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Primal vs. Pure Balance
In this comparison article for Primal vs Pure Balance, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Primal and Pure Balance, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.
Throughout this Pure Balance vs Primal comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Primal Review Page or Pure Balance Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Pure Balance vs. Primal
According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.
All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.
Primal Dog Food vs. Pure Balance Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Primal | Pure Balance |
| Crude Protein | 46.3% | 29.2% |
| Crude Fat | 30.9% | 16.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 2.4% | 5.6% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Primal | Pure Balance |
| Crude Protein | 48.7% | 34.6% |
| Crude Fat | 30.3% | 24.6% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.7% | 7.2% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.
On average, Primal dry dog food recipes contain 17.04% more protein than Pure Balance recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the protein content of Pure Balance and Primal. Similarly, Primal wet dog foods provide significantly more protein than Pure Balance wet foods.
Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food
Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.
When you look at the average percentages of crude fat for dry dog food, it's clear that Primal provides significantly more fat. On average, Primal guarantees about 14.23% more protein than Pure Balance. For wet dog foods, Primal provides more fat (about 5.71% more).
If you look at the average percentages of crude fiber, you'll notice that Pure Balance typically guarantees 3.14% more fiber. This is a fairly small difference between Pure Balance and Primal, but still worth mentioning. In addition, Pure Balance wet dog foods also provide more fiber than Primal wet foods.
Primal Cat Food vs. Pure Balance Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Primal | Pure Balance |
| Crude Protein | 55.5% | 39.9% |
| Crude Fat | 27.0% | 17.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 3.0% | 5.9% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Primal | Pure Balance |
| Crude Protein | 54.7% | 42.0% |
| Crude Fat | 29.0% | 25.4% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.4% | 7.2% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.
The comparison table above shows that Primal dry cat foods provide significantly more protein than Pure Balance. More specifically, Primal guarantees at least 15.57% more protein. Similarly, Primal wet cat foods provide significantly more protein than Pure Balance wet foods.
Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food
There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):
- Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
- Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
- Maintain healthy blood pressure
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Fats improve the taste/texture of food.
Primal dry cat foods clearly provides more fat than Pure Balance. In fact, the difference between the fat content is roughly 9.30%, which is a significant amount. For wet cat foods, Primal typically provides a little more fat (about 3.56% more).
According to our data, Pure Balance guarantees 2.98% more fiber than Primal. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, Pure Balance wet cat foods also provide more fiber than Primal wet foods.
Primal Pet Food Ingredients vs. Pure Balance Pet Food Ingredients
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Pure Balance.
We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.
Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Pure Balance.
Product Safety: Recall History of Primal & Pure Balance?
Primal has been recalled 2 times.
- March 13, 2015: low thiamine level
- Dec. 22, 2017: incorrect bone grind size
According to our records, Pure Balance has never been recalled.
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Primal | Pure Balance |
| Per Pound | $42.51 | $1.54 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0163 | $0.0009 |
| Dry Cat Food | Primal | Pure Balance |
| Per Pound | $43.51 | $2.19 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0182 | $0.0013 |
The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.
If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Primal or Pure Balance, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.
Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Primal or Pure Balance will depend on your shopping habits.
Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Primal and Pure Balance. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- $10 Off + Free Shipping Orders $60+ @ PetFlow (Use Code SAVENOW)
- 10% Off Treats @ PetFlow (Use Code HOT10)
- 15% Off The Entire Site @ OnlyNaturalPet (Use Code AFPAWDIET)
Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!
Where To Buy Primal Pet Foods
You can purchase Primal pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Pure Balance Pet Foods
You can purchase Pure Balance pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Primal | Pure Balance |
| Dry Dog Food | 7 Recipes | |
| Wet Dog Food | 15 Recipes | |
| Dog Treats | 7 Treats | |
| Dry Cat Food | 5 Recipes | |
| Wet Cat Food | 4 Recipes | |
| Cat Treats | 3 Treats |
