Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Nulo Medal Series dry product range is made up of twelve recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 5 stars.
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein Chicken and Peas | 5 | M |
| Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein Weight Management Chicken and Sweet Potato | 5 | M |
| Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein Salmon and Sweet Potato | 5 | M |
| Nulo Medal Series Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Salmon and Sweet Potato | 5 | G |
| Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein Lamb and Lentils | 5 | M |
| Nulo MedalSeries Grain-Free Small Breed Turkey and Chickpeas | 5 | G |
| Nulo MedalSeries Chicken and Sweet Potato | 5 | A |
| Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein for Seniors Chicken and Lentils | 5 | M |
| Nulo MedalSeries Puppy Salmon and Lentils | 5 | G |
| Nulo MedalSeries Grain-Free Puppy Chicken and Sweet Potato | 5 | G |
| Nulo MedalSeries Chicken and Sweet Potato Small Breed | 5 | A |
| Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein Large Breed Turkey and Peas | 5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein Lamb and Lentils was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein Lamb and Lentils
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Lamb, turkey meal, chicken meal, whole peas, sweet potato, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols & citric acid), lentils, menhaden fish meal, pea fiber, natural lamb flavor, yeast culture, dried chicory root, potassium chloride, dried apples, dried blueberries, dried carrots, dried tomatoes, calcium carbonate, salmon oil, salt, sweet fennel, dandelion, chamomile, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), iron proteinate, niacin, copper proteinate, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, manganous oxide, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), sodium selenite, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, folic acid, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 32% | 17% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 36% | 19% | 38% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 30% | 39% | 32% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is lamb. Although it is a quality item, raw lamb contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is turkey meal. Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.
The third ingredient is chicken meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.
The next ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The fifth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The sixth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient includes lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, lentils contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The eighth ingredient is menhaden fish meal, yet another high protein meat concentrate.
Menhaden are small ocean fish related to herring. They’re rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. What’s more, in their mid-depth habitat, menhaden are not exposed to mercury contamination as can be typical with deep water species.
This item is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1
The ninth ingredient is pea fiber, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber derived from pea hulls. Aside from the usual benefits of fiber, this agricultural by-product provides no nutritional value to a dog.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other ingredients.
But realistically, items located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Nulo product.
With four notable exceptions…
First, salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.
Next, chicory root is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
In addition, this recipe includes sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Nulo MedalSeries High-Protein Lamb and Lentils looks like an above-average grain-free dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 19% and estimated carbohydrates of about 38%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 35% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 40% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.
Which means this Nulo product line contains…
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas and lentils, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.
Nulo Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Nulo through November 2024.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Nulo Medal Series Grain Free Dog Food
Nulo Medal Series is a grain-free dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Compare Nulo Medal Series Dog Food
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A Final Word
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