NutriSource Dog Food Reviews

When you choose a higher-priced food like NutriSource for your pup, you only want the best. But how do you know what you’re actually getting?

We’ve taken an in-depth look at this popular food to see if it holds up to its super-premium claims. Keep reading to see our NutriSource dog food review and to find out why we’ve rated this food a 4.5 out of 5.

At a Glance: List of NutriSource Dog Food Options

We’ve selected NutriSource’s very popular Adult Chicken & Rice formula to represent the other varieties for our in-depth review.

NutriSource Dog Food Review

Ingredient Quality

The first two ingredients listed in this recipe are chicken and chicken meal. Both provide a ton of biologically appropriate nutrition and protein.

Fresh chicken is protein-rich and consists mostly of muscle meat from the bird. Chicken meal is rendered meat that usually includes bone and organs which makes it especially nutrition and protein-dense.

The third ingredient is brown rice, a grain that is usually well tolerated by dogs, though less nutritionally accessible than white rice due to the extra fiber. For dogs that are sensitive to grains, choosing a recipe from the NutriSource grain-free line would be a better option.

The fourth ingredient is barley, another well-tolerated, nutritious grain. Like rice, this grain provides some nutrition but is largely used for its starch content to help bind the kibble together.

The fifth ingredient is chicken fat. Seeing a quality, named animal fat within the first five ingredients is generally a good sign.

Chicken fat is also high in omega fatty acids and an important ingredient for your dog’s overall health.

Oatmeal is the sixth ingredient and is yet another well-tolerated grain for most dogs. This is a more nutritionally-dense grain for dogs, as well.

The seventh ingredient is menhaden fish meal, a meat concentrate that is loaded with nutrition and healthy fats.

The eighth ingredient consists of natural chicken and turkey flavoring. This is used to entice the dog to eat the kibble but provides no nutritional value.

Following this is a long list of vitamins and minerals. Most are of a synthetic origin and are used to form a complete and balanced diet according to AAFCO regulations.

At the very end of the ingredients list, there are some fermentation products listed which are used to add enzymes that allow the food to be more easily digested.

Overall, the ingredients used are of a higher quality than most commercial dog foods. This food contains a fair amount of animal-sourced ingredients, but more plant-based ingredients than we would typically like to see.

Nutrition Profile

This diet contains about 26% protein, which gives it a higher protein content than your average kibble. The bulk of this protein comes from the chicken meal, fish meal, and fresh chicken, which means it is easily digestible for your pup.

If your pup is a working dog or just more active than the average pooch, you may consider choosing a recipe from the NutriSource Performance line. These recipes contain a higher protein and fat content to fuel more active pups.

This recipe has about 16% fat, which is just slightly higher than average and a good amount for the typical companion animal. Dogs with weight issues or less active dogs would likely do better on NutriSource weight management or NutriSource senior dog foods.

Lastly, this food has about 3.1% fiber. Generally, most dogs will do well on a diet with this lower amount of fiber, though some older dogs and those with certain digestive issues may require more.

In addition to these macronutrients, this recipe also contains some important micronutrient additives including glucosamine and chondroitin. Both of these are important for joint and bone health and can help aid in mobility.

It also contains omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. These are important to brain and joint development and are especially important for puppies and adolescents.

If you happen to be looking for the right food to help your Labrador pup grow up healthy, check out our list of the best puppy foods for labradors.

Overall, this is a higher protein, moderately high-fat diet that is well suited for the average adult companion dog.

Price Point

NutriSource Adult Chicken & Rice formula is well priced considering the quality ingredients and higher protein content. It is slightly higher in price than top tier supermarket brands of similar type.

NutriSource has a number of lines, most of which are slightly more expensive than this recipe.

The NutriSource grain-free line is only a touch higher priced than the standard chicken and rice and has a slightly higher protein content.

The NutriSource PureVita line, which consists of limited ingredient and holistic diets, contains a number of recipes meant for dogs with food allergies and digestive issues. The prices for these diets vary widely but they do tend to be quite a bit more expensive than your traditional dog food.

Overall, considering what you get for the money, NutriSource’s standard diets are well priced. Their wide range of diet types makes it easy to shop in brand even as your dog’s dietary needs change, though some of these foods have a higher price point than others.

Overall Rating for NutriSource

Overall, based on the ingredients and nutritional information, we give NutriSource a 4.5 out of 5-star rating.

NutriSource Dog Food Recall History

As of the first quarter of 2020, no NutriSource, PureVita, or Tuffy’s brand dog food has ever been recalled. We believe this speaks well of the processing and safety guidelines this company has in place.

Our Final Word on NutriSource Dog Food

After completing our NutriSource dog food review, we are pleased to recommend this brand for the average companion dog.

This food contains quality ingredients, a higher than average amount of animal-sourced ingredients compared to most commercial foods, and is well priced considering the quality.

The number of recipe options available is another major plus for this brand.

You can easily find a NutriSource puppy food that is right for your sized dog and know it will be an easy transition to the right adult NutriSource food later on. This is important since best puppy foods for labradors require a very specific diet.

Overall, we at CyberPet would recommend NutriSource dog food as a quality choice for most dogs.