Is Natural Balance good?

Snuggles · 10-24-2009, 04:35 PM

We just picked up Natural Balance original formula for our dog. We tried Wellness Core but she didn't like it. Is Natural Balance really good for them?

Hallie · 10-24-2009, 04:39 PM

Natural balance ultra premium? We tried that with Hallie and Peanut. It is a good food. There's not too much meat in it though which contributes to the low protein. It's a great food but Hallie or Peanut grew tired of it quickly, I think it was because it wasn't a very meaty tasting food.

EDIT: meant to say it wasn't a very meaty tasting food.

Snuggles · 10-24-2009, 04:48 PM

It is very confusing when you go in the store. I had printed off a list of dog foods and forgot the paper (duh). The woman who I know that works there says that it is good food. She feeds it to her dog.

Now I did read that a couple years ago there wasn't something bad in this stuff but then the recent reviews were fine. hmmm

Yes it is the Ultra Premium.

Looney Tunes · 10-24-2009, 05:08 PM

NO, if you are concerned about ingredients from China.

I also was sold Natural Balance LID (grain free) and when I got home I immediately emailed the company because the bag says "Manufactured for: ______" BUT NOT "Manufactured in the USA"

So, I wanted to know if it was made in the USA and if the ingredients were from the USA.

There response was that 96% of the ingredients were from the USA. They said they imported Taurine from China (because it is hard to get elsewhere..really?).

IMO, anything from China is a no. They have poisoned: toys for children with lead paint and other ingredients, medications (heparin), drywall, and dog/cat food in 2007. Don't trust anything going into my dog/cat from there.

Also goto this website which is helping me alot...
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

or this one ..... http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/petfoods_pg2.htm

Snuggles · 10-24-2009, 05:25 PM

What is Taurine?

Snuggles · 10-25-2009, 03:30 PM

You got me worried so I returned it and got Avoderm. I don't see that word on it. Gad it is confusing.

Hallie · 10-25-2009, 03:42 PM

Taurine is a naturally occuring amino acid. It's normally found in meat.

kpollard · 10-25-2009, 04:07 PM

Teddy has been on NB for over a year now and does fine on it. Healthy coat, no weight problems..however he has an overly sensitive stomach and we HAVE to have him on a LID. If you don't have to do a LID then a food with more meat is probably more desirable.

brecken · 10-25-2009, 04:41 PM

natural balance is a really good food it has no fillers or biproducts its very holistic as well keep them on that food

Looney Tunes · 10-25-2009, 05:05 PM

It is not a good food. If you don't want Chinese imported synthetically produced products in your food, stay away.

Taurine is an organic acid that comes from the bile of the liver and muscle stores. So, it occurs both naturally and is produced synthetically to be added to pet food. In the 1980s, it was discovered to be very important for feline health, because cats do not naturally synthesize it. In cats, the absence of it can cause retina problems, blindness, hair loss, tooth decay, and cardio problems. It is now a requirement for cat food.

But it was never added to dog good until recently. In fact, until recently the FDA spoke out against adding it to dog food because dogs can synthesize it themselves. That being said, studies conducted starting in 2005 have shown that it can be useful for cardiac health issues in large dogs like Newfies and Dobs.

Not all dog food companies test the imported SYNTHETICALLY made taurine..If companies are not testing it and with China's history, it is not safe IMO.

dieterherzog · 10-25-2009, 07:12 PM

Avoderm isn't good food either. I don't know of any dog that is sensitive to EVERY meat protein and the fact that they have a vegetarian diet for dogs makes me dislike them. The best thing that is sold in Petco/Petsmart is Wellness. Natural Balance is OKAY if you feed it for a short while, most dogs do great on the limited ingredients diet (my dog did when he was puking for a while).

If your dog doesn't like Wellness Core, you may have to try Orijen or EVO. A little more expensive and harder to find, but well worth the cost.

sassykzt · 10-25-2009, 08:29 PM

My 3 Westies didn't like wellness either( they are not picky). They ate n. balance fish & sweet potato for a few years -- need to be on grain free food due to skin issues. My vet was concerned that there was not enough protein as they are very active. I switched them to Orijen 6 fish-- could tell a difference in their coats/skin and stool. EVO is good too-- my sis feeds it to her 6 dogs and my dogs eat it when they visit. The whole China thing had me concerned too. Orijen is made in Canada-- they are pretty specific in their newsletter that nothing comes from China-- not even the supplements in the food which (surprise!!) China pretty much corners the market. I know, the whole dog food thing is exhausting!

Snuggles · 10-25-2009, 08:43 PM

Gad, this is very confusing. To think that we never even looked at what was in our dog's food. I read where Avoderm is one of the highest rated dog foods.

I looked for Orijen but could not find it. Guess it is good I didn't.

The Avoderm I got was chicken and I think brown rice.

brecken · 10-26-2009, 12:15 PM

if u want a grain free food your gonna want to go with evo but you have to transition very slowly bc its a high protein rich food you want to do about 90% old food and 10% evo bc its so high in protein but its a really good food and its grain free

Ayanla · 10-26-2009, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brecken

if u want a grain free food your gonna want to go with evo but you have to transition very slowly bc its a high protein rich food you want to do about 90% old food and 10% evo bc its so high in protein but its a really good food and its grain free

There are several other choices for grain free besides Evo.

brecken · 10-26-2009, 01:19 PM

there is also diamond

Ayanla · 10-26-2009, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brecken

there is also diamond

Among others...

Orijen
Canidae
Instinct
Welness

Snuggles · 10-26-2009, 03:19 PM

Well this is for a ten month old Pom who weighs about eleven pounds. I don't want her to gain more than she should but I want her to get what she should to have a healthy live.

Where is Orijen sold? I didn't see it at Petco.

ZerotheHero3 · 10-26-2009, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snuggles

Well this is for a ten month old Pom who weighs about eleven pounds. I don't want her to gain more than she should but I want her to get what she should to have a healthy live.

Where is Orijen sold? I didn't see it at Petco.

Do you know of any smaller dog boutiques or stores near you? They usually carry higher premium brands like Orijen. If no, then you may need to get it online. PetCo and PetSmart do not carry it.

Snuggles · 10-26-2009, 03:29 PM

I can only think of one other place but I think they make their own food.