Label analysisGrade BKibble (Extruded)

NutriSource

NutriSource Senior Chicken & Rice

Editor ingredient insight

NutriSource Senior Chicken & Rice is a practical senior formula: chicken and chicken meal lead, then brown rice, barley, and oatmeal follow. With 26% protein, 12% fat, 5.5% fiber, 3,776 kcal/kg, 300 mg/kg glucosamine, 150 mg/kg chondroitin, and 0.5% omega-3, it makes sense for seniors needing joint and coat support. Calcium at 1.75% and phosphorus at 1.35% keep it off my shortlist for kidney-sensitive senior dogs.

Logic-based verdict

This food offers a stable basic protein structure.

Manufacturer-independentPublic-data basedIngredients · nutrition · safety

Protein source

Ingredient guide

Fresh-meat led with no plant protein support

Animal protein

Chicken (#1), chicken meal (#2), menhaden fish meal (#10)

It clears the protein floor without plant-protein boosting.

This is the kind of structure a premium food should have.

Included support ingredients

Nutrient guide

Glucosamine

Joint support ingredient

Chondroitin

Joint support ingredient

Yucca extract

Stool odor support ingredient

Taurine

Heart support ingredient

L-carnitine

Heart and weight support ingredient

Yeast culture

Gut support ingredient

Probiotics

Gut support ingredient

Omega-3

Skin and joint support ingredient

Omega-6

Skin and coat support ingredient

EPA+DHA

Skin, joint, and heart support ingredient

Vitamin E

Antioxidant and skin support ingredient

View full ingredients
Solid build

Ingredient grade

B

Grade B

Top ingredient profile

Chicken
chicken meal
brown rice
Fresh-meat leadNo plant booster
Crude protein26%
Crude protein26%
Crude fat12%
Other 62%

Calcium

1.8%

Phosphorus

1.4%

Sodium

0.3%

Protein position, fat position, and calorie density position are relative to foods in the same processing type cohort.

biotechProtein position
Typical
query_statsFat position
Lower
local_fire_departmentCalorie density
Higher

The first and second ingredients are both animal-based, so baseline protein quality stays stable. A whole-grain ingredient appears in the third slot, so this reads more like a mixed recipe than a fully animal-led one.

Nutritional strengths

  • The first ingredient is a species-named fresh meat.
  • Crude protein does not drop into a clearly low band.
  • Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.

What still needs work

  • Phosphorus is 1.4% on the label, at or above 1%. Senior dogs or dogs with kidney concerns should have phosphorus restriction reviewed with a veterinarian before using it as a staple food.
  • Phosphorus Excess sits near the upper end of the preferred range, so a more conservative read makes sense.
  • For senior dogs, energy load deserves an extra check.

Alternative foods

Smart chicken alternatives

Exact protein-type matches come first, then close protein-family matches fill the comparison.

43 alternativesKibble (Extruded) · protein type/family cohort

Other recipes from the same brand

Other recipes from the same brand with a different purpose or feeding target.

NutriSource

Grain Free High Plains Select

Adult · All sizes

High nutrient disclosurePlant-protein boosted

Label score

4.0/5

Grade B

NutriSource

Small & Medium Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice

Puppy · Small/medium breed

High nutrient disclosure

Label score

4.0/5

Grade B

NutriSource

Adult Chicken & Rice

Adult · All sizes

High nutrient disclosure

Label score

4.0/5

Grade B

NutriSource

Large Breed Adult Chicken & Rice

Adult · Large breed

High nutrient disclosure

Label score

4.0/5

Grade B

Brand context

Brand background availableRecall history confirmed

Founded in 1964 in the United States. This brand appears in public voluntary recall lists during the researched period.

Ingredient analysis

The top ingredients give this recipe a strong first protein read, so the ingredient section starts from a favorable position.

restaurantIngredient Quality Analysis

B4.5/6
Ingredient Grade
Good
1Chicken
Fresh Meat · Top
2chicken meal
Named Meal · Upper
3brown rice
Whole Grain · Upper

Ingredient Analysis Comments

  • •Chicken is a named fresh meat ingredient. The animal source is clearly identified. It reads as an top-tier protein source.
  • •chicken meal is a species-named animal meal ingredient. It is rendered rather than fresh, but the species source is still clearly identified. It reads as an upper-tier protein source.
  • •brown rice is a whole or coarse grain ingredient. It usually plays more of a carbohydrate and fiber role than a core protein role. It reads as an upper-tier carb and fiber source.
restaurantIngredient Grade BGood

Full collected ingredient list

35 ingredients
Chickenchicken mealbrown ricebarleyoatmealnatural turkey and chicken flavordried plain beet pulpchicken fat (preserved with tocopherols and citric acid)flax seedmenhaden fish mealbrewers dried yeastpotassium chlorideDL methioninesaltminerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, selenium yeast)choline chloridevitamins (vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement)glucosamine hydrochlorideL-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C)lactic acidchondroitin sulfateyucca schidigera extractpreserved with tocopherolstaurinepreserved with citric acidL-carnitinerosemary extractyeast culturedried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extractdried Bacillus subtilis fermentation productdried Bacillus licheniformis fermentation productdried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extractdried Enterococcus faecium fermentation productdried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation productand dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract
Primary positive ingredients
Support positive ingredients
Alternative protein
Neutral ingredients
Caution ingredients
High-caution ingredients

Why did the base review land here?

Ingredient qualityNutrient disclosure levelManufacturing & trust

This review score combines ingredient composition, nutrient disclosure, manufacturing trust, and core nutrient caution signals.

Nutrient disclosure

Broad disclosure

Disclosure is broad enough that this section works as evidence, not guesswork.

Safety verification

1 warnings

There is no immediate hard stop here, but a few caution rows are still worth checking.

Public data trust (ETF)

C1 tier

Detailed nutrition is visible, but not at a product-level traceability standard.

Final word

This is a credible shortlist food, but the personalized step is where the final order should be decided.

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