Pure Balance Dog Food Review – Pure Balance dog food is a Walmart label, all-natural dog food. It is available in several different flavors and recipes. As a nutritious and economical meal, this is canine food that you will feel comfortable feeding your pet.
Along with the ingredients, we’ll also give you insight into who owns the brand, where it’s made, and even information about recent recalls. There is no such thing as a perfect dog meal, this option is included. Keep reading to find out more!
Pure Balance Dog Food Review
Pure Balance dog food is a Walmart-labeled line of pets that aims to provide your dog with a healthy, natural, and economical dinner option. They offer a multitude of flavors and recipes, and they also have a whole feline line.
This brand not only offers both wet and dry foods, but also a few other options which we will discuss in more detail below.
Each recipe contains all-natural ingredients that support your pup’s overall health and well-being. Not only that, but Pure Balance maintains that their facilities are run to AAFCO standards and follow their nutritional guidelines.
Pure Balance Dog Food History
As mentioned, Pure Balance is a Walmart private line that was established in 2012. Walmart launched this brand after seeing a need for affordable and nutritious pet food that is not readily available in the market.
Walmart, however, does not manufacture the product itself. They enlisted Ainsworth Pet Nutrition LLC to produce most of their products. This company is owned by JM Smucker who added them to their list of pet brand manufacturers in 2018.
An overview of the products
Pure Balance is not limited to dry or wet foods. They offer varieties such as fresh rolls, wet foods in sauce, and dinners. All of these products are made with natural ingredients, as well as added vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. They also offer grain-free diets, puppy formulas, and LID meals.
Below we will look at the different types of food recipes offered by Pure Balance:
Dry
Dry food is available in a 4, 11, or 24-pound bag to choose from.
Receipts
- grain free
- Member
- Puppy
- Small breed
The flavors
- Chicken and rice
- Lamb and beans
- Beef and wild boar
- Chicken and peas
- Salmon
- Turkey
Wet (canned)
Available in a single can or a six-pack of 12.5-ounce cans. This option comes in the form of a pâté.
Receipts
- grain free
- MEMBER
- Puppy
The flavors
- Chicken
- Beef and Chicken
- Beef
- Turkey and potato
- Chicken, brown rice and vegetables
Wet in sauce and dinners
These two options both come in a plastic container with a thin plastic back cover. Gravy meal is basically wet food in chunks with gravy while dinners are a larger form of gravy food.
Receipts
- grain free
The flavors
- Lamb
- Chicken
- Beef
- Turkey and potato
- Duck
Wild and Fresh Rolls (semi-raw)
This dog food comes in what looks like a tube of cookie dough and comes in a two-pound roll.
Receipts
- grain free
The flavors
- Beef and bison
- Chicken, beef, salmon and egg
With so many options available, it’s hard not to find an option that will suit your pet. A notable absence, however, is a seniors plan. Generally, an older dog will need a slightly different formula. Plus, they also benefit from ingredients like glucosamine. Unfortunately, none of the Pure Balance diets offer this supplement.
Also, most formulas are grain-free, but not all. If you want a more in-depth look at their grain-free meals, take a look at this article that delves deeper into this type of formula.
The nutritional value
Now that you have an idea of what is available through Pure Balance, we can talk about its health benefits for your pup. As we saw above, all of their food is made with all-natural ingredients. They are also free of corn, soy, and artificial ingredients. Just keep in mind that the FDA does not regulate the term natural. Brands and manufacturers are free to use this term as they see fit.
That being said, we did a thorough inspection of the ingredients through the various recipes and everything seems to be getting better and better.
Just as important as what the formulas are made without is what the formulas are made with. Below we have chosen a flavor from each recipe that describes the approximate nutrient level of the rest of the products in this range.
Dry dog food
- Protein: Protein levels in dry foods have a minimum of 27% on average. This is an acceptable level. Protein is an important staple in your dog’s diet, and the AFFCO says your pet should get at least 18-26% of it per meal.
- Fat: Fat content is also important. Again, the AFFCO advises 10-15% fat to maintain a healthy weight. In this case, the dry food contains about 16%, so it’s a bit high. However, regular exercise and low calorie diets will make a difference.
- Fiber: Fiber is important for your dog’s digestive system and (let’s face it) their poop. Pure Balance has an average of 5% fiber, which is right on the money according to experts.
- Calories: The calorie count was not readily available.
Wet food (including gravy and dinner formulas)
- Protein: Unfortunately, the wet variety of pet food is lacking in the protein department with only around 9% minimum.
- Fat: The fat content, on the other hand, is at a better level at 9% as well.
- Fiber: Again, the fiber in this option is not where it should be. Without the right amount of fiber in his diet, your dog may have trouble going to the bathroom. At 1.5%, the wet formula leaves plenty of room for improvement.
- Calories: Calories in this product are reasonable based on serving size. At 336 kcal per meal, that’s a decent amount. It is recommended by experts that your dog consume 30 calories per pound of body weight per day.
Bread rolls (semi-raw)
- Protein: For raw meat foods, this option is lower in protein than you would typically think. With only 8.5% minimum, this formula is better as a snack than a meal.
- Fat: The fat content isn’t bad if you give it to your pup as a treat, but as a meal, the 8& is pretty low.
- Fiber: Fiber is also low at 1.0%, but again as a once-a-day treat, it’s not the worst.
- Calories: The calorie count was not readily available.
Pros & Cons of Pure Balance Dog Food
Meal
There’s a lot of debate about whether meals are good for your dog. When you add by-product meals, it can get very confusing. We are happy to say that Pure Balance does not use any by-products in its formula.
They use meals, however. Chicken meal is chicken rendered minus the feathers, entrails, and beak. Typically, these are parts unfit for human consumption. The maker will boil the parts into a powder called a meal.
The meal can be made up of bones, organs (minus the bowls), and other parts we wouldn’t want to eat. Chicken parts are packed with protein (bones) and are generally great for your dog. The problem with meals is where and how it’s done. While some brands use good meals, others don’t. This is where the controversy comes in.
Ingredient analysis
Below we have described the different ingredients, whether good or bad, and the recipe used.
| Ingredient | Recipe | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Omega 3 and 6 | All | Helps with dry skin, fur and inflammation, especially in their joints |
| cattle | All | Helps the immune system and well-being of the eyes and the heart |
| Biotin | Canned and moist | Helps other vitamins and minerals enter your pet’s system |
| L-carnitine | Dry and canned | Helps with energy levels and metabolism |
| pea protein | Dry | This ingredient has been used to replace wheat fillers. While peas aren’t a bad ingredient, large amounts of pea protein have very little nutritional value for your pet. |
| Lamb meal | Dry | See meal discussion above |
| Pea Starch | Dry | Again, pea starch has the same problem as pea protein. |
| Yeast | Dry | Yeast is an ingredient that is not good for your dog’s stomach or digestive system. It can cause bloating, gas, and, in rare cases, more serious consequences like upset stomach |
| Cornstarch | Wet | This is an interesting ingredient because this food is labeled corn-free. Cornstarch is used to thicken the ingredients. It is also used as a carbohydrate |
| chicken meal | Wet | See meal discussion above |
| Salt | All | Specifically, in the case of wet food, salt is high on the ingredient list, and it’s not good for your dog. |
| Added color | Wet | This is another interesting ingredient because it doesn’t give more details about the type of color |
| sodium selenite | Wet | It is something that helps the normal functioning of cells. It can be toxic in large amounts, however |
| Carrageenan | rolls | Carrageenans have no nutritional value for dogs. It is used as a filler, and it can be difficult to digest |
While it may seem like there are a lot of negative ingredients in Pure Balance formulas, there really aren’t. When you consider that’s what we found in the whole range, including five different recipes, it’s not bad at all.
There are also other benefits such as vitamins A, C, D, E, B complex, digestive enzymes, calcium, and minerals such as iron and potassium. We would also like to reiterate that this brand contains no soy, artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, BHAs, or other harmful ingredients that could harm your pet.
Recall history
As of this writing, Pure Balance has had no recalls on its dog food. On the other hand, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition LLC has voluntarily recalled five formulas from its Rachel Ray line of pet foods after high levels of vitamin D were found.
Additionally, JM Smucker had two recent cat food and dog food recalls in 2018 and 2019. The cat recall was for substandard ingredients with Special Kitty pet food while the other was for Big Heart where pentobarbital (a drug for euthanasia) was found in some formulas.
Top 3 Pure Balance Dog Food Recipe Reviews
Below, we want to share three of our favorite recipes from this brand.
1. Pure Balance Chicken Canned Dog Food
Reasons to suggest–
- If your pup is a fan of wet food, he’ll love this chicken meal. Available in a 12.5-ounce box, you can have it as a single tester dinner or in a six-pack.
- The overall formula is a nutritious food for your dog that is packed with vitamins and minerals.
- It is an all-natural formula that contains no fillers, wheat, corn or soy. Beyond that, it also contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
- There is also a grain-free option that will be gentle on your pup’s stomach. Easy to digest, this food is an excellent canned meal for your pet.
- The only downside to this option is that it contains high levels of sodium.
2. Pure Balance Grain Free
Reasons to suggest–
- If you are looking for nutritious dry dog food, this natural formula will be a great choice. This formula does not contain wheat, corn .
- You won’t find any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and the kibble is the right size for large pets on small puppies.
- Not only is this pet food full of vitamins and minerals, but it’s also formulated to support your dog’s immune system, heart health, and digestive system.
- Your pet will easily pass this food, plus it’s delicious.
- The only downside is that this food does not contain any joint support supplements like chondroitin or glucosamine, which is a great ingredient for many dogs as it can not only relieve pain but also be preventative. Apart from that, it is good dry food for your dog.
3. Pure Balance Wild and Fresh Beef and Bison Roll
Reasons to suggest–
- Pure Balance Beef & Bison Roll is a semi-raw food that can be given to your pet as a snack or as a meal.
- It comes in a 2-pound tube that will last up to 10 days.
- All you have to do is cut two slices and cut them into cubes. There is no grinding, cooking or other preparations required.
- You should note that your pet’s stomach may take time to get used to this formula. Small portions are recommended when first using this product. Also, there is carrageenan in the meal which is a non-nutritive filler.
- Apart from that, you will find plenty of vitamins and minerals in the roll. It’s not only tasty, but made with natural ingredients with no corn, wheat, soy, or artificial ingredients.
Frequent Questions
Is Pure Balance dog food bad for dogs?
Pure Balance received 4.6 out of 5 stars from us for a variety of reasons. While customers mostly rave that it’s high in protein, has made their dogs healthier, and is easy to find on the shelves.
Is Pure Balance dog food good for your dog?
Protein is close to average. Fat is close to average. And lower than average carbs compared to typical dry dog food. …Pure Balance is a grain-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat meal as its primary source of animal protein, earning it 4 stars.
Is Pure Balance Grain Free good dog food?
Pure Balance Grain Free Dog Food (Dry) Rating: Pure Balance Grain Free Dog Food receives the second-highest advisor rating of 4 stars.
Is Pure Balance dog food made in China?
It’s the same company that makes food for Rachael Ray’s Nutrish. The company is based in the United States and it is implied that Pure Balance dog food is also made in the United States.
What is the rating of Pure Balance dog food?
We give this dog food brand a 4.6 out of 5-star rating.
Who owns Pure Balance dog food?
Pure Balance complements Walmart’s wide assortment of pet food, available at everyday low prices. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves its customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 10,300 outlets under 69 different banners in 27 countries.
Is Pure Equipoise as good as Blue Buffalo?
By far, Pure Balance is the most trusted brand. Although Blue Buffalo has more years of experience, they have had many callbacks over the past decade. It’s worrying that recalls have happened multiple times, so I’d trust Pure Balance more if I needed to change Maggie’s food.
Is Pure Balance dog food on the recall list?
As of this writing, Pure Balance has had no recalls on its dog food. On the other hand, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition LLC has voluntarily recalled five formulas from its Rachel Ray line of pet foods after high levels of vitamin D were found.
Is Pure Balance Chicken and Brown Rice good dog food?
Pure Balance Chicken & Brown Rice is medium-quality dry dog food. Its nutritional profile is above average and it provides above average amounts of protein.
Which meat is the healthiest for dogs?
Chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, and steak or chuck roast are animal-based proteins that help dogs grow strong. A few rules apply: Always cook
What other users say
No review would be complete without input from your pet parent peers. What better way to decide on a product than to take into account those who have already tried the product. Take a look at some of these reviews.
My Boston Terrier loves it! I dice it and add it with the Pure Balance Lamb Pâté or Sweet Potato[.
I really like this product because it does not contain any corn or wheat which my dogs cannot have. We found it at Walmart by accident. The price is right and I recommend it to everyone I know!!
Of course, no review would be complete without Amazon reviews. As the majority of people buy from this site at one time or another, it’s often the best barometer of what a product really is. Check reviews on Amazon here.
Read This Also:-
- WholeHearted Dog Food Review 2022:
- Acana Dog Food Review 2022:
- Taste of the Wild Dog Food Review 2022:
- Blue Buffalo dog food reviews 2022:
Final Thoughts
For our final thoughts, we wanted to touch on a few final things. First of all, although we have already mentioned this point, Pure Balance is affordable dog food, especially in light of its natural ingredients. You can find these products in Walmart stores or on their website. You can also order on Amazon.
Other than that, it is an all-natural formula that has lots of benefits and few drawbacks. You have the choice between several formulas and recipes. Overall, we’re confident in our 4.5 out of 5 ratings for Pure Balance dog food.
