Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health Dog Food Review (Dry)
Highly Recommended
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Which Natural Balance Recipes Get Our Best Ratings?
Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 3.5 stars.
The Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health product line includes the 4 dry dog food 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 Original Ultra All Life Stage Chicken and Barley | 3.5 | A |
| Natural Balance Original Ultra Grain Free Chicken | 3.5 | M |
| Natural Balance Original Ultra All Life Stage Chicken and Barley Small Breed Bites | 3.5 | A |
| Natural Balance Original Ultra All Life Stage Chicken and Barley Bites Large Breed | 3.5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Natural Balance Original Ultra All Life Stage Chicken and Barley
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken meal, pearled barley, oat groats, dried peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), brown rice, carrots, brewers dried yeast, flaxseed, natural flavor, dicalcium phosphate, DL-methionine, menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), salt, potassium chloride, taurine, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate, pantothenic acid, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement), spinach, dried tomato pomace, minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate), cranberries, blueberries, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, L-tryptophan, kelp, choline chloride, L-threonine, mixed tocopherols (used as a preservative), lactic acid, L-lysine monohydrochloride, yucca schidigera extract, L-Carnitine, citric acid (used as a preservative), rosemary extract, green tea extract, spearmint extract.
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%
Red denotes any controversial items
Ingredient Analysis
Natural Balance Original Ultra All Life Stage Chicken and Barley was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
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 pearled barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The next ingredient is oat groats, a whole grain, minimally processed form of oats. With the exception of their caloric content and the fact they’re also gluten free, oat groats can be considered average in nutritional value.
The fifth ingredient is dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus they’re naturally rich in dietary fiber.
The sixth 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 next ingredient is 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 eighth ingredient is carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The ninth ingredient is brewers dried yeast, which can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient is rich in minerals and other healthy nutrients.
With 5 notable exceptions…
First , tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
In addition, flaxseed is 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.
We also 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, this recipe contains 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.
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 Whole Body Health Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 26%, a fat level of 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 52%.
As a group, Natural Balance features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 50% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
Which means this Natural Balance product line contains…
Near-average protein. near-average fat. And near-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.
Our Rating of Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health Dog Food
Natural Balance Original Ultra Whole Body Health is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat meal as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.
Highly recommended.
Natural Balance Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Natural Balance through April.
- Natural Balance Dog Food Recall 2012 (5/5/2012)
- Natural Balance Dog Food Recall 2010 (6/19/2010)
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:
- Natural Balance Fat Dogs Review (Dry)
- Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Dog Food Review (Wet)
- Natural Balance Ultra Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Natural Balance Vegetarian Dog Food Review (Dry)
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