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Natural Balance Ultra Dog Food Review (Canned)

Natural Balance Beef Wet Dog Food

Rating:

Which Natural Balance Ultra Canned Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

Natural Balance Ultra Premium canned dog food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Natural Balance Ultra Premium product line includes the 4 canned dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product Rating AAFCO
Natural Balance Ultra Premium Beef 4 M
Natural Balance Ultra Premium Lamb 4 M
Natural Balance Ultra Premium Chicken 4 M
Natural Balance Original Ultra Reduced Calorie 3.5 M

Recipe and Label Analysis

Natural Balance Ultra Premium Beef was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.


Natural Balance Ultra Premium Beef

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 36% | Fat = 23% | Carbs = 33%

Ingredients: Beef, beef broth, beef liver, potatoes, carrots, brown rice, oat bran, dehydrated potatoes, dicalcium phosphate, vitamins (l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), canola oil, minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, calcium iodate), guar gum, sodium tripolyphosphate, taurine, potassium chloride, salt, natural smoke flavor, dried kelp, menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), choline chloride, carrageenan, parsley, Yucca schidigera extract, rosemary extract

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 9.1%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis8%5%NA
Dry Matter Basis36%23%33%
Calorie Weighted Basis29%44%26%
Protein = 29% | Fat = 44% | Carbs = 26%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1

Beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is beef broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common component in many canned products.

The third ingredient is beef liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The next ingredient is potato. 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 fifth item includes carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

Next, we find brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The seventh ingredient is oat bran, a nutritious by-product obtained from milling whole grain oats. The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain containing starch, protein, vitamins and minerals.

The eighth ingredient is dried potato, a dehydrated item usually made from the by-products of potato processing. In most cases, dried potato can contain about 10% dry matter protein which can have a slight affect on our estimate of the total meat content of this recipe.

The ninth ingredient is 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 have much of an effect on the overall rating of this Natural Balance product.

With 6 notable exceptions

First, we find canola oil. Unfortunately, canola can be a controversial item. That’s 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.

Next, this food 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.

In addition, we note the use of menhaden oil. This item is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.

Next, this recipe includes 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.

We also find carrageenan, a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety.

The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.

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 Ultra Premium looks like an above-average moisture-rich dog food.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 23% and estimated carbohydrates of about 33%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 36% and a mean fat level of 23%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 33% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 63%.

Which means this Natural Balance product line contains…

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

Even when you consider the mild protein-boosting effect of the dried potato, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing a moderate amount of meat.

Our Rating of Natural Balance Ultra Canned Dog Food

Natural Balance Ultra Premium is a grain-inclusive canned dog food using a moderate amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Those looking for a kibble from the same product line may wish to visit our review of Natural Balance Ultra dry dog food.

Natural Balance Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Natural Balance through March 2024.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More Natural Balance Brand Reviews

The following Natural Balance dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

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References

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials
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