natural balance dog food uk

Best Natural Dog Food (UK Brands) Review Guide

Key Things to Look for

Before you decide on the best natural dog food, there are a few things that you will want to take into consideration first. The list below will help expand your knowledge on the topic while also giving you a checklist to follow as you browse through our selection.

Age. Even with natural dog food, the age of your dog is an important factor to consider. Puppy food contains way more calories and fat to help them grow, which makes it unsuitable for adult and senior dogs. Not only that, but different age groups require different nutrients.

Size. The size of your dog may also impact the dog food that they are eating. For example, large and giant breeds of dog will tend to require bigger chunks of kibble. Similarly, small breeds will have much tinier kibble pieces.

This is because it is easier to eat according to their size. Additionally, large breed dog food often have a different nutritional balance when compared to smaller breeds.

Ingredients. You should always keep an eye on the ingredients being used in the natural dog food that you choose. You want to avoid artificial inclusions and stick with ingredients that are purely natural.

However, you will also want to check that they dont use too many filler ingredients like wheat, grains, cereals, and sweet potatoes. While these are often fine in small amounts, you need to ensure they do not outweigh the amount of protein in the dog food.

Protein Content. This is what gives your dog the energy they need to zoom around and enjoy themselves. Natural dog food tend to have more protein in them, but you will want to make sure that there is a good 20% in dry dog food and 10% in wet dog food to be at ideal levels. Lower is acceptable, but not as good as the figures we just mentioned.

Allergies and Intolerances. Always check to ensure that your chosen dog food doesnt include ingredients that will trigger allergies and intolerances. Common ones include wheat and grain, as well as soya and beef. Most natural dog food will be quite low in these ingredients, but always take the time to check before you buy.

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.

Everyone today understands that what you put into your body is reflected on the outside a wholesome, healthy diet leads to natural good health. Its the same for our pets. When you give them food which contains only naturally sourced, high quality, human-grade ingredients, you know that youre giving them the best possible chance of achieving and maintaining good health.

Most vets agree that dogs and cats do best on food that contains high-grade meat. After all, this is what should make up the most significant part of the canine and feline daily diet, and it should never contain any artificial colourings, flavourings, additives or cereals. These, consumed over time can cause illness and loss of condition.

Wouldnt you prefer to eat only high quality, ethically produced food packed full of natural ingredients and a diet which has been tailored just for you and your needs? Exactly! We believe that naturally good food promotes natural good health for all our dogs and cats.

Your pet's well-being starts from the core

Spent a lot of time reading reviews and glad I did!

I spent a long time researching puppy food, my parents, at vast expense feed their black lab on Bella and Duke raw food, but we wanted to go down the kibble route.The breeder used Dr Johns but we ended up choosing this due to reading many reviews and forums - day 1 she wouldnt eat the Dr Johns so for dinner we tried her with a bowl of Wellness and she wolfed it down at true lab speed!A week in and shes never hesitated at eating her food and her stomach has been rock solid from day 1, so all praise from us!