# Wellness vs Solid Gold vs Natural Balance



## Vira_Lata (Nov 11, 2009)

I currently feed Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit, and the dogs are doing great on it! But I look at the dog food analysis and Wellness Small Breed is rated a 5, while Solid Gold is a 4. So I was thinking maybe switch to Wellness? Not to mention its a dollar cheaper for the 15lbs bag. Also I believe Natural Balance is cheaper than both, its rated a 4, but I love that it comes in grain-free/allergy-free for a low price.



Which would you recommend? Stick to Solid Gold, or switch to Wellness or Natural Balance? THANKS!

What I feed now:

*~~~Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit~~~*

Ingredients

Bison | Ocean Fish Meal | Brown Rice | Millet | Cracked Pearled Barley | Rice Bran | Canola Oil | Tomato Pomace | Flaxseed | Natural Flavor | Salmon Oil (source of DHA) | Choline Chloride | Taurine | Dried Chicory Root | Parsley Flakes | Pumpkin Meal | Almond Oil | Sesame Oil | Yucca Schidigera Extract | Thyme | Blueberries | Cranberries | Carrots | Broccoli | Vitamin E Supplement | Iron Proteinate | Copper Proteinate | Ferrous Sulfate | Zinc Sulfate | Copper Sulfate | Potassium Iodide | Thiamine Mononitrate | Manganese Proteinate | Manganous Oxide | Ascorbic Acid | Vitamin A Supplement | Biotin | Calcium Panthothenate | Manganese Sulfate | Sodium Selenite | Pyridoxine Hydrochloride | Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) | Riboflavin | Vitamin D Supplement | Folic Acid 

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein, Min 28%

Crude Fat, Min 18%*

Crude Fiber, Max 4%

Moisture, Max 10%

Calories per Cup 380

Calorie Content:

Calories 1,841 kcals/lb 4,050 kcals/kg


* - There is no animal fat added to our foods; we use unsaturated vegetable, nut and seed oils for their medicinal qualities and the beneficial, essential fatty acids they contain. Animal fat is saturated fat and can contribute to blocked arteries, mal-absorption of nutrients in the intestines, cholesterol problems and reduced life expectancy. Dogs with pancreas, liver and kidney problems, have particular difficulties processing saturated, animal fats. They do very well with oils.

OR

*~~~Wellness Small Breed Super 5 Mix~~~*

Product Ingredients | Ingredient Index | Vitamins/Minerals 

Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Salmon Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Barley, Rye Flour, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Menhaden Fish Meal, Tomato Pomace, Natural Chicken Flavor, Pea Fiber, Tomatoes, Salmon Oil, Ground Flaxseed, Carrots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Potassium Chloride, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite], Vitamins [Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement], Choline Chloride, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation products.

This is a naturally preserved product.

Guaranteed Analysis

Protein Not Less Than28.0% Fat Not Less Than15.0% FiberNot More Than4.00% MoistureNot More Than11.0% Calcium Not Less Than1.20% Phosphorus Not Less Than0.90% Vitamin ENot Less Than150 IU/kg Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)Not Less Than100 mg/kg Omega 6 Fatty Acids*Not Less Than3.00% Omega 3 Fatty Acids*Not Less Than0.50% Beta-Carotene*Not Less Than5 mg/kg Lycopene*Not Less Than0.25 mg/kg Taurine*Not Less Than0.09% Total Micro-organisms*Not Less Than20,000,000 CFU/lb 

*~~~Natural Balance Small Bites Potato & Duck~~~*

Ingredients
Potatoes, Duck Meal, Duck, Canola Oil (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), Potato Fiber, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Taurine, L-Lysine, L-Carnitine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude protein (min.) 21%, crude fat (min.) 10%, crude fiber (max.) 3%, moisture (max.) 10%, calcium (min.) 1%, phosphorus ( min.) 0.9%, omega 3 fatty acids* (min.) 0.5%, omega 6 fatty acids* (min.) 3%


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## doggin' it (Nov 6, 2009)

In my experience with my puppies, I've come to the conclusion that the number of stars and ratings of a certain brand aren't as important as how well they do on it. Each tummy might be a little different so it'll probably take some experimenting.

I switched my first pup to Orijen which he loved, but he had a few issues with it. I then got him on Wellness and his issues went away, but after a short time he stopped eating it no matter what I tried. He just did not seem to care for the taste. I saw some Merrick puppy food at my local pet store and decided to give it a try because it had the "gravy" feature. Well, I think I finally found the "right" food for him, even though I went down in rating.

My pup seems to do better on a lower protein content food with some high-quality grains.


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

I think trying to choose between these three brands is like trying to decide between a BMW, a Mercedes and a Lexus. You can't really go wrong either way. If I were you I would try all three. You never know if one simply won't work with your dog's system or if one of them decides to turn their nose up at another. Get hold of some sample bags and try them all out, then see what works.


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## Jordan S (Nov 21, 2009)

Do Wellness puppy. NB is way to low in protein.


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## sagira (Nov 5, 2009)

Jordan S said:


> Do Wellness puppy. NB is way to low in protein.


I'm starting my puppy on Wellness Puppy. From there we'll see what the other have said, see how she does on it and rotating with Innova and Merrick, and have Nature's Variety and Canidae as back-up.

As PPs have said, I don't think you can go wrong with the ones you mentioned.


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## Sloth (Jul 29, 2008)

I'd go with Wellness, for the simple fact that they're guaranteed ethoxyquin free. Solid Gold is not.

I've never tried Natural Balance, not sure if it has ethoxyquin or not.

Ethoxyquin is a preservative used in fish meal, linked to cancer.


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## Vira_Lata (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks everyone, I was going to go with Wellness, but found a store that sells Innova, which is cheaper than Wellness.


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