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Open Farm &
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Open Farm vs. Natural Balance
In this comparison article for Open Farm vs Natural Balance, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Open Farm 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 Open Farm comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Open Farm Review Page or Natural Balance Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Natural Balance vs. Open Farm
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.
Open Farm Dog Food vs. Natural Balance Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Crude Protein | 34.0% | 27.6% |
| Crude Fat | 20.9% | 14.4% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Crude Protein | 40.0% | 39.7% |
| Crude Fat | 31.0% | 20.5% |
| Crude Fiber | 9.7% | 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 relatively large difference between the protein content of Open Farm and Natural Balance. On average, Natural Balance dry dog food recipes contain 6.43% less protein than Open Farm recipes. For wet dog foods, Open Farm and Natural Balance 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.
Natural Balance dry recipes contain 6.59% less fat than Open Farm dry recipes. This difference in fat content is a notable difference between Open Farm and Natural Balance. In addition, Open Farm wet dog foods also provide more fat than Natural Balance wet foods.
There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Open Farm and Natural Balance also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Open Farm Cat Food vs. Natural Balance Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Crude Protein | 41.1% | 36.8% |
| Crude Fat | 20% | 14.3% |
| Crude Fiber | 3.3% | 5.5% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Crude Protein | 43.5% | 46.7% |
| Crude Fat | 29.2% | 20.2% |
| Crude Fiber | 11.1% | 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.
The table shows that Natural Balance provides far less protein than Open Farm. The difference in protein content is roughly 4.32%. For wet cat foods, Natural Balance typically provides a little more protein (about 3.22% 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.
Our analysis shows that Open Farm guarantees 5.68% more fat than Natural Balance dry cat food recipes. In addition, Open Farm wet cat foods also provide more fat than Natural Balance wet foods.
There is a small difference between the fiber content of Natural Balance and Open Farm. We can see that Natural Balance guarantees about 2.13% more fiber than Open Farm. In addition, Open Farm wet cat foods also provide more fiber than Natural Balance wet foods.
Open Farm Pet Food Ingredients vs. Natural Balance Pet Food Ingredients
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Natural 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 Natural Balance.
Product Safety: Recall History of Open Farm & Natural Balance?
According to our records, Open Farm 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 | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Per Pound | $12.03 | $5.23 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0058 | $0.0029 |
| Dry Cat Food | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Per Pound | $5.92 | $3.69 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0034 | $0.0023 |
| Wet Dog Food | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Per Pound | $5.12 | $6.27 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0119 | $0.0137 |
| Wet Cat Food | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Per Pound | $7.83 | $7.63 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0188 | $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 Open Farm 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 Open Farm 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 Open Farm and Natural Balance. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- 20% Off First Auto-Ship @ PetFlow (Use Code PAWDIET20)
- 35% Off First Auto-Ship @ Chewy (No Code Required)
- 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 Open Farm Pet Foods
You can purchase Open Farm pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Natural Balance Pet Foods
You can purchase Natural Balance pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Open Farm | Natural Balance |
| Dry Dog Food | 17 Recipes | 39 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 8 Recipes | 27 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | 5 Treats | 33 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | 4 Recipes | 16 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 6 Recipes | 43 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | None |
Top Rated Open Farm Recipes
Top Rated Natural Balance Recipes
