Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipes (Canned)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★☆

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipes Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-tier rating of 4 stars.

The Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe product line lists ten canned dog foods, nine claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance and one for growth (Puppy Chicken).

  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Beef Dinner
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Lamb Dinner
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Chicken Dinner
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Toy Breed Chicken
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Small Breed Chicken
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Large Breed Chicken
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Puppy Chicken Dinner
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Fish and Sweet Potato
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf Dinner
  • Blue Buffalo Homestyle Small Breed Lamb Dinner

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Beef Dinner Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Blue Buffalo Homestlye Recipe Beef Dinner

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 39% | Fat = 27% | Carbs = 26%

Ingredients: Beef, beef broth, beef liver, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, whole ground brown rice, whole ground barley, oatmeal, guar gum, salt, dicalcium phosphate, flaxseed, blueberries, cranberries, potassium chloride, carrageenan, cassia, vitamin A supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin (vitamin B3), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, biotin, zinc amino acid complex (source of chelated zinc), iron amino acid complex (source of chelated iron), copper amino acid complex (source of chelated copper), manganese amino acid complex (source of chelated manganese), sodium selenite, calcium iodate, choline chloride

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.9%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis9%6%NA
Dry Matter Basis39%27%26%
Calorie Weighted Basis30%51%20%

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1

Like most meats, beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life. A quality meat ingredient.

The second ingredient is beef broth. Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.

The third ingredient is beef liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The next item lists carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The fifth ingredient mentions peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The sixth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.

The seventh ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The eighth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index, barley can help support more stable blood sugar levels.

The ninth item is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and is also (unlike many other grains) gluten-free.

The tenth item is guar gum, a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With one notable exception…

This dog food also contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe looks to be an above-average canned dog food.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 39%, a fat level of 27% and estimated carbohydrates of about 26%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 41% and a mean fat level of 26%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 25% for the overall product line.

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, this looks like the profile of a canned product containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe is a meat-based canned dog food using a moderate amount of various named species as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Those looking for a dry version of the same product line may wish to visit our review of Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe canned dog food.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

11/27/2009 Original review
02/15/2012 Updated (discontinued 2 recipes, added 3 new ones)
02/15/2012 Last Update

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Karen… That’s because we mathematically remove 100% of the water from every product reviewed on this website. Please be sure to click on the link in each article that describes dry matter basis.

    Hope this helps.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Karen-V-Stefanini/1645476518 Karen V. Stefanini

    Blue Buffalo Chicken Dinner has 8.5 protein and 1.3 fiber – above it states it is much higher in these canned food dinners for dogs.  Why the difference?  Why is it so low usually in canned for fiber and protein? I am confused and concerned.

  • Mike P

    Erin , I use 1/3 can as a topper with 2 1/2 cups kibble for my dogs dinner . I split the other 2 /3 rds in seperate small containers for her next 2 dinners . I use what ever cans of 4 or 5 star wet that I get coupons from the company . I have over 30 cans of food , all from coupons . I’ve spent about 20 bucks to get the 30 cans . She loves the variety of the diff toppers .

  • erin c.

    Tracey

    see previous entry about can dog food & containers

    I pay $1.99 right now for the BB pate. I don’t feel it is cheap. I’m sure it will go up soon. I try to buy stews when there is a sale.

    I did see something somewhere about how long pet food should be stored in the frig. They recommended taking the food out of the can before storing it.

    I don’t think 4 days is too long to store the can dog food, but take it out of the can to store.

  • erin c.

    Megan

    I have read that you should NOT leave the dog food in the can. I transfer can dog food and can cat food into Ziploc very small round plastic see-thru containers with lids.

    I feed the dog food over 3 days. I divide it between the first serving on a plate and the subsequent 2 more servings in 2 separate containers. That way I just pull one out, invert into a bowl, micro for about 16 seconds–just to take the chill off, stir and scoop onto a plate.

    I mark each container with a 1×2″ sticky. It works very well because I serve it first thing in the morning and don’t have to be totally awake to get it done. :)

  • erin c.

    Our dog is rejecting her can food now. It’s difficult to choose a can food that isn’t too expensive. I am trying to keep it at $2 a can. I feed her 1/3 of a can of Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner every morning. She won’t eat it mixed with dry (we did that for a while until she would go hungry rather than eat it).

    She really likes stews better than pate, but they are more expensive. I have tried different cans of similar quality/priced foods. Now I stick an EVO treat into the top of her can food to get her started–she eats the treat, tastes the can food and then finishes the can food. I hope she continues to eat it until she gets thru all these cans–2 left.

    She was ok with the Turkey Meatloaf for a while–alternated with the Chicken Dinner. I try to buy stews when they are on sale.

    I have been keeping a journal of what she eats and what she walks away from.

    I don’t know what’s next. I think I spend more time scoping out dog foods in the store and online than I do ALL other grocery shopping.

  • Meagan

    To keep it fresh and it seems to always work just right. The cans I buy are either 12.5 or 13 oz. My suggestion is to buy the smallest cans hopefully that will help.

  • Meagan

    Tracey- I have a 25 pound dog and a 60 pound dog. I give my littller one one tablespoon and my big boy gets two in a half tablespoons only on the pm feeding. My cans last four days many ppl do not go over as the food will go bad. I use a plastic lid

  • Tracey

    Meagan – how much do you usually use as a topper for your pup? Also, does anyone know how long an opened can of food lasts? I’m sure this question has been asked before – I just can’t seem to find it. I see that the stores sell those plastic “can toppers”. I thought that it might be safer to transfer the food to another container if saving? I am only using about a teaspoon as a topper mixed in w/ my puppies kibble – and at that rate a can can last a long time. But does it stay good for that long refrigerated? Or only good for a couple of days?? Thanks!

  • Meagan

    Sale going on at Petsmart. Homestyle recipe is $1.89 a can marked down from $2.09.

  • Meagan

    Actually BB is expensive and they will be getting switched to Diamond Naturals, but thats how things go. They will still get a good food and yummy “topper”.

  • Meagan

    I have been “topping” this on my pups dry food (BB lamb and rice) for the last two evenings. I am only giving it to them on their p.m. feeding, so they still eat their dry and don’t become picky. They LOVE it. I have fed them wet food before, but was worried they’d gain weight. Well that was before I found this site and duh if I measure correctly and see what works to their body condition then obviously they won’t. I feel much better about them getting food closer to what they’d have if wild. Even though I know I could do better. This is what I can afford.

  • sharon

    Really help info here. If you could, please rate the lamb dinner, chicken dinner, fish and sweet potato dinner.. looking for the lower fat and carb value, and average or above average protein. thank you much