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Review of Bravo! Balance Raw Frozen Dog Food
Bravo! Balance raw frozen dog food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3 stars.
The Bravo! Balance product line includes the 3 frozen dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Bravo! Balance Beef Formula | 3.5 | U |
| Bravo! Balance Turkey Formula | 2.5 | U |
| Bravo! Balance Chicken Formula | 2.5 | U |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Bravo! Balance Chicken Formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Bravo Balance Chicken Formula
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken bone, chicken heart, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, green beans, broccoli, squash, potassium chloride, vitamin E, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganous oxide, potassium iodide, vitamin D3
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 12% | 12% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 41% | 41% | 9% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 27% | 67% | 6% |
Ingredient 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 ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken bone, an excellent source of natural calcium.
The third ingredient is chicken heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing to us humans, heart tissue is pure muscle — all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.
The next item is chicken liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The fifth ingredient is chicken gizzard. The gizzard is a low-fat, meaty organ found in the digestive tract of birds and assists in grinding up consumed food. This item is considered a canine dietary delicacy. Yum!
The sixth ingredient includes green beans, a healthy vegetable notable for its vitamin, mineral and natural fiber content.
The next inclusion is broccoli, a healthy green vegetable and a member of the kale family. It’s notably rich in vitamin C and fiber and numerous other nutrients.
Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is believed to provide anti-cancer benefits.
The eighth ingredient is squash. Squash is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But realistically, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Bravo product.
With 1 notable exception…
The minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Bravo! Balance Dog Food looks like an above-average raw product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 41%, a fat level of 41% and estimated carbohydrates of about 9%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 46% and a mean fat level of 44%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 2% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 96%.
Which means this Bravo product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical raw dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a raw product containing an abundance of meat.
However, with 67% of the total calories in our example coming from fat versus just 27% from protein, some recipes may not be suitable for every animal.
Our Rating of Bravo! Balance Dog Food
Bravo! Balance is a grain-free raw dog food using an abundance of named meats and organs as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3 stars.
Recommended.
Has Bravo! Brand Dog Food Been Recalled?
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Bravo!.
- Bravo Dog Food Recall December 2015 (12/10/2015)
- Bravo Dog Food Recall July 2015 (7/23/2015)
- Bravo Dog and Cat Food Recall (9/26/2014)
- Bravo! Dog and Cat Food Recall (5/14/2014)
- Bravo! Raw Frozen Dog Food Recall (4/3/2013)
- Warning Issued for Bravo! and Steve’s Real Raw Pet Foods (3/13/2013)
- Bravo Recalls Pig Ears Dog Chews for Salmonella (6/1/2011)
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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More Bravo! Brand Reviews
The following Bravo! dog food reviews are also posted on this website:
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