By Grazyna, Founder of North Hound Life · Last updated October 2026
The short answer
Balance It® is a vitamin and mineral supplement for home-cooked pet food, paired with a free online recipe builder. It was created in 2003 by Dr. Sean Delaney, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. You build a recipe on the Balance It site, and it tells you exactly how much of its supplement to mix in so that specific recipe becomes complete and balanced. If home-cooked food is your dog's main diet, they need a complete balancer like this, or a recipe formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. Targeted supplements, including ours, cannot do that job.
North Hound Life is not affiliated with Balance It. Balance It® is a registered trademark of its owner. We wrote this guide because many of our customers cook for their dogs and ask us about it.
What is Balance It?
Balance It is a company that helps pet parents and veterinarians make home-cooked food nutritionally complete. It has two parts:
- A free online recipe builder. You choose the protein, carbohydrate, fat and vegetables, and the tool calculates the amounts plus how much supplement to add.
- A line of supplement powders containing the vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that home-cooked ingredients usually lack. These are mixed into the finished recipe.
The amount of supplement is set by the recipe, not just by your dog's weight. Change the recipe, and the amount can change too.
Balance It products for dogs
According to Balance It, its dog-relevant powders include:
| Product | Designed for |
|---|---|
| Canine | Their most commonly used formula for dogs |
| Canine Plus | Heatable, suited to batch cooking |
| Canine K Plus | Recipes with the lowest phosphorus |
| Canine -Cu | Recipes with the lowest copper |
| Carnivore Blend | Higher-protein, low- or no-carb recipes for dogs and cats |
The low-phosphorus and low-copper formulas are typically used for dogs with medical needs. Use those under your veterinarian's guidance. Check Balance It's own site for current products and instructions.
Does homemade dog food need a supplement?
Almost always, yes. Even recipes that look healthy usually miss essential nutrients. In a UC Davis study of 200 home-cooked dog food recipes from books, websites and even veterinary sources, only 9 met the minimum nutrient standards for adult dogs. Most were short on more than one nutrient. The researchers flagged choline, vitamin D, zinc and vitamin E as the most concerning gaps.
Calcium is another common gap in meat-based recipes without bone. Getting the amount right matters even more for growing puppies, especially large breeds.
That's why home-cooked food that makes up most of your dog's diet needs either:
- a recipe-specific balancer, like Balance It, used with its matching recipe, or
- a recipe formulated for your dog by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist or a qualified canine nutrition consultant.
If home-cooked food is only an occasional topper, a common guideline is to keep extras under about 10% of your dog's daily calories, so their complete food still does the balancing.
A balancer and a targeted supplement are not the same thing
This is the most important part of this article, and it's where many pet parents, and many articles, go wrong.
| Recipe-specific balancer | Targeted whole-food supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Balance It, or a vet nutritionist's custom mix | Omega-3 oil, probiotics, green-lipped mussel, turkey tail |
| Purpose | Fills every nutrient gap in a specific recipe | Supports one area, like joints, the gut or skin and coat |
| Amount based on | The exact recipe | Your dog's weight |
| Can it make a homemade diet complete? | Yes, when used with its matching recipe | No |
The same goes for single ingredients. Eggshell powder adds calcium, and kelp adds iodine, but each covers one nutrient at most. Neither can fill the other gaps, and the amounts still need to be calculated. A diet built from guesswork can end up short on some nutrients and over on others.
Our supplements are designed to add to a complete diet, not to make a diet complete. Many of our labels say "for intermittent or supplemental use only" for exactly this reason.
Where whole-food supplements fit in a home-cooked diet
Once your dog's home-cooked diet is complete and balanced, targeted supplements can support specific goals on top of it:
- Omega 3+: 100% Canadian harp seal oil, with EPA, DHA and DPA for skin, coat and joint comfort.
- Probiotic+: five canine-specific strains plus prebiotics for a balanced gut, which is helpful during a switch to home-cooked food.
- Hip & Joint Health: 100% New Zealand green-lipped mussel for joint and mobility support.
Check before you add. A balanced recipe is calculated as a whole. Before adding any supplement, including ours, run it by whoever formulated the recipe, especially anything that contains fats, minerals or vitamins. Add one new supplement at a time.
How to switch your dog to home-cooked food safely
- Start with a complete recipe from Balance It's recipe builder, a veterinary nutritionist or a qualified canine nutrition consultant.
- Follow it exactly. Swapping ingredients or skipping the supplement changes the balance.
- Transition over 7 to 14 days, gradually mixing more of the new food into the old.
- Watch stool, energy, weight and coat, and adjust portions to keep your dog at a healthy body condition.
- Get regular vet checkups, especially for puppies, seniors and dogs with health conditions.
Looking for professional help? See our list of canine nutrition consultants who formulate home-cooked diets.
Already feeding a complete diet?
Find the targeted support that fits your dog's goals with our 1-minute supplement quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What is Balance It for dogs?
Balance It is a vitamin and mineral supplement for home-cooked pet food, paired with a free online recipe builder. It was created in 2003 by board-certified veterinary nutritionist Dr. Sean Delaney. The recipe builder tells you how much supplement to add to make that specific recipe complete and balanced.
Do I need Balance It for homemade dog food?
If home-cooked food is your dog's main diet, you need a complete, recipe-specific balancer like Balance It, or a recipe formulated by a veterinary nutritionist. Research shows most homemade recipes are missing essential nutrients without one.
Is Balance It dosed by my dog's weight?
No. The amount is based on the specific recipe, not just your dog's weight. Use Balance It's recipe builder to get the right amount for your recipe.
Can I use eggshell powder or kelp instead of a balancer?
No. Eggshell powder adds calcium and kelp adds iodine, but each covers one nutrient at most. A home-cooked diet needs a full range of vitamins and minerals in calculated amounts.
Can I give other supplements with Balance It?
Often yes, but check with whoever formulated your recipe first, especially for anything containing fats, minerals or vitamins. Targeted supplements like omega-3s or probiotics can support specific goals on top of a complete diet.
Can North Hound Life supplements replace Balance It?
No. Our supplements are targeted, whole-food support for specific goals like joints, the gut or skin and coat. They are designed to add to a complete diet, not to balance a home-cooked one.
Have another question? Visit our FAQ page.
Sources
- Balance It. FAQs and About Dr. Delaney
- Stockman J, Fascetti AJ, Kass PH, Larsen JA. Evaluation of recipes of home-prepared maintenance diets for dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2013. Summary: UC Davis News
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for veterinary advice. Talk to your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist before changing your dog's diet.
