Nulo Challenger Canned DOG FOOD Review

With an average score of 7, Nulo Challenger Wet is considered a moderate risk dog food. There are 3 recipes that average 46% protein and 19% average carbohydrate as calculated. 

This line loses food quality points for having average carbohydrate of 20% which is considered high for a wet dog food. Excessive carbohydrate like legumes and starches are an indicator of low quality foods as they are used to keep costs down. Large amounts of starch can increase insulin levels, cause obesity and negatively impact gut balance.

One recipe contains sugar in the form of honey. Sugars can cause unwanted gut changes, obesity and insulin spikes.

This line also loses significant ingredient quality points for excessive added vitamins and minerals. Ideally, these nutrients should come from whole food sources and their inclusion  is usually due to poor quality or overly processed ingredients. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from vitamin premixes.

The food safety score is lower because, like all canned foods, Nulo Challenger Wet is highly processed, and is heated before and during canning, leading to nutrient losses. 

Rounding out the food safety scores, the line loses a point for high pesticide or herbicide ingredients like chickpeas. This line also loses points for added natural flavor. This ingredient is often animal digest or MSG, which are both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies.

The inclusion of “glam”  ingredients like kelp, ginger and turmeric is also a concern. These ingredients are added to make consumers think the food has healthy ingredients. But they’re listed below the salt, which means they’re present in tiny amounts and won’t benefit your dog. 

There’s no indication whether fish ingredients are farmed or wild-caught. Farmed fish is less nutritious, with a less favorable fatty acid balance. The label does not provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.