Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Natural Balance Duck & Potato Formula Change - Good or Bad?

There has been a recent buzz in the pet industry regarding the changes made to the Natural Balance Duck & Potato Formula in the last couple of months. Many have relized that the latest batch of L.I.D (limited ingredient diet) Natural Balance Duck & Potato no longer contains duck meal. Instead, the new formulation only contains duck, which is a less dense form of duck protein. In order to make sure the protein levels are sufficient, Natural Balance has added potato protein. The bottom line is that there is less meat content in the new formulation.

Is this good or bad? I believe the new formula is definitely a downgrade from the older formula. That being said, however, I believe it is better than the alternative (stocking problems due to a lack of reliable duck meal sources in the United States). The L.I.D. duck formula is still far superior in ingredient quality to the vet prescription alternatives and maintains manufacturing and sourcing integrity.

If your dog is turning its nose up to the new formulations because of the reduced meat content, try supplementing the diet with a can of 100% duck from Evangers or puting a fish oil on top of the food during feedings.

2 comments:

  1. 3 out of my 4 dogs had soft, runny, and UNCONTROLLABLE poops on the new formula - took us 2 months and 6 vet visits to figure out it was the food change. It never occured to me they'd change the formula and not put "New and Improved" on the bag. Emailed the company and their response was to give it time. Well, 2 months on the new food didn't fix the problem, why would another week? We're now on the hunt for a new food for my poodle who has severe food allergies. I'm INCREDIBLY unhappy about this change.
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  2. Loose stools has been found to be a potential problem with the new formula even after the usual transition period. Fortunately, the pet food industry has been great about coming out with a ton of new limited ingredient alternatives. If you are looking for a great alternative to the Natural Balance Duck & Potato, I would recommend the following formulas as possibilities (Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream, NOW! Turkey and Duck, Pinnacle Duck & Oatmeal, or Northwest Naturals Raw Diets). Hopefully, these help and all of these formulas are available in stock or for special order at any of our locations.
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