# Natural Balance Dog Food



## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

Once again Im almost out of dog food... I went to the store and made the manager (my friend Jay) go through the 'holistic' section with me to find the lowest protein and fat. The best we found was Natural BalanceÂ® Reduced Calorie Formula. With all info available here It was about $9 for the 5lb bag. Has any one used this food? I also bought some of the Bison, Pearled Barley & Blueberry treats. 

**Bonus points for Natural Balance: They make reptile 'sausages' to feed instead of mice and rats as well as diets for large carnivores in zoos and sanctuaries


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## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

Is this for Suebee's mix? I JUST finished doing a bit on which dog foods would be most suitable for the mix and Natural Balance Reduced Calorie Formula was at the top. 

http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratfeeding.html#homemade


I have not used the food personally but it is a high quality food :3


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

Darksong: 

It is for Suebee's mix, I actually found your write up just after I posted that  I was really wondering if rats actually liked the food?

I don't want to get HT because I question their ingredients, and I wanted a cheaper alternative to Regal Rat, I don't mind spending the money, but I don't want to spend a lot on good food they won't eat. It could be dietary gold, but it won't do any good sitting untouched in their food dish. (I know , I know preaching to the choir)


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## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

glindella said:


> Darksong:
> 
> It is for Suebee's mix, I actually found your write up just after I posted that  I was really wondering if rats actually liked the food?
> 
> I don't want to get HT because I question their ingredients, and I wanted a cheaper alternative to Regal Rat, I don't mind spending the money, but I don't want to spend a lot on good food they won't eat. It could be dietary gold, but it won't do any good sitting untouched in their food dish. (I know , I know preaching to the choir)



The food as in Suebee's mix or the food as in Natural Balance? I have not tried Natural Balance myself so I cannot say but I have used Suebee's mix with success when I didn't have Harlan Teklad lab blocks available. Even when I had them available I'd occasionally supplement them with a little of the mix for variety. Mind you this was a while ago and I haven't had rats for a while now (eventually I'll have fuzzies again!).


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

Ive been feeding Suebees and Nutro Ultra Weight management, good food and they like it but the protein is higher (~18% I believe). I'm just looking to switch the dog food, thank you for all your help


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## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

glindella said:


> Ive been feeding Suebees and Nutro Ultra Weight management, good food and they like it but the protein is higher (~18% I believe). I'm just looking to switch the dog food, thank you for all your help


Natural Balance is a higher quality, better dog food than Nutro anyway so it sounds like the way to go. You're very welcome :3


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## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

What is the protein level in your new food? I have been meaning to switch to something a little lower - I use Nutro as well.


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

The protein is 16.5% min, fat is 6% min. Ill mix it with the Nutro tonight and see how much they like it and let you all know


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## Sparker (Jun 17, 2007)

Thanks!


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## jellybeanqueen (Sep 6, 2007)

i use nutro lite for senior dogs in suebee's mix, which is 14% protein.
my girls are pretty happy with it, but let me know how the new food goes with your ratties! =)


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## Lesath (Jul 14, 2007)

I feed Natural Balance to my dog, cat and rats. The dog gets the duck and potato, and the rats get the veggie formula. Every once in a while I give the ratties some of the dogs potato and duck formula and they love it.


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

I've been using Nutro Natural Choice Lite (14% protein, I think 6% fat), but the ingredients in Natural Balance are much better! I think the ingredients outweigh the protein, imo, especially since all of my rats are still under a year old. Since I need to pick up more dog food soon anyway, I think I'll try to find some Natural Balance. Do they sell it at Petco/Petsmart?


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## Lesath (Jul 14, 2007)

I've never seen it at Petamart but I buy it from Petco.


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## chrisstrikeagain (Apr 10, 2007)

I like to think of myself as a dogfood soon to be expert, as i plan to be a vet and have seminars about dog food. I Also research Just about every ingredient and just about any food.

After lookin at the ingredients, none of them scream jun to me. So i'd say it seems like a good foood to me.


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

Here is the product information:

Natural Balance Reduced Calorie Formula for Dogs
First Ten Ingredients

Brown Rice
Whole Chicken
Pearled Barley
Oatmeal
Chicken Meal
Potatoes
Oat Fiber
Duck
Lamb Meal
Carrots 


Remaining Ingredients

Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Canola Oil, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols-a source of vitamin E, Citric Acid), Brewers Yeast, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Dried Kelp, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Sodium Chloride, Parsley Flakes, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplements, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Lysine, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Copper Proteinate, Grape Seed Oil, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Inositol, Folic Acid (Vitamin B, Pyridoxine, Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), D-Activated Animal Sterol (source of Vitamin D-3), Biotin, Ethylene Diamine Dihydriodide (source of Iodine), Cobalt Sulfate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate 


Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein (minimum) 16.5 %
Moisture (maximum) 10 %
Crude Fat (minimum) 6%
Crude Fiber (maximum) 5 %


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## Lesath (Jul 14, 2007)

I like the veggie because it adds omega, though it does have more protein and fat. Hmm.. maybe I'll do a mix of both types next time.

This is for the veggie formula.

Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Peas, Potato Protein, Canola Oil, Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Vegetable Flavoring, Lecithin, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Inulin, Taurine, Natural Tocopherols, Spinach, Parsley Flakes, Cranberry, Lysine, L-Carnitine, Yucca, Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B).


GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein	18.0% minimum
Crude Fat	8.0% minimum
Crude Fiber	4.0% maximum
Moisture	10.0% maximum
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.3% minimum
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 2.0% minimum


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

Well, they ate it  I mixed it with the nutro and they ate both with out seeming to have much of a preference. They were also big fans of the NB Bison, Barley and Blueberry biscuits (each got 1/2)


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