Natural Balance Venison vs Natural Balance Salmon: Which Limited-Ingredient Dog Food Wins?
Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Reserve Grain-Free Sweet Potato & Venison Recipe Dry Dog Food
Full review →Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food
Full review →The short answer. The salmon recipe wins the scoreboard by 21 points and it is not close: 24% protein with salmon and salmon meal in the first two slots, against venison's 20% with pea protein and potato protein in positions three and four. But the venison formula exists for a job the salmon recipe cannot do — venison is its only animal protein and sweet potato its only starch, with no fish anywhere on the panel — so the right pick depends on whether you are feeding an elimination trial or an everyday adult dog.
Side by side
Every number below comes from the manufacturer's current label or current US retail listings, scored on the same 6-dimension model. Shaded cells mark the better value on that row.
| Attribute | Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Reserve Grain-Free Sweet Potato & Venison Recipe Dry Dog Food | Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 62 / 100 | 83 / 100 |
| Protein quality & source (30%) | 39 | 85 |
| Ingredient transparency (20%) | 50 | 80 |
| Nutritional standards (18%) | 76 | 76 |
| Recall history & safety (14%) | 78 | 78 |
| Value for money (10%) | 92 | 95 |
| Owner & pal feedback (8%) | 84 | 88 |
| Protein (as fed) | 20.0% | 24.0% |
| Protein (dry matter) | 22.2% | 26.7% |
| Fat (min) | 10.0% | 10.0% |
| Fibre (max) | 5.0% | 4.5% |
| Moisture | 10.0% | 10.0% |
| Calorie density | 3,290 kcal/kg | 3,360 kcal/kg |
| Price per lb | $3.64/lb | $3.04/lb |
| Price per 1,000 kcal | $2.44 | $1.99 |
| Owner rating | 4.4/5 (396 ratings) | 4.0/5 (400 ratings) |
| First ingredient | Sweet Potato | Salmon |
| Form | Dry (kibble) | Dry (kibble) |
| Life stage | Adult maintenance | Adult maintenance |
| Best for | Elimination trials for dogs reacting to chicken and beef, at a fraction of a veterinary diet's price | Elimination trials and dogs with suspected sensitivities to common proteins such as chicken and beef |
Where the difference actually comes from
The 21-point gap is almost entirely two dimensions. Protein: the salmon formula's 24% as fed converts to about 27% dry-matter and earns 85, while the venison recipe's 20% converts to about 22% — the joint-lowest adult dry figure in this ranking — and scores 39. Transparency: salmon and salmon meal lead a short, readable panel worth 80, while the venison recipe's pea protein and potato protein concentrates in the top five drag it to 50. Everything else is identical — standards 76, safety 78 — because it is the same brand, the same L.I.D. promise and the same seven-recalls-since-2007 record.
Where the venison formula fights back is purpose and owner feedback. It is the cleaner elimination tool: one animal protein, one starch, and an exclusion list — no chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy or eggs — that a commercial elimination trial is usually built around. The salmon recipe cannot make that claim as cleanly, because salmon is common enough in dog food that it is a weak novel protein for a dog already reacting to fish. The venison recipe also holds the better rating, 4.4/5 from 396 reviews against the salmon formula's 4.0/5 from 400 — the lowest of any dog food here, with palatability and stool quality the recurring complaints on its low-fat, single-protein panel.
Cost pushes the same way: the salmon recipe is about 16% cheaper per pound ($3.04 vs $3.64) and about 18% less per 1,000 kcal, which matters because neither food is cheap. The honest summary: if you are running an elimination trial for a dog reacting to chicken and beef, the venison recipe is the right tool and the score reflects its protein arithmetic, not its safety. For an everyday adult dog that tolerates fish, the salmon recipe is the better food — more protein, shorter panel, lower price — and you should expect a slow transition given its rating.
Which one should you buy?
Choose Natural Balance if
You are running an elimination trial for a dog reacting to chicken and beef, and you need a single novel animal protein with a short exclusion list at a fraction of a prescription diet's price.
Choose Natural Balance if
You want the better everyday limited-ingredient food — more protein, a cleaner panel and a lower price — and fish is not a protein your dog reacts to.
Pros and trade-offs
Natural Balance
What owners and our testing liked
- Venison is the only animal protein and sweet potato the only starch - a genuine elimination-trial formula
- No chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy or eggs anywhere on the panel
- Grain-free, with menhaden fish oil and flaxseed supplying the omega fatty acids
- The 22 lb bag at $79.98 is the cheapest per pound of the three sizes
Trade-offs
- Pea protein and potato protein sit in the top five - two plant-protein concentrates, which is what holds the protein score down
- 20% protein as fed is about 22% dry-matter - the joint-lowest protein of any adult dry dog food here, level with Hill's Science Diet Adult and Blue Buffalo Basics
- Menhaden fish oil means this is not a fish-free formula, which narrows its elimination-trial use
- Formulated-to-meet only; Natural Balance publishes no feeding-trial validation for this recipe
Natural Balance
What owners and our testing liked
- A genuinely short list: salmon, salmon meal, sweet potato, potato and dried yeast lead, with no chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy or eggs
- Two named salmon forms in the top two slots, giving about 27% dry-matter protein from a single animal source
- Sweet potato and potato starch instead of peas, so the carbohydrate load is not legume-heavy
- About $1.99 per 1,000 kcal - a fraction of the cost of a prescription elimination diet
Trade-offs
- 24% protein as fed is low for a working dog, and 10% fat caps the energy density
- 4.0/5 from 400 PetSmart reviewers - the lowest owner rating in the dog-food ranking
- Formulated-to-meet only; Natural Balance does not publish feeding-trial validation for this recipe
- Salmon is common enough that it is a weak novel protein for a dog already reacting to fish
Frequently asked questions
Why does the venison recipe score 21 points lower when it is the more specialised formula?
Because the score measures nutrition, not suitability. Pea protein and potato protein in the top five and 20% as-fed protein — about 22% dry-matter, the joint-lowest adult dry figure here — cost it on protein and transparency. Its elimination-trial value is real but does not earn points: the algorithm scores what is in the bowl, not what the bowl is for.
Is either formula safe for a dog with a fish allergy?
Only the venison recipe gets close, and even it is not clean: menhaden fish oil appears on the panel for omega fatty acids, so it is not fish-free. For a confirmed fish allergy you need a veterinary hydrolysed diet, not a retail limited-ingredient formula.
Which one will my dog actually eat?
The venison recipe, on the evidence: 4.4/5 from 396 reviews against the salmon formula's 4.0/5 from 400, the lowest owner rating of any dog food in this ranking, with palatability and stool quality the recurring complaints. Both are low-fat, single-protein diets, so transition either one slowly over 10-14 days regardless.
Want to compare more than two? Use the comparison tool — up to four foods side by side. Individual animals vary; if your pet has a diagnosed condition, confirm the choice with your veterinarian.