frequently asked questions
Everything You Need To Know About Nulo
Nulo's nutritional philosophy revolves around crafting recipes that align closely with the dietary needs of dogs and cats, emphasizing high meat and fish protein content while minimizing carbohydrates and incorporating low glycemic ingredients.
We recognize the challenge consumers face in deciphering pet food labels, which often differ from those of human foods. Pet food packaging lists ingredients by weight before cooking, with the heaviest ingredients appearing first. However, during cooking, the moisture content of ingredients like "fresh meats" can significantly reduce their contribution to the final product. Without high-quality meals such as dehydrated meats and fish to compensate, the resulting food may have lower meat content when served.
At Nulo, we scrutinize every aspect of our recipes based on what ends up in the bowl, ensuring that our dry solid meat protein content ranks among the highest in the pet industry. Understanding that dogs and cats have limited dietary needs for carbohydrates, we prioritize maintaining high meat content while effectively managing carbohydrate levels. By focusing on what matters most – the nutritional composition as consumed by pets – we deliver recipes that truly cater to the carnivorous instincts of our beloved companions.
Nulo’s formulas are high in animal-based protein, have low carbohydrate levels, and contain healthier carbohydrate sources that help your pet maintain lean muscle mass and a healthy body weight. We also incorporate functional ingredients like pre-, pro-, and/or postbiotics in our foods and treats to enhance your pet’s overall health and wellbeing. Check, check, check, check! This means that your pet is receiving more of what they need – and less of what they don’t - when he or she eats their Nulo. From the beginning of our story, our founder’s standard has always been "The Max Test" – meaning if he wouldn't feed the food or treat to his own dog, Max, Nulo isn't going to make it for yours.
Our foods contain industry-leading levels of meat, providing pets with a highly palatable, highly digestible source of animal protein with the ideal amino acid profile. We also use only low-glycemic carbohydrate sources, making our foods as low as possible in carbohydrates. Many of Nulo’s recipes also feature the patented probiotic (BC30®) to support gut and immune health!
You can reach our team of Pet Nutrition Specialists for questions and product information:
- By Phone: 512-476-6856
- By Email: customercare@nulo.com
- By live chat or contact form at: https://nulo.com/contact-us
Our normal business hours are Monday–Friday 9AM–5PM CST
For all media inquiries, please reach out to press@nulo.com
Nulo Product Information
Nulo is proud to offer four unique product lines to provide the perfect solution for every pet, including kibble recipes for dogs, kibble recipes for cats, and so much more!
Our core Grain-Free dry & wet foods for dogs and cats
- Kibble recipes feature a guaranteed minimum of 30% protein for dogs, and 38% protein for cats, with 75-87% animal-based protein
- Kibble recipes for dogs contain natural botanicals sweet fennel, dandelion, & chamomile
- Kibble recipes include Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Diets for dogs and cats
- A full assortment of grain-free cans, pouches, and cups for dogs and cats
Our Ancient Grains Bioactive Blend kibble formulas for dogs
Guaranteed minimum 27% protein, with up to 77% animal-based protein
- Offered exclusively at our national retail partners Petco and PetSmart
- Our core Grain-Free dry & wet foods for cats and dogs
- Guaranteed minimum 30% protein, with 80-87% animal-based protein
- Kibble recipes for dogs are free of chicken & egg proteins
- Kibble recipes include Grain-Free Limited+ for dogs
- A full assortment of grain-free cans, pouches, and cups for dogs and cats
- Offered at independent pet stores & select online retailers
- Our Grain-Inclusive value-premium dry food for dogs
- Guaranteed minimum 27% protein, with up to 77% animal-based protein
- Made with ancient grains including quinoa, spelt, barley, and millet
- Includes options for Puppy, Small Breed, and Adult formula
- Offered at independent pet specialty retailers and select online retailers
- Our Grain-Inclusive ultra-premium dry food for dogs
- Guaranteed minimum 35% protein, with 83-90% animal-based protein
- Made with Certified Organic grains including oats, barley, millet, and rye
- Includes options for Large Breed Puppy, Small Breed, and All Life Stages
- Available through brick-and-mortar independent retailers and online at Chewy.com
We also offer a wide assortment of premium alternative format foods, treats, and toppers that are simply branded as “Nulo”, which may be found across one or all of our retail partners:
Nulo does offer recipes tailored for special needs including weight management, hairball management, digestive health, as well as limited ingredient diets for pets with special ingredient restrictions. However, if your pet has a specific health condition, we recommend consulting your trusted veterinarian to see if any of our foods, toppers, or treats may be a good fit for their unique needs.
Nulo’s foods and treats are produced without the addition of artificial preservatives and are designed to maintain their freshness throughout their shelf-life when stored in a cool, dry location away from excess humidity, heat, and sunlight in their factory-sealed packaging:
- Kibble: 18-20 months
- Freeze-Dried Raw: 24 months
- Cold Pressed: 20 months
- Cans: 36 months
- Pouches, Cups, & Sachets: 24 months
- Semi-Moist Treats: 18 months
We recommend feeding our dry foods and treats within 30 days of opening for maximum freshness. Wet foods should be fed immediately after opening or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days after opening.
We recommend storing the food in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight, and in the original packaging, for maximum freshness. This also allows you to have the UPC, lot code and best by date available in case you ever need to contact Nulo with a question or in response to a safety concern. If storing dry food in a secondary food storage container, we suggest placing the entire bag into the container instead of emptying the bag of food into the container. For more detailed storage guidelines for each of our product types, please download our Shelf-Life and Storage
Nulo Feeding Information
Every pet is a little different, so the ideal feeding amount may vary with age, neuter status, environment, and activity level. Use the feeding information on our packaging and each recipe’s webpage as a starting guideline and adjust as required to help your pet maintain their optimal body weight. Your veterinarian is an excellent resource to help you assess your pet’s body condition and provide guidance on what an optimal body weight is for your pet, whether a kitten, puppy, adult or senior.
We recommend slowly transitioning onto any new recipe over the course of 5-7 days to reduce the risk of digestive upset that can occur with any rapid change in diet. Our general recommendation is 25% of the new formula on the first day mixed with 75% of the former formula. Over the course of 5-7 days, you should gradually swap this ratio until you are feeding 100% of the new formula. This will allow your pet’s digestive system time to adjust and will help keep stools consistent!
As a general rule of thumb your pet’s treats should not exceed more than 10% of their daily calorie intake. That means if your pet is maintaining a healthy body weight on 1,000 kcals per day, no more than 100 kcals should be derived from treats, and the remaining 900 kcals would come from their complete & balanced food. Feel free to browse our blog post on treats and calculating your pet’s treat allowances.
Nulo Nutrition & Ingredient Information
Nulo's nutritional philosophy revolves around crafting recipes that align closely with the dietary needs of dogs and cats, emphasizing high meat and fish protein content while minimizing carbohydrates and incorporating low glycemic ingredients. Plus, we feature a wide assortment of functional ingredients that help to enhance your pet’s overall health and well-being.
Nulo’s diets meet the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient guidelines for healthy dogs and cats, both by formulation and by analysis of the finished product. Our treats and toppers include a statement that they are intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.
Nulo never uses corn, wheat, soy, colors, artificial flavors, or artificial/chemical preservatives (like BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin) in any of our products.
The full nutrient profile of every complete and balanced recipe is available on each recipe’s webpage, located within the “ingredients & analysis” tab and beneath the “nutrition statement.”
Nulo Ingredient Sourcing Information
Our Pet Nutrition Specialists are available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm CST at customercare@nulo.com and at 512-476-6856 to help answer any questions.
Nulo strives to provide only the nutrients your pet needs by choosing not to formulate with BHA, BHT, or any other synthetic preservatives, colors, or flavors in any of our products. Instead, we use a synergistic blend of natural mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E), citric acid, and/or rosemary extract to help preserve our dry foods and treats throughout their shelf-life.
The Non-GMO Project’s High-Risk List includes Alfalfa, Apple, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Eggplant, Papaya, Pineapple, White Potato, Soy, Sugar Beets, Zucchini, and Yellow Summer Squash. Nulo’s products are not formulated using these crops, with the exception of apples and canola oil in a small subset of our foods and treats. In these cases, a non-GMO source is required from our suppliers.
All of Nulo’s products are manufactured in the U.S.A. through our network of premium pet food facilities that process our products to meet our unique formulas and quality specifications, with the exception of a subset of our wet foods that are made in Thailand. These include our pouches (2.8 oz), Perfect Purees, Silky Mousses, Signature Stews, and select canned recipes (2.8 oz, 6 oz, and 12 oz) that are manufactured in Thailand at a state-of-the-art facility that is also one of the world’s leading producers of canned tuna products for humans.
All of our manufacturing partners have an uncompromising commitment to product quality and sustainable sourcing and follow the highest levels of internationally recognized standards for food safety and processing.
Nulo is a proud member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition and achieved significant recognition over the years in the Earth Day Rally. We are committed to implementing sustainable business operations and sourcing practices that minimize our impact on the environment, and which support a more sustainable future for our customers and the pets they love. We have invested considerable time and resources in a science-based LCA study to better understand the current impacts of our business on carbon emissions across all aspects of our operations, including energy consumption in our offices, business travel, and the products we produce (including their ingredients, packaging, and manufacturing processes). By taking a comprehensive approach to quantifying our environmental impact, we can work towards meaningful goals to improve sustainability across our organization.
Nulo Purchasing Information
Nulo’s recipes are sold both in-store and online. Nulo does not offer direct sales for our customers. Please feel free to visit our Store Locator to view Nulo retailers near you.
We offer a variety of product types, and prices can vary depending on the product you’re interested in. To give you the most accurate information, we recommend that you contact a retailer in your neighborhood or browse our online retail partner websites for the most accurate information. You can visit our Store Locator to find Nulo retailers nearest to you.
Every Nulo product comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you or your pet are not completely satisfied, you can return the unused portion in the original packaging, accompanied with a receipt, or a full refund or exchange at the retailer.
We work closely with our retail partners to offer in-store sales and promotions throughout the year, so be sure to check with your local retailers and our online retail partners to ensure that you are taking advantage of all current offers!
The best way to find a sample is by finding a Nulo representative at local in-store and promotional events. Check out our Instagram or Facebook for announcements of when Nulo will be in your neighborhood! We also offer our Nulo Guarantee on all of our formulas. If your pet doesn’t LOVE the recipes you try (although we're sure they will), simply contact your retailer for a full refund or an exchange.
Although Nulo does not offer a frequent buyer program directly, we do partner with a large number of local, independent pet stores that include Nulo in their loyalty programs. Some of our online retail partners also offer special rewards program that can be used for savings on future Nulo purchases.
At this time, Nulo does not offer a breeder’s program.
We believe in giving back to the communities and causes that inspire us, both within the realm of pets and the broader human spectrum as well. Through strategic partnerships and initiatives, we actively support organizations dedicated to the welfare of animals and the betterment of society.
