Rating: 
Nutro Ultra dry dog food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
Currently, the Nutro Ultra product line includes seven kibbles… five meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for maintenance, one for growth (Large Breed Puppy) and one for all life stages (Puppy).
- Nutro Ultra Adult
- Nutro Ultra Puppy
- Nutro Ultra Senior
- Nutro Ultra Small Breed Adult
- Nutro Ultra Large Breed Adult
- Nutro Ultra Large Breed Puppy
- Nutro Ultra Weight Management
Nutro Ultra Adult Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Nutro Ultra Adult
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, whole brown rice, ground rice, rice bran, chicken, lamb meal, salmon meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), natural flavors, flaxseed, oatmeal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, dried plain beet pulp, soybean oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), potassium chloride, egg product, tomato pomace, dried pomegranate, dried blueberry, dried avocado, dried cranberry, dried pumpkin, dried spinach, dried carrot, salt, choline chloride, taurine, vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, l-carnitine, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, copper proteinate, niacin supplement, potassium iodide, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), sodium selenite, beta carotene, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, chicken meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The next three items are all rice ingredients…
- Whole brown rice
- Ground rice
- Rice bran
Though they are a mix of both high and low quality grains, there’s a more interesting issue to consider here.
The controversial practice of ingredient splitting.
If you were to combine all three rice items, the rice would then occupy a higher position on the list… almost certainly nudging out the chicken meal to become the real first ingredient in the dog food.
The fifth ingredient is chicken. 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.
To reflect its lighter mass, this item should more accurately occupy a much lower position on the list.
The next two ingredients are lamb meal and salmon meal… two more high-protein meat concentrates.
However, unlike most fish meals, this particular ingredient1 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.
The eighth ingredient is 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. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
After the natural flavors, we find flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. And the seeds are naturally rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.
However, we find it unusual to see flaxseed here in its whole seed form. Whole flax seeds are almost impossible to digest (at least for us humans) unless they are first ground to a usable powder before they are consumed.
Next, we note oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in fiber, B-vitamins and is (unlike many other grains) mostly gluten-free.
Dehydrated alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%)… yet it’s uncommon to see it used in a dog food.
This hay-family ingredient is more commonly associated with horse feeds.
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.
Soybean oil is not necessarily a “bad” ingredient. It is only flagged here for its potential link to canine food allergies.
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 quality of this product.
However, we feel it’s important to address the following items…
Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as a cheap pet food filler laden with pesticides found on the skin of the tomato before processing.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
We also 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.
Unfortunately, this Nutro Ultra food also contains menadione… a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Nutro Ultra Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
For the most part, the ingredients used to make this Nutro Ultra dry dog food are above-average.
However, it’s still important 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 13% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 50%.
Featuring a brand average of 29%, protein numbers range from a low of 19% for the Weight Management recipe to a high of 36% for the Large Breed Puppy.
Fat was 14% for the group… with carbs clocking-in at about 49%.
Average protein. Moderate fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
When you consider the nutrient numbers alone, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a respectable amount of meat.
Yet three of the dog foods contain corn gluten meal… an inferior plant-based protein booster.
In addition, we are also disappointed the company has also chosen to include the controversial nutrient, menadione, in its recipes.
Were it not for these shortcomings, we would have been pleased to award the product line our next highest rating.
Bottom line?
Nutro Ultra Dog Food is essentially a rice-based dry kibble using a reasonable amount of chicken meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a wet product from the same company may want to check out our review of Nutro Ultra Canned Dog Food.
A Final Word
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 brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes
12/19/2009 Original review
05/28/2010 Review updated
07/21/2010 Review updated
- Per Nutro FAQ page, 5/28/2010 ↩
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I feed my dog Nutro Ultra and compared what you have listed to what is on the bag and Nutro Web site. It looks like Nutro has been reformulated and contains no form of corn and more beneficial ingredients and antioxidants.
http://www.ultraholistic.com/adult-holistic-dog-food-kibble.html
Hi Duke… I checked the ingredients in our database against the Nutro website and found a perfect match. Are you sure you’re looking at a bag of Nutro Ultra Large Breed Adult? There are 5 other products in the line. They changed to this current formula in July of 2009.
I used to feed this to my dogs a couple of years ago. The interesting thing is this was a pricey food with controversial ingredients. For about the same price you could move up to Acana Grain Free, Wellness Core or Instinct, much better and healthier dog food choices.
We did the switch. My older dog has always been very fussy and he now LOVES his food, my dogs coats are shiny and they have good muscle tone.
Sue, What did you switch to? I am desperately trying to find that perfect food for 9 year old spaniel mix.
Thank you for all this great information!
I have fed Nutro Ultra products to all my animals for years. I currently have a 22 year old cat that is in really good health and has all his teeth, and I had a large rottweiler live to be 16 year old.
Over the past 9 years I’ve done wildlife rescue, and the Nutro Ultra Weight Management product is what I use as their main diet. I specialize in opossums and they require a lower protein diet and at 16% protein, thats really good!
I empty my bags into tin cans, so I do not have a current ingredient list to look at, but I don’r remember corn being included, at least in the weight management product.
I give it 5 stars, all my animals love it!
Hi Toni… You’re right. Nutro Ultra Weight Management Dog Food does not contain any corn gluten meal (unlike most of the others in the product line). This food might be ideal for some of your wildlife rescue animals (creatures I must admit I know very little about).
But with a dry matter protein content of just 19%, Nutro Ultra Weight Management has one of the lowest protein readings in our entire kibble database. This indicates the product contains only minimal meat content… barely enough to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult dogs.
In any case, keep up the good work you do with your wildlife rescues… we all appreciate your efforts.
Laura,
I started with mixing Fromm’s 4 star nutritionals (all of the flavors) into the Nutro, better rated & same or lower price than Nutro. Then I gradually added different foods which I rotate between. I use EVO Red Meat, Acana (all of them), Wellness Core Original, Orijen Original Adult, Instinct Chicken. I kept Fromm as the base and slowly tried all the others by introducing them first as treats. I actually tried all the flavors, but the ones I listed are the ones my dogs like best. I added them slowly, watching for diarrhea. Now, after a year, I rotate them all the time. They can’t wait for dinner.
You can pick up sample bags of these at most dog stores (not the big box ones). I found the prices to be about the same and they usually accept returns if you dog just hates it. Also, just remember that the good food has less filler so you feed less! The good thing is it means less poop!
I hope it works for you. Let me know.
Just wanted to say that my 4 year old Pug has been through 2 bags of the Weight Management and has went from 27 to 22 pounds by feeding 1 cup twice a day.
Hi, Ultra changed their formulation last year and took out garlic which has been highly controversial with consumers. They took out the corn gluten from all the Nutro products except Puppy and LB Puppy and Adult as they need to find something better to replace the corn gluten but it will be replaced in the near future as they would like to get away from it and make Ultra all natural. I use it and have for years, Ultra Senior and have had no problems on this brand.
Thanks.
Mike, on the bag of Nutro Ultra puppy food it lists corn gluten and soybean in the ingredients. But on Petsmarts website looking at the same food, those two ingredients are not listed. I was wondering if my dog could still be allergic to those since I do know he is allergic to corn, wheat and probably soy and no telling what else. Do you have any dog food suggestions for my dog and he may also have a sensitive tummy. Thanks so much.
Hi Tina… try a grain-free or hypoallergenic dog food. You can find a few to study for yourself by going to the Tag Cloud tab on the top menu bar of my website. Once you see the “tag tree”, just click on the words “hypoallergenic” or “grain-free”. This will give you a list of brands that contain SOME products that meet your requirements.
Be sure to choose a 3, 4 or 5-star product and you should be good to go. Hope this helps.
Hi, I recently changed my dogs food from Beneful to Nutro Ultra after I read about the REAL ingredients processed in the Beneful food. I was shocked and mmediately switched to a more natural and healthier diet. However, I am debating whether I should switch again from Nutro Ultra to the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Formula since the reviews for Blue Wilderness was 5 stars where the Nutra Ultra was 4. I also noticed that Nutro Ultra had more red items compared to the Blue Wilderness. Will you help me please? I believe that the Beneful brand caused one of my dog to have itchy, flaky and dry skin. I am also afraid that the other will have the same. Please reply back and suggest what’s best for my dogs. Thank you so much!
Hi Tina,
Sorry took me so long to get back to you. I looked at the Petsmart site and you are definitely right the ingredients are not there and neither are several other ingredients that were added last year. Also Petsmart has this product titled Nutro Natural Choice Ultra Puppy Food. Natural Choice is a separate product under the Nutro brand. The ingredients listed on thenutrocompany.com site are the current ingredients.
I will forward the info to Nutro as the Petsmart website needs to be corrected.
As I stated before corn gluten will be taken out of the Ultra puppy, LB Puppy and LB Adult sometime this year.
As far as recommending another product that your dog might be able to eat, without wheat, corn and soy, Nutro has limited ingredient products such as Nutro Natural Choice Venison and NC Herring. Both have oatmeal for skin and tummy issues also.
There are also several good premium brands that have limited ingredients and no grains if you have an allergic dog. The main thing is to read the labels on the products. Usually the first five ingredients will be 90% of what is in a product. Those products without fillers such as by-products and ground yellow corns in particular are going to be absorbed by your pets digestive system better than a grocery store brand.
Hope this helps. Thank you for you question and feel free to make more comments. Communication is good.
Hi Ngoc… Both the Blue Buffalo Wilderness and Nutro Ultra are excellent choices. I wouldn’t worry much between a 4 and a 5-star dog food. Actually, many times I myself find rating two foods this close together very difficult… and many times I could easily misjudge a food.
However, there’s a huge difference between dog foods separated by two (or more) stars. You should be safe with either choice. Just buy a small package the first time… just in case you make the wrong choice.
when people buy grain free, where to dogs get their carbs needed for a balanced diet. I understand wheat free, but not grain free.
Hi Linda… Just because a dog food is grain free doesn’t necessarily mean it’s carbohydrate free, too. After all, most (but not all) grain free dog foods contain simply different (non-grain) carbs.
For example, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, squash, etc. are all considered carbohydrates… yet all of them are completely grain free.
HI Mike,
I have been using Nutro Ultra puppy for my Maltese mix. His coat has had the discoloration issue and I was wondering which ingredients may lead to this and which 4-5 star dry foods you recommend that do not have these ingredients? Thanks!
Hi Teryn… Many still believe the myth that beet pulp can cause coat discoloration. However, most (if not all beet pulp) is pale in color and does not contain the darker pigments found in the outer skin of the sugar beet.
I’m not aware of any specific ingredient in Nutro Ultra Puppy that can cause the discoloration issue you describe. You may want to call the company for a more definitive answer.
Still don’t see any form of corn in the Adult formula……
Hi Christina… This review is written for the full product line (which contains seven products). Three of them (Puppy, Large Breed Adult and Large Breed Puppy) all contain corn gluten meal.
What a lot of information this site provides! There are some great suggestions/recommendations provided by other readers, particularly Laura. Great, rotation is always a good philosophy in everybody’s diet – four paws/humans. What I have not seen is any discussion about the Nutro NC (Lite) claim to “guaranteed coat and skin improvement”. Petsmart Nutro rep used this as the biggest sell point for my dog with allergy problems. Not taking a reps word, I asked other buyers about this claim – they agreed and highly recommended the product for those reasons.
Any insight or comments on these particular points?
Hi Beverly,
I’m Sue the one that left the comments for Laura about how I rotate my dogs’ food all the time. I just read your question about Nutro NC Lite. Nutro carries 3 grades of their dog food. Nutro Max is the bottom, Natural Choice is the middle line and Nutro Ultra is their premium. If you go to their website and see the ingredients for Nutro Natural Choice Lite, you might not believe the claims. Here’s the list I copied and pasted from their website:
Ground Rice, Lamb Meal, Rice Bran, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Powdered Cellulose, Lamb, Natural Flavors, Yeast Culture, Soybean Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Calcium Carbonate, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Potassium Chloride, Monosodium Phosphate, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Egg Product, Dried Kelp, Magnesium Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid.
Rice is listed twice in the first 5 ingredients. Powdered Cellulose is a cheap fiber filler. Dried beet pulp, another filler, is 4th and only 1 meat product in the first 5. It uses synthetic Vitamin K (Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex) a contorversial item! Also, this is a lite food. People don’t really need to feed a lite food, they just need to feed their dogs less food or give them more exercise! Kind of the same as humans. We need to eat less or exercise more to stay at the right weight. When you are feeding a good food the cost is not really much more. They eat less of it for the same or more nutrition. Less poop to clean up too because it is metabolized better and has less fillers. Our lab got a little bit heavy over the winter, so we just fed her less, per our vet’s direction. She looks great!
Some people may say the Nutro food is great for their dogs, but what were they feeding their dogs before this? Maybe a really bad dog food, which would make Nutro an improvement. Some people also feed table scraps, which would enhance the dogs food to some extent.
Sorry I made this so long. I hope Beverly gets a chance to see this. Great work with this site Mike!