Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Pure Balance Pro+ dry dog food receives the Dog Food Advisor rating of 4.5-stars.
Pros
- Formulated by vets
- No fillers or artificial ingredients
- Protein as the first ingredient
Cons
- Controversial ingredients in each recipe
The product line includes 9 dry dog foods.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Pure Balance Pro+ Chicken and Pea Small Breed | 4.5 | A |
| Pure Balance Pro+ Sensitive Skin and Stomach Salmon and Brown Rice | 4.5 | M |
| Pure Balance Pro+ Salmon and Brown Rice Senior | 4 | M |
| Pure Balance Pro+ Chicken and Brown Rice Large Breed | 4 | A |
| Pure Balance Pro+ Chicken and Oatmeal Weight Management | 4.5 | M |
| Pure Balance Pro+ Performance Beef and Brown Rice | 4.5 | M |
| Pure Balance Pro+ Chicken and Rice Puppy | 4.5 | A |
| Pure Balance Pro+ Performance Chicken and Brown Rice | 4.5 | M |
| Pure Balance Pro+ Chicken and Rice Large Breed Puppy | 4 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Pure Balance Pro+ Performance Chicken and Brown Rice was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Pure Balance Pro+ Performance Chicken and Brown Rice
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken meal (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), brown rice, oatmeal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried peas, rice bran, canola meal, natural flavor, dried plain beet pulp, flaxseeds, fish oil, salt, dried chicory root, taurine, citric acid (preservative), mixed tocopherols (preservative), iron amino acid complex, zinc amino acid complex, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), zinc oxide, L-carnitine, copper amino acid complex, dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, manganese amino acid complex, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, manganous oxide, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin, calcium iodate, folic acid, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 30% | 20% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 33% | 22% | 37% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 27% | 44% | 30% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient 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 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
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 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 fourth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B vitamins, and dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.
The fifth 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 sixth ingredient is dried peas. Dried peas are a good source of carbohydrates. Plus they’re naturally rich in dietary fiber.
However, dried peas contain about 27% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The seventh ingredient is rice bran, a healthy by-product of milling whole-grain rice. The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain containing starch, protein, fat as well as vitamins and minerals.
The eighth ingredient is canola meal, a by-product of canola oil production more typically used to make feed for farm animals and to produce biodiesel.
Unfortunately, canola can be a controversial item. That’s because it can sometimes (but not always) be derived from genetically modified rapeseed.
In any case, because canola meal also contains about 37% dry matter protein, this ingredient would be expected to notably boost the total protein reported on the label – a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The ninth ingredient is natural flavor. Natural flavors don’t give us much information about the particular ingredients included in this dog food for flavoring purposes.
We are pleased that the flavorings used are natural, but more details are required to give any further information about these natural flavoring ingredients. Flavorings are used to make the foods more appealing and tasty for our dogs.
From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.
This recipe includes four notable exceptions.
First, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
In addition, this food includes chicory root. Chicory is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
In addition, this food includes 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.
Taurine, an essential 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.
We view the presence of taurine in this recipe as a positive addition.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Pure Balance Pro+ Performance Chicken and Brown Rice looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33.3%, a fat level of 22.2% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 36.4%.
As a group, the brand features a protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 16.4%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46.6% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 56%.
This means the Pure Balance Pro+ dry range contains near-average protein, near-average carbohydrate, and near-average fat when compared to typical dry dog food.
Pure Balance Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Pure Balance through November 2024.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Pure Balance Dog Food
Pure Balance Pro+ line targets specific dietary requirements. Each recipe in the range is vet-formulated, with added vitamins, and minerals, and contains no fillers or artificial preservatives, colors, or flavor.
All ingredients are sourced locally from natural sources. The brand is focused on making high-protein formulas with meat as the first ingredient.
Compare Pure Balance Dog Food
How does Pure Balance compare with The Dog Food Advisor's most recommended brands?
A Final Word
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