natural balance dog food bugs

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 17, 2024

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Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Dog Food Review (Dry)

The Natural Balance Limited Ingredient product line includes the 21 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Reserve Grain Free Sweet Potato and Venisonwas selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.

The second ingredient is venison. Although it is a quality item, raw venison contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The third ingredient is potatoes. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fourth ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.

The next ingredient is potato protein, the dry residue remaining after removing the starchy part of a potato.

Even though pea and potato proteins contain over 80% protein, these ingredients would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like these can notably boost the total protein reported on the label a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The fifth ingredient is canola oil. Unfortunately, canola can be a controversial item. Thats because it can sometimes (but not always) be derived from genetically modified rapeseed.

Yet others cite the fact that canola oil can be a significant source of essential omega-3 fatty acids.

In any case, plant-based oils like canola are less biologically available to a dog than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.

The next item is brewers yeast, which can be a controversial ingredient. Although its a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient is rich in minerals and other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

In addition, a vocal minority insists yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is a claim weve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can still be considered a nutritious additive.

Whats more noteworthy here is that brewers yeast contains about 48% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

After the natural flavor, we find dicalcium phosphate, likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Natural Balance product.

With 6 notable exceptions

First, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided theyve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

Next, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

Additionally, we note the use of dried potato products, the dried residue of the potato processing industry primarily consisting of potato pieces, peelings and culls.

With the exception of perhaps its caloric content and a small amount of protein, potato products are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.¹

This recipe also includes taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

Next, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Natural Balance Limited Ingredient looks like an average dry dog food.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 22%, a fat level of 11% and estimated carbohydrates of about 59%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 25% and a mean fat level of 13%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 54% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.

Which means this Natural Balance product line contains

Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to other dry kibbles.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the pea and potato proteins, brewers yeast and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a recipe containing a moderate amount of meat.

Merrick vs. Natural Balance

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

Guaranteed Analysis: Natural Balance vs. Merrick

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.

Merrick Dog Food vs. Natural Balance Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Merrick	Natural Balance
Crude Protein	35.9%	27.6%
Crude Fat	17.2%	14.4%
Crude Fiber	4.2%	5.2%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Merrick	Natural Balance
Crude Protein	43.9%	39.7%
Crude Fat	21.1%	20.5%
Crude Fiber	8.3%	8.5%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for dry dog food, it's clear that Merrick provides significantly more protein. On average, Merrick guarantees about 8.26% more protein than Natural Balance. For wet dog foods, Merrick provides more protein (about 4.25% more).

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.

According to our data, Merrick guarantees 2.83% more fat than Natural Balance. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. For wet dog foods, Merrick and Natural Balance provide roughly the same amount of fat.

Merrick and Natural Balance both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Natural Balance and Merrick also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Merrick Cat Food vs. Natural Balance Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Merrick	Natural Balance
Crude Protein	40.5%	36.8%
Crude Fat	15.7%	14.3%
Crude Fiber	5.1%	5.5%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	Merrick	Natural Balance
Crude Protein	46.9%	46.7%
Crude Fat	21.3%	20.2%
Crude Fiber	6.0%	7.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

There is a small difference between the protein content of Merrick and Natural Balance. We can see that Merrick guarantees about 3.68% more protein than Natural Balance. For wet cat foods, Merrick and Natural Balance provide roughly the same amount of protein.

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.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fat content of the two brands. With regards to wet cat food, Merrick and Natural Balance also provide roughly the same amount of crude fat.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, Natural Balance and Merrick also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. Natural Balance Pet Food Ingredients

Merrick and Natural Balance both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Canola Oil

Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.

Pea Protein

Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.

Caramel Color

Caramel color is a concentrated form of caramel, a natural food colorant. Caramel color has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. Since our pets do not care about food color, caramel color is an unnecessary addition with possible health risks.

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

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

Garlic

Garlic in very small quantities can be an acceptable addition, however, garlic can also be toxic. Therefore many pet owners choose to completely avoid garlic.

Meaty Femur Bone

Meaty femur bone is controversial because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous meats and ingredients derived from them are typically very low quality and may contain almost any animal, including dogs and cats!

Powdered Cellulose

Powdered cellulose is produced from minuscule pieces of wood pulp and plant fibers. Other than its fiber content, powdered cellulose lacks any nutritional contribution.

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Natural Balance.

Giblets

Giblets may include the heart, liver, gizzards, and other visceral organs of an animal. These organs are very nutritious and species-appropriate for pets. However, the specific source of the giblets are not disclosed (chicken, turkey, etc) and therefore we must classify this ingredient as an anonymous meat.

Beet Pulp

Beet pulp is the by-product which remains once sugar has been extracted from sugar beets. The primary contribution of beet pulp is dietary fiber.

We'd also like to note that beet pulp is fairly controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that beet pulp can promote intestinal health and regulate blood sugar. However, opponents claim that beet pulp is an inexpensive filler.

Brewers Rice

Brewer's rice is the small fragments of rice kernel that are separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. The fragments do not contain the same nutrition profile of the whole kernel and therefore brewer's rice is a lower quality grain. Brewer's rice is typically regarded as an inexpensive and low quality filler.

Tomato Pomace

Tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.

Feeding Oatmeal

According to AAFCO, feeding oatmeal "is obtained in the manufacture of rolled oat groats or rolled oats". It contains "broken oat groats, oat groat chips, and floury portions of the oat groats." In other words, feeding oatmeal is an inexpensive by-products of rolled oat processing.

Poultry Giblets

Poultry giblets includes the heart, liver, gizzards, and other internal organs of poultry. Organs are nutritiously dense ingredients which provide high quality protein and fat. However, this particular ingredient is considered an anonymous meat ingredient because the type of poultry is not specified. In order words, "named" giblets such as chicken giblets or turkey giblets are preferred over poultry giblets.

Dried Tomato Pomace

Dried tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.

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

Merrick and Natural Balance both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Menadione sodium bisulfite complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Natural Balance.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex

Menadione sodium bisulfate complex is a synthetic version of vitamin K that has been linked to many health concerns. Research has suggested possible toxic reactions in liver cells and red blood cells among other serious problems. In fact, one large chemical supplier warns, "The substance is toxic to kidneys, lungs, liver, mucous membranes. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage."

Product Safety: Recall History of Merrick & Natural Balance?

Merrick has been recalled 6 times.

Jan. 28, 2011: Salmonella
Aug. 8, 2011: Salmonella
July 2, 2010: Salmonella
Aug. 3, 2010: Salmonella
Aug. 13, 2010: Salmonella
May 23, 2018: elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone

Natural Balance has been recalled 6 times.

July 21, 2007: ofbotulinum toxin
May 4, 2012: Salmonella
June 18, 2010: Salmonella
April 27, 2007: Melamine
April 17, 2007: Melamine
July 3, 2020: elevated levels of choline chloride

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Merrick	Natural Balance
Per Pound	$6.15	$5.23
Per Calorie	$0.0036	$0.0029

Dry Cat Food	Merrick	Natural Balance
Per Pound	$4.09	$3.69
Per Calorie	$0.0025	$0.0023

Wet Dog Food	Merrick	Natural Balance
Per Pound	$5.97	$6.27
Per Calorie	$0.0126	$0.0137

Wet Cat Food	Merrick	Natural Balance
Per Pound	$7.55	$7.63
Per Calorie	$0.0168	$0.0183

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 Merrick or Natural Balance, 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 Merrick or Natural Balance will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Merrick and Natural Balance. 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 Merrick Pet Foods

You can purchase Merrick pet foods from the following stores:

136 Recipes In-Stock Today

107 Recipes In-Stock Today

103 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Natural Balance Pet Foods

You can purchase Natural Balance pet food products from these retailers:

96 Recipes In-Stock Today

79 Recipes In-Stock Today

82 Recipes In-Stock Today

16 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Merrick	Natural Balance
Dry Dog Food	53 Recipes	39 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	58 Recipes	27 Recipes
Dog Treats	35 Treats	33 Treats
Dry Cat Food	18 Recipes	16 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	50 Recipes	43 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None