Ultra Puppy High Protein Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Salmon Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nutro Ultra Puppy High Protein Trio of Proteins Chicken, Lamb & Salmon Dry Dog Food is a dry formula for puppies, featuring chicken as its main protein.
This food has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the primary ingredient, which means good bioavailability for your puppy. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber and named fat sources like chicken fat and marine oil, providing beneficial EPA and DHA.
The data indicates that an AAFCO statement is not present. This means we can't confirm if the food meets the nutritional levels established by AAFCO for growth.
Good fit for puppies needing a high-protein diet. Less ideal if you prefer foods with a clear AAFCO statement on the label.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Neutral fit for puppy moderately active small herding breeds like Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Dachshunds, and Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)s. Chicken leads the deck at position 1, 31% DMB protein, 19% DMB fat.
Looking at this for puppy Pembroke Welsh Corgis ? 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.
Solid grade. 74/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+22.5 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+15 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (22.5 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").
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 10% for protein quality in Nutro's lineup (22.7/27)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in Nutro's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Top quartile for fat quality in Nutro's lineup (12/16)
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 2 points 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 $3.41/lb (27% 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.
- 3grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
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.
- 7dried 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 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 9protein animallamb meal
Lamb cooked down to a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh lamb. See why →
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 10protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 11: minor grain inclusion.
- 12protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 12: trace plant protein.
- 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.
- 14protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 14. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 15fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 15. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 16mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 17mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
- 20preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 21chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
- 22dried coconut
- 23dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
- 24dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 25dried kale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
Showing first 25 of 51. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.