NutriSource Dog Food Review 2024

NutriSource pet food is a brand that takes the health and well-being of our furry friends seriously. Its commitment to using only high-quality ingredients in its pet food ensures that your pet is getting the nutrition they need to thrive. You won't find any fillers or by-products in its recipes, which means every bite is packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals.

What really sets NutriSource apart from other pet food brands is their commitment to using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. It partners with local farmers and producers to ensure that the ingredients used in its pet food are of the highest quality, while also supporting local communities. NutriSource also offers a wide variety of food options to cater to pets with different dietary needs, including grain-free and limited-ingredient diets.

Overall, NutriSource pet food is an excellent choice for pet parents who prioritize their pet's health and well-being and want to provide them with a nutritious and balanced diet.

In fact, even Dr. Georgia Jeremiah, pet nutrition expert and one of Wag!’s veterinary consultants, recommends NutriSource to her clients. “NutriSource offers convenient and affordable kibble varieties for dogs of various life stages.”

Read on for NutriSource's products, reviews and more!

NutriSource understands that pets have different needs and preferences, which is why they offer a variety of recipes to cater to every pet's unique taste. Between their different product ranges, they carry nearly 100 different recipes! Whether your dog is a picky eater or has a sensitive stomach, NutriSource has a formula that will work for them.

NutriSource

NutriSource is the company’s flagship brand, and it has the largest variety of options, with over 33 dry recipes and 13 wet recipes. You’re sure to find the pawfect option for your dog or cat.

Recipes can be divided into grain-inclusive dry and wet foods, and grain-free dry and wet foods. Within these categories, you can find recipes for puppies, seniors, all life stages, and small, medium and large breeds. There are also recipes featuring small bites, as well as those targeted for weight management and performance. All of NutriSource's recipes include prebiotics and probiotics to help support a healthy gut. NutriSource's pawsome proteins include chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, trout, salmon, menhaden fish, bison, quail, duck, wild boar, venison and pork, which means your dog has plenty of choices!

NutriSource PureVita

NutriSource PureVita is limited-ingredient pet food, making it a great option for pets with stomach sensitivities or allergies. They feature highly palatable single-protein-source pet formulas, including chicken, turkey, salmon, and even kangaroo, which are all high in protein and easy to digest. Whether your pet prefers dry food or wet, grain-inclusive or grain-free, PureVita’s got it!

Grain Inclusive dry recipes include:

• Chicken & Brown Rice Entrée 
• Duck & Oatmeal Entrée
• Salmon & Potato Entrée

Grain Inclusive wet recipes include:

• Beef Stew
• Chicken Stew
• Lamb Stew
• Turkey Stew

Grain Free dry recipes include:

• Beef & Red Lentils Entrée 
• Duck & Green Lentils Entrée
• Kangaroo & Green Lentils Entrée
• Pork & Peas Entrée
• Turkey & Sweet Potato Entrée
• Salmon & Peas Entrée
• Venison & Red Lentils Entrée
• Small Bites Turkey & Sweet Potato Entrée
• Small Bites Salmon & Peas Entrée

Grain Free wet recipes include:

• Beef Entrée
• Chicken Entrée
• Pork Entrée
• Turkey Entrée

NutriSource Choice  

NutriSource Choice offers three grain-inclusive dry recipes for dogs at an entry-level price point. These include:

• Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe
• Turkey Meal & Barley Recipe
• Whitefish Meal & Rice Recipe 

NutriSource Element Series

NutriSource’s Element Series uses some of the best elements of nature to provide an advanced diet for our canine companions. It offers five delicious, animal protein-packed recipes, each containing at least 83% animal protein in every bowlful. Along with nutritious animal proteins, the Element Series recipes contain targeted probiotics as part of NutriSource’s Good 4 Life Plus system. 

Element Series formulas include:

• Outback Trails Recipe featuring lamb, kangaroo, and wild boar
• Coastal Plains Recipe featuring turkey, salmon, and whitefish 
• Open Waters Recipe featuring haddock, trout, and duck
• Upland Stream Grain Free Recipe featuring quail, rabbit, and trout
• Wild Range Grain Free Recipe featuring chicken, pork, and bison

NutriSource Freeze-Dried

NutriSource’s Element Series Freeze-Dried recipes offer complete and balanced nutrition, with at least 90% of the protein coming from animal ingredients like beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, venison, duck, and organ meats. They also contain fruits and veggies like apples, butternut squash, and sweet potato, as well as essential nutrients, minerals, prebiotics, and postbiotics to support gut health. Available as Raw Bites and Raw Sliders, these versatile formulas are freeze-dried to preserve nutrients and flavor and can be served as a meal, treat, or topper. 

Element Series Freeze-Dried recipes include:

• Beef & Lamb
• Chicken & Duck
• Turkey & Venison

NutriSource Toppers

Looking to tempt a picky pup, and just make their meal a little extra special? NutriSource’s Come-pooch-a topper was inspired by kombucha because of the digestive support it provides. Available in three delicious bone broth flavors, chicken, turkey, and beef, these meal additions also contain natural postbiotics from fermentation products to give your dog’s gut health a helping paw. Just pour some over your dog’s food and they’ll love you for it!

NutriSource Treats

NutriSource treats come in various textures, including moist, jerky, and biscuit. They come in many different meat-rich, protein-dense flavors too. Chicken, pork, beef, or lamb is often the first ingredient, and some recipes also contain real fruits and vegetables like chickpeas, peas, pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, cranberries, blueberries, apple, and banana. NutriSource treats are great as healthy treats and rewards, plus certain variants offer functional benefits with added L-carnitine, glucosamine, and chondroitin.

NutriSource treat flavors include:

• SuperStars Soft & Tasty Bacon Training Rewards
• SuperStars Soft & Tasty Beef Training Rewards
• SuperStars Soft & Tasty Cheddar Cheese Training Rewards
• SuperStars Soft & Tasty Chicken Training Rewards
• Soft & Tender Chicken Treats
• Soft & Tender Lamb Treats
• Soft & Tender Salmon Treats
• Grain Free Chicken Bites
• Grain Free Rabbit Bites
• Grain Free Salmon Bites
• Chicken Biscuits
• Liver Biscuits
• Whitefish Biscuits
• PureVita Limited Ingredient Hip & Joint Treats
• PureVita Limited Ingredient Skin & Coat Treats
• High Plains Select Jerky Strips
• Outback Select Jerky Strips
• Prairie Select Jerky Strips
• Woodlands Select Jerky Strips
• PureVita Limited Ingredient Beef Jerky Strips
  
• PureVita Limited Ingredient Duck Jerky Strips
  
• PureVita Limited Ingredient Salmon Jerky Strips
  
• PureVita Limited Ingredient Turkey Jerky Strips
  

Here at Wag!, we love the fact that NutriSource uses high-quality ingredients like fresh meat, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables in their products. Its ingredients are locally sourced and meet AAFCO standards. At the top of their ingredient list, you can find high-quality meats. We also like the addition of probiotics to help support your canine’s digestive system and immune system.

We also love its wide variety of foods. NutriSource offers many grain-inclusive and grain-free options, as well as a variety of protein sources, which is great for dogs with sensitive tummies or allergies.

We're not the only ones who love NutriSource, as this brand has plenty of positive customer reviews. Many pet parents have reported that their pets enjoy the taste and have experienced improved health after switching to NutriSource. This includes exhibiting high energy levels, shiny coats, and normal stools.

Something that needs to be considered when choosing the right food for your furry friend is the cost and availability. NutriSource has a higher price point than other dog food brands on the market. They also don’t sell their food at mega pet food stores because NutriSource is committed to independent pet stores. This can be inconvenient for pet parents who don’t have the food available in their area.

Another concern is NutriSource’s use of starchy carbohydrates and plant-based fillcers in its dry food, like corn gluten meal, white rice, and brewers yeast. For some dogs, these ingredients won't cause any issues, but some dogs might show signs of allergies. Overall, this is still a high-quality dog food.

“I have two very picky and sensitive dogs. One is a Goldendoodle and the other a Mini Schnauzer. I've tried close to a dozen different grain free and premium brands, including Wellness and Natural Balance. Neither one of my dogs would finish their food, even with the help of wet food toppers. Then they experienced food allergies in the form of dry and itchy skin. After much research, trial and error, I came upon Nutrisource. My dogs preferred fish protein source in other brands, so I gave this specific Nutrisource a shot. And they both love it! No more need for wet food toppers and no more left over kibble! They are finally gaining a healthy weight with more regular BMs too. This stuff is the best! It's not sold in most stores but I can always find it at Chuck & Don's pet supply besides Amazon. It's worth every penny.”

“I tried so many brands on my [German Shepherd]. She kept itching or she didn’t care for them. I learned every major brand of dog food is now outsourced to a production plant [that] couldn’t care less. Nutrisource does all their own production In House so they can control what goes in their food under what conditions. It has probiotics, [prebiotics], omegas, [and] vitamins and she loved the salmon. Her coat this winter was so [thick] and always shiny. My vet complimented me on my choice of food!”

Read more reviews on Amazon.

NutriSource is a brand of pet food that was founded in 1964 by a family-owned company called Tuffy's Pet Foods, located in Perham, Minnesota. When the company founder, Darell Nelson, was just a boy, he fell from a tree. While a fall like that would have sent most kids to the hospital, he kept right on playing, earning him the nickname “Tuffy”. The name stuck, and Darell and his son Kenny later started up Tuffy’s Pet Foods.

Initially, Tuffy's Pet Foods produced animal feeds for livestock, but in the 1980s, they began producing dog food under the NutriSource brand. Over the years, NutriSource has expanded its product line to include cat food and a variety of different formulas to meet the specific nutritional needs of pets at different life stages and with different dietary requirements. In the early 2000s, NutriSource introduced a line of super-premium pet foods that featured high-quality ingredients, including multiple protein sources and no artificial preservatives.

Three generations later, NutriSource is still owned and operated by Tuffy's Pet Foods, which remains a family-owned business. Being family-owned and based in a small town, NutriSource is founded on a strong sense of community and integrity.

Since 2009, NutriSource has had one product recall on October 12, 2021. They recalled approximately 1,600 cases of NutriSource PureVita Salmon Entree Dog Food in a Tetra Pak carton following notification from the product manufacturer of potentially elevated levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D poisoning can cause symptoms like vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss. Left untreated, it can even cause renal failure and death.

Although there were no reports of illness from consumers, Tuffy’s Pet Foods acted out of an abundance of caution and voluntarily recalled the product. They recommended that consumers stop feeding the product immediately, and visit a veterinarian if their dog starts exhibiting symptoms after eating the product.

Keep in mind that a product recall can happen at any time, so it’s important to stay up to date! To make sure your dog’s food is safe, check the FDA’s pet food recall website.