​Pure Balance Dog Food Reviews, Ratings, Recalls, Ingredients!
About the Company
Pure Balance is manufactured by...wait for it...Walmart! Yes, it’s true. The big name decided to launch their own premium brand of dog food, and I believe they did a pretty great job of it. Their foods are exclusive to Walmart, for the most part, though some online retailers carry them as well.
I believe that Walmart saw the rise in popularity of simpler, healthier foods, and decided to fill the niche for affordable foods for themselves.
There are both grain free and grain inclusive foods in the Pure Balance line, but they all leave out corn, soy, and wheat which is great. Of course, I’d like it if all foods had no grains, but there are many dogs who thrive on grain inclusive foods, so I respect the decision to produce both. Either way, Pure Balance might have the right product for you.
Overall Rating:
Dry Food
Wet Food
Pure Balance Dog Food Reviews
This is the kind of brand of dog food that doesn’t disappoint me by using a ton of low-quality fillers, but it also does not wow me to the point that I give a 5-star Pure Balance dog food rating. When you’re looking for an average food at a good price, the name Pure Balance should come to mind. Of course, there are better foods out there!
Pros
No Wheat, Soy, Or Corn In Many Recipes
As I mentioned, this food was created to fill a niche for affordable, simple food for dogs. Many owners were clearly moving in this direction, and Pure Balance attempts to balance the quality that should be in a grain-free or corn-free food with price, which can be a factor for many dog owners. And they do a pretty great job of it!
Affordable & Available
Since this food is created by WalMart, you can find it at nearly every one of their stores as long as it is in stock. You can also order it on their website, and you know you’re getting the best price on it since it’s their brand. Even if you live somewhere more remote like John in Alaska, you can find Pure Balance at an affordable price:
Cons
Recent Changes To The Product?
In the past few months, there have been a number of Pure Balance dog food reviews from long-term Pure Balance users that they are noticing a difference in their dogs and their dogs’ foods. There has not been any official ingredient change, and I cannot find any solid information, but this makes me a bit wary. Make sure to check manufacturing dates when buying this product.
Unclear Oil
Many of the formulas in this line us sunflower oil, but there are many types of sunflower oil, and not all of them work well for dogs. Some owners mentioned that different batches of this food seem to have a different oily quality, so it’s even possible they change what they use sometimes. I wish they’d be more clear and consistent about the oil used in the product.
Not All Products Are Grain-Free
Not every product made by Pure Balance is grain-free. Normally, this wouldn’t be a con for me, but I believe that Pure Balance markets their food as if they are all grain-free, which is not true. The grain-free items they do have are above-average foods, but they should be clearer when marketing that corn-free does not mean grain-free.
Pure Balance Dog Food Analysis of Ingredients
Let’s get into the heart of this Pure Balance dog food review by taking a look at the actual composition of the food. We’re going to look at Pure Balance Dog Food, Chicken & Brown Rice.
I cannot find complete Guaranteed Analysis data for this food, but the protein level is at 27% (min), and the fat is at 15% (min), which is pretty good for a food of this price.
The first two ingredients are chicken and chicken meal. If you know me, you know that I love this combination! Real chicken is a great ingredient, but it has a lot of water in it so it should not be the only protein source. Chicken meal, on the other hand, has a ton of concentrated protein that balances out the real chicken. For dogs that can eat chicken, this is a great source of protein.
The next two ingredients, brown rice, and brewer’s rice, are just average to me. Brown rice is better for dogs than a filler like corn, but rice in general only gives modest nutritional value to the dog. Still, I’m happy to see these here in the list instead of wheat, corn, or soy.
This food has no probiotics, but it does contain chelated minerals that will help your dog absorb the nutrients. It also contains flaxseed, which is a great source of fatty acid. The fat source is general poultry fat, which is okay, but not as good as named chicken fat would be.
Overall, I would say this is an average food.
Pure Balance Dog Food Recall History
There have been no recalls for Pure Balance dog food in recent history.
Final Thoughts
While there have been mixed reviews about Pure Balance products in the past, I have found no reason to believe that this is a low-quality food. The product I reviewed was average, but I believe that their grain-free varieties lean towards above-average if you’re willing to pay a bit more. Either way, Pure Balance fills a great spot in the market.
If you and your dog need an affordable, easy-to-find food that leaves out the cheapest filler ingredients like corn and soy, this is the food for you to try.
