Probalance dog food

This review focuses on a product from the Russian company Velkorm – Probalance dog food, produced by the Russian branch of the Danish concern Aller Petfood. This company is now in its fourth generation of management, led by the Bylling family, which founded the business in 1921. Seeing a promising direction in pet nutrition, the decision was made to begin producing pet food in the 1970s. Since then, the company has successfully and actively developed in this industry, expanding its operations into Poland, Germany, and Eastern and Central Europe.

Brand history

Aller Petfood Russia, a subsidiary company, was founded in 2004 and currently produces private-label pet food. It operates two facilities: a dry food factory in Tver and a canned diet factory in St. Petersburg.

This company not only provides its industrial capacity, but also ready-made diet formulas, and also offers services for the development of new recipes and comprehensive marketing and promotion of "custom" brands in the pet food market.

Aller Petfood also boasts a professional team of veterinary nutritionists and uses high-quality raw materials sourced from abroad. The company is particularly proud of its ISO 22000 quality certification, confirming that its products meet the highest food safety and quality standards.

Assortment

The entire Probalance dry dog ​​food portfolio is divided into four nutrition lines with different focuses. The brand also announced an expansion of its product range and the launch of three more new diets in March and April, two of which will be part of the new Gourmet Diet line.

All currently available products from this brand are easily distinguished by the color of the packaging. In fact, the manufacturer itself positions them this way: yellow, green, blue, and red categories of food, as well as new purple products.

The Yellow Line is a series of diets called Immuno, designed to strengthen pets' immune systems. They are distinguished by the presence of functional additives such as lysine, antioxidants, and prebiotics, which have a beneficial effect on pets and improve their overall health.

The yellow ProBalance dog food is the most popular, as evidenced by owner reviews, the vast majority of which are about the Immuno line. All diets differ in two main areas: the pet's age (Adult and Puppies) and its size (Small & Medium and Maxi).

There is a separate menu for pets with high energy expenditure - Immuno Adult Active, as well as a new product - Immuno Adult Beef (food for all dog breeds with beef).

The Green Line is a collection of various specialized menus for pets with special nutritional needs. It includes three formulas: Starter, Hypoallergenic, and Delicate Digestion. Starter is designed for the youngest puppies, starting at three weeks of age. It is also recommended for pregnant and lactating bitches, as it offers a more nutritious diet.

The Hypoallergenic and Delicate Digestion diets are positioned as food for dogs with allergies and digestive disorders.

The red packaging contains only one diet – Adult Grain Free, a grain-free diet based on poultry, which contains potatoes, lentils and peas instead of grains.

The Blue line also features only one formula: Probalance Adult Light dry dog ​​food for adult dogs, designed to maintain optimal weight and body condition in pets prone to weight gain. It's also suitable for sedentary pets, such as apartment dwellers who don't get regular exercise.

The purple-packaged meals are part of the Gourmet Diet line, consisting of two options: Adult Beef & Rabbit and Adult Beef & Lamb. They are marketed as food for discerning adult pets, offering two distinct flavors: beef with rabbit and beef with lamb.

Thus, the entire Probalance dog food range consists of 12 types of nutrition, which, according to breeders and pet owners, does not allow for much variety in feeding your pet, unlike many competing premium brands.

Evaluation and analysis of the composition

Before we dive into the food, it's worth noting that Probalance formulas contain FitoCare, a phyto-cocktail of 17 medicinal herbs. According to the manufacturer, it was developed by veterinarians and performs several beneficial functions: it strengthens the immune system, improves metabolism, and supports the nervous and cardiovascular systems of animals.

For review and analysis, we selected Probalance Adult Active dog food from the core Immuno line. It is marketed as nutrition for active adult pets requiring high-energy nutrition. The manufacturer classifies this food as a premium product and emphasizes its high protein content. The official website also states that Aller Petfood technologists participated in the formulation development.

Let's look at the guaranteed nutrient values:

• Protein – 30%;
• Fat – 18%;
• Fiber – 2.5%;
• Ash – 6%;
• Humidity – 10%;

Looking at these figures, one can see that the fiber content is too low, which is a shortcoming of the recipe. Regarding the protein level, it is indeed above average, as is the fat content, as stated by the manufacturer. However, it is impossible to judge the quality of the food based on these figures; for that, it is necessary to determine the ingredients used in this menu.

The list of ingredients in the Probalance Active formula consists of approximately 20 items, including various additives. The base of the food typically consists of the first five or six components, which look like this:

• Dehydrated poultry meat – 30%;
• Rice;
• Barley;
• Chicken fat;
• Natural flavor additives;
• Oats;

The overall impression of the ingredients that make up the food is far from the best. Only one meat component and three grains.

Next on the ingredient list are yeast, egg powder, and flaxseed. These are followed by a phyto-cocktail, sunflower oil, and vitamin and mineral supplements. The list of ingredients is rounded out by fish oil, a prebiotic, lecithin, and lysine, as well as yucca extract and chondroprotectors (glucosamine and chondroitin). Antioxidants E320, E321, and MycoCarb are used to preserve the product.

The only precise quantity indicated by the manufacturer concerns component number 1. The mass fractions of the remaining ingredients remain unknown.

Protein analysis

The main source of animal protein here is dehydrated poultry, which ranks first on the list. It's generally a healthy, protein-rich ingredient. Its drawback in this case is that it's impossible to determine the specific bird or species used, nor the quality of the raw material (fillet, neck, or back).

Another protein component in this recipe is egg powder. It's a high-quality and highly digestible ingredient. However, it's listed eighth, suggesting that the percentage of dried egg by weight is quite small.

There are no more animal proteins in this menu, there are only two of them.

Fats

Animal fats are present – ​​chicken (No. 4 in the ingredients) and fish (No. 14), as well as vegetable fat – sunflower oil (No. 11). Chicken fat is a healthy and high-quality ingredient, and is a welcome addition. Fish oil is also important and very beneficial, as it is rich in omega acids. However, in this case, it is impossible to identify the fish from which it is obtained, or to assess the quality of such a product and its degree of purification.

Clearly, sunflower oil was included in greater quantities than fish oil, as it appears earlier in the ingredients list. Plant-based lipids are significantly less beneficial to dogs than animal-based lipids, no matter how beneficial they may be. It's likely that sunflower oil was used as a cheaper alternative to achieve the required fat percentage in the diet.

Carbohydrates

The carbohydrate role here is played by three grain components: rice, barley, and oats. All three are listed among the top ingredients, and overall, grains will predominate in the food. Your pet won't receive any particular benefit from them. The advantage of using these grains is their low glycemic index (oats and barley), they are gluten-free (which can trigger allergies in some animals), and they contain fiber.

Other feed components

Other ingredients included in the list of feed components include yeast and flaxseed.

Yeast is rich in essential B vitamins, as well as enzymes and trace elements. It promotes healthy metabolism and improves the condition of skin and coat.

Flax seeds are an excellent plant-based source of Omega-3. They are a preventative measure against vascular problems, skin diseases, and gastrointestinal inflammation.

In addition to potentially beneficial additives, this recipe contains ingredients of dubious origin and rather vaguely formulated:

• An unknown “natural flavor additive”; it is impossible to determine what it is;
• Dubious “prebiotics” about which nothing is said either;

It also contains antioxidants E320 and E321, also known as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Conscientious manufacturers have long since abandoned their use in pet food in favor of natural preservatives. These are definitely undesirable ingredients.

Advantages and disadvantages

ProBalance Active dog food largely lives up to the reviews, both positive and negative. Like many others, it has some serious shortcomings in its formula, which are offset by a number of advantages. Below, we've highlighted the key points.

Pros:

• The presence of animal proteins and fats of good quality;
• The presence of hypoallergenic and low-carbohydrate cereals instead of cheap grains (wheat, corn);
• Functional supplements for joints and phyto-complex;

Disadvantages of the food:

• Components of questionable quality;
• Large amount of grains;
• Addition of artificial and potentially harmful preservatives;

ProBalance food reviews

Many dog ​​owners share their opinions based on their personal experiences feeding Probalance products to their pets. As expected, the reviews range from harsh criticism to positive and laudatory assessments of these diets.

Nazar, the owner of the Kurzhaar:

"My Karat is a hunter, so I always choose a richer, more nutritious food for him. I decided to try ProBalance on the advice of a friend, who said it had a good formula and a reasonable price. However, the food didn't work at all; he developed allergies, and his overall condition worsened dramatically. As a result of my experiment, I ended up with a dog whose ears turned black, then started shedding fur, and his overall appearance was not very good. In the end, we never finished the whole bag, so we had to go back to the old food."

Natalia, owner of an American Akita:

"I had to switch him to this food abruptly, but knock on wood, it's been three months since Choco started eating it. There's nothing negative to complain about. The food smells delicious, the dog eats well, and there are no complaints. I know people who feed Probalance for large breeds, and they're also happy with it; they even fattened up their perpetually skinny dog."

Evaluation of veterinarians

Veterinarians' reviews of Probalance dog food generally agree that its composition meets all the characteristics and requirements of premium foods. However, experts point out that the fiber content is lower than generally accepted standards, which may impact digestion in pets prone to gastrointestinal issues. They also highlight the presence of the preservatives BHA and dibunol (BHT), which are banned in the food industry in many countries due to their toxicity. The use of the latter in dog food is undesirable, as their effects on animals are controversial.

Price

The price of ProBalance Adult Active dog food starts at 3,520 rubles per 15 kg package.

Cost of Immuno Adult Maxi food:

• 3 kg – from 740 RUR
• 15 kg – from 2840 RUR

In conclusion, despite the attractive price tag, we would like to point out that you shouldn't rush into buying a bag of Probalance food for your pet. Of course, the price is partly due to its production in Russia, not Europe. Our resource cannot give this food a high rating due to the many controversial ingredients, and therefore cannot recommend it for feeding your pet.

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