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Nutro vs Under The Sun

Nutro vs. Under The Sun

In this comparison article for Nutro vs Under The Sun, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Nutro and Under The Sun, 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 Under The Sun vs Nutro comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Nutro Review Page or Under The Sun Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Under The Sun vs. Nutro

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.

Nutro Dog Food vs. Under The Sun Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodNutroUnder The Sun
Crude Protein27.0%27.5%
Crude Fat15.3%12.1%
Crude Fiber4.7%4.6%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodNutroUnder The Sun
Crude Protein42.6%41.1%
Crude Fat24.2%24.5%
Crude Fiber6.1%6.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude protein content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Nutro and Under The Sun also provide roughly the same amount of crude protein.


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.

There is a small difference between the fat content of Nutro and Under The Sun. We can see that Nutro guarantees about 3.24% more fat than Under The Sun. For wet dog foods, Under The Sun and Nutro provide roughly the same amount of fat.


Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Nutro and Under The Sun also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Nutro Cat Food vs. Under The Sun Cat Food

Wet/Canned Cat FoodNutroUnder The Sun
Crude Protein54.8%46.5%
Crude Fat23.1%22.3%
Crude Fiber5.1%6.7%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for wet cat food, it's clear that Nutro provides significantly more protein. On average, Nutro guarantees about 8.31% more protein than Under The Sun.


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.

Under The Sun and Nutro both provide roughly the same amount of crude fat.


Nutro Pet Food Ingredients vs. Under The Sun Pet Food Ingredients

Nutro and Under The Sun both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Pea Protein

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

Bone Broth
Iron Oxide
Pork Plasma
Whole Wheat
Brewers Rice
Wheat Gluten
Animal Plasma
Caramel Color
Tomato Pomace
Vegetable Oil
Feeding Oatmeal
Dried Corn Syrup
Powdered Cellulose
Dried Tomato Pomace
Pea Protein Isolate
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Under The Sun.

Canola Oil

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

Nutro and Under The Sun both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Under The Sun.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Nutro & Under The Sun?

Nutro has been recalled 4 times.

  • Sept. 30, 2009: small pieces of melted plastic
  • Dec. 13, 2015: Mold
  • May 21, 2009: incorrect levels of zinc and potassium
  • March 16, 2007: Melamine

According to our records, Under The Sun has never been recalled.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodNutroUnder The Sun
Per Pound$2.24$1.67
Per Calorie$0.0014$0.0011

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 Nutro or Under The Sun, 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 Nutro or Under The Sun will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Nutro and Under The Sun. 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 Nutro Pet Foods

You can purchase Nutro pet foods from the following stores:


77 Recipes In-Stock Today

44 Recipes In-Stock Today

65 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Under The Sun Pet Foods

You can purchase Under The Sun pet food products from these retailers:


4 Recipes In-Stock Today

4 Recipes In-Stock Today

4 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductNutroUnder The Sun
Dry Dog Food56 Recipes7 Recipes
Wet Dog Food45 Recipes8 Recipes
Dog Treats12 TreatsNone
Dry Cat Food11 RecipesNone
Wet Cat Food41 Recipes9 Recipes
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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