Natural Choice Adult Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nutro Natural Choice Adult Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe is a dry dog food for adult small breeds, with chicken as its primary protein.
This formula uses chicken as the first ingredient, which is a good protein source for amino acid coverage. The combination of fresh chicken and chicken meal is a strong sign of quality. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult small breed dogs. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult lower-energy small companion breeds like French Bulldogs, Bulldogs, and Boston Terriers. Chicken leads the deck at position 1, 29% DMB protein, 373 kcal/cup. In a study of 100 French Bulldogs, 50% were diagnosed with clinically relevant Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS), with severity linked to the degree of nostril stenosis.
Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 4 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 72/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Also adding to the lift: carbohydrate quality (+15). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 3-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (18.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top quartile for caloric density in Nutro's lineup (373 kcal/cup)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in Nutro's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in Nutro's lineup (72/100)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
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Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6legumepeas
Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7brewers rice
Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version. See why →
Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 8fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 10dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 15supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 16chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
- 17dried coconut
- 18dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 19dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
- 20vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 21dried kale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
- 22dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 23preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
- 24preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 25vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
Showing first 25 of 44. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.