As dog owners, we always want what’s best for our pets. A huge part of this is the food we give them. However, there are so many different types of dog foods to choose from, so selecting one for your dog can become overwhelming.
Blue Buffalo is one popular brand that many dog owners choose. But how do you know if this food is a good choice for your dog?
What is Blue Buffalo?
Blue Buffalo is a well-known dog food brand that promotes itself as being “A+” in nutrition. Every food under this brand name is made with real meat and natural ingredients that customers will be able to recognize. They also offer some food and treat options for cats as well.
This brand produces dry and wet dog food options, both which come a variety of different flavors. There are also some treat options for customers to select as well.
In order to make choosing dog food easier, Blue Buffalo also provides meal options specifically for puppies, adults, and senior dogs. Each bag has a recommended daily serving chart posted on the back.
Blue Buffalo Recalls as of 2023
Despite the promotion of healthy ingredients, this dog food brand has actually been recalled many times in the past. Here is a detailed list of those dog food recalls.
March 18th, 2017
Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner Wet Food for Adult Dogs was reported to contain higher levels of beef thyroid hormones. This issue could cause major problems to dogs that consume it. Some potential risks are excessive thirst and urination, increased heart rates, and restlessness.
March 3rd, 2017
Blue Buffalo issued a voluntary recall for their Blue Wilderness Trail Trays due to an issue with the foil seal on the top of the 3.5 ounce cups.
February 14th, 2017
The Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables was recalled because there were suspicions of it containing aluminum metal in its 12.5 ounce can.
May 31st, 2016
The Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe was recalled by Blue Buffalo because some of the packages contained mold in them.
November 25th, 2015
There was potential salmonella contamination in the Cub Size Wilderness Wild Chew Bones, so the product was recalled. After some testing, it was proven that there was some salmonella present in this product.
October 8th, 2010
Three types of Blue Buffalo dog foods were recalled due to potentially toxic levels of vitamin D. The products that were a part of this recall were Blue Wilderness Chicken, Blue Basics Salmon, and Blue Life Protection Large Breed Chicken Recipe for Adults.
April 19th, 2007
There were reports of melamine in many of the dog and cat products. During this year, melamine was responsible for a lot of different recalls, not just Blue Buffalo.
Is There Lead in Blue Buffalo Foods?
While there is no official recall for it, there have been many allegations that some of Blue Buffalo’s products contain an unacceptable amount of lead in them. There was a lawsuit focusing around these suspicions, but in March of 2018, the company was able to dismiss the lawsuit.
There is no official proof that Blue Buffalo has any lead in their products, so this lead claim cannot be confirmed. The company assures that these rumors are false, so this is why the accusations against them have been dropped.
Top 4 Blue Buffalo Dry Dog Food Reviews
Blue Buffalo has a lot of foods to choose from, so it can be difficult to decide which one is best for your dog. To help you learn what to keep an eye out for, here are 4 of the most popular Blue Buffalo food products along with the benefits and concerns of each one.
1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Dry Food for Puppy, Senior and Adult Dogs
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Puppy Dry Dog Food, Chicken and Brown Rice
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Senior Dry Dog Food, Chicken and Brown Rice
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Adult Dry Dog Food, Chicken and Brown Rice
This popular dog food is made specifically for smaller dog breeds that are fairly active. This is not a grain-free option, so this specific food is not suitable for dogs that have grain allergies.
The first ingredients listed on this food are deboned chicken and chicken meal, both of which are quality protein items. This brand works hard to ensure that no by-products of chicken are used in their foods. However, many dogs often have reactions to foods with chicken in them, so if that is the case, then this is not the right option for your pet.
Since the carbohydrate levels for this formula are fairly high, it is not recommended for dogs that are inactive or overweight since it may cause them to gain additional weight.
As a “Life Protection” dog food, this food uses antioxidant ingredients, which makes it a good choice for dogs that are prone to serious conditions such as cancer or heart disease.
2. Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Adult Dogs
Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Natural Adult Dry Dog Food
This food brand is a good option for medium and large dogs that are typically active. Due to the fact that all carbohydrates in this formula come from peas and potatoes, this is a suitable choice for dogs with potential grain allergies.
However, since the carbohydrate levels are high, this food is not recommended for overweight dogs or dogs that don’t get a lot of exercises.
The protein in this food solely comes from chicken and turkey, so you don’t have to worry about a mixture of lots of proteins such as beef and fish upsetting your dog’s stomach. Similar to other Blue Buffalo foods, the proteins in this food are made with real meats and not any by-products.
3. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe for Adult Dogs
Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Natural Adult Dry Dog Food Plus Wholesome Grains
This choice is for active dogs that prefer a protein that is primarily salmon. It is an entirely grain-free option, but there is some chicken in the ingredients, so this is not a good option for dogs with a chicken allergy.
This product also contains peas as one of the key ingredients. Peas are rich natural fibers and are a great source of carbohydrates.
Long-coated dogs will benefit from this food because it has a high omega-3 content. This also helps to soothe dogs with itchy and irritated skin.
4. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited-Ingredient Turkey & Potato for Adult Dogs
Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach Care, Grain Free Natural Adult Dry Dog Food, Turkey & Potato
Since this is a limited ingredient option, it is designed for dogs that have lots of allergies or are sensitive to certain foods. The only protein source is turkey, so customers do not need to worry about chicken, wheat, corn, soy, dairy, or eggs in this food.
The carbohydrates included in this recipe are ones that are easily digestible, such as peas and potatoes. However, there is also brown rice and oatmeal in it as well, so it is not a completely grain-free option.
This food still includes fruits and vegetables, which will give your dog a dose of antioxidants to keep their immune system healthy.
Average Price of Blue Buffalo
The price for Blue Buffalo food ranges based on which options and sizes you select. Most of the types of Blue Buffalo food are sold in two or three different sizes.
There are five different types of dry foods: Basics, Wilderness, Freedom, Life Protection, and Natural Veterinary Diet. Different types and flavors come in different sizes, ranging anywhere from 3 pounds to 30 pounds.
The smallest bags available are generally an average of $15 while the largest bag sizes are typically an average of $45 to $50. These are just general prices based on popular stores that sell Blue Buffalo. The prices may vary for other stores.
Blue Buffalo also has a selection of wet food to choose from. There are four distinguished types of wet dog foods: Dinners, Stews, Family Favorites, and Single-Serve.
Each container of wet dog food comes to an average of about $2. However, many retailers will sell them in larger quantities, such as a case of 12, which would come out to about $23. Again, these prices can vary between different retailers.
How Long Does It Last?
The amount of time that a bag of blue buffalo will last for all depends on the size of your dog and how much you feed them each day.
Each Blue Buffalo dry food bag has a food chart to help customers decide how much food to give their dog.
For example, we will look at the Life Protection Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe to see how long it would last for different sized dogs. For these measurements, use a standard 8-ounce measuring cup.
15 Pounds and Under
This serving size is ½ to 1 ¼ cups daily. With the largest size, which is a 30-pound bag, a dog in this weight range would finish the bag between 1 ½ and 4 months. Therefore, if you were to buy a smaller bag, such as a 6-pound bag, it would last between 10 to 24 days.
16 to 25 Pounds
1 ¼ to 1 ¾ cups per day is recommended for this size group. The 30-pound bag should last anywhere between 1 ¼ and 1 ½ months. For a 6-pound bag, it should last between 7 and 10 days.
26 to 40 Pounds
For this size group, 1 ¾ to 2 ½ cups is ideal each day. It should take them between ¾ and 1 ¼ months to finish the 30-pound bag. The 6-pound bag will take between 5 and 7 days to complete.
41 to 60 Pounds
This serving size is 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups per day. The 30-pound bag will take between 17 and 24 days to complete. To complete a 6-pound bag, it will take 3 to 5 days.
61 to 80 Pounds
3 ½ to 4 ¼ cups daily is suitable for this group. It should take between 13 and 17 days for the dog to eat a 30-pound bag. Buying a 6-pound bag would hardly be worth it as it would only last 2 to 3 days.
81 to 100 Pounds
Each day, you can give these dogs 4 ¼ to 5 cups. A 30-pound bag will only last 12 to 13 days. This means that a 6-pound bag would likely last 2 days or less.
Over 100 Pounds
Finally, this group needs at least 5 cups a day. For each additional 20 pounds, you can give them an additional half cup. 12 days is the longest amount of time that a 30-pound bag would last for a dog in this weight category.
These are just general estimates for this specific flavor and type of food, so this could be slightly different with other food choices. Also, each dog’s breed, age, and how much they exercise can be important factors in how long it takes them to go through a bag of Blue Buffalo food.
If you choose to feed your dog wet food, then once opened, a can of wet food will last up to three days. It should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. A general recommendation is to serve ¾ of a can for every 10 pounds your dog has, so the larger the dog, the quicker they will go through wet food.
Blue Buffalo Dog Food Ratings
These categories are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Ingredients: 4.8
Blue Buffalo products contain real, healthy products that customers can recognize simply by looking at the label. They work hard to ensure that real meat ingredients are used instead of by-products. There are some ingredients, such as pea protein and tomato pomace that could be considered controversial ingredients, but other than that, Blue Buffalo works hard to make sure their clients are getting quality ingredients in their dog food.
Quality: 4
The overall quality of the dog food is fairly good considering the ingredients and variety of choices. However, this brand of dog food has had significantly more recalls and issues than some of the other quality dog food brands. Therefore, even though the food overall is good quality, there is the risk of potential recalls in the future.
Price: 4.7
This brand is neither the most expensive nor cheapest option by any means, but it does provide you with a good amount of food for what you pay. The food comes in multiple different sizes, so if customers do not want to spend money on a large bag at the moment, then they have the option of purchasing a smaller bag. The smaller the dog, the more affordable this food is though because a large dog could get through even a 30-pound bag fairly quickly.
Protein Content: 4.5
Blue Buffalo food products generally have between 20-30% protein, which is a fairly high percentage for dry dog food. All the meat included is real meat, meaning that there are no meat by-products included. Compared to other brands, this brand is not the highest in meat content, but the meat that they do provide is a good quality.
Variety: 5
Blue Buffalo has a wide variety of foods for dogs of all different ages and sizes. They also have a large selection of flavors, so that even picky dogs should be able to find something. Customers also get the option to choose between dry or wet food, so Blue Buffalo offers something for all dogs. Even dogs with allergies to specific ingredients should be able to find something.
Average Rating: 4.6
That being said, Blue Buffalo has still been doing what they can to keep their brand healthy and easily accessible for customers. They have a type of food for dogs of all sizes and ages along with dogs with all different types of allergies and sensitivities. Therefore, even though this brand has suffered in the past, they are still a good dog food option.
