Rating: 
Nutro Max dry dog food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
Currently, the Nutro Max product line lists nine dry dog foods… two puppy formulas meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for growth and maintenance and seven others for adult maintenance only.
- Nutro Max Adult
- Nutro Max Puppy
- Nutro Max Senior
- Nutro Max Mini Chunks
- Nutro Max Large Breed Adult
- Nutro Max Large Breed Puppy
- Nutro Max Lamb Meal and Rice
- Nutro Max Weight Control (2 stars)
- Nutro Max Beef Meal and Rice Recipe
Nutro Max Adult dry dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Nutro Max Adult
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, wheat flour, ground whole wheat, corn gluten meal, rice bran, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), ground rice, chicken, natural flavors, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, monosodium phosphate, potassium chloride, potassium carbonate, yeast culture, l-lysine, salt, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, iron oxide, dried kelp, lecithin, garlic flavor, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, copper proteinate, niacin, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, riboflavin (source of vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
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 next two ingredients are both wheat items. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, wheat isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.
On the other hand, although there’s no way to know for sure here, the wheat used in making many pet foods can be similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.
And that can sometimes be problematic.
What’s more, wheat is commonly linked to canine food allergies1.
For these reasons, we rarely consider wheat a preferred component in any dog food.
The fourth item is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins low in many of the essential amino acids dogs need to sustain life.
This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The fifth ingredient includes rice bran… a by-product of rice milling. Though not as nutritionally complete as whole grain rice, brans are still unusually rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
The sixth ingredient lists poultry fat. Poultry fat is a by-product of rendering… the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.
Although poultry fat should be considered an acceptable ingredient, we would have preferred to have known the identity of the specific source animal.
The seventh ingredient is rice. Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s difficult to judge the quality of this particular item.
The eighth ingredient 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 20% of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a significantly lower position on the list.
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 four notable exceptions…
First, we’re not sure how to judge garlic flavor. Is this raw garlic? Or is this just some kind of flavoring product, as its name implies? Since garlic can be a controversial ingredient, we would prefer it to be the latter.
Next, we note this food 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.
We find no evidence of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
Unfortunately, this Nutro Max product also contains menadione… a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Nutro Max Dry Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Nutro Max kibble appears to be an average dry dog food.
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 an estimated carbohydrate content of 45%.
If we omit the lower-rated Weight Control food, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat reading of 16%. Jointly, these figures suggest a carbohydrate portion size of 48% for the remaining product line.
Average protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Yet when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this is the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Nutro Max dry dog food is primarily a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken, beef or lamb as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.
Recommended.
Those looking for a higher quality kibble from the same company may wish to check out our review of Nutro Ultra dry 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 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
12/16/2009 Original review
07/24/2010 Review updated
- White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.