Nutrisca Dog Food: Review

Nutrisca dog food is a subsidiary of the Dogswell company, a Los Angeles-based pet food manufacturer that’s been around since 2004. Dogswell also encompasses several other brands alongside Nutrisca.

As for Nutrisca themselves, their small, focused range of wet and dry foods stands out from the crowd thanks to a few key commitments:

• Nutrisca uses real meat as a primary ingredient, and
• They never include grains, potatoes, corn, wheat, or soy in their recipes.

This is an awesome set of principles, which goes far beyond many ‘grain-free’ brands that simply swap out more well-known fillers for slightly better options such as potato. Instead, Nutrisca favors legumes and vegetables like peas and chickpeas, which are a better source of insoluble fiber.

Through Dogswell, Nutrisca abides by strict hygiene and manufacturing protocols, with plants operating under programs like Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP’s), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s). They also submit their ingredients and formulas to third party testing.

This dry dog food is quality, it’s plain and simple. It has 32% protein, much higher than the 26.5% industry average. And this protein comes from real chicken as the main ingredient (huge plus!). Its main sources of carbs are peas and chickpeas, you easily digestible carbs. It is also free of ingredients like grains, potatoes, or tapioca starch, which can upset dogs’ tummies. 

There are quality antioxidant-rich ingredients in this Nutrisca recipe, including blueberries, carrots, cranberries, and apricots. These ingredients help support immune health. Don’t hesitate to buy this quality food which is high in protein, fat (the good kind), and fiber, made using high-quality ingredients.

Customer reviews:

“My dog Gunner loves this food. He can never wait. As soon as it’s dinner time he licks his lips.”

“That’s what my dog eats since he was a pup, for over three years. He is healthy and still loves it.”

Guaranteed analysis:

• Protein (min): 32.0%
• Fat (min): 18.0%
• Fiber (max):7.0%
• Moisture (max): 10.0%

Nutritional Info
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Menhaden Fish Meal (a source of fish oil), Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Pea Fiber, Pea Starch, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Tomato Pomace, Salmon Oil (a source of DHA), Apples, Carrots, Cranberries, Blueberries, Apricots, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Proteinate, Biotin, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract.

Caloric Content

3,830 kcal/kg, 405 kcal/cup

Nutrisca Chicken & Chickpea Stew is a formula made from high-quality ingredients. It may not have higher protein than the industry average, but it has higher quality ingredients than man top competitors.

It is made using cage-free chicken as the first (main) ingredient. It has antioxidant-rich ingredients including blueberries, carrots, and cranberries. It also has chelated minerals, which allows for better nutrition absorption, so your pup won’t miss out on any of the goodness!

Customer reviews:

“My two Chihuahuas love this food. 1 is a finicky eater so I bought Nutrisca canned food to top dress the Nutrisca dry food they have been eating for a year. My picky eater now gobbles up all of his food.”

“I have 2 rescue terriers. 1 has diabetes and the other severe allergies. After many failed attempts, this is the food that they can both eat and LOVE. it’s been such a relief to discover Nutrisca!”

Guaranteed analysis: 

• Protein (min): 8.0%
• Fat (min): 3.0%
• Fiber (max): 1.0%
• Moisture (max): 82.0%

Nutritional Info
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Peas, Dried Egg Product, Dried Ground Peas, Dried Chickpeas, Salmon (Source Of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dried Egg Whites, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Spinach, Menhaden Fish Oil ((Source Of Docosahexaenoic Acid), (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)), Salt, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Dried Tomatoes, Rosemary Extract.

Caloric Content

923 kcal/kg, 340 kcal/cup

Nutrisca’s dry product range exceeds industry averages for protein, fats, and fiber, always using real meat products as a primary ingredient. Chicken, salmon, and lamb are combined with named meat meals and protein-rich plant foods like peas and flaxseed to bump up nutritional levels.

Because of the significant presence of non-meat proteins, it’s important to point out that Nurtsica’s impressive nutrient levels may not tell the full story when it comes to ingredient quality. However, we’re still impressed by the combination of animal products and fibrous vegetables on offer within each Nutrisca flavor.

Nutrsica’s kibbles are formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

One of the most attractive features of Nutrisca’s wet food range is their choice to use cage-free whole chicken. Add this to their grain and potato-free commitment, and you get a recipe that’s really prioritizing clean protein and fats. Even though the use of chickpeas is likely to bump up protein levels, there’s a great balance of key nutrients, moisture, and essential vitamins and minerals here.

Looking at the FDA’s recalls and withdrawals database, it seems that Nutrisca was recently recalled. In March 2016, the brand was forced to issue a warning about their Chicken and Chickpea dry food formula, due to elevated levels of vitamin D. Consuming an excess of vitamin D can cause potentially lethal kidney failure in dogs, as it’s a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it can’t simply be removed from the body through urine.