Nulo Dog Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons
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We give Nulo dog food a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Nulo dog food has many varieties, including grain-free, grain-inclusive, and wet food recipes. It provides your pet with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that promote overall health and well-being. Nulo is available through sites such as Chewy.com and Amazon.com, as well as pet stores and other major retail chains.
Although Nulo produces high-quality meals, there are a few drawbacks. This article will give you all the information on its benefits and drawbacks so you can make a good decision for your dog’s health. We will review the food’s nutritional value, ingredients, owners and manufacturers, and their recall history.
If you want to provide your pet with the best food, read on to see whether the Nulo is right for you.
At a Glance: The Best Nulo Dog Food Recipes:
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Our Favorite | Nulo Adult Grain Free |
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Nulo Puppy & Adult Small Breed Freestyle Limited Plus |
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Nulo Grain Free Healthy Weight |
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Nulo Freeze Dried Raw for All Ages & Breeds |
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Nulo Freestyle |
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Nulo Dog Food Reviewed
Nulo dog food has an impressive number of formulas. The ingredients are selected to promote your dog’s overall health, and it is less about the actual ingredients than their nutritional benefit.
Nulo’s dog food contains its patented BC30 probiotics and is made with low-carb and low-glycemic ingredients. It is also made in USDA, AAFCO, and FDA-approved facilities and does not use corn, wheat, soy, or artificial ingredients.
Nulo has three lines of dog food. The first is the Freestyle line, which is made without any chicken or egg ingredients. The Metal Series, on the other hand, is chicken-based. These two formulas are grain-free. The third option is the FrontRunner line, which is grain-inclusive dog food.
Recipes and Formulas
Nulo dog food offers more than just wet and dry meals. You can also find freeze-dried raw food, meal toppers, bone broth, and a variety of treats. Beyond that, they also offer three different life stage options including puppy, adult, and senior stages.
To provide an even more inclusive product, you can also pick up different formulas based on your pet’s dietary needs like the ones below:
- Small breed
- Healthy weight
- Limited ingredient
- Large breed
- High meat
- Grain-free
Though there are many flavors you can choose from, these are the most popular wet and dry recipes:
- Salmon and peas
- Turkey
- Alaskan pollock
- Lamb and chickpeas
- Salmon and red lentils
- Turkey and sweet potato
- Beef
- Chicken
With the freeze-dried raw food, you can also choose from the following recipes.
- Beef with apples
- Duck with pears
- Lamb with raspberries
- Salmon and turkey with strawberries
- Turkey with cranberries
With all these options, finding a recipe that will benefit your dog regardless of their dietary needs or stage of life is easy. However, there are a few exceptions to every rule.
Which Types of Dogs Might Do Better with a Different Brand?
A higher protein diet can be harder to digest than others. If your pup already has digestive issues, you may want to look for a formula that does not have as high a protein content.
Although this brand provides patented probiotics to aid digestion, some dogs still have issues. If you are looking for an easy-to-digest dog food, we recommend you try Hills Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Chicken Adult Dry Formula.
Another point of contention with this brand is the grain-free meals that make up most of its formulas. Although grain-free recipes for dogs have become more popular in recent years, experts have begun to advocate the idea that healthy grains such as wheat and brown rice provide many nutritional benefits for pets.
Also, your dog is an omnivore by nature, meaning that grains are part of their natural diet. If your pet does not suffer from gluten allergies or grain sensitivities, there are some healthy grain-based formulas available. For example, try out the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Adult Chicken and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food.
Who Makes Nulo and Where Is It Produced?
In late 2009 and early 2010, Michael Landa and Brett Montana founded the Nulo Pet brand. They had previously been partners in a pet sitting and dog walking company where they found many of their employees were tasked with giving diabetic injections to dogs.
Horrified by the reality of subpar dog food, the two set out to create a natural dog food company that provided dogs with the nutrients they needed to be healthy and strong. Instead of finding ingredients that “looked” nutritious for a human diet, they concentrated on the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients a dog actually needed.
Along with creating Nulo, they also patented a probiotic formula called Ganeden BC30 that provides their food with bacteria-eating enzymes. Nulo is based in Texas and is manufactured and sourced in the USA. Their facilities are approved not only by the AAFCO but also by the FDA and USDA.
Nulo’s dog food is reasonably priced and available at major pet retail stores and online chains.
Nutritional Content
When shopping for new dog food, the overall nutritional content is an important aspect. Not only that, but you want to consider the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that the meal will provide your pet. Below, we have broken down the nutritional value of each type of food and the primary benefits of the brand.
First, however, the AAFCO provides nutritional content guidelines for dog food. In general, it is recommended that your pet receive a minimum of 18% to 26% protein, 10% to 20% fat, and 1% to 5% fiber within each meal. Your dog should also consume 30 calories per pound of body weight per day.
Primary Benefits
Depending on the formula and recipe, Nulo offers many nutritional benefits that support your dog’s overall health. Below, we will look at the different features of this pet food so you will have a well-rounded understanding of the benefits available to your pet.
- Grain-Free Formulas: Grain-free meals are made without corn, cornmeal, or tapioca. They also do not have any wheat that may cause digestive distress in your pet.
- Chicken and Egg-Free Formulas: Some dogs have difficulty processing chicken and chicken products. To accommodate those animals, Nulo produces several poultry-free options.
- Low-Carb Formulas: Nulo’s recipes use fewer carbohydrates, which do not provide much nutritional value except quick energy bursts. Instead, Nulo provides lean and healthy protein to maintain longer energy levels.
- Immune Health: Many Nulo formulas contain vegetables, fruit, and vitamins C and E to support your dog’s immune system, which will help it fight infections and illnesses.
- Probiotics: Again, all of the recipes contain Nulo’s patented probiotic formula. BC30 is a protected strand of bacteria that promotes a healthy gut and overall well-being.
- Omega 3 and 6: Many of the formulas contain omega-3, which is derived from salmon. Omega 3 and 6 support healthy skin and a shiny coat.
- Muscle and Heart Health: Lean protein and amino acids are two critical features of food that will support your pad’s muscles and cardiovascular house.
- Grains: When it comes to the formulas that contain grain, the brand uses low glycemic ingredients such as quinoa, felt, brown rice, barley, and oats
A Quick Look at Nulo Dog Food
- All-natural
- Various varieties of formulas and recipes
- No artificial ingredients
- Made in AAFCO, USDA, and FDA-approved facilities
- Packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein
- Manufactured and sourced in the USA
- Can be hard to digest
Ingredients Analysis
At this point, we have yet to come across a dog food formula that is perfect without any questionable ingredients. Although this brand has many benefits, there are still a few ingredients that we want to mention to give you the best overall description of this product.
We have chosen these items regardless of their formula or recipe; however, we will let you know which product they come from.
- Brewer’s Dried Yeast (FrontRunner dry): This ingredient is added to many dry dog food formulas, but there is some debate over how nutritious it is. Also, there have been reports of yeast causing bloating anomalies in dogs that can cause their stomachs to turn, which is, more often than not, a fatal condition, though it is rare.
- Salt (dry and wet): Salt is a very common ingredient in dog foods. The higher the salt is on the ingredients list, the more concentrated it is in the formula, and the more concerned you should be, as high salt levels are not good for your dog.
- Pea Fiber (Freestyle dry): Pea fiber is often used as a filler to replace wheat in grain-free formulas. However, pea fibers or powders do not have much nutritional value for pets.
- Ground Flaxseed (Freestyle wet): This is another common ingredient. Flaxseed has many benefits for dogs, and it can also boost the protein level of meat in dog foods.
Based on all of the formulas and recipes available, the lack of questionable ingredients is a benefit unto itself.
Recall History
At the time this article was written, Nulo had not had any product recalls. However, the company has existed for approximately a decade, so recalls should be few and far between at this point in its history.
Reviews of the 3 Best Nulo Dog Food Recipes
1. Nulo Front Runner Dry Ancient Grains Beef, Barley, and Lamb
This all-natural Nulo formula contains a healthy amount of barley and oats to provide nutritional benefits for your pet. Not only that, but this dry food contains no artificial ingredients, corn, or soy. It has great levels of protein, vitamins, and nutrients, plus Nulo’s patented probiotics.
Keep in mind, however, that Front-Runner dry food is not appropriate for dogs with sensitive stomachs or grain sensitivities. It can also be a bit hard to digest. Other than that, it is a USA-manufactured and sourced recipe made in a USDA, AAFCO, and FDA-approved facility.
- All-natural
- No artificial ingredients
- Healthy grains
- Made and sourced in the USA
- Added vitamins and nutrients
- Made in a USDA, AAFCO, FDA-approved facility
- Hard to digest
- Not recommended for dogs with grain sensitivities
2. Nulo Freeze-Dried Raw All Life Stages and Breeds Grain-Free Salmon and Turkey
Many pet parents have found that feeding their dogs raw meals benefits their health. The freeze-dried raw meals are made with no artificial ingredients and are grain-free. The salmon and turkey recipe is a favorite of the canine community.
Formulated with Nulo’s patented probiotics, the formula supports your dog’s digestive and immune system, plus the added vitamins and minerals will keep their heart, muscles, bones, and skin in great shape. However, remember that raw diets can take some getting used to, so a slow transition is advised. What’s more, be aware that not every dog will enjoy this type of meal.
Nulo’s Freeze-Dried Raw formula is made in the USA, and its ingredients are domestically sourced. This is a great option if you do not want to prepare your raw dog food.
- All-natural
- No artificial ingredients
- Protein, probiotics, and other nutrients
- Made and sourced in the USA
- Alternative raw diet
- Can be more difficult to transition
- Some dogs do not like freeze-dried food
3. Nulo Adult and Puppy Grain-Free Canned Wet Dog Food
If you have a dog that is somewhere between the puppy and adult stages, this canned wet food is a good option. It is part of Nulo’s Freestyle line, so it contains no poultry products and is grain-free. This recipe contains all-natural ingredients and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It is also made and sourced in the USA.
Beyond that, it has many vitamins, nutrients, and minerals to support your dog’s health. Like all of Nulo’s products, it also contains patented probiotics to keep your pet’s gut healthy. You should also note that this wet formula is somewhat higher in salt. Overall, this is a great low-carb, high-protein Nulo dog food.
- All-natural
- No artificial ingredients
- Low-carb and high in protein
- Contains vitamins, minerals, and nutrients
- Manufactured and sourced in the USA
- Can be hard on the digestive system
- High in salt
What Other Users Are Saying
A great barometer for whether a pet food is popular with other canines is to check out the reviews pet parents have left on various websites. Take a look at these comments left by enthusiastic Nulo patrons.
Chewy.com
“Our border collie gets a little overweight in the winter months due to shortened activity. We use the Nulo adult trim to help her keep her weight down. Our girl loves the taste and we love that she doesn’t put on the extra weight.”
PetSmart.com
“My dachshund loves them. Good, smaller, chewy treats that are perfect for training. She also loves the duck flavor!”
PetSmart.com
“My older Fox Hound had become a picky old dog when eating and I was looking for a new food. I tried this brand and she is back to eating again. She is 9 years old. I feed a healthy diet of quality food so ingredients are important. I read the ingredients on the product with grain-free being very important to me. I purchased this brand and she loves it! She eats a full can with some Nulo dry every night. Her energy is back and she is acting like her old self. Excellent dog food and I highly recommend this product.”
If you want to check out more Nulo reviews, you can visit Amazon.com. It is one of the most well-known retailers on the planet, and it has many beneficial opinions you can find here.
Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed our review of Nulo dog food. Overall, it is a healthy, nutritious, and beneficial formula to give your pet. You can find Nulo at pet stores, online retailers, and other brick-and-mortar locations. It is priced well for a natural formula with so many benefits.