When it comes to feeding your furry friend, the traditional approach of buying commercial dog food isn’t your only option. Balance IT offers something entirely different – a system that helps you create nutritionally complete homemade meals for your dog. If you’ve been considering making your own dog food but worried about getting the nutrition right, this might be exactly what you’re looking for.
What Makes Balance IT Different from Regular Dog Food Brands
Unlike most dog food companies that sell bags of kibble or cans of wet food, Balance IT provides the tools and supplements you need to make balanced homemade meals for your pup. Founded in 2003 by Dr. Sean Delaney, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist who previously taught at UC Davis, this company takes a scientific approach to homemade dog nutrition.
The concept addresses a real problem – studies show that over 90% of homemade dog food recipes you’ll find online or in books lack essential nutrients your dog needs. Balance IT’s solution combines specialized supplements with recipe-building software to help you create meals that meet the same nutritional standards as commercial foods.
How Balance IT Works
The Balance IT system has two main components that work together:
The AutoBalancer Recipe Builder
Balance IT’s free online tool lets you select ingredients you’d like to use – proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, and fats – and automatically calculates the right proportions to create a nutritionally complete meal. The software analyzes over 40 nutrients in real-time and won’t let you create a recipe that’s nutritionally unbalanced.
This means you can use foods from your own kitchen like chicken, rice, sweet potatoes, and carrots to make your dog’s food. You choose the ingredients based on what your dog likes and what works for your budget – a level of customization you simply can’t get with commercial foods.
The Balance IT Supplements
Once you’ve created your recipe, the system calculates exactly which Balance IT supplement powder you’ll need and how much to add to make sure the meal contains all the essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids your dog requires.
They offer several supplement formulations:
- Canine: The standard supplement for most healthy dogs
- Canine Plus: A heat-stable version that maintains nutrients even when cooked
- Carnivore Blend: Formulated for meat-heavy diets with enhanced palatability
- Specialized formulas: For specific conditions like kidney disease (with veterinary authorization)
The supplements are made in an FDA-compliant facility in California and undergo rigorous testing to ensure they contain exactly what’s on the label.
Nutritional Quality and Safety
From a nutritional standpoint, Balance IT takes homemade feeding to a professional level. Their recipes meet AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) standards – the same guidelines commercial pet foods follow. This means your homemade meals can be just as nutritionally complete and balanced as premium commercial foods.
What sets Balance IT apart is their commitment to science. Every supplement batch undergoes laboratory testing to verify nutrient levels, with batches only released when they’re within 5% of label claims. This level of quality control exceeds what many commercial pet food brands do.
For dogs with medical conditions, Balance IT offers something particularly valuable – the ability to create therapeutic diets at home. Need a low-phosphorus diet for a dog with kidney issues? Balance IT can help create that with your vet’s involvement. This represents a significant cost savings compared to prescription diets.
User Experience: The Pros and Cons
Based on user testimonials and my analysis, here’s what dog owners typically experience with Balance IT:
What Users Love
Many owners report significant health improvements in their dogs after switching to Balance IT-formulated meals. Dogs with chronic digestive issues, skin problems, or food sensitivities often show remarkable turnarounds. A common theme is seeing older dogs become more energetic and puppylike again.
The dietary flexibility is another major plus. You can create multiple recipes using different protein sources and ingredients, which is perfect for rotation feeding or working around food sensitivities. If your dog gets bored with one recipe, you can easily create another.
Long-term users often find the system can be cost-effective compared to premium commercial foods, especially for larger dogs. While the supplements aren’t cheap (about $0.40-$0.60 per meal), using human-grade ingredients from your kitchen can offset these costs.
The Challenges
Balance IT isn’t for everyone. There’s definitely a learning curve to using the system. The software can be confusing at first, and you’ll need to precisely measure ingredients using a digital scale for accurate nutrition.
The time commitment is substantial – expect to spend several hours per month preparing food in batches. If you’re used to the convenience of scooping kibble into a bowl, this represents a significant lifestyle change.
Some dogs may initially reject the supplemented food due to the taste or texture of the powder. Most adjust within a week or two, but it can require patience during the transition.
Comparison to Commercial Dog Foods
If you’re comparing Balance IT to traditional dog foods, you’re looking at a fundamentally different approach to feeding. Rather than a fixed formula created by a manufacturer, you’re creating custom meals with ingredients you select.
The major advantage is complete transparency – you know exactly what’s going into your dog’s food because you’re putting it there. There’s no mystery meat, unnamed animal by-products, or vague “natural flavors.” This control is particularly valuable for dogs with food sensitivities or allergies.
The fresh, lightly cooked (or raw, if you prefer) nature of these meals also means less processing. Commercial kibble undergoes high-heat extrusion that can degrade some nutrients, which is why they need to add them back in afterward. With Balance IT, you’re working with fresh nutrients in their natural state.
Not sure whether to make your own food or try a premium commercial option? Check out our Wag dog food review to compare another approach to canine nutrition.
What Kind of Dogs is This Food Suitable For?
The beauty of the Balance IT system is that it works for virtually all dogs across all life stages. The customization potential makes it particularly suitable for:
Puppies: The software allows you to create recipes specifically formulated for growth, ensuring developing puppies get the precise nutrition they need. You can adjust protein levels and calcium:phosphorus ratios to support healthy development.
Active dogs: For working dogs or athletic breeds, you can create higher-protein, higher-fat recipes that provide the energy dense nutrition they require. The ability to use fresh, human-grade protein sources is a significant advantage here.
Adult maintenance: For healthy adult dogs, the system creates balanced meals that maintain optimal weight and overall health. The variety possible helps keep even picky eaters interested in their food.
Senior dogs: Older dogs often benefit tremendously from Balance IT diets. You can create recipes with easily digestible proteins, moderate fat levels, and ingredients that support joint health. Many users report their senior dogs regain energy and mobility.
Dogs with health issues: This is where Balance IT truly shines. With veterinary authorization, you can create therapeutic diets for conditions like kidney disease, liver problems, food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and more. The precision nutrition approach often helps manage these conditions effectively.
I’ve personally seen remarkable improvements in dogs with chronic issues when switched to properly formulated homemade diets using this system.
Is Balance IT Dog Food Good? My Expert Conclusion
As a dog nutrition specialist who’s evaluated countless feeding systems, I can honestly say that Balance IT represents one of the highest quality approaches to canine nutrition currently available. The scientific foundation, veterinary involvement, and quality control measures put it in a different category from most commercial foods.
That said, it’s not the right choice for everyone. The system requires a significant commitment of time and effort that many busy pet owners simply can’t manage. The learning curve can be steep, and the supplements represent an ongoing expense.
For those willing to put in the work, however, the results can be remarkable. Dogs often thrive on these fresh, custom-tailored diets in ways they never did on commercial food. The ability to precisely control ingredients while ensuring complete nutrition represents the gold standard in canine feeding.
Balance IT earns my recommendation for dedicated pet parents who want to feed homemade meals but aren’t willing to compromise on nutritional science. It bridges the gap between the emotional appeal of homemade feeding and the nutritional rigor of commercial diets – truly offering the best of both worlds.
Find Your Dog’s Perfect Food Match
While Balance IT offers excellent nutrition through homemade meals, every dog has unique needs based on their age, breed, size, activity level, and health conditions. What works wonderfully for one dog might not be ideal for another.
That’s why we’ve created a specialized questionnaire to help match your dog with their ideal food. By answering a few quick questions about your pup, you’ll receive personalized recommendations for the three best dog food brands specifically suited to your dog’s needs.
The questionnaire takes less than a minute to complete, and it’s completely free. Whether you’re considering homemade options like Balance IT or looking for the best commercial alternatives, our tool will help you navigate the overwhelming world of dog nutrition.
Get your personalized recommendations via this link and take the guesswork out of feeding your four-legged family member!
