Ultimate Pet Nutrition Information
Dr. Gary Richter
Ultimate Pet Nutrition is a pet supplement company associated with the popular veterinarian Dr. Gary Richter.
Dr. Gary Richter has won numerous awards, including “America’s Favorite Veterinarian” and is the author of the popular book, “The Ultimate Pet Health Guide: Breakthrough Nutrition and Integrative Care for Dogs and Cats”.
Gary has also been featured on numerous media outlets, including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, PBS, and others which he proudly displays here on his website.
More recently, Dr. Gary Richter has launched a youtube channel with a variety of pet-related content; however, it’s fair to say it hasn’t gone viral.
Some may remember Dr. Gary Richter from a controversial contest that was canceled after it was flooded with support against de-clawing cats.
However, while Gary has cultivated an impressive public image, there are some online that don’t speak quite as positively.
Nutra Thrive
While Ultimate Pet Nutrition has a moderate range of products, its best-known supplement is “Nutra Thrive” which is a nutritional supplement for dogs and cats.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition claims that its supplements contain powerful probiotics, easy-to-absorb vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
They believe that their Nutra Thrive supplement can improve a dog’s or cat’s overall health, including immune function, joint health, and the quality of their fur and coat.
Many pet supplements have quite a small customer base, and it can be challenging to find reliable information on their effects.
However, Nutra Thrive has a vast customer base in the tens to hundreds of thousands, which correlates to much more widely available information.
The pet supplement space has become extremely competitive over the last few years, with dozens of brands entering the space.
Other large pet supplement brands offering similar benefits include Dinovite, Balance IT, and Ruff Greens, but none of these brands are anywhere near as popular as Nutra Thrive.
Skepticism, Complaints, and Criticism
However, the benefits of supplements are tough to prove, especially in pets, and there is little research performed by the industry.
This lack of evidence has led many consumers to be skeptical of Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s products. These skeptics of Ultimate Pet Nutrition are reinforced by the fact that a single jar of Nutra Thrive for dogs costs $70 (see below).
Many consider this pricing to be extremely high and more than most pet owners spend on food.
There are also a number of complaints, criticism, and poor reviews that can be found online regarding Ultimate Pet Nutrition and its Nutra Thrive product.
Some customers claimed the product had no noticeable effect on their pets; some said it caused illness or side effects, and others complained about cancellation or shipping issues.
However, despite our best efforts while researching the brand, these complaints and criticism were almost certainly in the minority, with most customers satisfied with their purchase or customer service.
We also found that Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s customer service team was active on several third-party websites like BBB.org and even DogFoodAdvisor.com.
Here they regularly attempted to remedy issues, offer refunds, or expedite deliveries to make amends which is impressive given that many pet supplement brands are unreliable.
We will also note that we are not aware that Ultimate Pet Nutrition uses any predatory practices like ‘free trials’ that quickly convert to subscriptions or short refund periods that some other supplement companies have adopted.
Instead, they offer a 90-Day Money Back Guarantee which is very reasonable and gives time for pet owners to see for themselves the effects of the product.
Charity
Outside of their retail offerings, Ultimate Pet Nutrition and Dr. Gary Richter sponsor and promote the charity Pets For Vets.
This organization helps to match pets in shelters with veterans, especially those who are struggling to transition back into civilian life.
You can learn more about why Ultimate Pet Nutrition supports Pets For Vets here, or you can visit the Pets For Vets charity on their website, which you can find here.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition Product Range
Dogs
Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s core product is Nutra Thrive, which is a dog supplement. Nutra Thrive is a dog supplement that is in powdered form and can be added to traditional dry dog recipes (also known as kibble) with water.
The dosage recommendations of Nutra Thrive depend on the size of your dog and range between a scoop a day and two scoops a day.
Many dog owners prefer supplements in powdered form like this as it is extremely easy to blend them with existing food and minimize disruption or change in a dog’s diet.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition also produces a dog treat product known as Nutra Bites, which is of the freeze-dried variety.
While freeze-dried dog treats tend to be expensive, they are very nutritionally dense and extremely enjoyable.
This excellent nutrition is because they are made up entirely of meat ingredients with moisture removed. You can check out these high-quality freeze-dried treats here.
While the original selection of these Nutra Bites was quite small, in a recent update of this article, we noticed there are now six unique flavors available, including Bison Liver, Chicken Heart, and Salmon.
Recently, Ultimate Pet Nutrition released its first complete dog food, which marks a significant milestone and transition away from providing treats and supplements solely.
This ‘Nutra Complete‘ dog food recipe is a freeze-dried raw dog food recipe which is a type of dog food that is quickly growing in popularity and in line with others being produced by premium brands. You can read our ingredient section for a breakdown of what this recipe contains.
This new “Nutra Complete” raw freeze-dried recipe is so popular it is repeatedly going out of stock, so check out this page to see if it’s available.
While updating this article, we also noticed that Ultimate Pet Nutrition has quietly released another flavor of Nutra Complete – Ranch-Raised Pork.
Given the huge success of the Beef Recipe and the brand as a whole, this is not a shock, and we would not be surprised to see further recipes in the future, perhaps Chicken or Lamb.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition continues to expand its range of supplements that focus on problems like joints and the liver and on providing high levels of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
The full range includes Juve Flex, Canine Detox, Canine Comfort, and Canine Radiance.
Some of these new supplements come in tablet form, which can make them easier to provide to some dogs.
Due to their young age and the smaller number of dogs who have used these supplements, their effects, in particular, their benefits, are yet to be proven. You can see some of them listed below.
Cats
Ultimate Pet Nutrition has an equivalent version of Nutra Thrive, which is designed for cats.
The cat version of Nutra Thrive is also in powdered form and can be added and mixed with dry or wet cat food.
Given that cats tend to be significantly smaller than most dogs, the recommended dosage is also smaller, meaning you won’t need to stock up as much.
For a long period of time, Ultimate Pet Nutrition did not produce any cat treats or other cat supplements.
However, the success the brand saw with its new dog offerings almost certainly contributed to its creating cat equivalents and further expanding its product range.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition has created a cat version of their popular freeze-dried dog treats known as Nutra Bites.
The cat version of these treats is quite similar to the dog version and uses Chicken or Salmon ingredients instead of the much larger range used in the dog range, like Bison.
You can check out these tasty new Chicken Liver bites here.
The brand has also released a single cat supplement known as Feline Renew. This supplement produces on providing the Omega 3 Fatty Acids and antioxidants.
While Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s cat supplement range is much smaller than the dog range, it is likely to grow in the coming months and years.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition Nutrition
Supplement Nutrition
Given that Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s main products are supplements, it will come as no surprise that they do not provide any appreciable quantities of the core macronutrients of Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates.
We highly recommend that you learn about the importance of these core macro-nutrients in our Dog Food Guide and Cat Food Guide, which go into significant detail about all aspects of pet food, including types, nutrition, ingredients, and more.
However, Nutra Thrive can provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. These vitamins and minerals could improve the health of pets if their diet was previously lacking.
There are so many micronutrients in Nutri Thrive that it would be difficult to list them all and all of their corresponding benefits. However, some examples include Vitamin A, B Vitamins, Vitamin D, Copper, and Chromium.
Vitamin A is essential for cell and immune function and vision. B Vitamins have a huge number of potential benefits and are important to many of the body’s cells and functions.
Vitamin D is particularly important in large-breed dogs as it helps regulate the absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus. Copper is crucial for blood cells, and Chromium is vital for absorbing nutrition.
Freeze-Dried Food & Treats Nutrition
With Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s recent expansion into complete dog food, we can finally review the nutrition of their food.
Nutra Complete contains impressive portions of protein and fat that make its nutrition significantly above average when compared to most other dog food.
You can see the specific ratios of nutrition provided by Nutra Complete below.
As you can see, the proportion of protein is at 28%, and the proportion of fat is at 58%, which sums to over 85% of the nutritional value.
This kind of nutritional profile would be well suited to the majority of dogs, especially those that are more active.
If you want to see the specific Guaranteed Analysis of Nutra Complete, you can find it here.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition Ingredients
All of Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s meat ingredients are sourced from within the United States, which is a relief for many. Some pet owners will refuse to purchase food that has meat ingredients sourced from abroad.
High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients
- Beef
- Beef Liver
- Beef Kidney
- Chicken Liver
- Bison Liver
Beef is a popular meat ingredient to feature in dog food alongside other industry favorites like Chicken, Turkey, and Salmon.
The reason that Beef is so popular is that it is easy to source, relatively affordable, and can provide excellent nutrition, high in protein and fat.
Nutra Thrive Treats and Freeze-Dried Raw food make extensive use of organ meat ingredients like Chicken or Beef Liver.
Organ meat ingredients such as these are a great addition to pet food and can provide protein, fat, and less common vitamins and minerals.
In addition, organ meat tends to be more flavorful and can be used to enhance the palatability of food.
You can learn more about the use of Organ Meat ingredients in our article Organ Meat Ingredients In Pet Food.
Other Notable Ingredients
The bulk of the Nutra Thrive product is made from Carrots and Mushrooms. These two ingredients are safe for dogs to consume and can provide carbohydrates, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Examples include Vitamin A, B Vitamins, Vitamin K, Potassium, and Copper.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s Nutra Complete contains a small portion of Flaxseed. Flaxseed is an extremely popular addition to pet food recipes throughout the industry.
Flaxseed is best known as an excellent plant-based source of the Omega 3 Fatty acids, but it can also provide other benefits.
The Omega 3 Fatty Acids have a long list of benefits to humans and pets, but one of the best known is its ability to improve the condition of a dog or cat’s skin, coat, and fur.
We’d recommend you read our article – Flaxseed In Dog Food, for an in-depth look at this unique ingredient.
Nutra Thrive’s newest product, their complete freeze-dried dog food, contains a small portion of Kelp.
Kelp is an interesting addition and not widely used in the industry; however, there are a few other brands we’ve noticed that have introduced it, including Ziwi Peak, K9 Natural, and Dinovite.
Kelp can be used for two unique purposes, firstly, as a binding agent to help hold the food together, and also for its beneficial vitamins and minerals, including Iodine and Iron.
While Kelp’s benefits in dog food are far from proven at this stage, it is an interesting evolution, and you can read more about the ingredient in our article Kelp In Pet Food.
Nutra Thrive supplements include a number of Probiotics. Probiotics are microorganisms that are alive, and believers in them claim that they can provide health benefits when consumed. These benefits are derived from improving or restoring gut flora.
If our ingredient analysis isn’t in-depth enough for you, Ultimate Pet Nutrition go through all the ingredients in Nutra Thrive on their website, which you can find here.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition Animal Testing
At this time, we have no information on what kind of testing Ultimate Pet Nutrition performed to test Nutra Thrive or any of its other products.
We hope that Ultimate Pet Nutrition has carried out sufficient ethical testing to ensure that its products do not have any adverse long time side effects.
Many pet supplement companies do not carry out any significant testing of their products, which is extremely concerning.
We strongly believe that invasive or laboratory-style testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice and one which we hope will cease in the future.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition Recalls
Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Ultimate Pet Nutrition products have never been recalled, which makes them a recall-free brand.
However, given that Ultimate Pet Nutrition is a supplement company, this achievement is not quite as comparable to other pet food brands. Pet food supplements, to date, have very rarely been recalled in the United States.
Despite this, we always request that pet owners remain vigilant of any future recalls of Ultimate Pet Nutrition products or products from any other pet food or supplement brand.
By being vigilant, pet owners can ensure their pets do not suffer ill effects of contamination, nutritional misbalances, and more.
Best of Ultimate Pet Nutrition
Nutra Thrive For Dogs Review
It will come as no surprise that the best product from Ultimate Pet Nutrition is its core product – Nutra Thrive.
If their claims are to be believed, the supplement can provide a significant number of benefits to dogs that consume it, including supporting muscles, teeth, bones, and digestive health.
The vast array of micronutrients that it contains could span the gaps that traditional dry or wet dog food miss.
Another reason that Ultimate Pet Nutrition’s Nutra Thrive is so popular is that it is straightforward to mix with dry dog food.
It is as simple as pouring a scoop of powder over the dog’s food and mixing. Some owners also choose to add a little water to the mix to aid this process.
This fact and its appealing bacon taste can make it very easy to integrate into a dog’s diet. When you compare Nutra Thrive to many other dog supplements, its palatability is noticeably superior.
In comparison, those same dogs may refuse to eat or avoid other supplements, especially nonpowdered ones.
Nutra Thrive For Cats Review
While the Nutra Thrive for Dogs product may be the most popular, the cat equivalent should not be discounted.
It contains a similar mix of ingredients that pack a colossal micronutrient punch. But despite its similarity, the ratios of these nutrients are tailored towards cats to ensure they get the maximum benefits.
While it’s likely that most cat food recipes, especially premium cat food, provide most of these micronutrients, products like Nutra Thrive can supplement and enhance this.
Also, many of the micronutrients found in Nutra Thrive are sourced from plants. Providing them in supplement form could allow cat owners to switch to a more meat and fish-focused food.
This transition from their traditional diet could be advantageous as cats are obligate carnivores and do not thrive on diets high in plant matter.
Nutra Complete Review
As we mentioned earlier, Ultimate Pet Nutrition recently released the above complete dog food recipe.
This freeze-dried raw recipe, known as Nutra Complete, has a strong focus on Beef ingredients like Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, and Beef Bone.
These Beef ingredients combine to provide an extremely large portion of protein and fat as well as numerous beneficial vitamins and minerals.
According to their Guaranteed Analysis, the recipe has a minimum of 35% protein and 33% fat which is a colossal sum.
If that wasn’t enough, organ meat ingredients like Beef Liver and Beef Kidney can be great sources of vitamins and minerals and often contain far higher levels than traditional meat cuts.
The recipe also contains smaller portions of select plant-based ingredients like Flaxseed, Kelp, Blueberries, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, and more.
These plant-based ingredients provide a small portion of carbohydrates, fiber, and many beneficial micronutrients.
It is also worth noting that this is quite a different selection of plant-based ingredients than most dog food recipes contain, with them typically utilizing legumes like Peas or grains like Rice.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition Features Articles
To date, Ultimate Pet Nutrition has not been featured in any of our articles. However, if we decide to produce an article discussing the best popular pet supplements, then it is likely to feature.
Ultimate Pet Nutrition Full Product Range
Dog Products
Nutra Thrive For Dogs
Nutra Bites For Dogs
Juve Flex
Canine Detox
Canine Comfort
Canine Radiance
Nutra Complete
Cat Products
Nutra Thrive For Cats
Nutra Bites For Cats
Feline Radiance
I have sent numerous emails to this company with NO RESPONSE.
I received their product and am wondering about the shelf life.
The MFG date of my product is 12/04/2018.
I am ready to cancel my subscription if I don’t hear back from someone.
Very disappointed.
did this help your dog?
I just called and got an immediate answer… shelf life is 2 years.
Why are you advertising $49.95??? And then when you click on it to buy it it goes into you selling your product?
You have to sign in as a new customer at the bottom of the page. It will then drop to 49.99
Has this supplement made any of your dogs gain weight?
The price is over $70 USD!?!?! Are there any studies that mushrooms is beneficial for dogs???
Mushrooms are very beneficial to dogs- I sauté Shiitake for mine for allergies- immune system- search information regarding medicinal mushrooms and benefits to dogs
How long is my container good for. I have never opened it and the date on the bottom says 01/25/19.
Hello,
I’m concerned about the use of mushrooms in your products. The AKA list mushrooms as a vegetable that dogs should never eat.
Please advise.
Thank you.
Emma, the ACA lists 50-100 wild mushrooms that are poisonous such as:
toxic mushroom species, such as the following:
Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) – causes fatal poisoning for both humans and pets. It appears as a simple white and unassuming fungi plant. Ingesting half fresh of this mushroom can kill a human adult.
Fly Agaric (Amanita Muscaria) – this species looks like an iconic fairy tale mushroom. It has a bright red spotted cap.
Jeweled Death Cap (Amanita Gemmata) – this mushroom species comes with a yellowish cap dotted with white jewel-like spots.
Elf’s Saddle (Helvella Lacunosa) – has a dark “saddle-like” cap with a white stem. Toxicity levels vary in this mushroom family, but it is best to keep your dogs away.
Autumn Galerina (Galerina Marginata) – this species appears as small brown mushrooms that are as deadly as the death cap. It has a flatter cap and often grows on rotten wood.
My spouse purchased Nutra Thrive as a last resort for our yellow lab, Eli. He has never truly had good bowel function and passes gas that could peel wallpaper.
We have tried probiotic additives to his food, sought out single source protein (incredibly frustrating). These gradual changes did help but to any amount of time.
We started Nutra Thrive approximately the beginning of August. His gas issues have basically disappeared. His stool is actually normal looking. Our household is pleased with the product.
i have not bought this product because of the fact there is mushrooms in the product most common fungi such as wild mushrooms are very toxic to humans an dogs and can backfire all the benefits in the product now i’m not saying don’t buy this product i’m not saying that these fungi are in the product cause this product sounds really good for your pet i’m just saying do your research
How good is it for cats?
My cat is 17 and has constipations and mega colon issues
They have a formulation for cats. Check out their products list in menu.
NutraCat Thrive has been amazing for our 2 Senior Cats, the oldest is 16 & a big cat by nature (20+lbs) & was exhibiting joint pain, less activity, limping. We added a premium CBD oil & it helped but also adding NCThrive significantly improved his issues & his super thick double coat fur totally transformed within 1 month & keeps getting better. He has more energy & is more active too. The biggest thing is comfort & to see our sweetheart Not Suffering has made both our hearts full. (Hubby & I)
We ordered Feline Radiance for further help (Omega 3 oil product from same co.) & Feel it’s further helping his coughing up, joint pain & fur. We are in Canada so order 6jars for best price, with the FB ad sales (or email sales we get notified via the company, we have ordered 6 jars of NCThrive twice now (2 seperate occasions) & 6 bottles of F.Radiance too for the bulk discount price.
Highly recommended!
PS (SHAR here again)
It’s pricey for us in Canada (approx $55 CDN with 6jar sale price for 1month) with awful exchange rate but honestly, it’s worth every penny, so grateful!
I just bought 9 jars and they all have an expiration date of 8/2020? Anyone else had this issue?
We have a 3 year old Bernedoodle that has pancreatitis She is currently on a strict vegetarian diet with lots of exercise Any idea whether this product would be beneficial to help manage the disease?
Yes you will find that if you don’t use them by the expiration date they will turn hard. I bought three jars the first time and the last two jars were hard and I had to put them in my food processor to grind them up for use. I have a 12 lb dog so I only used one scoop per day. My recommendation is only by one jar of time unless you have a larger dog.
I was just doing some research and that is there manufacture date They had a response to somebody with the same question on a different site
CAN KILL YOUR DOG! This product contains silica which produced multiple stones in my healthy dog’s bladder and urethra causing a complete blockage. There is no warning with the product for this, and the stones were proven to be 100% silica -NOT a type of stone (calcium or struvite) that could naturally occur. The emergency surgery was more than $5,000 and the vet said she had never come across anything like this. This company takes no responsibility for your pet other than “property damage” and will only refund the product. DON’T RISK YOUR PET’S LIFE!
I have never bought.,and i’ve spent a lot) and food additive that has my dog gulping down his food. he has never done this and as it’s only been 3 days i’ll probably need more time for the benefits. but I am amazed
I am very interested in this pet product Nutri Thrive. Our Treeing Walker Coonhound 975lbs) is 12 years old and very active. He has always had a small digestive issue. Therefore I am always nervous to add in anything new to his diet. He loves carrots and many veggies that are good for dogs. He has had TPL surgeries on both hind legs – still doing great! But like us all our joints age and then soreness/discomfort sets in. He is happy, he loves us, he is overall healthy but I would love to see him thrive more especially in longevity.
Reading the provided info in the ingredient listing I feel quite comfortable to try this powder on his food. I may have missed the doses per day for a larger dog? Id like to know how long one jar lasts for a larger dog? Also one negative review mentioned “Silica” in the ingredients… it evidently was not a good thing for her animals diet. Homeopathic remedies “Silicea” is ok correct?
I hope that I can get my questions clarified quickly. I am very interested in placing an order but cannot feel comfortable spending the money when I have unanswered questions.
Thank you! I anxiously await your response.
Oops! my Coonhound is only 75 lbs. Oh my!
The worst! Do not do it! My cat suffered!
Can you make your product with silica, please. I do not buy any products with silica in them as they are hazardous to one’s health; whether in human or animal supplements. Please stop putting silica in Nutra-Thrive and I will buy some for my cat.
.
I have two dogs and was going to purchase the Nutra thrive until I read about the silica. Concerned that there is no answer to the questions raised.
Mary Lou April 17/21
i wish I didn’t just purchase it. how do I get a refund? I didn’t know about the silica. my dogs are very sensitive and now I just want a refund.
Bought 1st jar. My 2 babies relish it. Their fur is soft to touch. However, my 10 year old cat dislike it though i will syringe some to him. Now he is sick , vomiting yellow liquid. Not sure if the supplement is causing him to be sick. Blood test, abdominal scan, etc are normal. He is on antibiotics, famotidine & probiotic. Refusing to eat. I really feel sad for him. I have stopped giving nutra thrive to any of them. Hope my sweet boy will be well soon.
Guys this is why you should listen to your actual vet and not one attempting to make a profit. I dont know this Dr Richter but silica should not be injested…those little packets you find in packaging with the white gravel in them that says WARNING do not eat?! That’s silica and is an ingredient in this. It can kill your pet, mire of a risk to the smaller dogs and cats due to volume per pound. Stick with a tried and true fornula like Hills Science Diet, they make a range to address any issues, and they have a long sturdy reputation. My cet recommended it and my old cats are spryer than ever. Stay away from this until they stop making it with silica.
I placed an order but did not get a verification # why. You took my credit card number
I purchased Nutri thrive and no more gas and Bandit’s poops are normal. He was always having diarrhea and the smell is awful. He has been much better since taking Nutri Thrive. Love it!
Wtf silica??????? I had no clue!! My 2 senior cats seem to love this product and no more daily vomiting from my 14 year old plus their coats are soft and supple again. I use less than the recommended amount however
If you do receive this product and you pet does in fact consume it( which most thankfully don’t) it will likely make your pet very ill. Also they will charge you for product you have not orders. Will make it hard to get a refund. Please don’t buy if you love your pet.
Is it confirmed this product (Nutra-Thrive) contains silica, or is it just a claim by someone on this forum? Is silica listed as an ingredient on the ingredient list or has the product undergone lab analysis or any testing showing it contains silica? It would be a shame to cause such a commotion without concrete proof.
My concern is with the WARNING I received with my first jar purchased for my dog. It says “consuming this product can expose you to lead, which is know to the Sate of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to http://www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/food.”
What about my dog? Is it even legal to sell a product with lead init?
I have contacted the company and will report the product to the FDA, and all other agencies that regulate animal food and supplements. This is outrageous and it appears as if this product has not undergone toxicology testing. There is no transparency. LEAD is toxic!
Purchased for my 15 year old cat. Put a tiny amount in her wet food every day for 2 weeks. She wouldn’t touch it. So Now I’ve wasted money on the product AND her food. Will be seeking a refund. I tried to contact the company via email as shown in their contact list but the “Page is not found” error message is all I get. Since I’m in the eastern time zone and they’re in the pacific zone it’s difficult to find a time to call them. If their product is so great they should be willing to offer a trial product for 2 weeks to see if our pets will even touch it.
To those people complaining of silica, yes the packets of food contain silica packets for moisture control and shelf life reasons. This is common practice in human foods as well, but you’re never supposed to eat them! If your furry friend ate silica while consuming this product, it’s more than likely due to you feeding them the silica packets. As long as you make sure to remove them, you should be fine. It does state, “DO NOT EAT”, on the silica packet for a reason!