Looking at adding Nutro dog food to your pooch’s diet? We have got you covered in this article with the reviews of Nutro Dog Foods! So, it’s time to see some tail Wags!
Our post on Nutro Dog Food Reviews will provide you with unbiased opinions on their products.
Owning a Siberian Husky, I know by myself how a dog parent gets so conscious when selecting their food.
We want to make sure that they get the best nutrition for their optimum growth and development.
And we do understand how important it is to avoid any ingredient that has a potential risk!
This review article mentions the recall history and even nutrient detail on each possible ingredient in your fido’s food!
Overview:
Table could not be displayed.Contents
- A Brief About The Brand
- Is Nutro Dog Food Worth?
- Nutro Dog Food Reviews of 2021
- 1. Small Breed Adult Farm-Raised Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
- 2. Large Breed Adult Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe
- 3. Nutro Puppy Tender Beef, Pea & Carrot Recipe Bites In Gravy
- 4. The Adult Superfood Plate With A Trio of Proteins
- 5. Nutro Ultra Grain-Free Signature Duck ENTRÉE
- 6. Limited Ingredient Venison Meal & Sweet Potato Recipe
- 7. Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey & Potato Recipe Wet Dog Food
- Other Nutro Wet Food Products
- Nutritional Benefits of Other Noteworthy Ingredients
- Nutro Dog Food Recall History
- FAQs
- Final Verdict
A Brief About The Brand
The Nutro is proudly made in the USA, with ingredients sourced from a trusted network of farmers and suppliers.
The Company states that Nutro’s dedicated team of experts tailor their formulas to your pet’s life stage and health condition.
Plus, it’s made at facilities that are committed to zero waste to landfill. The brand logo of FEED CLEAN™ promises everyday ultimate tail wags.
Note: In June 2020, Nutro’s representative shared on Facebook, that Nutro was discontinuing its Nutro Max line of pet foods.
In its place, the makers suggested feeding Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult Farm-Raised Chicken, Brown Rice & Sweet Potato Recipe.
WARNING: Trace amounts of genetically modified material may be present due to potential cross-contact during manufacturing.
How Did We Review NUTRO Dog Food Products?
We tried to select dry and wet food types for the different product sublines for Nutro Dog Food Review.
And each of these products is selected by keeping in mind different combinations of Meal Recipes.
All of these products reviewed below are passed by the test of my Siberian husky, Arvi. He is a big guy and loves to experiment with exciting new food recipes.
We would also like to bring to the reader’s notice, that my dog doesn’t have any allergies or digestive issues.
So, he faced no issue while trying out these recipes.
I followed the food transition period carefully before trying each new NUTRO line product. And took guidance from his Vet.
Is Nutro Dog Food Worth?
Yes! NUTRO is definitely a worth dog food brand to try for your fido!
Though the company has a Recall history, it has always acted upon it and even recalled the product.
We like how every ingredient is clearly enlisted on every product of the line. It also provides a feeding guideline with Guaranteed Analysis.
Plus, with Nutro, you can feed your pal with confidence knowing that every constituent is carefully sourced from a trusted network of farmers and suppliers.
And it is 100% free of chicken by-product meal, corn, soy, wheat, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Our Take and Rating of NUTRO Dog Food
These nutrient-rich recipes are full of flavor and have high-quality protein as the foundation of every recipe.
Nutro offers three subline products to suit every dog’s need. It has a wide range of products from growing puppies to senior adult dogs.
My husky did like all of NUTRO recipes.
But his all-time favorite got to be Nutro Ultra The Adult Superfood Plate DryFood and NUTRO Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey & Potato Recipe Wet Food.
We loved all Nutro products reviewed here, for their quality, taste, and clear constituent’s list. We definitely want canine parents to give them a try!
Our Rating:
We would like to rate NUTRO with 4.9 stars out of 5, after trying their products and going through customer’s reviews and ratings online.
Nutro Dog Food Reviews of 2021
The NUTRO consists of three main product sublines, WHOLESOME ESSENTIALS™, NUTRO ULTRA™, and Limited Ingredient Diet.
Below we have listed different meal recipes with a variety of animal protein sources as their first constituent.
WHOLESOME ESSENTIALS™
The Nutro WHOLESOME ESSENTIALS™ Recipes Serve the essentials for your dog in their diet.
These recipes include the necessary elements for a complete meal, rich in nutrients and full of flavor.
1. Small Breed Adult Farm-Raised Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
This recipe starts with a high-quality protein source that fidos love. It is farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient.
Nutro Wholesome Essentials Adult farm raised Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe is for Small Breed.
This meal recipe provides complete daily nutrition for small breed dogs.
This delicious dry recipe is made with non-GMO ingredients and has NO chicken by-product meal.
This meal recipe does not have even corn, wheat, or soy protein. It does not even have artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Ingredients Breakdown
- Chicken: It is the first main protein source of this recipe. And it is farm-raised.
- It provides your canine with lots of energy. It’s also a good source of Omega 6 fatty which makes it a must for a healthy and shiny coat.
- Chicken Meal: Is prepared from rendered chicken. It has the same benefits as chicken but differs in moisture content. The chicken meal has concentrated protein as compared to a whole chicken or chicken parts.
- Split Peas: Split Peas are packed with nutrients- from essential vitamins such as A, K, and B groups. It also has minerals like potassium, zinc, iron.
- Brewers Rice: Brewers’ rice is the milled small fragmented rice kernels. They have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. It is a source of carbohydrates.
- Whole Brown Rice: Complete source of carbohydrates. It provides natural fiber. Aids in Digestion.
Nutritional Analysis
| Crude Protein (min.) | 24.00% |
| Crude Fat (min.) | 15.00% |
| Crude Fiber (max.) | 5.00% |
| Moisture (max.) | 10.00% |
Calorie Content (ME): 3655 kcal /kg, 1 CUP= 343 kcal.
Feeding Instructions: For dogs with 10 lbs. / 5 kg body weight feed 3/4 – 1 Cup, for 15 lbs. / 7 kg 1 – 1 1/4 Cup, 20 lbs. / 9 kg 1 1/3 – 1 2/3 Cups and for 25 lbs. / 11 kg 1 2/3 – 2 Cups.
2. Large Breed Adult Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe
NUTRO™ WHOLESOME ESSENTIALS™ Natural Adult Large Breed Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog is specially formulated for Large Breed.
This recipe is formulated to support healthy joints and help keep your large breed dog trim and fit.
This recipe has less crude fiber content and protein content as compared to Nutro Wholesome Essentials Natural Adult Dry Dog Food.
Ingredients Breakdown
- Deboned Lamb: It is the first ingredient of this recipe. The deboned lamb here ensures that the meal recipe is rich in protein. Lamb meat is easy to digest and highly palatable.
- Chicken Meal: It is the main source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate. And as it is a meal it has a more concentrated form of protein than chicken!
- Whole Brown Rice: This is a major source of carbohydrates. It increases the digestibility and fiber content of the meal.
- Split Peas: Plant-based source of incomplete protein. Aids in absorption.
- Whole Grain Sorghum: Sorghum is gluten-free and high in antioxidants. It is also rich in B1, niacin, iron, zinc, dietary fiber, and B2. Using sorghum in pet food also balances the blood sugar levels of canine.
Other Noteworthy Ingredients: Whole Grain Oatmeal and Rice Bran.
Nutritional Analysis
| Crude Protein (min.) | 21.00% |
| Crude Fat (min.) | 13.00% |
| Crude Fiber (max.) | 3.50% |
| Moisture (max.) | 10.00% |
Calculated Calorie Content: 3582 kcal/kg 1 Cup= 315 kcal
Feeding Instructions: For 50 lb. bodyweight feed 3 – 3 1/2 Cups,
For 60 lb, 3 1/3 – 4 Cups, for 80 lbs 4 1/4 – 5 Cups.
NUTRO™ Grain Free BITES IN GRAVY
NUTRO™ Grain Free provides grain-free recipes that have digestion problems or grain allergies.
3. Nutro Puppy Tender Beef, Pea & Carrot Recipe Bites In Gravy
Nutro Puppy Tender Beef, Pea & Carrot Recipe, Bites In Gravy will give your puppy a healthy meal.
This premium, grain-free wet food is full of nutrients and flavor that big or small puppies will go crazy over.
The recipe in these trays is made with ingredients that serve a precise purpose.
Real beef is the first and main ingredient in this delicious wet puppy food recipe.
They are crafted with balanced protein and fat content for the optimal growth of your energetic puppy.
Ingredients Breakdown
- Beef: It is a high-quality protein source that provides essential amino acids. These amino acids build protein which is required for growth and other metabolic functions.
- Chicken Broth: Contain collagen, which is good for joint health, and glycine, an amino acid that helps detox your fido’s kidneys and liver.
- Pork Broth: Pork broth is as healthy as chicken broth. It also aids in healthy joint and muscle health.
- Peas: It is a plant-based protein. And adds to the total protein content of the meal recipe.
- Chicken: Protein source.
Other Noteworthy Ingredients: Chicken Liver, Pork Plasma, Tapioca Starch
Nutritional Analysis
| Crude Protein (min.) | 8.0% |
| Crude Fat (min.) | 3.5% |
| Crude Fiber (max.) | 1.0% |
| Moisture (max.) | 82.0% |
Calculated Calorie Content: 870 kcal /kg, 1 Tray= 87 kcal
Feeding Instructions: Feed Puppies Up to 4 months: 2 to 4 1/2 trays per 5 lbs. body weight daily. 4 months to Adult: 1 1/3 to 2 2/3 trays per 5 lbs. body weight daily.
Feed Pregnant/Nursing dogs 2 – 3 times the amount shown for puppies 4 months to adult.
NUTRO ULTRA™
NUTRO ULTRA™ believes that furry friends deserve to enjoy their food as much as we enjoy ours. And like us, they shouldn’t have to compromise on taste.
All NUTRO ULTRA™ Dry Dog Foods follow the NUTRO. FEED CLEAN™ philosophy, using high-quality ingredients sourced from trusted farmers and suppliers.
4. The Adult Superfood Plate With A Trio of Proteins
The Nutro Ultra The Adult Superfood Plate Dry Dog Food is a Trio of the finest protein sources from Chicken, Lamb, and Salmon.
This recipe brings together high-quality three lean animal protein sources with whole grains, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.
This recipe is specifically crafted to nourish your canine’s daily requirements.
This Recipe will provide a balanced diet for adult dogs that’s nutrient-rich and full of flavor that’ll help your fido thrive.
Ingredients Breakdown
- Chicken: A protein source.
- Chicken Meal: Prepared from rendered chicken. Contains more concentrated protein than chicken.
- Whole Brown Rice: Source of carbohydrates. Provides energy and aids in improved digestion.
- Brewers Rice: Cereal by product. Adds to the energy value of the recipe.
- Rice Bran: It is a healthy by-product of whole grain rice, obtained after milling. The bran is the outer layer of the grain. It provides fiber that includes starch, protein, fat, as well as vitamins and minerals.
- Lamb Meal: Prepared from rendered lamb meat. Contains less water and high protein.
Other Noteworthy Ingredients: Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sunflower Oil, Whole Grain Oatmeal, Whole Flaxseed.
Nutritional Analysis
| Crude Protein (min.) | 25.00% |
| Crude Fat (min.) | 14.00% |
| Crude Fiber (max.) | 4.00% |
| Moisture (max.) | 10.00% |
Calculated Calorie Content: 3513 kcal/kg, 1 CUP= 341 kcal.
Feeding Instructions: For 19 lbs. feed 1 cup, for 25 lbs. 1+1/3 cups and for 35 lbs. 1 3/4 cups. For a detailed guide visit Nutro’s website.
5. Nutro Ultra Grain-Free Signature Duck ENTRÉE
NUTRO ULTRA™ Grain Free* Filets in Gravy Wet Dog Food curates elevated recipes made for your fido’s refined taste.
Here we specifically tried Signature Duck ENTRÉEwith with spring vegetables and a hint of Basil FILETS IN GRAVY for my Siberian husky.
I bought this ENTRÉE (Food) for my fido, as he hates greens! The bonus is this recipe is made with real duck as the first ingredient, pieces of real vegetables, plus a hint of herb!
And my dog enjoyed his meal and looks forward to his next tray! It is suggested to feed 3 2/3 trays daily per 10 lbs of your dog’s body weight.
What We Liked: The Nutro Ultra Grain-Free Filets in Gravy comes in different varieties like, Beef, Chicken, Lamb, and even Chicken & Trout!
So, this meal has various options to cater to your fido’s taste requirement without comprising its nutritional Quality!
Ingredients Breakdown
- Duck: Duck here serves as a novel source of protein.
- Chicken Broth: To add nutritional value and increases vitamin content
- Water: Main base of the gravy
- Green Beans: Plant-based protein and fiber source
- Chicken: Protein source
Other Noteworthy Ingredients: Beef Liver, Pork Plasma, Tapioca Starch, Pea Fiber.
Nutritional Analysis
| Crude Protein (min.) | 8.00% |
| Crude Fat (min.) | 3.50% |
| Crude Fiber (max.) | 1.50% |
| Moisture (max.) | 80.00%. |
Calculated Calorie Content: 913 kcal /kg, 1Tray = 91 kcal.
Feeding Instructions: Feed adult dogs approximately 3 2/3 trays daily per 10 lb. body weight. Adjust to maintain ideal body condition.
NUTRO™ Limited Ingredient Diet
NUTRO™ Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Dry Dog Food recipes avoid ingredients that commonly cause food sensitivities in pets, like chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, and dairy protein.
6. Limited Ingredient Venison Meal & Sweet Potato Recipe
THE NUTRO™ Limited Ingredient Diet Venison Meal & Sweet Potato is made using 10 key ingredients or less plus natural flavors, vitamins minerals, and other nutrients.
This recipe is specially crafted for adult dogs. This diet can help minimize food sensitivities, make digestion easier.
This recipe also ensures that your dog receives the natural nutrition he needs. It is ideal for fidos that have all other common animal meat protein sources.
What We Liked: NUTRO™ LID Venison Meal & Sweet Potato, contains just a single source of lean animal protein, Venison.
It is well suited for dogs that have severe allergies to chicken or chicken meal. This recipe will also suit the dogs that can’t digest red meat such as beef!
Ingredients Breakdown
- Venison Meal: Venison, which delivers amino acids to build muscle and maintain a healthy metabolism.
- Dried Potatoes: A primary source of carbohydrates. Improves fiber content in the meal.
- Lentils: Plant-based protein source. Adds to the total protein content of the recipe. Has good fiber.
- Chickpeas: Good source of protein and iron.
Other Noteworthy Ingredients: Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Rosemary Extract.
Nutritional Analysis
| Crude Protein (min) | 22.00% |
| Crude Fat (min) | 14.00% |
| Crude Fiber (max) | 3.5% |
| Moisture (max) | 10.00% |
Calculated Calorie Content: 3,515 kcal/kg, 1 Cup= 373 kcal.
Feeding Instructions: For dogs with 15 lbs. 1 cup, 25 lbs. 1 1/2 cups, 35 lbs. 2 cups, and so on. For a detailed guide visit Nutro’s website.
7. Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey & Potato Recipe Wet Dog Food
My husky dances by the name of the turkey itself! He loves the smell of turkey being cooked in our home.
So, I knew it NUTRO LID Turkey & Potato Recipe would win his heart!
The foremost part about this dog recipe is that Turkey is the first and only animal protein source in it!
To make this recipe more nutritious it also has Turkey broth.
That being said, my dog recommends his other furry buddies especially with food sensitivities to try this grain-free, single ingredient Turkey Recipe.
What We Liked: It has just turkey as an animal protein source and well suits the dogs with an allergy to grain and chicken!
Ingredients Breakdown
- Turkey: Delivers amino acids to build muscle and maintain a healthy metabolism.
- Turkey Broth: Delivers essential amino acids and nutrients important for joint health.
- Whole Potatoes: Source of carbohydrates and fiber. Provides energy.
- Turkey Liver: This is nutrient-rich and has essential micronutrients.
Other Noteworthy Ingredients: Carrageenan, Sunflower oil, Guar Gum.
Advice: Carrageenan is an additive and the very small amount used is not likely to cause any upsets at all. But we do still think caution is warranted.
Nutritional Analysis
| Crude Protein (min.) | 7.0% |
| Crude Fat (min.) | 4.0% |
| Crude Fiber (max.) | 1.0% |
| Moisture (max.) | 78.0% |
Calculated Calorie Content: 1033 kcal /kg, 1 Can= 367 kcal.
Feeding Instructions: Feed adult dogs 1/2 to 2/3 can daily per 10 lbs. body weight. Adjust to maintain ideal body condition.
Other Nutro Wet Food Products
The NUTRO brand has several product types to try in three sub-product lines.
The Wet food for dogs too had some products, we could not lay our hands-on. But we definitely want to highlight them, in case you want to explore them!
So, below we have mentioned three such wet product line by NUTRO.
NUTRO ULTRA™ Adult Wet Dog Food Patés with Toppers
This dog recipe serves up a blend of high-quality proteins that your pup is sure to love. Each of these grain-free* pates features real chicken as the first ingredient.
And each variety pack includes a delicious topping of either chicken and spinach or tomatoes and spinach.
HEARTY STEWS Natural Wet Dog Food
It is a healthy stew recipe served as wet dog food in a can. NUTRO™ HEARTY STEW Chunky Beef, Tomato, Carrot & Pea Stew, is one such recipe.
Nutritional Benefits of Other Noteworthy Ingredients
Below we have mentioned, nutritional benefits of some ingredients. These are the ingredients that you will find in dog food recipes along with the top ingredients.
Whole Grain Oatmeal: This is also the main grain ingredient that you will find in many dog food recipes of Nutro.
This meal is prepared by coarsely grounding oats. Oatmeal is particularly rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be gluten-free.
Rice Bran: When the outer layers of brown rice are removed to create white rice, Rice Bran is generated.
Therefore, rice bran is a by-product of this process, but it is not discarded. So, many dog food recipes contain Rice bran instead of whole rice.
It is not nutrient-dense and has no calories. It increases the dietary content and aids in digestion.
Chicken Liver: Chicken liver might not be a favorite for humans. But definitely, it is nutritious and tasteful for your dog.
It is a good source of rare elements like copper, iron, and zinc. Rich in nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B it will improve your dog’s overall health.
Pork Plasma: It is mostly found in Wet dog foods. It is a clear nutrient-rich liquid obtained after the separation of Blood cells.
It mainly contains protein portion primarily albumin, globulin, and fibrinogen type proteins.
Pork Plasma is rich in important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, calcium, phosphorus, sodium. It plays a role in supporting optimal gut health.
Tapioca Starch: Used as the carbohydrate source. Has no calories and has no nutritional value. It is used just as a filler.
Sunflower Oil: Sunflower Oil is rich in Linoleic Acid to help your dog have healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Whole Flaxseed: They are added to dog food recipes either in whole ground forms or as whole flaxseed powder. It is an ample source of Omega 3 and Omega 6.
Flaxseed also contains alpha-linolenic acid. And it will help enhance your dog’s immune system.
Carrageenan: (E 407) Carrageenan is a natural extract of seaweed that is used as a food additive in dog food recipes.
It is primarily used in paté and loaf type wet dog foods. However, due to debate in its use, we advise it to avoid, if your dog has stomach issues.
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal: A good source of protein and soluble fiber. Although Alfalfa may produce nausea or gastritis in some dogs, especially if it is not in the dried form.
Taurine: Provides added health benefits for dogs as a natural antioxidant as well as for healthy eyesight and hearing.
Nutro Dog Food Recall History
At one point or the other, for one reason or the other, dog food brands have landed themselves on the recall list.
So, was Nutro Dog Food Recalled? Yeah. For some packets of Nutro Apple Chewy Treats, a sales withdrawal (technically not a recall) was released in December 2015 due to the risk of mold contamination.
We want our readers to Know As per the FDA, the 16 brands most widely fed to animals that developed heart problems, from 2014-2019, included NUTRO.
But there are no recalls of any pet foods due to any potential link to DCM(Dilated Cardiomyopathy)., link in further references.
Nutro was recalled in October 2009, Cause: Plastic found in the production line.
- May 2009, Cause: Incorrect zinc and potassium levels.
- March 2007, Cause: Melamine in food. Various cans and bags of Nutro Natural Choice, Nutro Ultra, and Nutro Max pet foods(cat and dog food) were recalled.
FAQs
Is Nutro Dog Food grain free?
Yes, Nutro Brand provides both Dry and Wet ranges of grain-free dog food.
Is Nutro Dog Food Available for Adult Senior Dogs?
Yes, each subline product of the Nutro brand has a dog food recipe specifically formulated for Adult Senior dogs.
Do Nutro Dog Foods need transition time?
NUTRO always recommends using a transition period when introducing any new wet or dry food to your dog for the first time.
Mix 25% of the new food with 75% of the current food.
Over a 5-10 day period, gradually increase the amount of new food in the mixture until it’s the only thing in the bowl.
Keep a track of your dog’s health while starting any new meal recipe.
We suggest consulting your Vet before making any such major changes in your dog’s diet!
Do Nutro Dog Foods have probiotics in dog food?
No, we could not find probiotics added to any product of the Nutro brand. Probiotics are known to improve the gut health of your dog in turn improving digestion and health.
Are NUTRO Dog Foods GMO free?
The NUTRO brand claims all of its dog food wet or dry to be Non- GMO. But the brand also honestly mentions the probability of trace amount of GMO in their food.
Final Verdict
We liked Nutro dog food products, tried by my husky, and rated them with 4.6 Stars. I would definitely purchase some of these dog food recipes.
But we wish that our readers try and decide their final verdict for Nutro dog foods keeping in mind their dog’s need.
As we believe every dog is different and so is their sensitivity to dog food.
And it is always in the prime of interest, to consult a Vet before making any major dietary changes.
We hope that our review article provides detailed information on Nutro Dog food Reviews.
Resources:
If you are more interested in knowing about Dog Food and the potential risk of Canine DCM, you will find the below references beneficial:
- An investigation into a Possible Connection Between Diet and Canine Heart Disease (updated June 27, 2019)[1]
- FSIS Food Recalls[2]
- Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs & Cats: Complaints Submitted to FDA-CVM[3]
- Canine Food Preference Assessment of Animal and Vegetable Ingredient-Based Diets Using Single-Pan Tests and Behavioral Observation. (2017). Frontiers.
- Dog Nutrition | Pets 4 Life. (n.d.-b). Retrieved November 17, 2022, from OSU.EDU.
Julia is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, practicing veterinarian in a non-profit animal hospital and feline sanctuary located in Rochester, NY. She is also a full-time veterinary advisor at DogLikesBest. She focuses on writing healthcare-related topics including dog foods, treats, veterinary diets, food for specific healthcare features, etc. Moreover, any article on DogNeedsBest that has to concern feline health in any way, goes under her scrutiny before being published.
