Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets (Canned)

Rating:

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets canned dog food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.

The Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets product line includes six canned dog foods… each designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.

• Natural Balance L.I.D. Duck and Potato
• Natural Balance L.I.D. Lamb and Brown Rice
• Natural Balance L.I.D. Fish and Sweet Potato
• Natural Balance L.I.D. Chicken and Sweet Potato
• Natural Balance L.I.D. Venison and Sweet Potato
• Natural Balance L.I.D. Bison and Sweet Potato (4 stars)

Natural Balance L.I.D. Fish and Sweet Potato canned dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

The first ingredient in this dog food includes fish broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.

The second ingredient lists ocean white fish. Whitefish is a high protein marine or freshwater species native to Canada and the California coast..

The third ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.

The fourth ingredient lists salmon. Salmon is a fatty marine and freshwater fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids… essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.

The fifth item includes potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

The sixth ingredient is salmon meal. Salmon meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh salmon.

What’s more, we’re pleased to report that, unlike many other fish meals, this particular item¹ appears to be ethoxyquin-free.

The seventh ingredient is canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.

Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.²

The salmon oil listed here is naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids… essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life. This is a welcome addition.

The ninth ingredient is guar gum… a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.

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 have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.

With one notable exception…

We find the minerals here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet
The Bottom Line

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets canned dog food is notable for its unique design… grain-free and restricted ingredients.

Both of these features make it ideal for allergy-prone dogs.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 32%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 42%.

With its notably higher protein content of 43% (and thus, more meat), the bison recipe deserves a higher rating than the others.

So, if we exclude the bison product, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 20%.

Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 43% for the overall product line.

Below-average protein. Average fat. And above-average carbs… as compared to a typical canned dog food.

With no evidence of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a canned dog food containing only a moderate amount of meat.

Even with its grain-free formula and an absence of critical Red Flag items, it’s still difficult to overlook what appears to be a generally lower meat content (especially the duck and chicken).

Bottom line?

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets is a grain-free canned dog food using a moderate amount of assorted meats as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.

Recommended.

Those looking for a comparable kibble from the same brand may wish to check out our review of Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet dry dog food.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

01/11/2010 Original review
08/17/2010 Review updated

The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.

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