Today, we’re going to take a look at Rachel Ray Nutrish Dog Foods to provide you with the information you need to decide whether or not this brand is a good choice for your pooch.
Want to jump straight to the good stuff? Here are the Rachel Ray Nutrish formulas we recommend. Continue reading to understand why!
It appears that Rachael Ray may have changed some of the their recipes recently.
We’ve reached out to the brand for clarification and will update this article when we hear back. Until then, be sure to scrutinize ingredient lists carefully if your pup has a food allergy or intolerance.
Rachael Ray Nutrish: History & Background
Rachael Ray Nutrish is a dog food brand designed by celebrity chef Rachael Ray and manufactured by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition.
Ray developed the original recipes for her own pet pit bull, and a portion of the proceeds generated by the brand are donated to Rachael’s Rescue – a shelter for at-risk dogs – and several other pet charities.
Ainsworth Pet Nutrition was originally started more than 75 years ago by George Ainsworth Lang, who sought to make safe, high-quality, and affordable pet foods that dogs and cats would love. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition is headquartered in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and Lang family members continue to play an important role in the company’s leadership team.
It is a little difficult to determine where their foods are made based on the information from the company’s website; however, we placed a phone call to Ainsworth Pet Nutrition to find out.
Their representative indicated that all Rachel Ray dry foods are made in the USA, while the canned and wet foods are made in Thailand. However, the representative indicated that those made in Thailand were manufactured under the same standards as their US-made foods are.
Ainsworth Pet Nutrition is a reputable and respected manufacturer, whose foods meet USDA, FDA, and AAFCO standards. A few Rachel Ray Nutrish cat foods were voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer in 2015 for potentially elevated vitamin D levels, which can be dangerous for cats.
Rachael Ray Nutrish is available through a number of different retail channels, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target, among others.
Varieties of Nutrish
Rachael Ray Nutrish includes a variety of different pet foods and treats, and we’ll examine a few of their primary offerings below.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Food
Rachael Ray Nutrish produces five different dry food lines, representing 13 different recipes in total. These lines include:
Rachael Ray Nutrish
The flagship product line for the company, Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural recipes feature a meat as the first listed ingredient and contain no poultry by-product meal.
Recipes include:
- Real Chicken & Veggies (most popular and the focus of our review today)
- Turkey, Brown Rice, & Venison
- Real Beef & Brown Rice
- Bright Puppy Real Chicken & Brown Rice
Dish
The Nutrish Dish product line recipes are primarily comprised of real, easily identifiable ingredients.
Unlike some foods that are made from ingredients that sound like they were made in a laboratory, you will probably recognize most of the ingredients in these recipes, aside from a few mineral supplements.
There are two recipes in this product line:
- DISH Chicken & Brown Rice
- DISH Beef & Brown Rice
Just 6
The Just 6 product line is comprised of only a single recipe, which features only a handful of ingredients, and contains no corn, wheat, or soy.
There only recipe in this product line is:
- Just 6 Real Lamb Meal & Brown Rice
Zero Grain
No products found. The Zero Grain line is made without any grains, glutens, or fillers and features a meat as the first listed ingredient. The Zero Grain line is available in four different recipes:
- Zero Grain Turkey & Potato
- Zero Grain Beef, Potato, & Bison
- Zero Grain Salmon & Sweet Potato
- Zero Grain Chicken & Sweet Potato
Peak
The Nutrish PEAK product line is a new addition to the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand lineup, and it is comprised of two recipes, which are designed to be nutrient-dense and provide 30% of their calories from proteins.
Recipes are:
- PEAK Open Range Recipes with Beet, Venison, & Lamb
- PEAK Northern Woodlands Recipe with Turkey, Duck, & Quail
Rachael Ray Nutrish Wet / Canned Food
Although Rachel Ray Nutrish is primarily a dry-food brand, they do produce six different wet recipes.
- Rustic Duck Stew
- Beef Stroganoff
- Chicken Muttballs with Pasta
- Hearty Beef Stew
- Savory Lamb Stew
- Chicken Paw Pie
You can purchase these recipes individually, but they also come in a 3-flavor variety pack. Note that these foods are all packaged in small, elongated tubs with plastic lids, rather than metal cans.
Wet foods usually have more protein per bite than dry kibbles, and many dogs go crazy for their taste and texture.
Accordingly, wet foods usually cost more than dry foods – it can be very expensive to feed a large dog a completely wet diet. You may want to consider feeding your dog a combination of wet and dry foods, to get the best of both worlds.
Nutrish Treats
Rachael Ray Nutrish also offers 15 different varieties of treats, which are made with the same dedication to quality that goes into their wet and dry foods. A few of their most popular flavors include:
Rachael Ray Nutrish: Quality
Dog Food Advisor (DFA) gives Rachael Ray Nutrish 2.5 stars out of a possible 5. This is DFA’s second lowest tier, indicating that they believe this is a relatively low-quality pet food.
Read on to learn more about some of the reasoning behind this score.
Rachael Ray Nutrish: Ingredients
Although many of the recipes from the Rachael Ray Nutrish brand have similar ingredient lists, there are obviously important differences between them, so be sure to investigate the ingredients contained in the recipe you select.
We’ll review the Real Chicken & Veggies ingredient list below, as this is one of the brand’s most popular recipes.
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Soybean Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Poultry Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Brown Rice, Natural Chicken Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Peas, Dried Carrots, Olive Oil, Iron Oxide (color), Zinc Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (A Source of Vitamin K Activity), Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Folic Acid.
CORE PROTEIN: Chicken & Chicken Meal
The first two ingredients listed on the Chicken & Veggies Recipe are chicken and chicken meal, which are both nutritious proteins that dogs often find delicious.
You always want to stick with foods that feature a whole protein at the top of the ingredient list, and you also want to ensure that any meat meals or byproducts contained in it are sourced from a single protein.
Rachael Ray’s Real Chicken & Veggies recipe satisfies both of these criteria.
According to the nutritional label, protein provides 26% of the calories in the Real Chicken & Veggies recipe.
CARBOHYDRATES: Ground Rice + Ground Corn
Ground rice and corn are the two primary carbohydrates included in the Real Chicken & Veggies recipe. Generally speaking, these are regarded as low-quality carbohydrates, and most premium dog foods avoid them.
Note that dogs do not require carbohydrates at all; they are only included in dog foods because they are an inexpensive source of calories.
In a perfect world, you’d probably feed your dog a diet primarily comprised of proteins and healthy fats. But this would be quite expensive to do; several thousand calories of chicken per week would cost a pretty penny.
Ground rice is essentially rice flour, and while it is free of glutens, it doesn’t provide a whole lot of nutritional value, aside from the calories it contains. Corn is not a problem for dogs who aren’t allergic to it, but it is generally avoided by most premium dog food manufacturers.
Real Chicken & Veggies derives about 41% of its calories from carbohydrates. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with this, it is far more than would be ideal.
Controversial Ingredients: Beet Pulp + Iron Oxide
There are a few ingredients listed on the Rachael Ray Real Chicken & Veggies Recipe that give some owners pause. While none of these are likely to cause harm to your dog, some owners prefer to select foods that avoid them entirely.
The two most problematic ingredients in the recipe are beet pulp and iron oxide.
Beet pulp is actually a pretty good (and inexpensive) source of fiber, but many owners look at it as a cheap filler that fails to provide much nutritional value. As long as it is only included in moderate amounts, it is unlikely to cause any problems.
Iron oxide is essentially rust that is used as a food dye. This may not be a deal-breaker for you, but it is important to note that food colors and dyes are entirely unnecessary additives for your dog’s diet, and they only serve to make the food look tastier to you – your dog doesn’t care (and hardly notices) about the color of his food.
Fruits & Veggies: Dried Peas + Carrots
Fruits and vegetables can be tasty and nutritious ingredients for a dog food, and they are usually welcomed additions in any recipe. Unfortunately, Real Chicken & Veggies only contains two whole vegetables: dried peas and dried carrots.
Peas and carrots are obviously a classic flavor combination, and most dogs probably appreciate the flavor they provide, but many premium dog foods contain many more offerings, including things like blueberries, cranberries, kale, and spinach.
Fruits and vegetables can provide plenty of canine vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but dried peas and dried carrots aren’t especially helpful in either regard. Particularly when they are featured so far down the ingredient list.
Oils & Fats: Poultry Fat + Olive Oil
Fats (oils and fats are essentially the same thing – oils are liquid at room temperature, while fats remain solid) are an important component of your dog’s diet. In fact, dogs are capable of digesting foods with enough fat to cause most people to barf or go into a food coma.
Rachael Ray’s Real Chicken & Veggies Recipe has a couple of different sources of fat, namely poultry fat and olive oil. Poultry fat is a decent fat for dogs; it is affordable and most dogs appear to find it delicious. However, it isn’t as rich in omega-3 fatty acids as many fish oils are. Olive oil is a fantastic source of fat for dogs, and it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
In total, Real Chicken & Veggies derives about 33% of its calories from fats, which is a reasonable amount that is similar to many other dog foods.
Advantages to Nutrish
- Most Racheal Ray Nutrish recipes contain a real meat as the first listed ingredient, and they are typically fortified with an identified, single-source meat meal.
- A few of the seafood-based recipes from the Nutrish line provide a pretty respectable amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Many dogs find chicken, chicken meal and poultry fat to be delicious. In fact, most owners note that their dogs seem to love most of the various Rachael Ray Nutrish recipes.
- Most Rachel Ray Nutrish recipes are very affordable, and although they aren’t upper-tier foods, they are generally superior to many others at similar price points.
Disadvantages to Nutrish
- Most of the popular recipes in the Rachael Ray Nutrish line – including the Chicken & Veggies Recipe detailed above – contain corn, ground rice, and other low-value carbohydrates. However, the brand has several recipes that contain brown rice, sweet potatoes, and other high-value carbohydrates as well.
- Some of the recipes in the Nutrish line contain artificial coloring agents, which are always best avoided.
- There aren’t a ton of fruits or vegetables included in any of the Rachael Ray Nutrish recipes, which is somewhat disappointing, although it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
- Probiotics are not included in the recipe. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help to regulate your dog’s digestive system and promote overall good health.
Final Thoughts on Nutrish
While there are a few fairly good recipes in the Rachael Ray Nutrish product line, most of the brand’s offerings are relatively disappointing. The standard Nutrish line falls into the unimpressive category, not offering much in the way of dog food.
They do meet many of the minimum criteria you’d want in any dog food, such as containing a meat at the beginning of the ingredient list and being formulated in accordance with AAFCO guidelines, but they lack many of the super-high-value ingredients included in premium foods.
These foods are probably fine in a pinch, but you’d be better off looking elsewhere when looking for a good dog food.
Because cost is always a factor in your dog food selection, and Rachael Ray Nutrish foods are generally affordable and of higher quality than other options in the same price range, we’ve rated this a little higher than we otherwise would.
But wait! That’s just for the standard Nutrish line. How do the other formulas hold up?
Best Rachael Ray Nutrish Formulas
In this review we focused mainly on the Rachael Ray Nutrish classic formula and their most popular recipe – the Real Chicken & Veggies recipe.
But how to the other formulas stack up? Are there better options from the Nutrish line? Let’s examine in more detail the other Rachael Ray Nutrish formulas, as mentioned earlier in the guide.
PEAK FORMULA
Rachael Ray Nutrish’s Peak formula is definitely the best in the line. It actually earn a 4.5 star rating from DFA, which is quite impressive. Peak features a 33% protein composition, which is better than most dog food.
While the Rachael Ray Nutrish formula is most popular, we’d recommend opting for their Peak formula instead, which offers a much better protein composition than the Nutrish standard line.
Want to try Rachael Ray’s Peak formula? You can find it on Amazon!
Product
Details
- Contains (1) 12 Pound Bag of Dry Dog Food. For a limited time, you may receive either bag while we...
- Farm-raised turkey is the #1 ingredient
- Nutrient-dense recipe to satisfy your dog's instinctual cravings
- Grain and gluten free recipe with no filler ingredients
ZERO GRAIN FORMULA
Zero Grain has a few different recipes, and some are better than others.
The Turkey & Potato, as well as the Salmon & Sweet Potato recipes come highly recommended, earning 4 stars from DFA. The Turkey & Potato formula features three meats as the first ingredients, with turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal.
The otherZero Grain Formulas – the Chicken & Sweet Potato, along with the Beef, Potato and Bison formula, did not get rated as highly.
This emphasis on meat protein means that the formula boasts a 29% protein composition, which is quite good.
Zero Grain
Want to try it yourself? You can find Nutrish’s Zero Grain formula on Amazon.
Product
Details
- Contains (1) 4 Pound Bag of Dry Dog Food
- Real salmon is the #1 ingredient
- No artificial preservatives, colors, or artificial flavors
- Natural dog food with added vitamins & minerals
JUST 6 FORMULA
Despite the claims to fewer ingredients, Just 6 isn’t terribly impressive.
While the ingredient list is fairly decent, it features a protein content of 23%, which is below average, and is composed of 55% carbohydrates, which is above average. It also only features one meat ingredient, as opposed to other formulas which feature several.
DISH FORMULA
Dish is another less-than-desireable Rachael Ray Nutrish formula.
While this formula features average amounts of carbohydrates and protein, is contains several ingredients that are generally frowned upon, like brewers rice, glycerin, and even sugar.
Let us know – what do you think of Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food? Does your pooch love or despise it? Share your experiences in the comments!
Disclaimer: K9 of Mine is unable to purchase every dog food reviewed in person. Instead, we rely on copious amounts of research and user feedback to inform our reviews. We use information provided from manufacturers as well as third-party sources to provide a thorough overview of various dog food brands.
60 Comments
March 14, 2023
WARNING! Rachel Rays Limited Six added peas due to cost effectiveness. My dog is highly allergic to peas and has been miserable for months. We have taken her to the vet, for allergy shots, skin scrapes, blood work………. today we found out that PEAS are the 4th ingredient.
March 14, 2023
Hey there, April.
We’re aware that Rachael Ray has recently changed their recipe and we’re speaking directly with the brand about it.
Stay tuned!
May 31, 2021
Hey my dog loved the product from the start. I do too. Execpt for today. I weight the dogs bend and found it to be 11.5 pounds of a 15 lbs bah of #superpreimiumfoodfordogs turkey brown rice & venison is cadinces favorite.
June 1, 2021
That’s strange (and a bit concerning), Joseph! We’d recommend reaching out to the manufacturer!
May 21, 2020
My dog went to the vet last July & got a great check up. Vet suggested adding grain to his diet. I put him on nutrish. Headed back at the vet in Sept as he was losing so much weight. He is now in early stage kidney failure and will be on prescription food forever. He was not digesting the nutrish. This stuff should be pulled off the market. Rachael Ray should be pulled off the market herself!!
March 15, 2020
Bought 2 cases Peak natural wet food Wetlands my 2 dogs threw it up 1st feeding. My grand furbaby has had lung cancer for 7 mos. ate but she’s throwing up blood now won’t eat at all GOD pray it’s not the end. Don’t buy!!!
November 3, 2019
Please note as an emergency I felt safe to get Racharl Ray dog food as an alternate when I ran out of her prescribed food for a day. Incredibly she started drinking many dishes of water. We were out of power in a storm situation. I felt terrible. You must rethink the sodium content for this food. Zoey is my White Boxer and very much my child. Your formulary is wrong! Please reply. Standish Maine.
November 4, 2019
Hey, Christie.
Sorry the food didn’t seem to work out for you. But we don’t manufacture any foods — we simply provide information for owners.
You can find the contact information for Nutrish here.
Best of luck!
October 31, 2019
Hi there,
It would be nice to find a good dog food that isn’t so expensive! I’ve heard a lot of people making their own dog food! I’m so confused because it seems like all these companies say their dog food is the best and my vets dog food is expensive! I’ve been using the RR nutrish for my rescue lab and haven’t had any issues, but not I’m wondering if I should switch?! I’ve even talked to a special dog food store and they charge 75 dollars for a bag..who can afford that?! Anyone have any meaningful info.?! It’s getting overwhelming!!
October 31, 2019
Hey, Kris. These four-footers certainly can test our budgets!
But home-made foods are usually more expensive than commercial options. We discuss this and more in our new article about money-saving dog-care strategies.
Check it out and see if there are some other ways you could make room in your budget.
October 14, 2019
I bought 2 bags of puppy bright, which my puppy has been eating for 4 months. The last 2 bags had a horrible fish oil smell and she would not eat it. Can you check to see if something changed. Now I have to find something else..dont think I will try any others from this line.Thank you
October 15, 2019
Hey, Judie.
I can’t find anything that suggests they’ve changed their ingredients or recipe. It’s more likely a one-off problem with a particular batch.
I’d recommend buying the food from another retailer and see how that goes. Obviously, if the kibble doesn’t look, smell, or feel right, don’t give it to your pooch.
You may also want to reach out to the manufacturer and explain what happened. This way, they will be aware of any problem that occurred, and they may reimburse you for the original purchase.
Let us know how it goes!
September 6, 2019
I was feeding my dogs Purina Pro Savor, they did wonderful on that dog food, but because I use to watch Rachael’s show, I decided to try her dog food! After feeding my Australian Shepherds her dog food for awhile, I lost two Aussies in the month of July, 3rd & 29th, 2018! And at the same time it came on the news about her dog food. Another thing, my third Aussie, when feeding time came, she would not eat until she went outside and ate a bunch of grass, then she would come in and eat her bowl of food! After my two. Other Aussies died I switched my 3rd dog back to Purina Pro and she has never ate grass again! It’s really been hard trying to get over this, I miss them and I get mad at myself for trying Rachael’s dog food! Please people listen up! This is real! Bless you all!
August 28, 2019
Can you give me any information pro and con of nutrish small bites dry dog food? I have. a 7 lb chihuahua mix.
August 19, 2019
Purchased two Peak Treats Chicken & Duck recipe treats. Gave 3 nights in a row one treat torn into 5 small pieces for my Yorkie pup. Each night, after eating 3 pieces she threw up. Pull date on bags were both May 16, 2020 and lot numbers were ST9074415:10 and purchased at Albertson’s in Temecula, CA.
Thinking she may have had an upset tummy, I waited a few days and tried again with the same results. This is a bedtime treat and we’ve not had any issues with other brands. I doubt I have my store receipts any longer, but would appreciate a refund in the amount paid (I believe it was $6.99 per bag) and the postage it would cost me to return these to you for analysis.
I would hate for this to happen to any other puppy. Please let me know what procedure I need to follow.
August 19, 2019
Hey, Michele.
Sorry to hear your dog isn’t handling the treats well.
But do note that we’re not affiliated with Rachael Ray Nutrish — we’ve just reviewed the food for our readers.
I’d recommend contacting the manufacturer directly and sharing your story.
Best of luck!
August 19, 2019
By continuing to distribute products that you have been put on notice of the adverse effects those products have on dogs makes you partially responsible. I suggest you check with your attorneys as far as your personal corporate liability goes. Meanwhile, I have also contacted Rachel Ray. These items need to be pulled from distribution.
August 20, 2019
I don’t know how else to explain this to you, Michele.
We don’t distribute foods, nor are we affiliated with Rachael Ray.
We do sincerely hope your pooch feels better and that you get some type of resolution from the manufacturer or retailer.
August 7, 2019
My German Shepard had a heart attack and died at the Vet office after being fed this food (Rachael Ray Nutrish). Not sure it was the cause, then a friend of mine got a call today that his dog was found dead in the backyard he started feeding his dog the food at the same time and they died 3 weeks apart! Both dogs were too young to die ! Makes me think it was probably the food… I will never use this food again… do your research on what you feed your dog. I wish I had ….really miss him!
October 31, 2019
Oh my! That is terrible! I’m so sorry for your loss! Maybe I need to reconsider this Rachel Ray! I was thinking it was a good brand!
July 15, 2019
I would question your statement that dogs don’t need any carbs at all. Their ancestors, wolves and/or foxes, consumed carbs. Think about what their ancestors primarily ate….mice and rabbits, with the occasional deer. What are these prey animals full of? Grains and grasses(carbs). And the wolves & foxes certainly didn’t fillet out the meat. They consumed the ENTIRE animal, innards and all. So, they indeed did get carbs in their diet.
July 15, 2019
Hey, Tim. Thanks for your comments.
Dogs are the ancestors of the (now-extinct) relatives of modern wolves, but foxes are on an entirely different branch of the Canidae family tree. Which is to say that foxes and domestic dogs aren’t particularly closely related.
Nevertheless, in regard to the thrust of your comment, we stand behind the statement — note that we aren’t saying carbs are bad for dogs, just that they don’t appear necessary.
Also, while gut contents can be important food sources for some carnivores/omnivores, it does not appear that wolves routinely consume the intestines of their prey (source). For that matter, while (most) dogs can and do digest cooked grains without issue, raw plant material is an entirely different story.
Deer, rabbits, and other herbivores have evolved very complicated adaptations to enable them to do so (multi-chambered stomachs, fermentation capabilities, chewing their food multiple times, etc.). So, even if a wolf started slurping up the contents of a deer’s digestive tract, it’s unlikely that it would digest much of the plant material anyway.
Thanks for reading!
July 7, 2019
My dog has been eating Nutrish. However I’m a little worried about the link between grain free food and heart disease that is being talked about this past month. He hasn’t been on the grain free for years, but I’m still worried. So, he has an appt with the vet this week. My vet said, “there is for sure a link between the 2 just not 100% sure what it is.” It’s not just Nutrish, there are a slew is other brands they gave mentioned.
July 7, 2019
Hey Barb – you are right that there is indeed some kind of correlation between grain-free foods and heart disease, and that no one really knows what the connection is right now! We discuss all this in detail in our new article about the FDA’s announcement about DCM and grain-free dog food. The good news is that this is affecting a very small percent of dogs, so chances are your pooch will be fine. That’s great your talking it over with you vet – they’ll certainly know how best to proceed!
June 28, 2019
I slowly changed my dogs for to Racheal Ray Nutrish. My dogs started dedicating 3 to 4 times a day. Today they went 2 times before their walk and then deficated all the way on their walk. Needless to say, I have gone back to my previous dog food. I bought 3 bags at $16+ each. I have a bag and a half left. Waste of my money. The only reason I changed is because one of my dogs stuck her nose up at the other food. I had to mix treats with it. I will go back to adding treats.
June 28, 2019
Hey, Pamela. Sorry Nutrish didn’t work out for your pups, but we appreciate you sharing your story.
Thanks for reading!
June 28, 2019
I can’t find Rachel’s wet food in containers. I live in Pismo.
Where is it. I want to find for my small 4 lb dog
June 28, 2019
Hey, Sharon. Here’s a variety pack.
🙂 Hope that helps.
June 9, 2019
It killed my lab 5.10.19.
June 9, 2019
That’s terrible, Monica! So sorry to hear that.
What did your vet indicate was the problem with the food?
April 29, 2019
My dog is being raised on RR Bright Puppy! She loves it!! I also mix in 1/2 a container of the wet every morning. And at night I put olive oil on it! Her vet said she is very healthy and her cost is beautiful and shiny!! She has never been sick, or anything wrong with her! When she turns 1yr old I will transition her to the RR Peak dog food! All dog foods are bad at one time or another!! It all depends on how much you listen to the crap of other people!! (My pets don’t ever get anything other than what is made for them! And hardly ever get treats!!) I look into the food myself and make up my own mind. I won’t listen to someone else!!
March 6, 2019
I bought the wet dog food. It is similar to dried plastic with the color of meat ………….Horrible. I am returning it. My little dog does not like it.
February 23, 2019
I have a 3 year old mini poodle and she’s only eaten nutrish chicken and veggies loves it and is healthy as can be…no issues here!! Thanks Rachel Ray!!!
February 19, 2019
My dogs love Dish Chicken with brown rice, veggies and fruit..the pieces of chicken they can’t get enough of..after reading this I think I’ll give the highly rated Peak formula a try..since it seems to be the best for my dogs..
February 20, 2019
Be sure to let us know how it works for your pooch, Tisa!
December 4, 2018
Have my 11 yr old mini poodle..got her a yr ago from a friends boss..she ate RR food all her life so I continued with it. So far no problems. But honestly I am a little upset with all the comments below and no answers answer to any of them..please comment.
December 4, 2018
Hi Jackie – we don’t work for Nutrish so not much we can tell you. Our review is based on information provided by the manufacturer and intel gathered across the web. We don’t have any direct contact with Rachael Ray Nutrish and can’t comment on other owners’ experiences. Ultimately you can decide to try Nutrish with your dog or not. Some owners have had negative experiences with Nutrish, but others don’t seem to have an issue. Generally, if you are interested in Nutrish, you can talk to your vet about it or sample it with your dog and see how he/she responds to it. Good luck!
November 5, 2018
I have a 10 yr old American pit bull terrier. I started her out as a puppy old enough to eat solid food with an all natural diet. I fed her nothing but puppy formulas dry dog food. I researched every top 5 or 6 star rated dry food. There’s a website Dog food analysis that rates dog food that I recommend.
Anyway about a year ago I changed my dog to Rachel Rays Zero grains.
It scares me to think this dog food that’s allegedly suppose to be zero grains may not be what we’ve been led to believe. My dog has been the picture of perfect health. At the age of 10 she still acts like a pup. Looks like I’m going back to Taste of the wild. BTW I’ve also only given her filtered water.
September 19, 2018
I just seen on my news feed the Rachael Ray dog food is making dogs sick and they are dieting do to eating this food ….I have 3 dogs been feeding them this food for many ,many years …now I read it’s bad . I just opened a huge bag yesterday and now I’m mortified and afraid to give it to my dogs….You tell me as a consumer what in the world are people suppose to do ??????? I thought it being Rachael Ray she would make sure that the food would be safe, just wonder if she feeds it to her own dog ……I am so angry!!seems like there is always something unsafe with dog foods , looking for a answer
July 15, 2018
I bought Just 6 and my dogs have gone 3 days without eating. They smelled it and refuse to eat it. I know something must be wrong with it. I have to go get them somsthing esls and throw this away. It envan stinks to me.
July 9, 2018
So disappointed in the wet Nutrish meals. My Brussels Griffon would not go near it. I think she should make some changes. Wasted a lot of money on this stuff. Another lesson learned.
July 4, 2018
My dog likes nutrition but if it isn’t rated high I will look farther.
June 29, 2018
I have been feeding my dogs the Nutrish Real Chicken and veggies dry food. They like it, but I opened the bag and the food was not the chicken. It was small cubes , I guess the beef formula. When I saw this I was really upset, putting food in wrong bag. I didn’t know who to complain to, but after that and reading this review I’m definitely not using this product. I would at least like to be reimbursed for the price of 14 lb bag. I am very disappointed.
June 29, 2018
Our Bischon died of spleen cancer and I became interested in dog food contents. I’ve read some disgusting things about by products. I’m 75 and my outside dogs living on table scraps and wild life were healthy. Reports say more than 80,000 yearly die with cancer. Possibly from euthanized pets ground up for food for our healthy pets. Therefore, I chose Rachel Rays recipe Nutrish Dish chicken , brown rice, olive oil , frite and vegetables.. disappointment came when I opened the bag and couldn’t find anything other than “Kibbles& Bits” look-alike. I dumped the bag and found SIX bigger pieces of chicken and sprinkles of peas and carrots. I was also disappointed that there was so much carbs. My 6# chichihua doesn’t need weight. He needs protein. I won’t buy this food again. My other dog also ate Rachel Rays. I would cook my own if I knew how to get the vitamins they need..
June 14, 2018
I had (notice I said HAD!) a 13 yr old pitbull, and an 11 yr old puggle. I had bought a small bag of RR Nutrish Dish beef flavor, and mixed it with my girls other dry food in the past and everything seemed fine (it was probably only about 25% of the overall amount). I recently purchased a larger bag of the chicken flavor, and again mixed it with another brand. All the sudden my pitbull became ill. She had hip issues prior, and one Saturday morning I got up, and she could hardly walk!! Of course it was the holiday weekend and I couldn’t find any vet that was in town that weekend. I did send an email to my regular vet and was in contact with her. She thought maybe considering her age, etc that she possibly had a stroke or something. She suggested giving her something for pain and inflammation which I did, and she seemed to perk up a little bit and so I didn’t think much of it at the time, and it didn’t seem to effect her appetite at all. The next day she began throwing up, and pooping very dark stools (well it was BLOOD). She eventually wouldn’t eat at all, and kept throwing up, and continued having blood in her stool, to the point that she lost control of her bowels, and was pooping straight blood. All the while we were in contact with our Vet. By the time we got her to the vet just one day after she started spewing blood she was so dehydrated, and lethargic there was nothing they could do and she passed away. They ran some blood tests and found out she had a high concentrate of bacteria in her blood. One might ask “WHY” I think it was the dog food or what is my point? Well, shortly after my pitbull passed, we still had our puggle and everything seemed to be fine. . . . however just two weeks after going through all of this with the pitbull, my puggle became sick, with some of the same symptoms. Started with a slight case of Diarrhea, then vomiting, and then she started with the bloody bowel. Of course I rushed her to the vet, where they began to run tests. They found enormous amounts of bacteria in her blood. We went through tons of lists of things, food, water, had she gotten into the garage where chemicals are kept, household chemicals, etc. . . We then went back to the food. As I stated before, I mixed a couple different kinds of dry dog food together, so it came down to maybe we got a bad bag of dry food. I went home and grabbed the dog food bag, which was just about empty, and examined the remaining contents. It appears that the bottom of the bag contained about 90% RR Nutrish Dish, and very little of the other brand. That is the ONLY common denominator that the two pets had! I am sending a sample to a lab to have it tested, but in the meantime I got online to check for recalls, and also began reading reviews and comments that others have posted. I had never read any comments prior to buying the dog food, and I wish now that I had. It seems like to huge of a coincidence that some of the comments state the same symptoms in their pets that mine went and are going through. Don’t know about anyone else, but my pets are like my children and to think that this could of been prevented. . . .
May 23, 2018
My dog is currently in the hospital after I switched him to this food. He developed acute pancreatitis and was close to death!!! Worse dog food ever! If you love your dog don’t feed them this poison!
May 24, 2018
I lost a dog about 2 1/2 years ago that was young. She had no problems before feeding her this food. I never suspected food since I thought it could was supposed to be high quality. Although I can’t prove it was the food after reading similar posts online I believe it was. I did report food to the FDA. I don’t want anybody to lose their pet like I did. I hope your dog gets better.
February 28, 2020
My chi is 7 yrs old had lots of energy and playful. I started him on Rachel ray food because a pet owner told me it was good for him. It’s three months later and he has gained so much weight.Now he breathes really hard and has no energy just sleeps a lot we have an appointment at the vets I hope he’s ok I’m really worried
May 5, 2018
This food is dangerous – high levels of arsenic, lead and mercury – please read comments of pet parents who actually used this or any pet food product before purchasing – avoid vet bill by feeding your pet top great quality food. You will not find top quality food in grocery stores, have to go to special pet club or depot type stores. I switch my boys to zignature and they are doing great. Their coat is so soft, it was straw like and falling out. If you switch brands, always mix our with new for about a 7-10 days then completely switch. – or mix a small amount of 100% pumpkin, not pie filling kind, straight pumpkin in with food. Help them digest new stuff easier. Their GI system is not like humans, so please do your research and not assume, this will save you on high vet bills.Try http://www.pawdiet.com – engine search as much as possible with any food/brand your considering feeding your pet.
May 5, 2018
My dog has lost interest in eating the Rachel Ray nutrish dry dog food.e ery time.e he eats it his been vomiting
May 23, 2018
My dog had been eating this for a few weeks and last week started getting sick and refusing to eat it.
April 19, 2018
Worst food ever! none of my dogs will eat it! I tried to break up the wet food for my toothless elder dog and could not even cut with fingernails or knife. What is it? Armadillo?? Tanned hide?? Put it outside for the feral cats in area that clean up even table scraps sometimes out – sat 2 days untouched, even saw a raccoon stop at it and walk away!!
April 18, 2018
I’m calling my vet, my senior dog has not been doing well, I’ve been scratching my head trying to figure out what is going in with him, he has been eating Rr. Ray nutrish and peak mixed for the last 6 months, my friend told me about this CRAP DOG FOOD!!! I hope I haven’t killed him, I’m so upset right now!!! I’m going to pet club/depot to purchase my dog food, high quality food because I love my pooches, any of these dog food product you can buy at walmart or grocery stores are low end, and most are not healthy for your pet. Think about it and please do your research before buying!!! I posted a weblink below that has this statement in it:
(Dog food -Worst that water in flint Michigan) – Another example was a Rachael Ray product claiming to contain human-grade ingredients that tested positive for mercury at 30 ppb. That’s 15 times the EPA’s limit of 2 ppb for human drinking water. Since the FDA has established no limits for how much lead, arsenic, mercury or cadmium pets should ingest, the Clean Label Project used the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act as their standard. The FDA weighed in with this reply:
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2017/07/03/contaminants-in-pet-food.aspx
April 15, 2018
Have two dogs. One wont touch Rachel’s Nutrish. The other one vomits it up. I cannot recommend this product.
April 14, 2018
Mi sisters dog has not been feeling well and losing weight. She took him to the vet, and when asked about what food he was eating, she said she had started him on Rachael Ray grain free a few months before. He said he could not specifically say it is the food, but hers was the 3rd dog he has seen recently that was eating that kind of food, and all had been in for not feeling well and losing weight. So she has changed the food and hopefully he will start feeling better.
April 2, 2018
the nutrich chicken muttballs was so bad my dogs would not touch it, they eat anything chicken, it was so hard I tried to mash and it was to hard!! I bought 3 containers-#o 71190 00673 8
April 2, 2018
Was thinking about buying Nutrish. But after it was the first to pull their ads from Laura Ingraham’s show, I will never buy any of Rachael Ray’s brands. This company made a bad mistake by letting a little brat in Florida dictate how they do business.
June 1, 2018
Thanks for this info. I support the move by Nutrish and RR. I was on my way to get dog food today and will be buying Nutrish due to this comment (and price v quality that I was leaning to).
January 23, 2018
The most horrible food ever made. Look at other reviews and people whose dogs have died. All 3 of my German Shepherds became ill after eating one can mixed with the food they have been on for 7 years. There are hundreds of reports of dogs dying and becoming ill as well as cats from her pet foods.
February 5, 2018
How do you know it was the dog food?