Blue Buffalo Puppy Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Introduction

Blue Buffalo was founded in 2003 when Blue, an Airedale belonging to the Bishop family, was diagnosed with cancer. Believing that feeding a nutritious dog food would be essential to his healing, the Bishops interviewed several vets and nutritionists. The result of their research was Blue Buffalo.

Since then, the brand has been focused on creating high-quality dog food using natural ingredients. Their efforts have paid off, too, as they’ve quickly become one of the top natural dog food brands in the world.

Their efforts paid off monetarily, too, as General Mills acquired them for billions of dollars in 2018. The food is still made in the United States, and it’s still focused on quality (although there have been a few bumps in the road along the way). Blue Buffalo is one of the better foods, but it’s not entirely up to the level of some of its competition.

At a Glance: The Best Blue Buffalo Puppy Food Recipes:

Blue Buffalo Puppy Food Reviewed

Who makes Blue Buffalo Puppy and Where is it Produced?

Blue Buffalo Puppy is made by Blue Buffalo, which started as an independent holistic dog food company in 2003. In 2018, however, the brand was acquired by General Mills.

Despite their new ownership, Blue Buffalo retains the same commitment to high-quality foods and natural ingredients. The company is based out of Wilton, Connecticut, and its foods are made in various processing plants across the United States.

Which Types of Dogs is Blue Buffalo Puppy Best Suited For?

Any owner who wants to limit their dog’s exposure to common allergens like wheat, soy, or corn should consider Blue Buffalo, as should owners who don’t want their pups eating low-grade animal by-products.

Which Types of Dogs Might Do Better with a Different Brand?

Blue Buffalo is an entry-level premium dog food. Other brands are better, but they are also more expensive. If you’re committed to giving your dog the best nutrition no matter the cost, try Zignature High Protein Kangaroo Formula.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients

Real meat is always the first ingredient in any Blue Buffalo food. They usually use lean cuts for the primary protein source, but you’ll usually find that meat is padded with meals of various kinds. Also, some recipes have a variety of animal sources, but the primary ingredient is more prominent than the others.

Many of their foods pad their protein levels by using plant-based proteins. These are less beneficial to dogs than animal proteins, as they lack some essential amino acids.

You won’t find corn, wheat, or soy in their foods, and they rely on more complex carbohydrates like peas and tapioca. They should give your dog more nutrition and longer-lasting energy.

The company tries to put as many omega fatty acids in their foods as possible. This usually comes from fish, like fish meal, fish oil, etc. They use flaxseeds frequently for the same purpose.

While they don’t use grains, you’ll often find other common allergens in their foods. The most common culprits are eggs and white potatoes, which can cause digestive problems in some dogs.

Their Foods Contain Proprietary LifeSource Bits

“LifeSource Bits” are the company’s proprietary blend of vitamins and antioxidants in many of their foods. They look like little burned chunks of kibble, but they’re great sources of nutrients.

Better yet, many dogs don’t seem to mind their taste.

The Nutrient Levels in Their Food Vary Wildly from One to Another

Some of their formulas, like their Wilderness line, are packed with protein, fat, and other important nutrients. These foods rival those of just about any other brand.

Many others are significantly lacking in critical areas. As a result, you should always inspect the label before buying one of their products.

Their Safety History Is Spotty at Best

The company is no stranger to controversy. They have an extensive recall history (more on that later), and the FDA has linked their food to a potentially increased risk of heart disease. The evidence is far from conclusive, but it’s worth mentioning.

Also, the company was sued by Purina for false advertising in 2014. In the ensuing court battle, they were forced to admit that, despite claiming they would never use animal by-products, many of their foods were filled with them.

Blue Buffalo swears they’ve changed their tune since, but that one incident is enough to call their integrity into question.

A Quick Look at Blue Buffalo Puppy Food

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Recall History

The biggest recall incident in their history happened in 2007. They were involved, along with over 100 other brands, in what has come to be known as The Great Melamine Recall.

Melamine is a chemical found in plastics that is lethal to dogs. Due to a mix-up at a Chinese processing plant, several brands were tainted with this chemical. Thousands of pets died as a result of eating melamine-laced food; we don’t know if any died from eating Blue Buffalo, however.

In 2010, they had a recall due to elevated vitamin D levels, and 5 years later, they were forced to recall chew bones because of salmonella contamination.

Their canned foods suffered several recalls in 2016 and 2017. One was because of mold, another was due to bits of aluminum in the food, and the last was because of elevated beef thyroid hormone levels.

Given that the company has only been around since 2003, that’s a lot of recalls in a short time.

Reviews of the 3 Best Blue Buffalo Puppy Food Recipes

When reviewing Blue Buffalo’s puppy kibble lineup, three foods stood out to us:

1. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain-Free Natural Puppy

Wilderness is Blue Buffalo’s high-protein line, and the food certainly fits the bill. At 36%, it’s full of the lean proteins that your little dog needs to grow up strong and healthy.

A lot of that protein comes from peas, which isn’t ideal. There’s still quite a bit of meat (including chicken, fish meal, and chicken meal), but we’d prefer it if they’d excluded the plant proteins entirely.

You’ll find quite a bit of omega fatty acids in it, too. Omegas are essential for healthy brain and eye development, so you want your dog to get as many of them as possible.

This formula uses eggs and white potatoes, which can cause digestive issues in some dogs. If you feed it to yours, keep an eye on their poop for a few days to make sure they’re handling it properly.

Overall, the high amount of protein in this kibble earns it a strong recommendation from us. That doesn’t mean we don’t want them to make a few tweaks to the recipe.

Calorie Breakdown:

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2. Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain-Free Natural Puppy

This food excludes gluten in addition to corn, wheat, and soy, so dogs with touchy stomachs should love it. For some reason, they filled it with potatoes and eggs, which can be problematic for some dogs.

The protein and fat levels are at the higher end of the average, though we’d like to see more of both in a puppy formula. It has omega-fatty acids, thanks to foods like fish oil and flaxseed.

The salt content is very high, and we’d love to see them dial that down a bit. They offset it a bit by including quite a few probiotics to calm your dog’s digestive tract. While many dogs with sensitive tummies will thrive on this food, others may find it gives them gas.

Calorie Breakdown:

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3. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Natural Puppy

This recipe is made with only a few ingredients to reduce the risk of triggering a sensitivity. Again, they insist on including potatoes. We don’t know why they’re so committed to potatoes (they’re cheap), but we wish they’d swap them out for something else. If we were in charge, we’d also cut the salt content way down.

The good news is that there’s plenty of oatmeal and rice, which are excellent for soothing upset stomachs. There’s a good amount of fiber as well, thanks to the pea fiber, pumpkin, and chicory root inside.

There are superfoods, too, namely cranberries, blueberries, and kelp. All in all, this is an excellent food and one that should give your dog everything necessary to be healthy.

 

Calorie Breakdown:

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What Other Users Are Saying

• HerePup – “No matter the age of your dog, you can never go wrong with the best Blue Buffalo dog foods.”
• Dog Food Guru — “Blue Buffalo is adamant about putting only the finest natural ingredients in their food.”
• Amazon – As pet owners, we always double-check with Amazon reviews from buyers before we buy something. You can read these by clicking here.

Conclusion

Blue Buffalo makes great puppy foods at a price that makes them competitive with other premium foods. They don’t use cheap fillers or animal by-products (supposedly), and real meat is always the first ingredient. Still, other premium puppy kibbles outperform Blue Buffalo in terms of nutrition. Also, the company doesn’t have the best safety record in the world.

Your dog will probably love Blue Buffalo, which has all the nutrients they need to be healthy. There’s a good chance you can find better food if you’re willing to pay a bit more.