Life’s Abundance vs Blue Buffalo Dog Food: Our 2024 In-Depth Comparison
By Ashley Bates
Updated on
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It seems popular dog food brands grow by the day. Pet owners are constantly wondering what the best nutrition really is for their dog.
Blue Buffalo and Life’s Abundance have a lot in common. They have similar recipe lines and premium ingredients. However, we compared them side by side, and we have a favorite. Read below to find out what you can expect from each company and decide which one of them is your pick.
A Sneak Peek at the Winner: Blue Buffalo
When we have the opportunity to analyze two popular dog food brands, we want to make sure we give our readers the best information possible. Now, we will look at Life’s Abundance and Blue Buffalo—two notably reputable companies.
We’ve found tons of things we liked about each one, but we have to say, nothing compares to the ingredient selection and product lines of Blue Buffalo.
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Our Favorite | Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula |
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Check Price | |
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Wolf Creek Stew |
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Check Price | ||
Blue Buffalo Baby Blue Healthy Growth |
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Check Price |
About Life’s Abundance
Life’s Abundance is an exciting company. They make incredibly nutritious dog food and have just as much of a hand in human and feline wellbeing. They aim to create the best toxin-free products to reduce the impact of negative factors on our environment.
About Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo was created from a place of love. Owners had a dog named—you guessed it—Blue, an airedale terrier. When the family fell on hard times trying to manage Blue’s sudden health decline, they turned to their kitchen to make specialized meals.
Blue Buffalo has developed a series of delicious dry kibble meals, wet canned food, and delicious treats. Using their signature antioxidant-rich LifeSource bits, they infuse their recipes with plentiful nutrients.
Blue Buffalo is considered a premium dog food that customers rely on to nourish their pets. It is a trusted company that’s earned a solid rapport with other businesses, shelters, and individuals.
The 3 Most Popular Life’s Abundance Dog Food Recipes
Here we’re going to take a look at both companies’ three best recipes. This gives you a little idea about each brand’s variety and ingredient selection.
1. Life’s Abundance Lamb Meal and Brown Rice
Main Ingredients: | Lamb meal, egg product, ground brown rice, oat groats, pearled barley, sunflower oil, whitefish meal |
Calories: | 427 per cup/ 3,709 per bag |
Protein: | 26.0% |
Fat: | 16.0% |
Fiber: | 5.0% |
Moisture: | 10.0% |
Life Abundance Lamb Meal and Brown Rice is an outstanding dry dog food recipe. The lamb is a novel protein in most cases, meaning it’s less likely to trigger allergies than other protein sources. It is considered one of the most nutrient-dense dark meats.
This recipe contains live species-specific probiotics with a specialized proprietary prebiotic and fiber blend. This combination of ingredients promotes optimal digestion and creates a healthy gut so your pet can stay regular.
It also has immune support to keep your dog their healthiest and foster excellent vitality. Thanks to the eggs, Life Abundance will work to nourish the skin and coat. This extra protein kick also has fatty acids to nourish your dog from the inside out.
- Lamb is #1 protein source
- Filled with species-specific probiotics
- Focuses on immune and digestion support
- All life stages isn’t for every dog, despite the title
2. Life’s Abundance Canned Pork and Venison Gluten-Free
Main Ingredients: | Pork, venison, dried peas, lentils, natural flavor, flaxseed, dicalcious phosphate |
Calories: | 179 per can/ 1,148 per package |
Protein: | 10.0% |
Fat: | 5.0% |
Fiber: | 1.5% |
Moisture: | 78.0% |
Life’s Abundance Canned Pork and Venison dog food is a terrific recipe for meals or topper foods. It has a medley of healthy ingredients to boost your pup’s appetite, appealing to the pickiest eaters.
This recipe contains pork and venison as two primary proteins. Luckily, each of these proteins is novel for most dogs, meaning they’re unlikely to trigger allergies. It is rich in protein and moisture, making it easily digestible and highly nutritionally beneficial.
Rather than using potentially harmful grains, this recipe contains legumes like lentils to add carbohydrates to the dish. In a single serving, there are 179 calories.
This recipe is so nutrient-dense that it’s suitable for pregnant and nursing mothers. We think this is a real hit and versatile for many dietary needs.
- Grain-free recipe for gluten sensitivity
- Pork is a novel protein in most cases
- Moisture and nutrient-dense recipe
- Might get expensive as a standalone diet
3. Life’s Abundance All Life Stages
Main Ingredients: | Chicken meal, ground brown rice, oat groats, chicken fat, egg product, dried tomato pomace, pearled barley |
Calories: | 458 per cup/ 3,706 per bag |
Protein: | 26.0% |
Fat: | 16.0% |
Fiber: | 5.0% |
Moisture: | 10.0% |
Life’s Abundance All Life Stages is an ideal food choice for any pup. You can count on this recipe to cater to the health of each stage of life, providing nutrient-rich ingredients and wholesome nutrition.
This recipe contains over 10,000,000 CFU live probiotics, making it entirely nourishing for the gut. Instead of potentially irritating grains, it includes easy-to-digest options like brown rice and oat groats.
The calorie content in this recipe is pretty high, and we recommend this particular recipe for high-energy puppies and dogs. It has a moderate protein level, starting with chicken meal as the first ingredient.
- Great for high-energy dogs
- Live probiotics and easy-to-digest grains
- All life stages
- Not specifically for puppies
The 3 Most Popular Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recipes
1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula
Main Ingredients: | Deboned lamb, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oatmeal |
Calories: | 377 per cup |
Protein: | 24.0% |
Fat: | 14.0% |
Fiber: | 5.0% |
Moisture: | 10.0% |
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is the way to go if you’re in the market for an everyday adult maintenance diet. It’s formulated with LifeSource Bits, which are antioxidant-packed soft morsels that add flavor and nutrients to the recipe.
Using lamb instead of other common proteins can be a terrific option for dogs with allergies. However, according to the guaranteed analysis, overall protein content is pretty low, coming in at 24.0%.
Rather than using grains, this recipe has easily digestible ingredients like brown rice, oatmeal, and barley. It’s soothing to the stomach, helping the digestive tract function properly. There are never any irritating ingredients like artificial flavors and fillers.
We are pretty impressed with this recipe, and we have to say our canine testers agree—it’s yummy and healthy.
- Signature LifeSource bits
- No harsh grains
- Whole lamb is #1 ingredient
- Lower protein
2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Wolf Creek Stew
Main Ingredients: | Beef, beef broth, water, chicken liver, chicken, dried egg product, peas, potatoes |
Calories: | 325 per can |
Protein: | 8.5% |
Fat: | 3.0% |
Fiber: | 1.5% |
Moisture: | 82.0% |
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Wolf Creek Stew is a delicious recipe that your pup can’t resist. It is flavorful and aromatic—but most importantly, healthy. It works fantastically as an addition to dry kibble, or you can feed this food as a standalone diet.
This chunky stew is delightful in the bowl, providing a delicious gravy your dog will lap up in no time. The wholesome beef broth has tons of moisture to keep your pet hydrated.
This recipe is grain-free, but even puppies sensitive to gluten can enjoy it without issue. If your dog isn’t gluten intolerant, this can make a suitable topper for a grain-inclusive kibble.
Because of the high protein content and rich vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables, Wolf Creek Stew is an extremely well-rounded recipe that can keep any canine healthy. However, it’s pretty pricy.
- High moisture content
- Grain-free for gluten sensitivity
- Great topper for dry kibble
- Expensive for primary diet
3. Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE
Main Ingredients: | Deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, menhaden fish meal |
Calories: | 398 per cup |
Protein: | 27.0% |
Fat: | 16.0% |
Fiber: | 5.0% |
Moisture: | 10.0% |
Blue Buffalo Baby BLUE is a recipe specifically formulated for puppies under a year of age. It has just the right nutrients to support your little one’s growing muscles and developing brain.
This is Blue’s version of their standard Life Protection Formula, but it’s only for puppies. The kibble uses fatty acids that are found in mother’s milk to help promote healthy skin, muscles, coat, and overall health, and the recipe’s DHA feeds the brain so your pup can be mentally sharp.
We enjoyed so much about this recipe and think it’s a great choice for a start in life. However, your pup might develop sensitivities or allergies that prevent them from eating standard recipes like this.
- Excellent for everyday pup nutrition
- Contains fatty acids found in mothers milk
- Contains DHA and other vital ingredients
- Puppy might develop allergies
Recall History of Life’s Abundance and Blue Buffalo
Recall history is really important when you’re looking at dog food. It shows how often a company fails to produce quality food as well as the steps they take to resolve their issues. Blue Buffalo has received quite a few recalls over the past several years. We searched extensively and could find nothing to show that life’s Abundance has ever had a recall in the past.
Life’s Abundance & Blue Buffalo Comparison
We will closely examine the recipes, the type of ingredients they offer, how they compare, and how they are similar.
Recipe Comparison—Blue Buffalo
Life’s Abundance Lamb Meal and Brown Rice | Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Lamb and Brown Rice | |
Main Ingredients: | Lamb meal, egg product, grown brown rice, oat groats, pearled barley, sunflower oil, whitefish meal | Deboned lamb, fish meal, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, pea starch, peas, chicken fat |
Calories: | 427 | 381 |
Protein: | 26.0% | 22.0% |
Fat: | 16.0% | 14.% |
Fiber: | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Moisture: | 10.0% | 10.0% |
As you can see, both of these companies have similar recipes. You can see that both recipes contain the same title—Lamb and brown rice.
If you take a look at the main ingredients on the back of the bags, you will see that both companies use lamb as their number one ingredient. However, Blue Buffalo uses deboned lamb as the first ingredient, whereas Life’s Abundance uses lamb meal. While it might seem like deboned lamb is the best choice, some argue that land meal is a more concentrated protein and, therefore, more nutritious.
The next ingredient in the recipes is egg product for Life’s Abundance and fish meal for Blue Buffalo. Both of these ingredients are incredibly high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Next, you can see a series of easily digestible grains listed for both recipes. We want to point out that Blue Buffalo does contain peas which have become a controversial ingredient in dog food. However, because it is grain inclusive, peas add an extra carbohydrate and dose of protein to the formula.
Life’s Abundance contains 427 calories per cup. Blue Buffalo is slightly under that, measuring 381 calories per cup. Both of these calorie contents are suitable. However, because the life’s abundance brand is for all life stages, you will notice an increase in the calorie content to make it ideal for seniors, puppies, and nursing mothers.
Both companies have matching fiber and moisture content. That means in both of the bags, you will find exactly the same measurements. That’s not uncommon to see with premium dog foods, and both percentages are more than adequate for a base diet.
Ultimately, we think a wider range of dogs could benefit from Blue Buffalo’s recipe. They have real deboned lamb as the first ingredient, providing a whole protein source. They also have lower calorie and fat content with adequate protein.
Life’s Abundance falls slightly behind, but we think the choice is clear.
Taste
Edge: It’s a Tie!
Both companies succeed when it comes to taste. Our dogs did not seem to have much of a preference; they ate both of them without an issue and seemed to enjoy every moment. Because there was no difference in their reaction between the two recipes, we have to say it’s a tie.
Nutritional Value
Edge: Life’s Abundance
Both companies use a protein source as the number one ingredient in their recipes and provide top-notch nutritional content to promote healthy immune and digestive systems.
However, when you compare the ingredients side by side, you see that Life’s Abundance uses cleaner, more nutrient-dense ingredients than Blue Buffalo.
One concern here might be that Life’s Abundance has a denser calorie count. However, you have to remember that these recipes are designed for all life stages, which completely makes up for that influx of caloric content.
Price
Edge: Blue Buffalo
Of the two companies, Blue Buffalo definitely has the better price. In some cases, it is almost half the cost of Life Abundance.
Even though it is a premium food, Blue Buffalo has different prices. The more traditional standard everyday diets cost less, while the specialized veterinary diets can get expensive.
Selection
Edge: Blue Buffalo
When it comes to selection, we have to hand it to Blue Buffalo. They have a pretty comprehensive line of dog food. They have specialized diets, everyday nutrition, age-specific recipes, and different textures.
Availability
Edge: Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo is a very widely available brand of dog food that you can find nearly anywhere. On the other hand, Life’s Abundance is exclusively available on their website and nowhere else. Because life’s Abundance has more to offer than just dog food, the company does not primarily focus on canines. So when it comes to being accessible, blue wins this category.
Recalls
Edge: Life’s Abundance
As we discussed earlier in the article, recalls are incredibly important to look at when you’re deciding which brand is best. Even though Blue Buffalo has experienced several recalls, they’re always quick to take responsibility and correct the situation.
However, because Life’s Abundance has no known recalls to date. We have to give this to them.
Overall
Edge: Blue Buffalo
We think Blue Buffalo steals the first slot. Here’s a breakdown of why.
- Products are more readily available
- Has a modest calorie count
- Has extensive product lines
- Maintains company integrity
- Offers signature Lifesource Bits
- Works on most budgets
In Conclusion
As a pet owner, you know what’s best for your dog. If you are having any trouble deciding, always check with a veterinary professional for an expert opinion. There might be other factors in play that could influence what your dog needs based on their circumstances.
We think either one of these brands would be excellent for feeding your canine. However, Blue Buffalo beat Life’s Abundance in our comparison categories. It is Blue for the win for us!