NutriSource Dog Food (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★☆

NutriSource dry dog food gets the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.

The NutriSource dog food product line includes ten kibbles… nine claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and one for adult maintenance (Weight Management recipe).

  • NutriSource Lamb Meal and Rice
  • NutriSource Adult Chicken and Rice
  • NutriSource Senior Chicken and Rice
  • NutriSource Performance Chicken and Rice
  • NutriSource Large Breed Lamb Meal and Rice
  • NutriSource Large Breed Adult Chicken and Rice
  • NutriSource Large Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice
  • NutriSource Super Performance Chicken and Rice
  • NutriSource Weight Management Chicken and Rice (3 stars)
  • NutriSource Small and Medium Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice

NutriSource Adult Chicken and Rice dry dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

NutriSource Adult Chicken and Rice Formula

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 29% | Fat = 18% | Carbs = 45%

Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), white rice, oatmeal, fish meal (a source of fish oil), beet pulp dried, turkey and chicken flavor, flax seeds, dried egg product, dried brewers yeast, potassium chloride, salt, minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, cobalt proteinate, selenium yeast), vitamins (vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), glucosamine hydrochloride, choline chloride, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), chondroitin sulfate, Yucca schidigera extract, calcium iodate, rosemary extract, yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation product, dried Bacillus subtillis fermentation product

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.

Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.

The fourth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.

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 item mentions white rice… a less nutritious form of rice in which the grain’s healthier outer layer has been removed.

The seventh ingredient is oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in fiber and B-vitamins. And it’s also gluten-free.

Fish meal is another high-protein meat concentrate.

Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.

Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.

What’s more, the controversial chemical ethoxyquin is frequently used as a preservative in fish meals.

But because it’s usually added to the raw fish before processing, the chemical does not have to be reported to consumers.

We find no public assurances from the company this product is ethoxyquin-free.

Without knowing more, and based upon this fish meal’s location on the list of ingredients, we would expect to find only a trace of ethoxyquin in this product.

Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

After the turkey and chicken flavors, we find 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 have much of an effect on 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 dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

And lastly, the recipe contains brewers dried yeast. Brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient contains about 45% protein… and is rich in other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

What’s more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can be considered a nutritious additive.

NutriSource Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Nutrisource dry dog food appears 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 29%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45%.

Due to its apparent reduced meat content, the Weight Management recipe has been downgraded to our next lower category.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46% for the overall product line.

Average protein. Average fat. And average carbs… as compared to a typical dry dog food.

If we ignore the fact one product (Large Breed Puppy) still contains corn gluten meal to boost its protein percentage, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

NutriSource dry dog food is a grain-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of chicken or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Those looking for a quality wet food from the same company may want to check out our review of NutriSoure Canned Dog Food.

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 a specific health benefit 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

03/19/2010 Original review
07/12/2010 Updated (menadione removed)
09/09/2010 Updated (upgraded to 4 stars)
09/07/2011 Updated (recipe changes)

Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • Waterwings

    Todd – the Grain Free review is here:

    http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/nutrisource-grain-free/

    (I currently feed the Lamb Meal formula)

  • Todd

    I plan to switch to NutriSource Grain Free Chicken formula for my beagle Mason relatively soon….I notice that the article did not list the Grain Free food as one of the options.

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  • Dave Scheer

    I have been feeding my dogs Nutrisource for multiple generations.  Very satisfied, my Setter runs hard in the field for hours at a time and Nutrisource has always met his needs just fine. Nutrisource has always been made in Perham Minnesota at the same plant as Tuffy’s for as long a I can remember.  Everyone seems to have their grocery own store line and also offer a Premium line.  I would not worry about Nutrisource trying to fix what isn’t broken.  The line has been very successful.  Several years ago there was a scare one the dog food market about some manufacturers using inferior and dangerous ingredients from China.  At that time I called Nutrisource and asked them about their ingredient sources.  They assured me their products came from local sources e.g. Minnesota corn, etc.  Made me a believer in their product. 

    I would mention that During hunting season I did switch to the Nutrisource High Performenace kibble.  Had an issue with loose stools, maybe because of the higher fat content?  Didn’t affect his performance though.  He stayed healthy and happy hunt after hunt.

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  • Anonymous

    From my understanding, Tuffy is a family owned company that makes Nutrisource, Tuffy’s food and Natural Planet Organics.  They may make other foods, but Idk.  Imo they’re a good company and you should be okay feeding this.  Look up and research the company, contact them if you have questions.

  • Cgarprints

    When did Tuffy take over this company?  I have been feeding this to my dogs for 4 years and have been very satisfied.

    Do I need to be concerned about Tyffy maintaining the quality?

  • http://aftertoxicinjury.blogspot.com Toxed2loss

    Ouch! See if you can find something similar or try the B.A.R.F. (biologically appropriate raw food) diet. Steve Brown wrote “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” and Dr. Becker & Beth Taylor wrote “Real Foods for Healthy Dogs and Cats” both are great raw food ‘cook’ books. :-)

  • http://twitter.com/xslf xslf

    shipping isn’t practical- airmail costs something like 80$+ for a decent size bag of food, and surface takes about 6 months to arrive…

  • http://aftertoxicinjury.blogspot.com Toxed2loss

    They are both mail order. Shipping may be too expensive… Hmm. Find foods similar to these, in your country and post the ingredients. I’ll tell you what I think of them.

  • http://twitter.com/xslf xslf

    Neither of them is sold in my country (I don’t live in the US).

  • Pups

    How do you know? What types of measurements have you taken? 

  • http://aftertoxicinjury.blogspot.com Toxed2loss

    There are only 2 5 star kibbles I’d recommend, as they don’t contain much processed glutamate. Have you tried Great life grain free, potatoe free, (I feed the buffalo in my rotation) or Brothers? I know Richard has given free trial packs of Brother’s…

  • http://twitter.com/xslf xslf

    Too bad Core isn’t sold in my country.
    I am thinking of mixing two foods together. I was just wondering if I was the only one with that issue.

  • http://twitter.com/xslf xslf

    Hi.
    It’s not a specific good. In general, all the 5 star foods I tried leave him hungry in the feeding level where he doesn’t gain wight too much.With the 4 star foods this seems like less of an issue, but his energy level and coat aren’t as good as with the 5 star foods.

    Sigh.

    I’m thinking about mixing a 5 star food with a 4 star one, and feeding them together.

  • http://aftertoxicinjury.blogspot.com Toxed2loss

    Xslf,

    Perhaps your pups “hunger” is chemically driven. Many individuals (canine & human) are more sensitive to free glutamic and Aspartic acids. Free glutamic acid is MSG, an Excito-toxin, that in lab testing has been shown to stimulate appetite, causing the critter to feel ravenous. This food, or particular batch of food, if its a new behavior on the same food, may have additional MSG.

    Free glutamate occurs by processing, as does aspartate (1/2 of aspartame) both are Excito toxins.

    Based on your knowledge of events here are some things to consider:

    If you suspect it may just be that batch, get a different bag, from a different batch.

    If you noticed increasing appetite with this food, switch to a food that does not have any kind of “natural flavor.” A source of hidden MSG and Aspartic acid.

    If you want to prove to yourself that it is MSG by process, feed raw for a few days. If you wish to continue with raw, do some research, so his diet is balanced.

    If you’ve always fed the same food, it could also be a nutritional imbalance. So changing brands to a different kibble (5 star) might solve the problem.

    Hope this helps.

  • Anonymous

    Maybe a slow decrease in food amount would be called for.  I’ve also given them antlers to chew on to keep them busy.  Also maybe a food with more fiber will help.  I’ve also had dogs lose weight eating a mixture of regular food and the higher protein food together.  The added protein helped them to lose weight even though it was not “high”, around 28-30%.  Core Reduced Fat has high fiber and lower calories than most of the others like it. You would be able to feed more of this.

  • melissa

    xslf-

    If my dogs were responding in this manner, I would conclude that the food I am feeding them is not working and change foods. One can monitor their weight via portion control versus high protein.

  • http://twitter.com/xslf xslf

    To those of you who manage your dog’s wight with high protein kibble- have you ran into issues that the feeding amount for keeping the dog in the proper wight leaves them inordinately hungry?
    I’m not talking about regular “I’m always happy to eat more” many dogs have. I’m talking about “I’m feeling starving and will go out of my way to find and eat things, even though otherwise that isn’t a habit of mine”.

    How did you manage that?

  • sandy

    Linda,

    I have obesity prone pugs and I’ve managed to get them to lose weight and maintain weight loss with regular grain free, mod/high protein food, controlling calories and reducing treats, and walking. Some of the pugs were eating Blue Buffalo Wilderness, Core Ocean, and Instict during their weight loss. They’ve maintained their weights eating Brothers and Amicus and Instinct. The pugs that needed to lose weight were 6 to 10 years old and some of them went from 38 to 28 pounds and 30 to 24 pounds, and 32 to 26 pounds.

  • melissa

    Linda Greenfield-

    My seniors are older than your seniors, and I never feed a ‘senior food”. They eats All life stage and we simply monitor their weight, increasing or decreasing as needed to stay in proper body condition. IMO, the “senior” and “weight management” products have too little protein, and since age is not a disease requiring low protein, why go there? Since one of my “breeds of choice” tends to have issues with fat when it gets beyond 15%, I simply choose a moderate protein food that contains a lower fat.

  • linda greenfield

    hi, i have been looking over different foods for 2 of my dogs need lower fat and calories. one is a show Ch. 9yrs and a 5yr old Ch. smooth fox terrier she is hard to keep wt. off. looked at chicken soup but pricey and need to fed a lot. just started feeding canidea senior. i must have had a senior moment low animal protein. can someone give me results in feeding wt. managment and senior. at this point in my life i wellcome any help. have hadvizslas for 42yrs, a 7xBest in show 1st v a grp 3 at westminster

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Hi Mike and Augie

    Here’s a little info on corn gluten meal. If you do use a product that contains it, be sure it is organic, as that’s the only way to avoid GMO corn, and most feed stock corn is GMO these days. :-}

    “…Corn Gluten Meal — This is derived from the part of the kernel that doesn’t get used in corn meal. It’s high in protein and nitrogen, which makes it an excellent lawn fertilizer, but is not really edible — although it won’t hurt you if you swallow some. … Note About Genetic Modification — The use of corn gluten meal in weed control is allowed in many organic standards programs, including our SafeLawns Approved program, although the corn gluten meal is not technically organic because most corn is genetically modified by Monsanto and others to resist Roundup or Bt. ..”
    This post was written by: Paul Tukey – who has written 829 posts on Safelawns Daily Post and Q&A Blog.

    —— notice that he says it’s “not really edible”… Does this just make it a filler?

    “The definition of Corn Gluten Meal is “the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.  It may contain fermented corn extractives and/or corn germ meal.” from: http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/is-corn-gluten-meal-ground-corn.html
    —-
    Notice the process of wet milling, enzymolysis, & fermenting, all methods of releasing free glutamic and Aspartic acids… 2 excitotory neurotoxins.

  • Augie

    Mike Thanks. I’ll use the 30lb bag I purchased. Once that’s finished I’ll decide if I should switch him to something else. Any suggestions, he’s an Irish Red and White Setter? Only want the best for him. He has had soft stools.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Augie… Corm gluten meal isn’t “toxic” to your dog. And it’s not bad for your dog. It’s just that corn gluten meal is not as natural a source of protein as meat. Hope this helps.

  • Augie

    I just purchased the Nutri Source Large Breed Puppy dry food for my 3 and 1/2 month old pup. Should I be concerned about the corn gluten meal contained in this food? My breeder says this food is great and uses Nutri Source for all her dogs.

  • Meagan

    Kara-
    I would say Performance or even the Super Performance fromula.

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