, Tennessee, Lebanon, and Victorville, California, and wet/canned foods in Columbus, Ohio, Fort Smith, Arkansas, and North Sioux City, South Dakota.
Recall History
Nutro had dog food recalled in 2009.
The brand was also part of the Menu Foods/melamine recall in 2007, along with dozens of other companies.
Nutro treats were recalled in 2015.
What kinds of dog food does Nutro offer?
Nutro makes dry kibble, wet/canned food, pouches/trays, and treats/biscuits.
Their dog food product lines include:
Kibble
- Nutro Wholesome Essentials (grains and grain free)
- Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet
- Nutro Max (grains and grain free)
- Nutro Ultra (grains and grain free)
Canned/Wet
- Nutro Premium Loaf
- Nutro Bites In Gravy
- Nutro Hearty Stew
- Nutro Ultra
- Nutro Limited Ingredient Diets
Many of the Nutro foods are available for different lifestages (puppy, adult, senior, weight management), as well as for different sized dogs (Toy, small, medium, large). The company also makes several kinds of treats and biscuits for dogs, as well as cat foods.
Nutro is also associated with Wild Frontier, Crave, and Greenies, also made by Mars Incorporated. Wild Frontier, until recently, was part of the Nutro product line.
Nutro Dog Food: Top Three Recipes Reviewed
We’re taking a look at three of the top-selling Nutro dog foods as found on Chewy.com.
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 21% Min
- Fat: 13% Min
- Fiber: 3.5% Max
- Moisture: 19% Max
- Caloric Content: 3635 kcal/kg, 336 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients:
New Formula: Chicken, Chicken Meal (Source Of Glucosamine And Chondroitin Sulfate), Whole Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Split Peas, Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Sweet Potato, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Lamb Meal (Source Of Glucosamine And Chondroitin Sulfate), Whole Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (Preservatives), Pea Fiber, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Carbonate, Biotin, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
Split peas are the fifth ingredient here which suggests they make up a large percentage of the food. According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), Brewers Rice are the leftover broken rice pieces from rice and beer production. They are not aesthetically pleasing but they have the same nutritional value as ordinary white rice.
“Natural flavor” is a vague term and can mean any kind of flavoring (usually meat). The problem with it is that it can contain a form of monosodium glutamate (MSG).
According to the dry matter basis (DMB), this food has 23.3 percent protein, 14.4 percent fat, and 3.9 percent fiber. This formula has 58.3 percent carbohydrates.
(If you’re thinking this is incorrect, Chewy.com customer service says the food has 52.25 percent carbs/as fed and that was close to our calculation before we figured for DMB).This food has 358 kcal/cup.Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Nutro Ultra Adult Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 25% Min
- Fat: 14% Min
- Fiber: 4% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
- Caloric Content: 3513 kcal/kg, 341 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran, Lamb Meal, Natural Flavor, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sunflower Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Grain Oatmeal, Whole Flaxseed, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (preservatives), Dried Coconut, Whole Chia Seed, Dried Egg Product, Tomato Pomace, Dried Kale, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Spinach, Dried Blueberries, Dried Apples, Dried Carrots, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary
Chicken, chicken meal, and lamb meal are good sources of meat protein for dogs. We previously mentioned brewers rice has the same nutritional value as white rice.
Rice bran is the bran and germ layer of the rice and shouldn’t have the hull fragments except as they are unavoidable in regular milling. Still, these are usually considered less desirable kinds of rice.
We have previously mentioned the problems with “natural flavor” and the vagueness of what it might contain.
We have highlighted dried coconut in this ingredient list because this is the first time we have seen it used in a pet food. According to this story, coconut meal is being considered as a new starch in pet foods.
This food has 27.8 percent protein and 15.6 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 4.4 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 44.4 percent, DMB. It contains 358 kcal per cup.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
Nutro Natural Choice Senior Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 24% Min
- Fat: 12% Min
- Fiber: 4% Max
- Calories: 3569 kcal/kg, 319 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Meal (source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Whole Grain Barley, Split Peas, Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Sorghum, Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Fish Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Citric Acid (preservative), Mixed Tocopherols (preservative), Chia Seed, Dried Coconut, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Egg Product, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Kale, Dried Spinach, DL-Methionine, Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
You might not think it, but alfalfa is a legume, like peas. This formula also contains peas in the first ten ingredients which raises concerns about the DCM issue. Chickpeas are also the 12th ingredient.
We have also mentioned the brewers rice and natural flavor above.
We can’t say that this food is bad for your dog since the FDA has not reached definite conclusions about the dietary cardiomyopathy problem but this formula seems to be trying to include both grains and grain free ingredients. It’s hard to say if it will work successfully.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 26.7 percent protein, 13.3 percent fat, 4.4 percent fiber, 55.56 percent carbohydrates, and 319 kcal per cup. Our rating for this dry food is 3 out of 5 stars.
How Much does Nutro Dog Food cost?
Nutro foods are very affordable. Ultra is their most expensive product line but even these foods are comparable to other moderately-priced premium dog foods.
What do Customers Think of Nutro Dog Food?
Many people like Nutro. We noticed on Chewy.com that the most popular foods seemed to be for large dogs. Their large-breed foods appear to be priced very affordably. Even their Ultra foods are reasonably-priced. There were lots of positive comments and few negative comments about the food.
Overall, is Nutro Dog Food a Good Choice?
In looking at foods on Chewy.com for this review we noticed that the most popular Nutro foods sold were those with grains. Some of the foods seem to have new formulas or there have been some minor changes in the last few months.
The Ultra foods look like they are good foods. We have some reservations about some of the other foods. All of the foods we looked at appear to have very high carbohydrate levels, from all of the product lines. That includes grain free foods.
We recommend that you look at ingredients closely and follow the suggestions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to avoid foods that have a lot of legumes in the first several ingredients at this time.
Where is Nutro Dog Food sold?
You can buy Nutro dog foods from Chewy.com and other online retailers as well as many pet stores.
Bev Damiano
What is Nutro Essential Small Breed food for the health of dogs eating it .
Amy Brown
Hi Bev It is designed with small breed adult dogs’ needs in mind, made with a crunchy texture to help control plaque buildup. This recipe is made with chicken, providing a high-quality source of protein. It’s also formulated with natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health and essential antioxidants to support your canine companion’s immune system. You can feel great about this non-GMO food, made with recognizable ingredients and no chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat or soy.
Linda
My terrier mix (mostly Chihuahua, 11lbs) loves Nutro Natural Choice
Linda
As stated above, my little guy loves Nutro Natural Voice Chicken &Brown Rice Recipe. I bought it because I couldn't find the kibble I usually feed him. What caught my attention is how much he loves it and so I started looking at and looking up the ingredients. One in particular has my attention--it's third from last, so not much of it, but I wonder why Potassium Iodide is included. On a search I found lots of recommendation to NOT supplement your dog with this. Any comments on why it's included?