Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health product range consists of two recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 5 stars.
This Original dry range is crafted to support your adult dog’s overall health, featuring broth-coated kibble with a balanced blend of fiber and superfoods to meet their nutritional needs.
Pros
- Real protein as the #1 ingredient
- Rich in omega-3 and omega-6
- No corn, wheat, soy or artificial flavors, colors or preservatives
Cons
- Limited recipes
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Balance Original Ultra Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato | 5 | A |
| Natural Balance Original Ultra Chicken and Barley | 5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Natural Balance Original Ultra Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Natural Balance Original Ultra Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken meal, peas, lentils, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), sweet potatoes, flaxseed, pea starch, natural flavor, dried egg product, menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried vegetable broth, dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, dried tomato pomace, salt, taurine, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B-12 supplement, folic acid, vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin), DL-methionine, choline chloride, minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, calcium iodate), carrots, spinach, pumpkin, cranberries, apples, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, citric acid (preservative), mixed tocopherols (preservative), yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 27% | 15% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 30% | 17% | 45% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 26% | 35% | 39% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus they’re naturally rich in dietary fiber.
The fourth ingredient is lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.However, lentils contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The fifth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The sixth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The seventh ingredient is flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The eighth ingredient is pea starch, a paste-like, gluten-free carbohydrate extract probably used here as a binder for making kibble. Aside from its energy content (calories), pea starch is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
With three notable exceptions…
First we note the use of 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.
Next, menhaden oil. Menhaden are small ocean fish related to herring. Their oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids, two high quality fats boasting the highest bio-availability to both dogs and humans.
What’s more, in their mid-depth habitat, menhaden are not as likely to be exposed to mercury contamination as is typical with deep water species.
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 Original Ultra Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 31%, a fat level of 17.4% and estimated carbohydrates of about 38.3%.
As a group, Natural Balance features an average protein content of 29.3% and a mean fat level of 16.8%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 40.4% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.
Which means this Natural Balance product line contains…
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the pea protein and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Natural Balance Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Natural Balance through April 2026.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Natural Balance Original Ultra Dry Dog Food
Natural Balance Original Ultra dry product range is a grain-free and grain-inclusive dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Those looking for wet recipes from the same product line may wish to visit our review of Natural Balance Original Ultra canned dog food.
About
Natural Balance Pet Foods was co-founded by actor Dick Van Patten and his friend Joey Herrick in 1989. Natural Balance has changed ownership several times. It is currently owned by Nexus Capital Management.
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A Final Word
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