Nutro Natural Choice Dog Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Nutro Natural Choice has been around since 1926 and produces quality food with a keen eye on environmental sustainability. Mars Inc. took over the brand in 2007, and also owns several other dog food brands. Not only is the food top quality, the packaging is made from 100% recycled materials and the company stands by their environmental mission statement.

Nutro has two facilities in the US: one in Victorville, California, and one in Hendersonville, North Carolina. They harvest fresh ingredients and their mission is to only use the best soil so they can produce the healthiest ingredients for their food.

Their dog food contains a lot of protein, vitamins, and minerals, so your dog can lead the healthiest life possible. Nutro is fully transparent about their recipes, and you can look up their ingredients on their website.

At a Glance: The Best Nutro Natural Choice Dog Food Recipes:

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Nutro Natural Choice Dog Food Reviewed

My dog Leo and I had the privilege of reviewing Nutro Natural choice chicken and brown rice dry food, chicken in bone broth and chicken and duck in bone broth toppers, simmered beef and potato stew wet food, and berry and yogurt treats.

Leo is a small Yorkshire Terrier and it is hard to find food that is small and soft enough for him to eat. Nutro fit the bill perfectly!

We reviewed the small breed version of the dry food because of Leo’s size and he loved it. His favorite part was the topper, which has actual quail eggs in it, along with green beans, chicken, and bone broth. In fact, we can feed him just the topper, and he is fine with that.

I was impressed with the treats because they were small enough for Leo to eat, and they are soft, which is great for his dental issues. The treats are very aromatic and the scent of fresh blueberries is actually quite pleasant.

Leo’s been eating (devouring) the food for a week, and he has had no stomach issues. He also has more energy which is evident by the daily walks we’ve been doing. All in all, Nutro is a healthy food that is loaded with vitamins and flavor.

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Who Makes Nutro Natural Choice and Where Is It Produced?

Nutro Natural Choice is made by Nutro and they have facilities in Henderson North Carolina, Victorville, California, and they have wet food facilities in Columbus, Ohio, Fort Smith Arkansas, and North Sioux City, South Dakota.

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Which Type of Dog Is Nutro Natural Choice Best Suited For?

Nutro makes food for all size dogs in different life stages. I would especially recommend it for older dogs because of the vitamins and soft kibble. The Nutro formula also gives the immune system a boost, which is helpful for older dogs as well.

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Which Type of Dog Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

Nutro is highly recommended by veterinarians because of its high quality ingredients and vitamin content. However, dogs with certain allergies should try something like Dermo. However, Nutro has a wide range of products including limited ingredient dog food. You can check out their site for nutritional information.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

The chicken and brown rice recipe dry food is made with non-GMO ingredients and no chicken by-products, corn, wheat, or soy. So, even if your dog has food allergies, this kibble should be okay with them.

The food toppers are great because the 8-count pack comes with two flavors: chicken and chicken with duck. As with the dry food, the ingredients are non-GMO and all natural. Even though the ingredients are chunky, they are small enough for Leo to eat with no problem.

The simmered beef and potato wet food is also non-GMO and also grain free. Even though the food isn’t labeled as an allergen safe food, Nutro does a good job of using natural ingredients that don’t usually cause allergic reactions.

The berry and yogurt flavored treats are made with the same quality ingredients as the food, and smell wonderful. The primary ingredient is chicken, so they are loaded with protein. The smaller size makes them ideal for training.

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Non-GMO

Non-GMO foods are important for dogs because they don’t introduce any allergens or toxins to the dog’s diet. GMOs are also known to inhibit antibiotics, which is critical to a dog’s health.

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Chicken

Chicken is the primary ingredient in all of the food we reviewed except for the wet food, which is beef. Nutro uses real chicken with no by-products, this means the food is packed with protein and no artificial preservatives.

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Grain

Nutro dry food has grains, primarily rice, which may not be suitable for some dogs. If your dog has a grain allergy, you may want to try another grain free recipe or a new food altogether.

A Quick Look at Nutro Natural Choice Dog Food

Recall History

There have been a few recalls of certain Nutro products over the past 20 years, but none since 2015. In March 2007, there was a massive recall on the brand due to possible melamine contamination. In May 2009, some dry cat food was recalled due to high zinc levels.

In October 2009, Nutro did a voluntary recall of their products because of potential plastic contamination. Finally, in December 2015, Nutro pulled their apple chewy treats because of possible mold contamination.

Reviews of the 3 Best Nutro Natural Choice Dog Food Recipes

Nutro has a wide range of products and recipes and picking the top three isn’t easy. So, I’ll start with Leo’s favorite kibble and topper, which can actually be eaten as a meal by itself.

1. Chicken and Brown Rice Dry Food

The chicken and brown rice recipe is packed with vitamins and minerals and no GMOs. It’s formulated with omega-3 and -6 vitamins to give your dog a healthier and shiny coat.

It has 22% protein from chicken, 14% crude fat, and 3.5% fiber. The food is manufactured in the United States in facilities with an eye on environmental sustainability.

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2. Chicken Entree With Bites of Chicken and Spinach

The primary ingredients in this wet food are chicken, chicken broth, and eggs. Plus it is topped off with just the right amount of spinach for a healthy meal.

The wet food contains 9% protein and 6.5% crude fat, primarily from the chicken. This is one of Nutro’s biggest sellers, and for good reason. The quality is great, and there are no artificial preservatives.

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3. Adult Beef and Brown Rice

The beef and brown rice is every bit as nutritious as the chicken recipes. As part of Nutro’s Feed Clean initiative, they load this kibble with high levels of protein, primarily from all natural beef, and omega 3 and 6 vitamins for a healthier coat.

There is 22% protein, 14% fat, and 10% moisture. There is 3.5% fiber content which is great for your dog’s digestive system and, like all Nutro products, it is loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Our Experience With Nutro Natural Choice

The first thing I noticed about Nutro Natural Choice was their packaging. The packaging is made from recyclable products which is a mission statement of the company. The images are vivid and, after comparing its ingredients with online reviews, I discovered that there is no bait and switch here.

Leo tried the dry food first and loved it, which is surprising because he is a notoriously picky eater, especially with dry food. Next, we went for the food topper. I was truly amazed at the quality of the ingredients, especially the quail egg setting on top. I’m telling you, I almost put some in the microwave for my dinner.

Leo is small enough to enjoy the topper as a complete meal, but the first time I gave it to him, I added it to the kibble. Generally, he will pick out the parts of the meal that he wants and leave the rest. He actually ate all of the kibble and the topper together, which is a loud statement on the quality of these products.

After Leo’s very happy dinnertime, I opened the treats for him. Nutro is not kidding when they use the term berry and yogurt flavor. As soon as I opened the bag, the kitchen smelled like a blueberry farm.

Leo has dental issues so I was worried about giving him crunchy treats. However, these treats are soft with just a touch of crunch. They have the texture of a soft cookie. I’m glad that he loves these, as they are healthy and affordable.

Conclusion

Overall, Leo and I were impressed with Nutro Natural Choice. As an environmentalist, I enjoyed perusing their website and learning more about their sustainability practices. They start with the very soil that they produce their ingredients on, which is an amazing eye for detail that I have not seen elsewhere.

Nutro is a brand that we will be trying for a while. You can actually see the ingredients and, judging by Leo’s reaction, it tastes as good as it looks. He has more energy since eating Nutro for a week, and his coat is looking better.

This is a high quality product that is affordable, and results back up the company’s statement about their quality and small environmental footprint.