Apr. 18, 2024
Natural Balance Dog Food Reviews
| Top 5 Ingredients* |
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| Artificial Ingredients | No |
| Contains By-products | No |
| Price Range | $$$ |
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*Natural Balance® Chicken & Sweet Potato Canned Formula was selected as the recipe for this ingredient list
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- Excellent animal protein
- Quality grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Nothing
Our Analysis
The Word on the Street...
Natural Balance Dog Food is generally well received by dog owners of all stripes. The food is of high quality, and the proteins used are actually on par with that for human consumption. Most dog fans like the food because of the high quality ingredients, while most dogs like it because it seems to be quite tasty. Dogs both large and small tend to enjoy the food, and pet owners seem to feel rather happy that they are able to give their dogs a decent shelf-brand dog food.
There are a few owners that note that their dogs do have stomach problems (mostly gas) after eating Natural Balance, but the problem is not terribly wide-spread. Other owners note that older dogs have a bit more energy after eating the brand, and almost all of the dogs simply seem content after feeding. All in all, it is a brand that can keep dogs and their owners happy.
More Information
Natural Balance Dog Food received our highest rating not just for the high quality ingredients, but for the “Buy With Confidence Program” that allows the customer to see the laboratory test results that were conducted on the Natural Balance foods.
Natural Balance Pet Foods are best known for being created and funded by Dick Van Patten. The brand’s dog food formulas are generally well-received by most consumers. The fact that the proteins used in Natural Balance dog food are “human grade” was a positive factor for many dog owners. Some dogs seemed to experience a higher energy level when fed Natural Balance dog food. However, some dogs seemed to develop gastrointestinal symptoms when fed Natural Balance dog food formulas.
Who Makes Natural Balance?
The company who makes Natural Balance dog food is called Natural Balance Pet Foods. Natural Balance Pet Foods was first founded in 1989 by TV personality Dick Van Patten and several of his partners. Though Natural Balance is best-known among consumers for producing dog and cat food, they also produce formulas such as tigers, polar bears, wolves and lions that are in captivity. Natural Balance’s company headquarters are located in Los Angeles, California.
Natural Balance Dog Food Recall
As of right now, Natural Balance dog food is listed on the FDA’s pet food recall list. Though several canned formulas were recalled in 2007, a Natural Balance dry dog food formula was recalled in 2010 – Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Chicken dry dog food, with best by date of June 17, 2011. In order to make sure that your dog’s food is safe, it’s always highly recommended that you check the FDA’s pet food recall website. This will help you to stay updated on the latest pet food recall information.
Update 5/5/12 Natural Balance is voluntarily recalling certain dog food formulas. Visit here for complete information.
Natural Balance Ingredients
The carbohydrates in Natural Balance dog food formulas mostly come from sources such as oatmeal, barley, rice and potatoes. Some formulas have a meat as their first ingredient, though meat meals are usually farther down the list. Some formulas, such as the reduced calorie formulas, often have a carbohydrate as their first ingredient.
Natural Balance Allergies
There are no significant ingredients in Natural Balance dog food that are known to commonly cause allergic reactions in dogs. However, Natural Balance dog food formulas are not grain-free, and may cause digestive upset in dogs that have a sensitivity to a high carbohydrate diet. When feeding your dog Natural Balance dog food, it’s always best if you thoroughly read the ingredients list, especially if your dog has special dietary requirements.
Have you fed your dog any of the Natural Balance dog food dry or canned formulas? Do you have feedback that could help other pet owners? Please share your review of Natural Balance dog food!
Older Comments
Ingredient List*
Natural Balance Dog Food Ingredient List
Natural Balance Coupons
- On your 1st delivery - Use code 12OFF
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- Enter code AF5BUCKS at OnlyNaturalPet.com!
I was up last night thinking and doing lots of reading and found out that Natural Balance ingredients come from China !!!! I am shocked thats why our dogs are coming down sick on this food with vomiting, kidney problems , liver problems ,loose stool etc….But if you do call Natural Balance like I did they will tell you they have not changed there food and will email you a report on the bags or can dog food that you have and everything with check out as normal.They are hiding the truth from us customers and thats not right I am ready to call the FDA and give my customer complaint and then the FDA will begin investing otherwise nothing will be done and animals will continue to get sick on this food .The FDA needs to know about this problem please call them if your dog becomes sick on this food. I hope this was some help to you.
I called Natural Balance dog food company today and talk to a woman that works there about the dog food and how its making all four of my dogs sick with vomiting and loose stool etc… She told me it has nothing to do with the food she is so lying The two bags of 24lbs Rabbit and potato and a few cans I return them to the store and got my money back. Never again will my dogs ever get any of this dog food its crap and the Company dose not care if your dogs get sick from it. Feeling discussed after I got off the phone with them.Please people get the word out there so other dogs and cats dont get sick from this company food. And also call the Company and complain this is just not right.
My lab is experiencing the same problems. She first started shedding a lot more than usual, scratching and then vomiting. She had started to not eat as much in the past week and now is not eating at all. I am so annoyed at this company–they aren’t even taking any sort of ownership and all our loved ones are sick!
My 14 month old puppy became extremely sick (vomiting) and has been on Natural Balance Puppy Formula with chicken, duck & brown rice canned food. He stopped eating and become lethargic. Has anyone had bad experience with this particular dog food? I had to put him in the Vet Emergency Clinic and many tests and ultrasound performed. It has severely affected his kidney. Any comments appreciated. I checked and see no recalls by the company.
Call the Company and complain that your dog got very sick on there food thats that I did. I hope your dog feeling better all four of my dogs were sick and had loose stool and vomiting. our poor babys
Also report to the FDA they will investigate .
I feed my dogs the venison and sweet potato formula and I have noticed that my dogs are now getting sick not wanting to eat or drink. Can anybody recommend a high quality grain free food? Natural balance was great when dick van patten owned the company. As everybody knows the food is expensive and now very poor quality
Deb, I am dealing with the same issue with my dog. Did you get any suggestions?
Yes. Merrick,Signature and Fromme four star are all very good and grain free. I personally use and have referred many people to Merrick
Orijen
Dick Van Patten no longer owns Natural Balance. It was bought out by Del Monte, then sold again to Smuckers!!!!
I like their “jelly” but do they know how to make a quality dog food……..ah,……..probably not……… Think that I need to switch to something else!
My dog started with extremely runny diarreah for one whole day and night and then has been vomiting and dry heaving since last night till about now. So about a full 48 hours of really uncomfortable and absolutely refusing all food or drink. I was getting pretty scarred he was going to get dehydrated. I used to feed both canned and dry Natural balance and about 2 months ago switched to exclusively the N&D Farmina grain free NON GMO Dry – So I am suspecting now that the Natural Balance was the source of his itching also. He was doing better than he ever has with itch, no more scabs, no more odor, the elephant like overgrowth of skin on his elbows is almost gone and then this. We do still feed a small amount of the natural balance canned. A customer came in today and said Natural Balance food was being linked with vomiting and making dogs sick. Why isn’t the dog food industry required to disclose all ingredients in pet food so we have a choice and a chance to keep our pets healthy.
I noticed a change too. I have been feeding my standard poodle sweet potato and venisen that was recommended by a shop owner due to my dogs odd skin and ear problems. Putting him on this food had cleared it up, but as for the last 2 bags he has started back up his itching and another odd skin issue has popped up, and now my other poodle who doesnt have any health issues ever is scratching like mad. Its not fleas! Has this merger done the same thing with the quality of this product like when Iams was bought out back many years ago? If so SHAME ON YOU!
Something has changed! I’ve been feeding my dog Natural’s Balance (Salmon and Sweet Potato) for years. I had to stop feeding her from the last bag I bought because she started nonstop scratching requiring a trip to the vet for inflammation and infected scratches on her skin.
what did you find out was wrong with him, my dog has started doing the same thing?
My Yorkshire is getting lot of sore and is scratching I am give him potato&education. I don’t know if the food is the problem
My dog had been on Natural Balance Salmon & Potato for years. He became very sick in July (vomiting, diarrhea and eventually stopped eating altogether). Doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with him. They admitted him, gave him IV fluids and shots of meds. He bounced back after about 36 hours. They had me keep him on a bland diet of boiled hamburger & rice and then I slowly reintroduced him to his food. He became sick once again when introducing his food, luckily not sick enough to be admitted again. I started looking online for reviews and was sick reading all of the issues that other pet owners have gone through with this brand. It’s unfortunate because this year had been working for his allergies and stomach issues for year so now we are trying to find a different food. Grrrrrrr.
I took my dog in for his routine exam and blood work. His liver enzymes came back elevated twice the normal level. He was vomiting in the early morning on occasion and the vet said there is something that is traumatizing his liver. Everything else has been ruled out. The liver processes everything that goes in a dog. He didn’t suggest that his dog food was the problem but after $500 in medication to treat we are switching just to be sure. The Natural Balance has never bothered him before but with Del Monte being the new owner and with its low reputation for dog food, it’s an easy switch.
We just spent $487 yesterday in vet bills on a very sick dog! He has had GI symptoms for a couple of weeks now and we never suspected our dog food. We have been feeding Natural Balance dry and wet (in a variety of flavors) for several years now and until recently, never had an issue. Our senior dog has always had a sensitive stomach and most recently, it has stepped up. Both dogs have been vomiting sporadically and they are both suffering from soft, mucus-tinged and even bloody stools. We have been through various medications from the vet and they get better for a while, but soon start with GI symptoms again. Strangely, both dogs (Australian Shepard) have gained weight recently and it’s starting to look like the change in formulation (I suspect higher carbohydrate fillers) are to blame for all the recent issues. I’m done with this brand and thank the community of caring dog owners who have shared their experiences and helped me find the culprit.
i am having issues with my 6 month old puppy, and contribute it to the natural balance…he poops like 8-10 times a day, and they are not mush, but are very soft…i think i am switching to wellness, but wondered what you switched to, and how it is working for you? thank you for your post…i am learning we are NOT alone!
I am quite annoyed. We have used duck and potato for over 4 years with zero issues. Our most recent bag was dark, smaller kibble and my dog’s poop is now runny and a lot larger. I called the company and they insist no changes, but clearly it has. Looking for something new.
I was so upset when I found that the turkey roll was no longer and replaced by turkey/lamb. My finicky eater was ok with the turkey roll
before the change. This new crap is crumbly and stinky. I end up throwing out all the crumbs since I chop up the roll for my dog. Probably a quarter end up in crumb dust that I pitch….why change when people were buying? Now looking for something else he will eat…Can we have the original food back????
I have been buying this for my Terrier almost all her life too, and she hates it also. Bring back the old formula. this one stinks.
I purchased what I thought was going to be the same quality product I’ve come to rely on over the last 6 years only to receive poor quality, foul smelling, unpalatable food for our Boston Terriers who have allergies and sensitive stomachs. Angry does not even begin to describe how I feel about the recipe change Del Monte has made – the result has been apprehension in eating the food and when they do they experience severe bloating, strained pooping, unusual color and consistency in stools. The quality has completely changed: the dry kibble [potato-duck] is lighter in weight, darker in color, foul smell; the canned [potato-duck] has more filler product, is whipped up to be lighter in the can & appears to have way more potato than duck…while the rolls are altogether disgusting, powdery and smell like rubber tires/petroleum [like the ‘Made in China Products,’ that Kill our Pets]! How can this company think their customers would not notice such an awful product being sold for an even Higher Price?!!! I am angry, severely disappointed and refuse to purchase Natural Balance Products in the future- unless the same EXACT quality recipes are brought back- not these cheap imitations. Customer service wrote to me assuring the product is not made in China- and claiming they have not changed the kibble or canned food- but there is a noticeable difference in the way these products smell and our dogs refuse to eat it now. I am severely disappointed in this brand.
My 1.5 year old golden retriever has been on Natural Balance Duck and Potato Limited Ingredient Diet for the last year. Amber has a sensitive stomach and would have very soft poop when she ate dog food with grains in it. The Duck and Potato dog food had worked great with Amber until the most recent bag that I bought last month. It appears that there have been changes to the food as the kibble is smaller and darker than it used to be. It also has a saltier smell to it. Amber’s soft poop has returned once she started eating the most recent bag so Natural Balance must have changed the recipe. I’m very disappointed and do not understand why they would change the formula to a Limited Ingredient Diet and not inform the consumer. I’m concerned that the formula change was driven by Del Mote who recently purchased Natural Balance and that they are trying to cut corners in the ingredients to increase their bottom line. I will now be searching for another brand and will not be buying Natural Balance again.
I purchased what I thought was going to be the same quality product I’ve come to rely on over the last 6 years only to receive poor quality, foul smelling, unpalatable food for our Boston Terriers who have allergies and sensitive stomachs. Angry does not even begin to describe how I feel about the recipe change Del Monte has made – the result has been apprehension in eating the food and when they do they experience severe bloating, strained pooping, unusual color and consistency in stools. The quality has completely changed: the dry kibble [potato-duck] is lighter in weight, darker in color, foul smell; the canned [potato-duck] has more filler product, is whipped up to be lighter in the can & appears to have way more potato than duck…while the rolls are altogether disgusting, powdery and smell like rubber tires/petroleum [like the ‘Made in China Products,’ that Kill our Pets]! How can this company think their customers would not notice such an awful product being sold for an even Higher Price?!!! I am angry, severely disappointed and refuse to purchase Natural Balance Products in the future- unless the same EXACT quality recipes are brought back- not these cheap imitations. Customer service wrote to me assuring the product is not made in China- and claiming they have not changed the kibble or canned food- but there is a noticeable difference in the way these products smell and our dogs refuse to eat it now. I am severely disappointed in this brand.
My 1.5 year old golden retriever has been on Natural Balance Duck and Potato Limited Ingredient Diet for the last year. Amber has a sensitive stomach and would have very soft poop when she ate dog food with grains in it. The Duck and Potato dog food had worked great with Amber until the most recent bag that I bought last month. It appears that there have been changes to the food as the kibble is smaller and darker than it used to be. It also has a saltier smell to it. Amber’s soft poop has returned once she started eating the most recent bag so Natural Balance must have changed the recipe. I’m very disappointed and do not understand why they would change the formula to a Limited Ingredient Diet and not inform the consumer. I’m concerned that the formula change was driven by Del Mote who recently purchased Natural Balance and that they are trying to cut corners in the ingredients to increase their bottom line. I will now be searching for another brand and will not be buying Natural Balance again.
I have an 11 year old shih tzu who has eaten the lamb rolls for most of his life. I never had a problem getting him to eat it. Since the formula change, my dog refuses to touch it. It is very hard, and has a different odor. Terrible consistency! At this time we are trying to find a different food/brand for him. He absolutely won’t eat it.
Please bring back the old formula!
My little shin tzu refuses to eat!!! What am I to do now??? I bought the beef and the chicken/whatever flavor is with it, they all have a chemical smell. Why? Thought the Petco associate told me that these are healthier? Who ever made this decision was WRONG! Give the consumer the choice of what the want to feed their dog! Great create another line but leave the traditional alone!!! Still want to know what I am suppose to feed my dog now??? Do the van pattens read these and care???? Hmmm……
Talk about loosing review!!!! Hmmmm….
Won’t be using or recommending it anymore! As for listening to Petco associates don’t think I will do that anymore either!!!
The new Natural Balance dog food roll, Lamb & Chicken is terrible. Compared to the former Lamb roll it’s dry and crumbly, not moist like the old formula. Plus the size has been reduced to 3.5pounds from 4 and the price remains the same, which I feel is a deceptive practice. Natural Balance should go back to the old formula and size. I’d be willing to pay a little more for quality. I don’t plan to buy the new formula after I’m done with the rolls I recently bought.
Two Words: SOLID GOLD. After switching to Natural Balance LID for allergies, we noticed significant weight gain along with other issues. Now feeding Solid Gold ‘Hund-n-Flocken” (lamb and rice) recipe, all four Goldens are much healthier. Expensive locally but doable after a thourough online search were we found first time discounts and free shipping.
November 2013 had to put 6 year old dog down. Noticed he began being sick over the summer. Very lethargic, fever, vomiting, belching. The doctors never came to any conclusion of what was wrong. He was on the Sweet Potato and Salmon and I did notice a change in the way the food looked. Until reading the 2013 reviews I never even thought the food was the issue because as you can see this has a 5 star rating. I wish I knew! I did look for a recall but did not find anything. Reading all the 2013 issue is just making me furious. We have a new dog and I am so happy that I found this information because I was thinking of switching him to New Balance. No way that is happening now. Thank you
reviewers. You may have just saved my new dog’s life.
Hello Dog Lovers. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE IS FEEDING THIS TO ENGLISH BULLDOG
I feed to English bullies and has been great for their allergy problems. I only use the can grain free salmon. For dry foo I use natures recipe grain free salmon for my 2 bullies and a newfy and found that the absolute best dry food….
It cannot be coincidence. My boys have been good with the NB Ultra kibble or the Synergy, but last few months have eaten less than usual and having more issues with vomiting and diarrhea. I don’t trust Del Monte. GOtta switch.
I used to feed the rabbit/potato formula to my dog. She did awesome with her skin allergies until very abruptly, she developed ear infections, sores around her lips, and sores on her bum. She is no longer eager to eat at mealtimes. The pet store owner where we purchase the product told us the food company was sold. Now the food is basically trash, so sad.
I have been feeding our 2 Cocker Spaniels the dry formula and the older one has been snubbing her nose at it and she has developed severe skin issues and they are both scratching alot.I noticed on the packages it does not tell you who makes the food,you only find that out when you look it up!!!!This is terrible poor pups have to suffer if it’s due to their hiding things like that.Soon I’ll just make my own food for them!!!!Who do you trust anymore,they put out there that it’s all natural and the best ingredients,this goes for any of the foods,so many companies are doing this.
I’m chiming in with Lisa, Ivanka, Judith and Lauren. We’ve had Mojo on The Salmon formula for 3 years. He had the most beautiful coat. We put him on this dog food, because he was reacting to the grains in other foods. We switched to a sweet potato base, and he was doing great.
The last 2 bags we’ve gotten do not smell like fish anymore when we open the bag. Mojo looks at his bowl without interest. He started biting and itching like crazy and has such bad gas that I had been accusing my family of feeding him human food.
Long story short, we suspected something was up, and my search for what was going on with the food, brought me here. The obvious is that the product manufacturer is not the same, the quality is not the same and Mojo’s health is not the same. Game over…
Blue Mountain? Taste of the Wild? Going to find a new brand tonight, and toss the cr@p food out that we paid big bucks for.
This is interesting to read so many other dogs that have been on Natural Balance for a long time are now experiencing the same health issues our dog is having: lack of eating, vomiting, and lethargic. Our dog has been eating NB Sweet Potato and Fish food for 5 years. This past June we noticed a change in the food (that the food smelled a bit strange and different) but didn’t really think much of it. Over the past two months we have seen a decline in our dog’s health. When we took her in for her check-up in September our vet didn’t find immediately wrong and told us to follow up. In the past two days she has gotten worse so today we took her to the vet and are awaiting her test results. We will be switching her food tomorrow.
I cannot believe I am reading this. This past summer (2013) I noticed the Sweet Pt. and Fish formula did look different and did not think anything of it! Move ahead Nov. 2013 we had to put our dog down due to terrible undiagnosed health issues. Lethargic, fever and stopped eating. If it was the food uhhhg…
I have 2 pugs that have been eating Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish. Two weeks ago I purchased a new bag of food. Last Thursday, one of the pugs started vomitting and has been in the vet office on IV. He is very sick. The other pug started eating just a bit two days ago and then would walk away and not eat. My husband says the food has a bad odor. I plan to take a sample to the vet to see what they think. I hope the illness is not from the food, but we have not changed their feeding habits or anything else. Has anyone else had recent issues with this brand or flavor of dog food?
We changed to Synergy when we realized that our 10 yr old boxer was allergic to red food dye. The 4 yr old poodle & 8 yr old boxer also changed at the same time.
All our dogs love the product and are healthy and energetic. We have been very pleased with the consistent quality of the food.
I just read that Del Monte bought Natural Balance. The reviews after the buy-out aren’t as good. Is this yet another case of a big corporation charging the same amount for poor quality dog food? What’s the thought on this?
Food suddenly making dog sick (lethargic, vomitting, belching, loss of appetite) after 4 years on Salmon LID. Food doesn’t look or smell the same. Something is wrong with this product.
I’m absolutely thrilled you product a Vegan Formula
because my dog is allergic to all meats, including
fish. He breaks out with sores that puss runs out of all over his belly. It took me 4 yrs to discover it was meat that he was allergic to. (Dogs are suspose to be carnivorous) because of over breeding & interbreeding this is what has become of it. In a week being on this formula he completely cleard up. Thank you Thank you
I have used this dog food for my two Westies for going on 3 years. Great results. I have recently stopped using it for one reason. SODIUM NITRITE. I will resume buying again if they stop using this carcinogenic ingredient. No good dog food is worth feeding my dog if it helps them get cancer.
READ THIS if you feed your dog Natural Balance. I’ve been feeding my dog Natural Balance for years with no problem until June 2013. My dog suddenly lost 3 lbs in four short months (out of 18 lbs). I panicked and rushed to the vet. After a full blood screening, x-rays, ultrasound and $800 vet bill it turns out everything is normal. The only explanation: the dog food! I did research and found out Natural Balance was acquired by Del Monte…a huge corporation that specializes in the WORST dog food you can buy for your dog!! Stay away from Natural Balance. The formula has been changed and you WILL see your dog’s health decline. My dog was in excellent health and was eating the same food and amount but rapidly losing weight…you do the math!
I agree with your comment. I’ve been feeding Natural Balance to my 8 year old female Golden for about three years with no problem. Then, suddenly, last month she quit eating it and had stomach issues. I also took her to the vet and he suggested changing her food and it did the trick. There is definitely a change in this product.
Look…canola is a GMO crop.
Here we go again, another inaccurate review. You state natural balance has meat as the first ingredient. Unfortunately they almost always have a carb as the first ingredient. Check their website. Please do research before doing a review. Dog food advisor gives them a so-so rating because they are carb heavy, not meat heavy. You use the chicken LID food as your example, but your listing of the ingredients is wrong. Chicken is not the first ingredient. I really wish people wouldn’t rely on this website.
Ingredients are verified from the mfg specs here
I agree with Veronica. While some NB dry foods have protein as the first ingredient, the vast majority have the card first (in fact, the link you provided showed a sweet potato and chicken formula) I’m in the pet food industry, and see many dogs that do well eating NB. However, your review suggests that the whole line of food has the protein as the first ingredient, which is not true.
This is for the canned food.
Our older dog and new pup (8mo) enjoy the food selection we made. But the packaging is not good so that the lower portions of kibbles are almost duct-like in consistency. I complained to my lcal pet store as we seem to be losing 10-20% of the kibble. They too think the bag is not sturdy enough so throughout the transport phase the kibble moves too much and simply breaks down. We are switching brands Diego this. Any thoughts?
Thank you.
I changed my senior boxer from Wellness brand over to Natural Balance about a year ago because he was having chronic loose stools (not quite diarhea). A vet advised I switch to a limited ingredient recipe that only contained one carbo: sweet potatoes, and she recommended Natural Balance. I bought the formula with sweet potatoes and fish, as my dog loves salmon. The stool become firmer and almost normal again but the smell was rancid. People just said it was a food ingredient making that smell. It went on for a year with these rancid smelling poops (like perming solution). My dog has just had $2000.00 worth of treatment including follow ups to fix a gas/pancreas problem. The vet now thinks it could have been the Natural Balance, and is now recommending GoNatural.
I used to feed this to my dog when I was trying to determine if she had a protein allergen. This food is great for dogs with allergies, sensitivities and intolerances. Their fish formula as well as their venison formula should be considered if you’re looking for food because of allergies. All their lines (specifically their grain free foods) are great for dogs with other intolerances.
For healthy dogs, I would advise going elsewhere. The protein percent is much lower for the price you’re paying. It’s not a bad choice, but it isn’t the best choice either for dogs with a healthy body.
For a healthy dog, I give this food 3.5/5 because it could use more protein.
For sensitive dogs, I give it 5/5 because all of the ingredients are high quality, and the list of ingredients are limited to avoid stomach upset.
I just changed my dog’s (purebred “snow” labrador retriever) food for the second time in his short 3-year life. About two years ago he started having problems with the food my older dog was eating and that we had transitioned him to after puppy food. I did a lot of research and read that dogs that have ear infections or other illnesses early in life many times develop food allergies. Gus did have an extensive ear infection as a puppy. So I went to the pet store and the person there suggested Natural Balance potato and duck. This seemed to do the trick and Gus was happy and healthy for these past two years. About three weeks ago, we bought the first big bag after the recall and he immediately started to have the same symptoms as before. I don’t think there is a salmonella issue any more with the brand but what I’m starting to think is that they reformulated the food to make salmonella harder to occur. So maybe they stopped putting whole duck in it or added more preservatives. Whatever it is was appeared to be the culprit in putting poor Gus in extreme distress (for the record, I brought him to the vet multiple times the first time and also this time). Today I went to the store, purchased a couple of cans and a bag of Wellness Simple and Gus is extremely content right now. I didn’t dare transition him to the new dogfood with the old because my gut told me there is something different with the NB since the recall. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he does well with this. Anyone else out there with a similar post-recall story?
My little dog just started sweet potato and venison because of allergies. She is now acting like she has no energy and is having a hard time pooping which she has never had before. I think today is the last of the food.
I put my dogs on Synergy because one of them had really bad digestion problems. After switching our dogs were much better off, and I was happily surprised to read that the ingredients are extreremly healthy. Everything improved: coats, eyes, deameanor, back-yard waste amounts, it was amazing. We have no Natural Balance complaints, only good results here.
I have a dog that has just been diagnosed with diabetes. I can’t find a diabetic dog food in my town. I just purchased Natural Balance L.I.D. ((sweet potato and fish formula). Is this ok for my diabetic dog. The vet said I should have a dog food with a low glycemic index? What is the glycemic index for this brand? Also he said, low carbohydrates. I need some guidence.
Sue
I have a 10 year old pug and after my pug was put on medication he stopped eating his iams dog food. I tried every product I could find and he would eat it for a day or two then stop. I have bags and bags of food almost all full and a lot of cans in the cabinet of food he refuses to eat. I took him to a pet expo and in a goodie bag there was this food roll. I did some research on it and was impressed with what they put in the food and what they didn’t. I gave it to him and he devoured it. I then bought a bunch of the small rolls and each day I was waiting for him to stop eating it but he never did. I picked up the 4lb roll of the beef and he eats everything I put in front of him and wants more. Im just so happy he is eating because he likes the food and not out of hunger.
They sub contract the manufacturing, mainly to Diamond who has a very bad track record. The FDA’s recent review of the Gaston plant is unbelievable and for Natural Balance to be unaware of this is not what one would call securing the quality of their product….where is that 151 tests, when broken and contaminated machinery is used to make their product. Is the health of our pets thrown out for their bottom line $$? There is now a new recall at the plant in Meta, Missouri. It also is starting out with the Diamond brand, but will it be another rolling recall like the one in Gaston, S.C.? Natural Balance LID is made here. Also the ingredients in the potato and duck is mostly from plant protein, not good, dogs need protein from meat. The meat in this formula is very low.
Natural Balance is voluntarily recalling certain dog food formulas. Visit http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/home/NB_recall.html for complete information.
Consider this natural balance dog food review five stars, four paws up, etc. Their L.I.D. sweet potato & fish food saved my dogs life. He has not suffered since we started giving this to him one year ago. He still enjoys the taste too. He’s happy and healthy now thanks to this brand. And for what you get in quality and trust, it’s worth the price, which is actually very reasonable.
My lab developed allergies to just about everything – his hair was falling out, he was having bouts of diarrhea and vomiting – we put him on Natural Balance Duck and Sweet Potato and he was fine from that point on. Great food, but very expensive.
That is good, but I would suggest frequent Lab evaluations on his liver and kidney health if you are keeping him on this food, just to be on the safe side.
Paux,
Thanks for your input, why would you say that a dog needs liver and Kidney check ups. Have there been incidences?
Our 4 year old mini schnauzer Radar has been raised exclusively on dry Natural Balance products. We had a small problem with dry skin but quickly solved the issue with Natural Balance Synergy. The breeder recommended it, the Vet recommended it and we highly recommend it. It may cost a little more than regular store brands but we want only the best for Radar. You can trust Natural Balance with you best friend. I’m glad I did.
I have 6 dogs, my brother has 2 and my mom also has 2. My best friend has 3. We all have our dogs on Natural Balance foods and are huge fans of this company. You have never seen healthier, happier dogs who love their food. One of my dogs (Maltese) is on their LID Limited Ingredient formulas for allergies and it practically saved her life – her symptoms are now gone. I read labels and stay on top of recalls, dog food news, etc, and Natural Balance makes sure all of their food is safe and tested – and you can double check on this on their website by entering the number on the bag you buy. We are all huge fans.
Anyone feeding this food PLEASE READ THIS –
THere is a significant problem with this food line, and a lot of animals – both dogs and cats- are apparently getting sick from recent batches of both canned and dry Natural Balance food!
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/natural_balance.html
I switched to Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish L.I.D. after my lab began suffering with allergies and stomach issues. All of a sudden he couldn’t tolerate anything and would vomit every night. He also developed rashes. Our vet suggested Natural Balance and it worked wonders for Zeus. He loved the taste, and his symptoms cleared up. We love Natural Balance and switched our cats to their Ultra formula. I believe this is the best brand of pet food on the market today.
We have the same experience. A dog with allergies, who just could not find a food that agreed with her. Then we Natural Balance and she has been doing great. All of her problems have cleared up. I love this food.
That’s funny because that also happend to us weeks ago. Yeah those mushys are a pain to pick up. We try the best we can but it’s just gross. But the interesting thing we found is that it’s not the NB. It was something she ate at the park when we were not looking. My son saw it though… Well, we think it’s that, but we can never be sure. But since then her stools have been regular.
It is not just “mushys”, it is huge foul smelling fecal matter. When a dog is getting a proper diet with a higher quality of protein source and less fillers and vegetable fillers, their excrement is small and less. It is the fillers that cause this problem of large and increased amount of feces. I do not think that this would be considered a “quality” product, although one pays for this. Increased fillers and veg. protein is an irritant to the intestinal track, thus the “mushy’s”, I would rather give my animal good food that does not cause these problems.
Please …. Maybe you can suggest a food that is better. I am not happy with NB Potato and fish. Something in it has definitely changed. My dog is allergic to peas and duck.
I feed my dog the venison and sweet potato formula. He has allergies and has been doing fine on this food until recently. My vet suggested I checked the bag for any changes in the ingredients and I found that they now add pea protein which my dog happens to be allergic to. The website I purchase my food from does not list pea fiber as an ingredient. You really need to read the actual label as companies frequently change their formulas without notice.
I fed my 5 month old yorkshire terrier puppy with natural balance chicken puppy food, the one that has a yorkie picture on the bag. That’s actually the reason why we bought it the first place, because it has the yorkie’s picture on the bag and says it’f for puppy, so that looks perfect right to us. Cooper (our puppy) likes the food a lot, but he tends to have gastrointestinal problems often. It’s hard to say whether it’s the food, but he is very sensitive towards other things we gave to him while on this diet. When I used to just feed him boiled rice, chicken breast, and apple, he was not sensitive to other treats at all. But Cooper definitely likes it, if we mixed the kibble with wet food or rice, he would pick all the kibbles out and only eat the kibbles. He is a bit hyper after the meals, and he licks his paws a lot, I just read that from another article that this is normally a sign for having a not balanced diet. We are definitely thinking of switching to another food after this bag is gone. I would say one or two out of 10 days period, he will have a very mushy stool that’s hard to pick up and plus he always steps on it and makes really hard for us to clean.
Wow. That is really interesting. It just goes to show you that dogs will react differently from each other to the same foods. My 3 dogs love this food, and have never had a bad reaction to it.
Good for you and your dogs. It will have an accumulative affect, this will cause problems later, and they may be acute/without warning.