NutriCare Nutricare Canine Weight Reduction

Dry Extruded complete

Nutricare Canine Weight Reduction
Poor
our rating

Is NutriCare Nutricare Canine Weight Reduction a good dog food?

We score it 41/100 (Poor). The main reasons are set out in "Why you might not" below, and every step of the calculation is shown under "How we calculated this score".

How we score

Why this score?

This recipe achieves an overall score of 41 out of 100. Ingredients without printed percentages adjust the rating by -10.6. Furthermore, the processing format contributes -6.7 to the overall score. The carbohydrate content also adjusts the total by -3.8. Finally, the additive load influences the result by -2.8.

Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.

100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.

Why you might choose it

  • Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
  • Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

  • 3 poor-graded ingredients make up about 20% of the recipe.
  • 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
  • Its additive load costs about 3 points in the rating.

View the source page

Estimated composition

carb36.7%
fibre18.1%
meat14.3%
additive10.2%
supplement9.7%
veg5.6%
oil5.4%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
26%
Fat
5%
Fibre
9%
Ash
7%
Carbohydrates
44.40%
Omega-3 fatty acids
0.40%
Omega-6 fatty acids
1.25%
Calcium
0.60%
Phosphorus
0.50%
Sodium
0.24%

Energy: 301 kcal/100g

Dry matter basis

Protein
27.30%
Fat
5.90%
Fibre
8.10%
Ash
5.70%
Carbohydrates
44.40%

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Vitamin E Supplement; L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C); Niacin; Calcium Pantothenate; Vitamin A Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Riboflavin; Vitamin D3 Supplement; Biotin; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Folic Acid; Zinc Sulfate; Ferrous Sulfate; Copper Sulfate; Manganous Oxide; Sodium Selenite; Calcium Iodate; L-Carnitine; Choline Chloride

Technological additives

preserved with mixed tocopherols and Citric Acid; preserved with BHA and BHT

Feeding guide

Daily feeding chart by body weight (5-100 lbs) with three tiers based on body condition score (Obese Prone, Overweight/Weight Loss, Obese/Weight Loss) in 8 oz measuring cups per day.

Reviews

Trustpilot: 4.6/5 · 37 reviews

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
  • Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
  • Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish meal
  • Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - white
  • You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein

These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.

Ingredients (16)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1Rice (Brown)Rice - whitecarbmedium-8.2
2Whole Grain CornWhole Grainscarbgood-7.9
3Chicken By-Product MealChickenmeatmedium-7.7
4Corn Gluten MealMaize glutencarbpoor-7.4
5OatmealOatscarbmedium-7.1
6Powdered Cellulose (a source of Fiber)Powdered Cellulosefibrepoor-6.9
7Fish MealFish Mealmeatmedium-6.6
8Dried Plain Beet PulpBeet Pulpfibremedium-6.4
9Potato ProteinPotato proteincarbmedium-6.1
10Natural FlavorsFlavoradditivepoor-5.9
11FlaxseedLinseedveggood-5.6
12Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and Citric Acid)Chicken Oil and Fatoilmedium-5.4
13Calcium CarbonateCalcium Carbonatesupplementmedium-5.1
14Psyllium HusksPsylliumfibregood-4.8
15Potassium ChloridePotassium Chloridesupplementmedium-4.6
16Iodized SaltSaltadditivemedium-4.3

Brand

NutriCare

Phone
1.800.436.5909
Address
iVet by Virbac, 6300 Kelly Drive, Parkville, MO 64152
Contact page
ivet.com

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-09-20
Scored with
Model v3 (methodology)
Product page
ivet.com

Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.

Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Scored with model v3 on 2026-09-26. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.39.191+2.35
Carb share of dry matter33.1%-0.115-3.81
Oil share of dry matter6.1%-0.092-0.56
Vegetable share of dry matter5.8%-0.005-0.03
Additive share of dry matter10.6%0.163+1.73
Supplement share of dry matter10.3%-0.012-0.13
Recipe graded poor20.2%-0.065-1.31
Number of poor ingredients3-0.876-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient7.4%0.060+0.44
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.106-10.56
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
Additive penalty-12.550.222-2.79
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.39.191+2.35
Meat share of dry matter0.0%0.096+0.00
Carb share of dry matter33.1%-0.115-3.81
Oil share of dry matter6.1%-0.092-0.56
Vegetable share of dry matter5.8%-0.005-0.03
Additive share of dry matter10.6%0.163+1.73
Supplement share of dry matter10.3%-0.012-0.13
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.375+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor20.2%-0.065-1.31
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.179+0.00
Number of poor ingredients3-0.876-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient7.4%0.060+0.44
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.106-10.56
Prints ingredient percentagesno0.000+0.00
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Frozen or chilled freshno0.000+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no0.707+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
High carb and low meatno-1.180+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.00.000+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.00.000+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.011.084+0.00
Additive penalty-12.550.222-2.79
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Rawno-0.054+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno0.000+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno6.629+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno6.331+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.174+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.146+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno-0.672+0.00
Processing-type offset
+0.02
Additives declared on label
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
41.2
Final score
41/100

Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.

Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges

How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.

Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein2628.7 (band 18 to 40%)99.3
Fat55.5 (band 5.5 to 20%)70.1
Fibre99.9 (band 0.5 to 5%)100
Calcium0.60.7 (band 0.5 to 2.5%)74.9
Phosphorus0.50.6 (band 0.4 to 1.6%)77.6
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.21.2 (band 1 to 2%)82
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)--100
Energy (kcal/100g)301332.6100

Fibre: Declared as a maximum; the high-fibre taper is not applied.

Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3): scored as the mean of its declared components (omega-6 100). The FEDIAF minimum for omega-6 is linoleic acid specifically.

Scored over 8 declared nutrients (combined weight 100); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% from the food type.

Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was estimated from the food type.

This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.

Transparency: what the label discloses

How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.

ItemPoints
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
✗ Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file0/20
✗ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)10/10
✓ Energy value declared (voluntary)5/5
✓ Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)5/5
✓ Feeding guidance given (mandatory)10/10
✓ Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory)10/10
✓ Country of manufacture stated (voluntary)10/10
✗ Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared, Batch and date labelling).

Safety: recall history

Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.

No recalls recorded in our database.

Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it

The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.

Claims on file; none we can check against the label

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
strategically balanced with dietary fiber to aid digestion (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
inclusion of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids ensures a healthy skin and coat (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
other key minerals and nutrients contribute to overall wellbeing (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
High in protein content to support lean muscle mass (on page)High/low levelnot checkableManufacturer assertion
with fresh chicken (on pack)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion

The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.

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