Nutro Max Adult Beef and Rice

Reviews and label analysis suggest Nutro Max dog foods, such as Adult Beef and Rice, as a good mid-price canned dog food. We found no reviews that lab-test dog-food brands. Rather, reviewers evaluate the labels, looking for lots of meat, and Nutro Max has plenty. Dogs also need a diet that contains up to 50 percent carbohydrates, so reviewers are also looking for high-quality carbs from fruits, vegetables and better grains rather than low-value carbs like corn and wheat. Nutro Max has more grain than premium canned foods like Canidae Chicken, Lamb and Fish All Life Stages (*Est. $1.70 per 13 oz. can), but the ground rice and rice bran at least are of some benefit as opposed to corn or wheat.

Nutro Max dog foods are said to be "all natural" and do not use artificial preservatives or meat byproducts. We found some scattered anecdotal health complaints about Nutro dog and cat foods, but those could not be substantiated and an Internet rumor that the company was being investigated by the FDA proved to be unsubstantiated. The food meets Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for nutrition.

All major dog-food review sources do essentially the same thing: read labels and rate the contents. DogFoodAdvisor.com does the most comprehensive job, accompanying its ratings with good discussion. GoodGuide.com does the same, but its analysis uses different criteria than many reviewers. DogFoodAnalysis.com covers lots of products, but canned foods get no discussion and the analysis has now grown old.