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VeRUS vs. Natural Balance

In this comparison article for VeRUS vs Natural Balance, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare VeRUS and Natural 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 Natural Balance vs VeRUS comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our VeRUS Review Page or Natural Balance Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Natural Balance vs. VeRUS

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.

VeRUS Dog Food vs. Natural Balance Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	VeRUS	Natural Balance
Crude Protein	25.6%	27.6%
Crude Fat	14.4%	14.4%
Crude Fiber	4.4%	5.2%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	VeRUS	Natural Balance
Crude Protein	39.2%	39.7%
Crude Fat	27.4%	20.5%
Crude Fiber	10.0%	8.5%

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.

There is a small difference between the protein content of Natural Balance and VeRUS. We can see that Natural Balance guarantees about 2.05% more protein than VeRUS. For wet dog foods, Natural Balance and VeRUS provide roughly the same amount of protein.

Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fat content of the two brands. For wet dog foods, VeRUS provides more fat (about 6.93% more).

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, VeRUS and Natural Balance also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

VeRUS Cat Food vs. Natural Balance Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	VeRUS	Natural Balance
Crude Protein	35.6%	36.8%
Crude Fat	22.2%	14.3%
Crude Fiber	3.3%	5.5%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	VeRUS	Natural Balance
Crude Protein	44.4%	46.7%
Crude Fat	31.8%	20.2%
Crude Fiber	5.2%	7.1%

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.

As you can see, VeRUS and Natural Balance guarantee a similar amount of crude protein. For wet cat foods, Natural Balance typically provides a little more protein (about 2.31% more).

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):

Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
Slow the growth of yeast infections
Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

There is a relatively large difference between the fat content of VeRUS and Natural Balance. On average, Natural Balance dry cat food recipes contain 7.91% less fat than VeRUS recipes. In addition, VeRUS wet cat foods also provide more fat than Natural Balance wet foods.

According to our average data, VeRUS typically provides less fiber than Natural Balance. However, this difference is relatively small and doesn't represent a significant difference between the two brands. For wet cat foods, Natural Balance and VeRUS provide roughly the same amount of fiber.

VeRUS Pet Food Ingredients vs. Natural Balance Pet Food Ingredients

VeRUS and Natural Balance both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Pea Protein

Tomato Pomace

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Natural Balance.

Giblets

Beet Pulp

Canola Oil

Brewers Rice

Caramel Color

Feeding Oatmeal

Poultry Giblets

Dried Tomato Pomace

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

VeRUS and Natural Balance both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Natural Balance.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of VeRUS & Natural Balance?

According to our records, VeRUS has never been recalled.

Natural Balance has been recalled 6 times.

July 21, 2007: ofbotulinum toxin
May 4, 2012: Salmonella
June 18, 2010: Salmonella
April 27, 2007: Melamine
April 17, 2007: Melamine
July 3, 2020: elevated levels of choline chloride

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	VeRUS	Natural Balance
Per Pound	$3.16	$5.23
Per Calorie	$0.0020	$0.0029

Wet Dog Food	VeRUS	Natural Balance
Per Pound	$4.57	$6.27
Per Calorie	$0.0093	$0.0137

Wet Cat Food	VeRUS	Natural Balance
Per Pound	$7.26	$7.63
Per Calorie	$0.0146	$0.0183

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 VeRUS or Natural 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 VeRUS or Natural Balance will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for VeRUS and Natural Balance. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.

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 VeRUS Pet Foods

You can purchase VeRUS pet foods from the following stores:

19 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Natural Balance Pet Foods

You can purchase Natural Balance pet food products from these retailers:

96 Recipes In-Stock Today

79 Recipes In-Stock Today

82 Recipes In-Stock Today

16 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	VeRUS	Natural Balance
Dry Dog Food	8 Recipes	39 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	14 Recipes	27 Recipes
Dog Treats	None	33 Treats
Dry Cat Food	1 Recipes	16 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	13 Recipes	43 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None