Consumer Affairs Natural Balance Pet Food

[LuvTaycieGirl]

I have Taycie right now on Pinnacle Duck and Potato Dog food. Its basically like alot of Natural Balance's Limited Ingredient Diets. I have been looking at other brands trying to find something else that offers an allergy diet or limited ingredient diet with different protein sources to switch things up occasionally.

I know alot of people feed NB and I was curious because I know they offer an entire line of Limited Ingredient Diets. While playing around on the internet I came across many complaints from feeding NB. I will admit I did not read every single complaint. But It does make hesitant to feed this.. just thought I would share.

Consumer complaints about Natural Balance Pet Foods

[Maximo]

I am a skeptic when it comes to consumer complaints about "tainted" food until there is solid evidence, lab testing. You will probably find similar complaints about every single dog food manufactured. Natural Balance will probably have more because they are a larger manufacturer. Because of their size, they can afford in-house, thorough testing of their products on the production line. If I recall correctly, they have had one or two voluntary recalls.

Sometimes kibble bags are mishandled by the retailer or the consumer, causing the food to spoil. There are a couple of retailers in my area I won't buy from because the food bags appear to have been subjected to heat or humidity and have been sitting around too long.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Maximo

I am a skeptic when it comes to consumer complaints about "tainted" food until there is solid evidence, lab testing. You will probably find similar complaints about every single dog food manufactured. Natural Balance will probably have more because they are a larger manufacturer. Because of their size, they can afford in-house, thorough testing of their products on the production line. If I recall correctly, they have had one or two voluntary recalls.

Sometimes kibble bags are mishandled by the retailer or the consumer, causing the food to spoil. There are a couple of retailers in my area I won't buy from because the food bags appear to have been subjected to heat or humidity and have been sitting around too long.

I was gonna say, yikes, this scares me but you make a very valid point! The fact that it's a bigger company definitely equals more complaints. I don't ever read any about Go! or Now! but it's not sold at that many places. I believe there's quite a few of consumer complaints on Orijen, too, but I still think it's a fantastic food.

I just contacted NB about their grain-free varieties and their customer service was amazing. They e-mailed me back within 3 hours. I'm curious to try it out in our rotation and see how it goes. I'll be mixing it with canned food. It'd be nice to have a food that's available really close to me (like 5 mins from my house) rather than going 25 mins into the traffic congestion near our mall for Go! and Orijen! If it goes well, and he likes it and seems to do well on it, maybe I'll do a NB and Go! rotation. He stopped liking Acana unfortunately, lol. But we haven't tried the new flavor yet.

[Sweet Girls]

I'm currently not doing kibble with my girls because of other dietary restrictions...but when I had them on kibble I loved Natural Balance. In my opinion it is a great food, with good quality control. Any company is going to have some glitches...but NB takes care of them right away, and when they have had a product recall, it was dealt with quickly. If they have a formula that works for you go for it! As a member on another forum reminded us all....any brand of kibble can "go off" if not handled and kept properly. And that can sometimes happen before the kibble even gets to the store shelves. Check the date on your bag...buy or open only enough to use up in 3 months (you can put some of it in baggies and freeze if you have too much to use right away)...and if at any time the smell or the colour of the kibble doesn't seem right...or your puppy refuses it....think twice before feeding it your dog.

[Furbaby Friend]

My pets haven't had any problems at all with NB LID. Suki has been on the food for years now and Rylie has been on it since I got her in November. They both do great on it!

I feel very comfortable feeding NB. They do in-house testing and have had voluntary recalls. They did not wait for pets to get sick, the media to find out, or the public to come after them for it. They took care of it on their own, which I find commendable. I trust that they would have a recall in the future if necessary.

They seem to care very much about the animals and have great customer service. I for one, am a NB fan. My cat Suki was very sick before I put her on this food and I am so glad I found it! I will continue to feed NB with no worries.

There are bound to be complaints with a company so big and the stores do mishandle food, but don't forget that every animal responds to different foods differently. So some of the issues may have had nothing to do with the food at all, but the animal's reaction to the food. Some animals probably just can't eat NB. It is the same for dogs who have extreme digestive issues with Blue Buffalo. It doesn't make them a bad food or a bad company, it is just some animals don't do well on their food.

I say find what works well for your baby and stick with it! If it doesn't work well, then find something else. I personally find my animals do well on NB and I do not fret about the ingredients or them getting sick from poor quality/contaminated food. I trust NB and it works well for us!

[LIL MIS' MAGIC]

We have fed NB sweet potatoe and fish for almost four years and it has been great for all the following: sensitive tummies, allergies/itchy skin, all ages including puppy (who we supplement with the NB venison).....so nothing but positive feedback from us!!

[stovesj]

We have fed our dogs Natural Balance Ultra Premium kibble for years and have never had a problem with it. I didn't read all of the comments, but the ones I did read did NOT mention the Ultra Premium formula.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by Britster

I was gonna say, yikes, this scares me but you make a very valid point! The fact that it's a bigger company definitely equals more complaints. I don't ever read any about Go! or Now! but it's not sold at that many places. I believe there's quite a few of consumer complaints on Orijen, too, but I still think it's a fantastic food.

I just contacted NB about their grain-free varieties and their customer service was amazing. They e-mailed me back within 3 hours. I'm curious to try it out in our rotation and see how it goes. I'll be mixing it with canned food. It'd be nice to have a food that's available really close to me (like 5 mins from my house) rather than going 25 mins into the traffic congestion near our mall for Go! and Orijen! If it goes well, and he likes it and seems to do well on it, maybe I'll do a NB and Go! rotation. He stopped liking Acana unfortunately, lol. But we haven't tried the new flavor yet.

I have seen a lot of comments on the Internet where a person declares a food tainted because their dog vomited right after eating it. Those kind of claims are irresponsible. There are many reasons a dog will vomit, so unless the food bag is tested, and investigation done, no one should blame the manufacturer.

Max ate Natural Balance Ultra for his first year. The company claims to have superior testing standards than many dog food manufacturers. Info can be found on their website and I believe it is printed on their products.

I'll be interested to hear what you and Jackson think of their grain free line. I'm surprised Jackson lost interest in Acana.

[viviansnickers]

My only concern with NB is the amount of meat their foods contain. As a raw feeder, meat is a priority for my food choice and many NB formulas don't have meat or a meat meal as their 1st ingredient, which is a red flag to me. I remember I tried it once for my Snickers before we started raw and Snick was a fussy eater and he didn't like the duck/potato or venison/sweet potato even when I would add in canned duck or venison. But no recalls is a huge plus!!!!


Viv

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Maximo

I have seen a lot of comments on the Internet where a person declares a food tainted because their dog vomited right after eating it. Those kind of claims are irresponsible. There are many reasons a dog will vomit, so unless the food bag is tested, and investigation done, no one should blame the manufacturer.

Max ate Natural Balance Ultra for his first year. The company claims to have superior testing standards than many dog food manufacturers. Info can be found on their website and I believe it is printed on their products.

I'll be interested to hear what you and Jackson think of their grain free line. I'm surprised Jackson lost interest in Acana.

Definitely - I hate when people post reviews like that too. I've seen people do it to Orijen alot!

Yep, he just seems to care less about Acana now. He even leaves kibbles behind in the bowl after mixing wet food. The Orijen Regional Red however he LOVES!! But the price increase scared me the last bag I bought. It went from $17.99 to $21.99! I couldn't believe it. He also had some runny poop while on the new bag which has never happened to him before... right now I'm just leaving the Orijen out all day for him to nibble on if he wants but feeding Go! Endurance mixed w/ wet for his meals and that seems to be working fine for him right now.

I'm anxious for Acana Ranchlands to come out - their red meat variety, I think he may like that one and it will probably be cheaper! But in the meantime, I'll let you know how he does or if he likes NB. We're gonna finish the bag of Go! first but as you know, I like to switch it up alot anyways

Originally Posted by viviansnickers

My only concern with NB is the amount of meat their foods contain. As a raw feeder, meat is a priority for my food choice and many NB formulas don't have meat or a meat meal as their 1st ingredient, which is a red flag to me. I remember I tried it once for my Snickers before we started raw and Snick was a fussy eater and he didn't like the duck/potato or venison/sweet potato even when I would add in canned duck or venison. But no recalls is a huge plus!!!!


Viv

Totally agree!! I'd never feed it without a higher meat content canned food. I like the 95% lines from Wellness, etc, that I'd mix in to up the meat and protein content. Plus still giving him his pre-made raw a few times a week and I'd feel more confident with the meat content.

[TxVicki]

I have fed mine Natural Balance for many years and have never had a problem at all.
I also used the canned Chicken Formula for my Willow and she loves it and have had no problems.

[_Chrissy_]

Originally Posted by Furbaby Friend

My cat Suki was very sick before I put her on this food and I am so glad I found it! I will continue to feed NB with no worries.
I say find what works well for your baby and stick with it! If it doesn't work well, then find something else.

Speaking of cats...
My cat has always had issues with food. Throwing up yellow phloem and food every single day UNTIL I tried NB Adult Cat. It is wonderful for her. It works great "for her".
I tried the high end foods (all of them). Orijen, Acana, EVO, ... NB works.
All of them made her sick. Not NB. She eats the NB canned and dry.
Every animal is different.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

I also don't agree when people post a review on particular dog food and there major complaint is it gave them diaherra so it MUST be a horrible food. When I read those particular complaints who knows if the "poster" is not going to give all the correct information.

For instance..I always wonder how they transitioned them? If they did it fast or slow. Or if they even transition them at all...?

What if they got into the garbage that day, Or what treats are they also feeding them?.. Bottom line it couldn't be those contributing factors upsetting their stomach it has to be the "new food" so it of course gets the blame.

The complaints that make me nervous are the ones with sick pets. Which too can also be seen the same way as the example above.

Who knows what kind of preventative care their their pet has had. What else have they have been eating other then the particular dog food. What is there breeding like? Where did they purchase their dog or puppy?...So yes, when I think things through.. I doubt the food is to blame in every situation...

Also.. what I have learned EVERY food out there has some sketchy reviews... No food is perfect or obviously then there wouldn't be so many to choose from. But because I am a first time "mom" when I see things... automatically I get nervous.. I just want to make sure I am doing everything right! Someday maybe when she is 12 I will learn to relax and just go with it and (stay of the internet lol Reading your comments made me take a step back and relax. I feel better talking with the REAL critics and hearing so many who do have such wonderful results with NB. I also feel better if I add a bag of it in her diet

[Furbaby Friend]

Glad we could help out! Remember what I said though, some foods may just not work for your baby even if they get rave reviews. Every animal is different!

I love NB though, so I'd say try it out. There is nothing to worry about! If it doesn't work out, if you buy it from somewhere like Petco, they let you return the bag!

This food works great for my animals. I don't know how much longer I could have watched Suki puke up her food almost every single day... NB was a lifesaver for us. I just put Rylie on it because I love the food (quality ingredients, small bites, lower protein, grain-free, etc.) and I don't have to worry as much about Suki getting into the dog food since it is LID as well. Rylie does not have any kind of allergies herself.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Originally Posted by Furbaby Friend

Glad we could help out! Remember what I said though, some foods may just not work for your baby even if they get rave reviews. Every animal is different!

I love NB though, so I'd say try it out. There is nothing to worry about! If it doesn't work out, if you buy it from somewhere like Petco, they let you return the bag!

This food works great for my animals. I don't know how much longer I could have watched Suki puke up her food almost every single day... NB was a lifesaver for us. I just put Rylie on it because I love the food (quality ingredients, small bites, lower protein, grain-free, etc.) and I don't have to worry as much about Suki getting into the dog food since it is LID as well. Rylie does not have any kind of allergies herself.

Thank you so much for your positive feedback! I really appreciate your help.. and making me feel better I am going to try a bag of one of the LID to rotate with her Pinnacle I just want her to have different protein options and they have so many to choose from all the way from treats up I do agree with you when it comes to not every food working for every pet.

I tried Taycie on Acana because here on YT and at the local pet store everyone RAVES about it!

Sadly, it did not work for us.. diaherra, throwing up, runny eyes, itchy.. the list goes on... So I took her off of it and immedietly she got better.

What I have come to find out over the months she can NOT tolerate fish! And unfortuntley fish is in every formula they have. When I first brought her home I had her on BB small breed puppy. Later when I tried to transition her to the adult I got the same results back when I tried Acana. After looking at the ingredients toward the end it said Whitefish. So I have learned NO fish for Taycie