Rating: 
Nature’s Select Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
The Nature’s Select Dog Food product line includes seven kibbles… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Nature’s Select High Protein
- Nature’s Select Lamb and Rice
- Nature’s Select Ultra Lite (2 stars)
- Nature’s Select Chicken, Rice and Lamb
- Nature’s Select Chicken and Beef with Sunflower Oil
- Nature’s Select Wild Alaskan Salmon and Sweet Potato
- Nature’s Select Chicken Meal and Rice with Glucosamine
Nature’s Select Chicken, Rice and Lamb was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Nature's Select Chicken, Rice and Lamb
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, pearled millet, lamb meal, chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols (a source of vitamin E), alfalfa meal, flaxseed, dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, yeast culture, kelp, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, calcium carbonate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, choline chloride, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, selenium yeast, biotin, rosemary extract, sage extract, manganese amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, yucca schidigera extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The third ingredient is millet… gluten-free grain harvested from certain seed grasses. Millet is naturally rich in B-vitamins and fiber as well as a number of essential minerals.
The fourth ingredient includes lamb meal… another protein-rich meat concentrate.
The fifth ingredient lists chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.
The sixth ingredient mentions alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.
The seventh item lists flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With three notable exceptions…
First, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
Next, this recipe lists selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium, this specialized yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.
Lastly, this food contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nature’s Select Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Nature’s Select Dog Food looks to be an above-average kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 24%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 54%.
The unusually low protein, fat and (thus) meat content of the Ultra Lite formula compels us to downgrade this product to just 2 stars.
Excluding the lower rated Ultra Lite recipe from the group, the brand features an average protein content of 25% and a mean fat level of 12%.
Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 55%% for the overall product line.
Below-average protein. Low fat. And above-average carbohydrates when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even with no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a fair amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Nature’s Select Dog Food is a grain-based dry kibble using a fair amount of chicken or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.
Highly recommended.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
04/16/2010 Original review
11/16/2010 Review updated
12/15/2010 Review updated (selenium yeast)
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.