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Nutro vs Purina Dog Chow

Nutro vs. Purina Dog Chow

In this comparison article for Nutro vs Purina Dog Chow, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Nutro and Purina Dog Chow, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Purina Dog Chow vs Nutro comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Nutro Review Page or Purina Dog Chow Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Purina Dog Chow vs. Nutro

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Nutro Dog Food vs. Purina Dog Chow Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodNutroPurina Dog Chow
Crude Protein27.0%26.2%
Crude Fat15.3%12.3%
Crude Fiber4.7%4.9%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodNutroPurina Dog Chow
Crude Protein42.6%49.5%
Crude Fat24.2%14.5%
Crude Fiber6.1%6.8%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude protein. For wet dog foods, Purina Dog Chow provides more protein (about 6.96% more).


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Dietary fats serves a multitude of roles in the proper development and function of our canine companions. Here are some of the benefits (not exhaustive):

  • Help produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among other critical functions.
  • Aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Improve skin and coat health
  • Improve the palatially of your dog's food

According to our average data, Purina Dog Chow typically provides less fat than Nutro. However, this difference is relatively small and doesn't represent a significant difference between the two brands. In addition, Nutro wet dog foods also provide more fat than Purina Dog Chow wet foods.


As you can see, Nutro and Purina Dog Chow guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Purina Dog Chow and Nutro also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Nutro Pet Food Ingredients vs. Purina Dog Chow Pet Food Ingredients

Nutro and Purina Dog Chow both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Wheat Gluten

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Nutro.

Bone Broth
Iron Oxide
Pea Protein
Pork Plasma
Whole Wheat
Brewers Rice
Animal Plasma
Caramel Color
Tomato Pomace
Vegetable Oil
Feeding Oatmeal
Dried Corn Syrup
Powdered Cellulose
Dried Tomato Pomace
Pea Protein Isolate
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Purina Dog Chow.

Liver
Soybean Flour
Corn Gluten Meal
Meat By-Products
Whole Grain Corn
Whole Grain Wheat
Ground Yellow Corn
Meat And Bone Meal
Turkey By-Product Meal
Chicken By-Product Meal
Poultry By-Product Meal

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Nutro and Purina Dog Chow both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Purina Dog Chow.

Blue 2
Red 40
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Added Color

Product Safety: Recall History of Nutro & Purina Dog Chow?

Nutro has been recalled 4 times.

  • Sept. 30, 2009: small pieces of melted plastic
  • Dec. 13, 2015: Mold
  • May 21, 2009: incorrect levels of zinc and potassium
  • March 16, 2007: Melamine

According to our records, Purina Dog Chow has never been recalled.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodNutroPurina Dog Chow
Per Pound$2.24$1.22
Per Calorie$0.0014$0.0008
Wet Dog FoodNutroPurina Dog Chow
Per Pound$6.55$2.14
Per Calorie$0.0136$0.0042

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Nutro or Purina Dog Chow, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Nutro or Purina Dog Chow will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Nutro and Purina Dog Chow. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Nutro Pet Foods

You can purchase Nutro pet foods from the following stores:


77 Recipes In-Stock Today

44 Recipes In-Stock Today

64 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Purina Dog Chow Pet Foods

You can purchase Purina Dog Chow pet food products from these retailers:


4 Recipes In-Stock Today

1 Recipes In-Stock Today

4 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductNutroPurina Dog Chow
Dry Dog Food56 Recipes5 Recipes
Wet Dog Food45 Recipes9 Recipes
Dog Treats12 TreatsNone
Dry Cat Food11 RecipesNone
Wet Cat Food41 RecipesNone
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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