Food irradiation is a process in which foods are exposed to radiant energy, including gamma rays, electron beams and x-rays, to eliminate foodborne pathogens. We do not irradiate Nuta-Nuggets products. Food irradiation is not guaranteed to kill 100% of pathogens present and could accelerate the oxidation of the fat, making it spoil faster. If used incorrectly, irradiation has proven to negatively affect vitamin activity, especially vitamin B1 or thiamin. A deficiency of this vitamin in cats can cause several health problems including neurological disorders.

Yes. All of our meats are purchased from food grade suppliers and are certified hormone and antibiotic free.

Chemicals are not used to preserve any of our formulas. We use mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) to preserve the chicken fat in our pet foods. Added ascorbic acid (vitamin C) also has preservative effects.

Nutra-Nuggets sources all ingredients from vendors that do not use ethoxyquin.

Dogs and cats require salt in their diet. Sodium and chloride are important minerals for pets, especially for young puppies and kittens. Dietary sodium helps with growth and reproduction. If we didn’t add salt, we would not meet the minimum requirements dogs and cats need. Although our diets are not “salt restricted” like some prescription formulations, they are certainly not high in salt.

Like humans, dogs and cats have both “good” and “bad” bacteria in their digestive systems. Probiotics, or good bacteria, help maintain a healthy balance by suppressing bad bacteria in the intestines. A healthy digestive system will break down food and distribute nutrients more efficiently and is an important part of a healthy immune system. The Nutra-Nuggets Grain-Free formula includes K9 Strain^® Probiotics. These probiotics are derived from bacteria that are found in the GI tract of dogs and then processed under strict quality and safety standards for guaranteed purity and viability.

Nutra-Nuggets has recently updated our proprietary probiotic strains to include a blend of five strains. We continually look for ways to provide pets with the best nutrition options, so after careful evaluation and research, we increased the number of probiotic strains. The probiotics are alive and able to replicate in the GI system, so with five different types of probiotics, there is less room for pathogens to grow. Through extensive research and proprietary technology, Nutra-Nuggets has developed the probiotics specifically for dogs and cats. Every pound of Nutra-Nuggets is guaranteed to provide 80,000,000 colony-forming units (CFU) of live, active probiotic cultures.

Our foods are not hypoallergenic. There are very few truly hypoallergenic pet foods in the market, and the ones that are, are only available through veterinarians. There is also the option to feed a limited antigen diet where only one protein source and one carbohydrate source is fed. Usually, the protein source is something unique that many pets have not been exposed to before. An example would be a fish and potato diet.

Although Nutra-Nuggets does not have any hypoallergenic diets, or true limited antigen diets, sometimes changing to a diet that contains different ingredients than the one you are currently feeding can eliminate some skin problems. All of our foods contain omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, which help protect the health of the skin and decrease inflammation. Talk to your veterinarian to determine which type of diet is best for your pet.

Typically, large breed dogs are those whose adult weight is more than 25 kg.

We do not manufacture any prescription formulas for the treatment of urinary tract disease in cats. All of our adult cat formulas are designed to maintain a urine pH of 6.1-6.4 to prevent struvite crystals from forming. In most cases, this also helps prevent calcium oxalate stones. However, some cats may need a diet that produces a higher urine pH, such as a senior cat formula.

Cats normally have concentrated urine and diluting it seems to help prevent urinary tract problems. Feeding a canned product is thought to help prevent stone formation by increasing the total water intake and thus diluting the urine. Cats with chronic urinary tract problems seem to have an excessive response to stress. This could be stress in their environment or even a diet change.

If your cat has a history of medical problems such as bladder stones, consult with your veterinarian for the best nutritional options for your cat. If changing foods, switch very gradually over a two to four week period to help prevent any problems.

You will find that we add glucosamine and chondroitin to many dog formulas. The levels that are added to the senior dog and large breed dog formulas are higher than the levels in the regular adult dog formulas. This may not be enough to treat a dog with arthritis, but it is enough to provide relief to pets with mild arthritis. Helping your dog maintain a healthy body weight is another very important factor in minimizing arthritis symptoms. Overweight dogs are much more likely to develop arthritis and to suffer from extreme pain associated to the arthritis.

This is a behavioral problem, not a medical concern. Dogs that eat their own feces or more commonly, eat the cat’s feces, are doing so because they like it, they’ve seen another dog in the household doing it and don’t want to miss out or maybe they are bored. Walk your dog on a leash, immediately pick up the feces, and separate your dogs when they go out after meals to help break the cycle. As far as keeping them out of the litter box, the best you can do is put the box somewhere that is not accessible to the dog.

Diarrhea or soft stools is a common complaint from pet owners, especially dog owners who walk their dogs on a leash and cat owners who are responsible for cleaning out the litter box. Dietary intolerances can certainly cause digestive upset, leading to vomiting and/or diarrhea. However, if your pet is not tolerating something in their regular diet, you would expect to see signs of digestive upset everyday, not every once in a while.

For dogs that have occasional diarrhea, the most likely culprit is something they ate that was not part of their regular diet. This could be a treat or it could be something tasty that they found in the yard or on your walk around the neighborhood. It is nearly impossible to prevent a dog from eating something that they shouldn’t. Some dogs do this very infrequently but other dogs may do this on a daily basis. If the diarrhea occurs every time you feed a certain type of treat or a certain type of people food, try stopping this and see if the problem persists.

If your dog seems to occasionally suffer from a bout of diarrhea, talk to your veterinarian about adding a probiotic into your routine. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that support digestive health.

Cats with diarrhea are a bit trickier. Intermittent diarrhea is not that common in a cat. Stress may cause diarrhea, but it more typically causes blood in the stools. If your cat has diarrhea one day and then is fine for months, there is probably not anything that needs to be done. However, if your cat is having intermittent diarrhea, a trip to the veterinarian may be warranted.

Dogs and cats will often “graze” as a normal behavior. There are various types of “cat grass” that can be purchased for indoor growing to offer your cat something appropriate to chew on instead of your household plants. If dogs are grazing excessively to the point that they are vomiting, you should contact your veterinarian. Your pet might be suffering from an upset stomach.

Some people like to mix two foods together to offer variety. This can work just fine for some pets. Just be aware that if your pet develops an intolerance to something in one of the two foods, you won’t be able to tell which food is possibly causing the problem. Rotating from one food to another is a great option for offering variety. A change can be made every time it is time to get a new bag. A gradual transition between formulas is best.

It is not required to add supplements into your pet’s diet. All of Nutra-Nuggets’ pet foods are complete and balanced to provide your pet with the nutrition they need. However, you can decide to add supplements into your pet’s diet if you wish. Keep in mind that in most cases, supplements will do no harm, but human supplements may be harmful to pets. Consult with your veterinarian prior to giving your pet any supplements.

Your senior pet may benefit from a low calorie diet, especially if your pet is not very active or is overweight, but they may benefit from a high calorie diet depending on their lifestyle and body condition.

It is very important to closely monitor your pet’s body condition. Your veterinarian can show you what an “ideal, lean” body condition is and help you keep your pet in this condition. Consult your veterinarian before making changes to your pet’s diet.

Some nutrients in the food are diminished by the cooking process. Since this happens, Diamond adds higher than necessary levels of these particular nutrients so that the finished product provides optimal nutrition and meets our guarantees.

The calories per cup of food vary by product. Below is a quick list of calories in the Nutra-Nuggets dry pet food formulas.

Dog

Cat

There are feeding guides on every package. It is important to remember that the amounts listed on the package are expressed in the number of grams and ounces to be fed per day. So, for example, if the chart says to feed 8.4 ounces per day, and you feed your dog twice daily, each meal should be 4.2 ounces.

However, each pet is different. They have different metabolic rates and different activity levels. Some pets will need more food because of higher activity levels and some will need less food because of their less active lifestyle.

It is best for your pet’s health to be kept in lean body condition. Feed the amount of food that keeps your dog lean and fit, and remember it might not be the amount that is listed on the package. Consult your veterinarian when making any diet changes.

Your pet should have free access to fresh water at all times. Most pets will consume the amount of water they need based on their level of activity and the environmental conditions. If you feel that your pet is drinking an excessive amount of water, contact your veterinarian right away as this can be a sign of a medical problem.

We recommend portion-controlled feeding in a set number of meals per day using the recommended amounts on the back of your bag. Portion-controlled feeding allows you to monitor how much and how well your pet is eating. However, we understand in some cases, “free-choice feeding” is preferred because of busy schedules or the pet has the ability to pace themselves.

This is really a matter of personal preference, but also depends on your pet’s age and lifestyle. For instance, if you have a very young puppy, less than 4 months old, you may want to consider feeding 3 to 4 meals per day, when they are 4-6 months of age, change the number of meals to 2-3 per day, and after 6 months of age, feed 2 meals per day.

For specific feeding recommendations for the age and lifestyle of your pet, please consult your veterinarian.

When transitioning your pet to a new food, we recommend a gradual introduction of the new formula over a seven day period. For pets with sensitivities, extend the transition period to 10 to 14 days. Start by adding a small amount of your pet’s new food to his or her current food. Gradually, increase the new food amount and decrease the current food amount at each feeding until you are feeding only the new food.

Supplementing your pet’s diet with food that you eat can be just fine, but can also lead to problems. Make sure you research carefully the foods that you want to add to your pet’s diet to make sure they are not potentially toxic (e.g. onions, garlic, chocolate, grapes and raisins). Also, talk with your vet to make sure that they are ok additions to your pet’s diet. Only offer bland foods, not anything spicy or heavily seasoned that you have prepared for yourself. Make sure that your pet consumes a complete and balanced diet to avoid nutritional deficiencies or excesses.

The analytical constituents lists the amount of each nutrient guaranteed in the formula. Once you understand how to read it, you will be much better equipped to compare different varieties of pet food.

By AAFCO regulations, the analytical constituents is only required to list four nutrients:

• Crude Protein
• Crude Fat
• Crude Fiber
• Moisture

However, Diamond adds additional guarantees to their Nutra-Nuggets formulas, not only to provide you with more information about the food, but also as a mark of quality. Added guarantees mean that Diamond works very hard to manufacture a precise formulation each and every time and you can be reassured that bag to bag, the product will likely be more consistent than a product that only guarantees the four required nutrients.

Ash is present in all foods and is not an ingredient that is added. Ash is primarily made up of the minerals in the food and comes mostly from the dry protein source, such as chicken meal.

Foods specifically designed for puppies usually have more calories and sometimes more protein and other nutrients than foods for adult dogs. This is because puppies have higher requirements for certain nutrients when they are growing. We supplement our puppy formulas with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that helps support optimal development of the brain and vision.

Since our foods are naturally preserved, they remain freshest when stored in a cool, dry location. The food can be stored in the bag, but make sure to protect it from pests that may be attracted to the food (or hungry pets that may take an extra meal). Many customers choose to dump the food into a bin or container. This is certainly a reasonable way to store the food, but make sure to follow these simple steps:

1. Finish all of the food from one bag before adding another bag into the bin. If you have a small amount left, you can transfer it to a plastic bag so that you can proceed to step #2.
2. Wash the bin with hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly before adding a new bag of food.
3. Cut out the production code and “best before” information from the bag and tape it to the top of the bin so that if you have any questions or concerns, you can provide this information to the customer support department.
4. Store the bin in a cool, dry location. Extreme heat can cause the food to spoil and excessive moisture can lead to mold growth in the bin.

Although dogs are able to digest grains, their bodies don’t break them down as efficiently as they do proteins and fats. A diet free of grains is an excellent option for all dogs, but especially for those with grain sensitivities. Nutra-Nuggets US offers Grain-Free Beef Meal & Pea Formula for Dogs.

At this time we do not have any vegetarian diets. We believe strongly in the value of high quality animal proteins for optimal health and lean body condition. We offer a variety of formulas with a variety of animal protein sources to appeal to many different pets and their owners. The blend of amino acids that are found in animal protein sources better meet the nutritional requirements for dogs and cats. This does not mean that a balanced vegetarian diet is not possible, but we have decided to stick with quality animal protein sources for now.

The table below lists the as-fed calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) content:

Dog

^*as fed

Cat

^*as fed

The table below lists the as-fed protein content:

Dog

Cat

Nutra-Nuggets offers a diverse line of pet foods, and there is a formula available to meet the needs of every pet. If you would like personal advice on which formula may best meet your pet’s needs, reach out to us via the Contact Us page, and we will work with you on a specific recommendation.

At this time, there is only one US Nutra-Nuggets Grain-Free formula – Beef Meal & Pea Formula for Dogs – that is available in a ready-to-purchase 28 lb. bag.

Nutra-Nuggets Pet Foods is manufactured in the U.S. in our state-of-the-art facilities. We are committed to product safety and quality, and adhere to stringent and scientifically advanced food safety protocols. We are constantly monitoring and testing our raw materials, production environment, processes and finished products. By continuously improving performance with the latest advancements in science and technology, we’ve developed a comprehensive food safety system. Here are a few of the ways we ensure quality:

• On-Site Product Testing
• Mycotoxin Control
• Microbial Testing
• Water Purification
• Air Quality Control
• Test and Hold Program

Get an inside look at what it takes to create quality products. Click here for a tour of our state-of-the-art facilities.

Visit http://www.nutranuggets.com/where-to-buy/ to find a distributor of Nutra-Nuggets in your region. Contact the distributor to find a Nutra-Nuggets dealer near you.

We have five manufacturing facilities, all located in the United States. One is in northern California, one in central California, one in Missouri, one in South Carolina and one in Arkansas.

Nutra-Nuggets Pet Foods is dedicated to offering high quality foods at an affordable price and the changes will not affect the price of any Nutra-Nuggets formulas.

Please visit our distributor locator to find a distributor in your region. If you can’t find a distributor near you, please send an email to customerservice@diamondpet.com. We can put you in touch with a local distributor who can help you find our products.

This website represents Nutra-Nuggets products that are sold outside of the United States. We do have a separate Nutra-Nuggets line of products that are available in select regions of the U.S. These formulas include:

Nutra-Nuggets Adult Professional Formula for Dogs
Nutra-Nuggets Adult Performance Formula for Dogs
Nutra-Nuggets Puppy Formula
Nutra-Nuggets Lamb Meal and Rice Formula for Dogs
Nutra-Nuggets Adult Professional Formula for Cats
Nutra-Nuggets Adult Cat Maintenance Formula
Nutra-Nuggets Optimum Health Formula for Cats

Ingredient information for the U.S. line of Nutra-Nuggets products can be found by calling our Customer Service team at 800-544-3959. Our team also can assist you with finding a local dealer.

This formula is only available in the U.S. To find your local retailer, visit the U.S. retailer locator at https://nutranuggets.com/where-to-buy/.