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Essence vs. NutriSource

In this comparison article for Essence vs NutriSource, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Essence and NutriSource, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this NutriSource vs Essence comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Essence Review Page or NutriSource Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: NutriSource vs. Essence

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Essence Dog Food vs. NutriSource Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Essence	NutriSource
Crude Protein	40.9%	28.9%
Crude Fat	19.3%	16.8%
Crude Fiber	5.7%	7.1%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Essence	NutriSource
Crude Protein	46.2%	43.4%
Crude Fat	32.6%	33.0%
Crude Fiber	6.0%	7.2%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for dry dog food, it's clear that Essence provides significantly more protein. On average, Essence guarantees about 11.99% more protein than NutriSource. For wet dog foods, Essence typically provides a little more protein (about 2.86% more).

Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

According to our data, Essence guarantees 2.51% more fat than NutriSource. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. For wet dog foods, NutriSource and Essence provide roughly the same amount of fat.

Essence and NutriSource both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, NutriSource and Essence also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Essence Cat Food vs. NutriSource Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Essence	NutriSource
Crude Protein	44.1%	36.4%
Crude Fat	18.5%	17.9%
Crude Fiber	4.8%	7.8%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	Essence	NutriSource
Crude Protein	46.2%	46.4%
Crude Fat	31.8%	31.4%
Crude Fiber	4.8%	5.2%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

Our analysis shows that Essence guarantees 7.69% more protein than NutriSource dry cat food recipes. For wet cat foods, NutriSource and Essence provide roughly the same amount of protein.

Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
Slow the growth of yeast infections
Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fat content of the two brands. With regards to wet cat food, Essence and NutriSource also provide roughly the same amount of crude fat.

There is a small difference between the fiber content of NutriSource and Essence. We can see that NutriSource guarantees about 3.03% more fiber than Essence. For wet cat foods, NutriSource and Essence provide roughly the same amount of fiber.

Essence Pet Food Ingredients vs. NutriSource Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by NutriSource.

Garlic

Canola Oil

White Rice

Pea Protein

Brewers Rice

Dried Tomato Pomace

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by NutriSource.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Essence & NutriSource?

According to our records, neither brand has issued any product recalls. Therefore, consumers have no reason to question the safety of Essence or NutriSource pet food products.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Essence	NutriSource
Per Pound	$4.11	$2.64
Per Calorie	$0.0024	$0.0015

Dry Cat Food	Essence	NutriSource
Per Pound	$4.64	$3.25
Per Calorie	$0.0027	$0.0018

Wet Dog Food	Essence	NutriSource
Per Pound	$4.99	$3.21
Per Calorie	$0.0090	$0.0061

Wet Cat Food	Essence	NutriSource
Per Pound	$5.98	$6.39
Per Calorie	$0.0103	$0.0119

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Essence or NutriSource, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Essence or NutriSource will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Essence and NutriSource. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.

Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Essence Pet Foods

You can purchase Essence pet foods from the following stores:

12 Recipes In-Stock Today

13 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy NutriSource Pet Foods

You can purchase NutriSource pet food products from these retailers:

75 Recipes In-Stock Today

30 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Essence	NutriSource
Dry Dog Food	6 Recipes	41 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	6 Recipes	13 Recipes
Dog Treats	None	11 Treats
Dry Cat Food	3 Recipes	8 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	3 Recipes	10 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None