Ultra Adult Small Breed High Protein Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Salmon Dry Dog Food, 12-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nutro Ultra Adult Small Breed High Protein Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Salmon Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble for adult small breed dogs, featuring chicken as its primary protein.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the first ingredient, which means good biological value for your dog. It also uses quality carbohydrate sources that include fermentable fiber. The combination of fresh chicken with chicken meal is a solid approach for kibble.
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.
Strong fit for moderately active toy breeds, including the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: explicitly formulated for small-breed dogs. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus salmon meal at position 8. The FDA's 2019 investigation update on diet-associated DCM included 13 reported cases in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, making them one of the top 15 most frequently reported breeds at that time (FDA, 2019) .
Looking at this for adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with diet-associated DCM concerns ? 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 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac · diet composition· cited in 3 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Strong grade. 75/100 (A) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+23 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+16 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
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 4% for protein quality in Nutro's lineup (23/27)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in Nutro's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Top 10% for carb quality in Nutro's lineup (16/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Nutro Ultra Puppy Large Breed High Protein Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Salmon Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Scores 1 point higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nutro Natural Choice Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
$2.50/lb vs your seed's $4.17/lb (40% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
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.
- 3grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grain oatmeal
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7protein animallamb meal
Lamb cooked down to a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh lamb. See why →
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9brewers 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 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 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.
- 11grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 11: minor grain inclusion.
- 12othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 13fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 17preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
- 18preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 19chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
- 20dried coconut
- 21dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
- 22dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 23dried kale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
- 24vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 25dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Showing first 25 of 49. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.