dick-van-patten-dog-food[/caption]Natural Balance Dog Food
Brief Overview
Natural Balance was founded in 1989 by Dick Van Patten, an actor slash animal welfare advocator who wanted to give dog owners a chance to feed their dogs holistic food instead of the low-quality dog food that was available on the shelves at that time. Today, Natural Balance is marketed as a healthy and natural brand with the slogan, “Truly The Food For A Lifetime.” Let’s see if it’s something you should be feeding your dog from puppyhood to seniorhood.
Who manufactures Natural Balance?
Even though Natural Balance is a privately-owned company, pet food giant Diamond Pet Foods manufactures Natural Balance dog food. Some dog owners take issue with this, because Diamond Pet Foods does not value the quality of the ingredients they put in their dog food, which goes against what the Natural Balance brand stands for.
Natural Balance Recalls 2017
Please Read First: If this statement is still here we are actively watching for new recalls. Below you will find a history of recalls. If you would like to know as SOON as we find out about a recalls visit:http://dogfood.guru/recalls and fill out our Recall Alert form. We will ONLY email this list in the event of an actual recall. Once we stop watching for Recalls I will remove this statement.
We also encourage everyone to bookmark the site for future reference.
Latest Recalls List (From newest to oldest):
- In December 2011, Diamond Pet Foods discovered Salmonella in their production facility in Gaston, S.C. As a precautionary measure, they announced a massive recall for their brands, including Natural Balance. The following Natural Balance dry dog foods were recalled: Sweet Potato & Venison, Lamb Meal & Rice, Sweet Potato & Bison, Vegetarian, Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Large Breed, and Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Small Breed.
- On June 19, 2010, Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. (this was before Diamond Pet Foods bought them out) issued a voluntary recall of the Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food because it was possibly contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.
Natural Balance Reviews
Natural Balance has full confidence in the quality of their ingredients. In fact, they want dog owners to have the same level of confidence in their brand. That’s why they started the Buy With Confidence program. Dog owners can buy a bag of Natural Balance dog food, visit the website, select the formula in the bag, and then put down the best by date. They will be supplied with the laboratory test results of the very bag they purchased. If that doesn’t boost a dog owner’s confidence in the product, then we don’t know what will!
However, just because Natural Balance is concerned with ensuring their customers’ confidence in their product doesn’t mean their product is automatically good. It’s always wise to do some research. That’s why we’re here!
Let’s take a look at what Natural Balance really puts in their dog food, and then let’s talk about whether or not we should be confident in this brand.
Natural Balance takes pride in the fact that they put human-grade meat in their formulas. The grains and vegetables are marketed as high-quality, as well. Given the fact that Diamond Foods manufactures Natural Balance dog food, we’re a little skeptical of this claim.
However, the ingredient list doesn’t lie. Let’s take a look at the top five ingredients:
- Chicken
- Chicken broth
- Sweet potatoes
- Potatoes
- Dehydrated potatoes
We like that chicken is the first ingredient, but we’re a little put off by the fact that it’s whole chicken meat (instead of chicken meal), because it consists of 80% water, which, along with some important nutrients, is lost after being cooked. The carbohydrate sources (sweet potatoes, potatoes, and dehydrated potatoes) provide enough energy.
The ingredients look good. However, there’s one ingredient we’re a little worried about: sodium nitrite. It’s a carcinogenic ingredient. Also, some Natural Balance formulas contain grains that can cause allergic reactions in dogs. If your dog has food-based allergies, you’d be better off putting him on a grain-free diet.
In conclusion, we consider Natural Balance dog food to be an above-average dog food brand, but we recommend checking out the ingredient list first before buying a bag.
