We’ve put together almost everything we’ve been asked about below. You can also find full ingredients and nutritional analyses on our individual product pages. If you’ve still got a question we’d love to hear from you – contact our pet experts from the menu.
Balanced Life food and treats are made in our solar-powered kitchens in Howlong, NSW, Australia. We’re proudly family-owned and independent. All of the meat and most of the superfoods, vegetables, fruits and minerals that make up our food and treats are from Australia. There are select ingredients that cannot be sourced from Australia, but are considered as an important part of the complete and balanced formulation. All our ingredients are sourced from reliable suppliers, adhering to strict Australian quality standards and approvals.
Dogs and cats have thrived on a raw diet for millions of years and there’s growing awareness among vets, nutritionists and breeders of the health benefits of raw food. Air drying raw food locks in the nutritional benefits while making it easy to prepare and store. Even fragile nutrients like amino acids and omega oils are preserved.
We take raw ingredients and gently air dry them in small batches in our solar-powered kitchen for up to 24 hours at approximately 60C. Temperatures and humidity are tightly controlled and the whole process is safe (see accreditations below). The resulting food and treats are highly nutritious, compact so easy to carry and store, and preserved so they can be fed safely for up to 18 months.
We have leading accreditations and certifications in food standards and quality including PFIAA, HACCP, and SQF 8. All our foods are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog (or cat) Food Nutrient Profiles for puppies and adults alike of all breeds.
Approximately 95% of dogs love our foods but we want to make sure your dog can try them with no worries whatsoever. That’s why all bags of our Enhanced and Rehydrate food are covered by our Satisfaction Guarantee.
If you’re dog isn’t completely happy with our food you can return it for a full refund or replacement, provided that no less than 75% of the contents remain. If you bought the food at a pet store, simply return the food to the same store you purchased the product from. If you purchased online, please contact us through the contact link on the menu.
Because our foods are quite different to most we recommend slowly introducing the food over the course of the week to help your dog adjust to a fresh new diet.
Our treats and our dog rolls are not covered by our Satisfaction Guarantee (although we’re pretty confident your dogs and cats will love them too).
We did release two recipes of our Rehydrate food especially crafted for cats, but while it was supremely healthy a few cats weren’t keen on the taste. As such we have taken the recipes back to the drawing board. We still have our Companion Treats for Cats in the meantime and you can subscribe to our newsletter and follow @balancedlifeaus on social media to be the first to find out about any new foods or treats for cats.
Balanced Life is great for four-legged friends of all shapes and sizes. Our foods are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the The Association of American Feed Control Officials Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for puppies and adult dogs alike of all breeds with the exception of our Original Blend Rolls which are not suitable for puppies.
Ingredients are sourced locally where possible and as a rule we target over 90%, as some ingredients are just not available locally.
Pea protein is natural and helps deliver the optimal Macro Nutrient Requirements (MNR) dogs instinctively seek out in the wild.
In the LID recipe, they are in at a maximum of 4% of the recipe. In Original blend they are in at a maximum of 1% of the recipe
Rice has been and still is recommended by leading veterinarians on dogs that are predisposed to food sensitivities (stomach & skin). It is low allergenic and the most digestible carbohydrate of them all. If you can only use one carbohydrate rice is the obvious choice
Hemp seed is an Australian ingredient and provides dogs with a near-perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which benefits skin & coat and joint health. It is a new novel ingredient.
Garlic is used in very small amounts. We use garlic oil (0.01%) that is processed so that we keep the good parts and the toxicities commonly found in fresh garlic are removed. Moderation is the key and small doses are beneficial.
Celery is used in small quantities (0.01%) in our rolls as it is a natural palatant
Salt is made up of two minerals required by dogs (in the AAFCO nutritional standards) – Sodium & Chloride. These are extremely important nutrients: sodium maintains the cellular environment and prevents cells from swelling or dehydrating, chloride is an electrolyte and has a major roll in controlling the flow of body fluids in veins and throughout the body, and both help nerve function.
Salt does not contribute to cardiovascular disease in dogs and cats in the way that it does in human disease.
We have a responsible sourcing policy and follow appropriate standards when obtaining ingredients.
Pasture – source from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Meat Stewardship Council (MSC) accredited facilities
Poultry – source from free-range and cage-free establishments in accordance with RSPCA guidelines
Ocean – source from sustainable and dolphin-friendly fisheries in accordance with Aqua Seafood Council (ASC)
Wild Game – source from sustainable and ethical establishments such as Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia (KIAA)
Crocodile – sourcing complies with the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure the international trade in wildlife does not threaten wild populations of plants and animals
All our meat comes from registered human consumption processors that has been inspected by quality employees (AQIS Vets) throughout the supply chain. However, as with all pet food facilities once this product comes on site it is re-classified as pet food quality.
Are your rolls suitable for puppies?
Yes, Balanced Life LID rolls are designed for all Life Stages, which includes, puppies, adults, senior and reproduction.
Are they suitable for dogs with pancreatitis?
Our rolls are not designed for dogs with pancreatitis. We recommend consulting your vet for a prescription diet.
Can my cat eat the rolls?
A cat is not a small dog !! No, cats should not be fed a dog food, cats have specific nutrient requirements that differ from a dog. Anyone that tells you cats can be fed dog food does not know what they are talking about.
Which roll is best for my dog’s skin?
All our diets are great for skin & coat health as they contain a unique cocktail that has been clinically proven. There are also some novel proteins specially chosen for this range including the Limited Ingredient Diet Crocodile & Rice roll and the Limited Ingredient Diet Venison & Brown Rice roll.
Is it suitable for weight loss?
Wet food is more suitable for weight loss as it’s less energy dense, it contains more moisture and the volume required helps ensure the dog feels full. Contact us for a recommended feeding guide for your dog.
Stones are usually found in the crocodile gut. We don’t use gut, we only use muscle meat so stones should not be a concern. We also remove any bones and mince the meat.
What is an elimination diet?
An elimination diet is where a nutritionist or veterinarian places a dog, or cat, on a ‘novel’ single protein meat diet for a period of 8-10 weeks (or as directed). If the dog’s indications have improved, the expert will usually challenge the dog or cat with ingredients to see if they react to the protein to identify an allergy. After this time, the dog should only have proteins that they do not react to.
Are your rolls suitable for an elimination diet?
Our Limited Ingredient Diet Rolls, particularly those with novel proteins like Kangaroo, Salmon, Venison, Duck and Crocodile, are suitable for elimination diets because they contain select ingredients which are considered low-allergenic.
What else can I feed my dog on an elimination diet?
Nothing, as it’s important the only source of nourishment is the food being fed. The most common problem during elimination diets is that the dog will eat something other than the elimination diet which could cause a reaction.
My dog is losing weight on an elimination diet, what should I do?
Our diets are designed for all life stages so have the highest energy density of any dog roll in the market, we always recommend to feed your dog to maintain optimal body condition. Refer to our body condition guide.
Yes, rolls can be frozen, and we recommend portioning the roll first to make it easier to thaw. They are an ideal summer foods as they provide more moisture than dry food. Frozen rolls are an ideal boredom buster, the frozen meat will help clean teeth through mechanical abrasion and provide more water, which is required in our hot climate.
All dogs are prone to upsets when diets are changed as gut flora gets used to the nutrients and format of the food they are delivered in. Follow the instructions below to gradually introduce a new food if you are concerned.
If feeding solus then gradually introduce our new rolls over 7 days:
If you feed dry and wet together, just replace the wet portion with the roll
Our Limited Ingredient Diet Rolls are complete and balanced for all life stages in accordance with AAFCO standards, so can be fed to all breeds and all dog life stages (growth, adult, reproduction, mature)
Our Original Blend Rolls are complete and balanced for adult maintenance in accordance with AAFCO standards, so can be fed to all breeds of adult dogs
Our rolls can be fed solus or in a mixed diet if you prefer to feed wet and dry food. If you want to mix feed, simply halve the quantities on each product as a starting point.
We typically recommend more wet food in summer and more dry food in winter
The recommended retail price for the Salmon and Kangaroo Recipes is $37.95 for a 2.5kg bag and $119.95 for a 9kg bag. The Chicken Recipe has an RRP of $34.95 for a 2.5kg bag and $114.95 for a 9kg bag.
Daily feeding cost varies by weight, age, metabolism, breed and activity level. Enhanced is a complete diet, but the cost will also vary if other food or treats are provided that day. As a guide only, a daily serve for a 15kg dog starts at about $2.90. Mixing other balanced foods is ok, noting that it reduces the amount of Balanced Life fed that day. For example, a big meaty bone can replace a meal. We’ve put together an idea of how much it costs per day as a complete diet here.
| Adult weight | Cups (Gms) per day | Cost per day | Days a 9kg bag lasts |
| 5kg | 1 cup (115g) | less than $1.50/day | up to 78 days/2.5 months |
| 15kg | 2 cups (230g) | less than $3/day | up to 39 days/5.5 weeks |
| 25kg | 3 cups (345g) | less than $4.50/day | up to 26 days |
| 35kg | 4 cups (460g) | less than $6/day | up to 20 days |
| 45kg | 5 cups (575g) | less than $7.50/day | up to 16 days |
| 55kg | 6 cups (690g) | less than $9/day | up to 13 days |
| 65kg | 7 cups (805g) | around $10/day | up to 11 days |
| 75kg | 8 cups (920g) | less than $12/day | up to 10 days |
As with our Rehydrate food we have a Satisfaction Guarantee so if your four-legged friend is not completely satisfied with Enhanced you can return it for a replacement or full refund.
If you would like a sample instead please email hello@balancedlifepet.com.au with your address and phone number and what sample you would like to try.
Yes, there is a lot of meat in the kibble! We’ve put as much love and care into our premium kibble as we have to our air dried raw pieces, and while the kibble is not air dried, it’s still grain-free, high in meat, boosted with superfoods and is nutritionally complete and balanced (even without the air dried raw meat pieces).
Approximately 80% of each pack of Balanced Life Enhanced is composed of our meaty, grain-free premium kibble and 20% is composed of our air dried raw meat pieces. We recommend shaking the bag each time before serving to help get a reasonable mix.
Dogs thrive on a high-meat diet and so we have created one of the meatiest kibbles there is. We’ve used chicken in all our Enhanced Recipes which is a great source of protein, vitamins B3 and B6, phosphorous, selenium and glucosamine and is well suited to mineral requirements for a range of dogs of different ages and breeds. We understand that some dogs have allergies to chicken which is why our Single Animal Protein Kangaroo, Lamb and Salmon Recipes contain no Chicken, and only use meat from the same species.
Molasses is a source of vitamin-B6, copper, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and selenium, and it’s tasty too. It has been included in our Enhanced food in very small amounts – less than 1%
All our recipes include peas – they’re a great, digestible source of plant-based protein, iron, magnesium and vitamin B1 and so we’ve included them (along with high meat content and superfoods) to help create a complete and balanced diet that exceeds AAFCO standards.
It’s not a typo! Faba beans are similar to broad beans and are a great source of protein and B vitamins.
Fruits and vegetables do form a small part of a natural diet for dogs and cats. Dogs have hunted herbivores and omnivores for millions of years, and so have consumed semi-digested plants, vegetables and fruits in the digestive tracts of their prey. We’ve included approximately 20% vegetable and fruit matter in our Rehydrate recipes and approximately 40% vegetable and fruit matter in our Enhanced recipes, to provide a natural, balanced diet that mimics what dogs eat in the wild.
Dogs have consumed carbohydrates for millions of years in the gut content of their prey animals – its accounted for approximately 8-10% of their energy requirements and they’re well adapted biologically to digest and process carbs. If a dog gets 100% of their energy from protein and fats it can sometimes cause stress on the kidneys so carbs are a useful component of the energy mix as long as they’re kept in relatively low amounts.
The vast majority of dogs love the taste of our Enhanced recipes but some can take a little longer than others. We have put together some tips for helping them grow to love their healthy new food.
If you find they’re really not getting into it then we offer a Satisfaction Guarantee – simply return the pack to the store you purchased it at with the receipt and swap it for a different recipe or a full refund. For online purchases email hello@balancedlifepet.com to arrange a return.
Retailers may offer Balanced Life at different prices but our Recommended Retail Prices are as follows:
• 1kg Balanced Life dog food – Chicken or Lamb Recipes – $36.90
• 1kg Balanced Life dog food – Kangaroo or Salmon Recipes – $42.90
• 3.5kg Balanced Life dog food – Chicken or Lamb Recipes – $109.90
• 3.5kg Balanced Life dog food – Kangaroo or Salmon Recipes – $129.90
Daily feeding cost varies by weight, age, metabolism, breed and activity level. Balanced Life is a complete diet, but the cost will also vary if other food or treats are provided that day. As a guide only, a daily serve for 10kg dog of Balanced Life starts at about $2. Mixing other balanced foods is ok, noting that it reduces the amount of Balanced Life fed that day. For example, a big meaty bone can replace a meal. We’ve put together an idea of how much it costs per day as a complete diet here.
| Adult weight | Dry Scoops per day | Cost per day | Days a 3.5kg bag lasts |
| 2 to 5kg | 0.75 – 1.5 | from $1/day | up to 104 days |
| 6 to 15kg | 1.5 – 3.5 | from $2/day | up to 52 days |
| 16 to 25kg | 3.5 – 5.25 | from $4.95/day | up to 22 days |
| 26 to 35kg | 5.25 – 6.75 | from $7.40/day | up to 15 days |
| 36 to 45kg | 6.75 – 8.25 | from $9.50/day | up to 12 days |
| 46 to 55kg | 8.25 – 9.75 | from $12.50/day | up to 10 days |
| 56 to 65kg | 9.75 – 11 | from $14.80/day | up to 9 days |
Its simple – you just add water!
• Scoop the amount of food appropriate for your dogs weight into their bowl – check our feeding guide on packs and on the product pages on this site for how many scoops to feed
• Add the amount of warm or cold water that most satisfies your pet, making a meal that ranges from a broth to firm moist chunks. Less water than food is what most of our fans do.
• Give it a stir to make sure its mixed in
• Serve
Balanced Life Rehydrate is a complete diet but mixing or rotating with other foods is fine as long as the other food is also balanced and healthy. The more raw and air dried raw food your dog or cat gets the better they will be! We also strongly recommend serving a raw bone 2-3 times per week to help with dental cleaning. If you do mix or rotate with other foods just make sure you adjust the amount of Balanced Life you serve so you don’t under or overfeed your pet
We’ve found that over 95% of dogs love the taste of our Rehydrate recipes but some can take a little longer than others to get used to the taste and texture (its quite different to other foods). We have put together some tips for helping them grow to love their healthy new food.
If you find they’re really not getting into it then we offer a Satisfaction Guarantee – simply return the pack to the store you purchased it at with the receipt and swap it for a different recipe or a full refund. For online purchases email hello@balancedlifepet.com to arrange a return.
No, zilch, zippo, nada!
How much meat, organ and bone is in the food?
A lot! Dogs and cats thrive on high meat diets and our ingredients reflect that – Balanced Life consists of 80% raw meat, organs, bones and oils. The remaining 20% is vegetables, fruit and minerals to produce a balanced, natural, complete diet.
Organ meat accounts for approximately 20% of the food but note we include heart in this (which some classify as muscle meat). Organs are full of vitamins and nutrients and form an important part of a natural, whole-prey diet.
We’ve added a small amount of potato starch as a source of gluten and grain-free digestible carbohydrates to match the small amount of carbs dogs and cats would get in a natural diet from the gut content of prey animals. There’s little incidence of allergic reactions to potato starch in comparison to other common carbohydrates.
Sunflower oil is a great source of omega-6 fatty acids which helps protect skin and coats and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Fruits and vegetables do form a small part of a natural diet for dogs and cats. Dogs have hunted herbivores and omnivores for millions of years, and so have consumed semi-digested plants, vegetables and fruits in the digestive tracts of their prey. We’ve included approximately 20% vegetable and fruit matter in our Rehydrate recipes and approximately 40% vegetable and fruit matter in our Enhanced recipes, to provide a natural, balanced diet that mimics what dogs eat in the wild.
Dogs have consumed carbohydrates for millions of years in the gut content of their prey animals – its accounted for approximately 8-10% of their energy requirements and they’re well adapted biologically to digest and process carbs. If a dog gets 100% of their energy from protein and fats it can sometimes cause stress on the kidneys so carbs are a useful component of the energy mix as long as they’re kept in relatively low amounts.
Our Rehydrate foods are great for four-legged friends of all shapes, sizes and ages including puppies (after weaning), senior dogs, pregnant and lactating dogs but there are a couple of groups to be aware of:
Large breed puppies – our Lamb and Kangaroo recipes narrowly miss out on 2 nutrient levels established by AAFCO for large breed puppies. As such we recommend our Chicken or Salmon recipes for this group of dogs.
Dalmatians and dogs requiring low protein or low purine diets – However, for large breed dogs (greater than 31kg as an adult) extra calcium in the form of a bone twice a week is recommended.
Dogs with specific food allergies – Balanced Life Rehydrate is crafted to support dogs with common food allergies. Our recipes all contain single animal protein sources, are grain and gluten free, high in nutrition to support immune systems and contain limited ingredients to reduce the chance of allergic reactions. If you know your dog has a specific allergy however check out our product pages to find a full list of ingredients for each product first.
Dogs with existing medical conditions – Balanced Life is formulated to provide optimal nutrition for as many dogs as possible, including some with medical conditions. If your dog has a specific medical condition you’d like to know more about regarding nutrition email us at hello@balancedlifepet.com.au. However, we would always recommend you seek advice from your vet before changing your pets diet.
It’s tempting to imagine the meaty chunks are the only meat content but the crumble itself is composed of lots and lots of meat which is why its brown in colour. As long as your serving is not completely composed of the meaty chunks it will provide a balanced meal – just give your bag a shake before pouring out to help mix it.
Balanced Life Rehydrate is different to kibble and canned pet food in that we’ve condensed a lot of nutrition into a small amount of food. 4kg of fresh food goes into every 1kg of Rehydrate so you don’t need to feed as much. Check out our cost question above for an idea of how much it would cost to feed your dog on a daily basis – you may be pleasantly surprised, especially considering the incredible level of nutrition our food packs in.
Retailers may offer Balanced Life at different prices but our Recommended Retail Prices are as follows:
Our treats are intended to be fed on an occasional basis – 2-3 times per week. If feeding a lot keep an eye on your pet’s weight and adjust feeding accordingly.
Yes! Our Companion Treats are packed full of nutritional value for all breeds and ages including for puppies, kittens and lactating dogs and cats. They are semi-moist and broken into suitably sized pieces to minimise any choking damage. If your pet has any know allergies check out the ingredients on the individual to ensure they’re safe for your pet and if they have an existing medical condition check with your vet whether they will be safe to consume.
Yes because are Companion Treats are semi-moist they’re easy to break into tiny pieces and used for training.