[Michael C]

My wife and I have a 13 month old boxer pitbull mix who weighs 65 lbs and about a 10 week old American Bandogge Mastiff. We have been feeding both dogs since we got the first one Blue Buffalo life protection. We haven’t had any problems with the food and the puppy especially seems to like it. I have been on these forums and i have scoured the internet for ratings on dog food, articles on nutrition for large breed puppies, and researched pricing. Throughout all of this i have realized that every dog is different and whay may work for one dog may not work for another. I saw the list that was posted i think on page 7 of the Canine nutrition forum that was a pdf showing 4 and 5 star dog foods with appropriate nutrition for large breed dogs. The woman who posted it said blue buffalo wasnt on there because she called but they did not release the details to her. My questions are: Does anyone know the brand Pinnacle and have any information or ratings to pass off to me? How do most people feel about blue buffalo wildnerness? I will try my best to stay away from any food produced by DIAMOND and mostly try to stay away from food that has been recalled. I have checked that list and saw blue buffalo back in 2011 i believe for too much viatmin D but if there are other brands that offer the same or better health benefits as wildnerness but i dont have to fork out $70 for a 30 lb bag that would be great. Thank you very much for you input

[Michael C]

My wife and I have a 13 month old boxer pitbull mix who weighs 65 lbs and about a 10 week old American Bandogge Mastiff. We have been feeding both dogs since we got the first one Blue Buffalo life protection. We haven’t had any problems with the food and the puppy especially seems to like it. I have been on these forums and i have scoured the internet for ratings on dog food, articles on nutrition for large breed puppies, and researched pricing. Throughout all of this i have realized that every dog is different and whay may work for one dog may not work for another. I saw the list that was posted i think on page 7 of the Canine nutrition forum that was a pdf showing 4 and 5 star dog foods with appropriate nutrition for large breed dogs. The woman who posted it said blue buffalo wasnt on there because she called but they did not release the details to her. My questions are: Does anyone know the brand Pinnacle and have any information or ratings to pass off to me? How do most people feel about blue buffalo wildnerness? I will try my best to stay away from any food produced by DIAMOND and mostly try to stay away from food that has been recalled. I have checked that list and saw blue buffalo back in 2011 i believe for too much viatmin D but if there are other brands that offer the same or better health benefits as wildnerness but i dont have to fork out $70 for a 30 lb bag that would be great. Thank you very much for you input.

[Kristin C]

Hi Julie-I feed my dogs Orijen Adult 2x per week. One of my dogs was overweight on a Blue Buffalo kibble, but since switching her to raw and Orijen she has lost almost 10% of her prior weight. I agree with BC that the amount on the bag is a suggestion. If you can feel your dog’s ribs that’s good so adjust accordingly. Can you provide more activity to lose weight? I found that helped with my dog, but our second pup helps with the activity.

[Melissa G]

Would like food recommendations. We have a 13 year old lab/chow mix and a 3 year old great dane/lab mix. We recently switched from Blue Buffalo to Purina One as the new vet recommended. She did not like Blue Buffalo. I am concerned that the Purina One is a lesser quality food and my babies are not getting the nutrients they need. They both seem to be doing fine on the new food. Only issues we have are the dane/lab mix has a lot of annal gland issues which she has always had regardless of the food we feed her. They both eat dry and wet food in addition I prepare chicken and rice twice a week to give them something different.

[Kristin C]

This is in response to Patricia B and Mom2cavs from Sept 2014, I fed my 4 yr old Blue Buffalo since we got her at 9 weeks and she did great (along with lazy half raw). Our new pup, chihuahua mix in Dec 2013, did better on the Purina Puppy Chow they fed her at the rescue (than the Blue Puppy-and we were fans of Blue!). After watching it come out both ends for a few weeks (a growing puppy!) we switched her to raw along with our older dog, and I will never go back if I can help it. I realize it’s not for everyone. We use Orijen kibble and freeze dried as we need to once or twice per week. I feel awful for feeding my older dog Blue for as long as I did. She has lost weight and her coat shines so much more than when she ate Blue kibble.

[Victoria W]

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[Naturella]

Zach, let’s see… Bruno is 14.5 lbs (could go up to 15 lbs eventually if he isn’t yet, but in late September he was 14.5 lbs). 14-15 lbs is a healthy weight for him. He is a small terrier mix of sorts (could be Jack Russell +/- Miniature Rat Terrier +/- Chihuahua +/- something else for all we know – he was found in the bushes, so we sometimes joke that he is a Bush Terrier, lol).

For kibble – I never go below 4-star foods (so far) and I rotate brands and proteins with every bag now (I used to rotate AND mix brands before). Thank goodness my guy is small, so foods last him a while. But, I supplement with a teaspoon of raw, organic, unrefined, cold-pressed coconut oil every other day or so (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday at breakfast), 2 heaping teaspoons of plain yoghurt/plain kefir Monday and Friday at breakfast, a raw egg once/week (Wednesday at breakfast), a half can of sardines in water once/week (Saturday at breakfast), and a raw meaty bone once/week (Sunday for dinner always – no other food for that meal). Also, for all meals that do not include the above additives (the dinner meals), I add 1-2 teaspoons of THK (alternating between Love, Embark, Force, and Keen, and also BDN), and I add water to make it soupy. Sometimes I would use canned, and still add a tad more water. And also Big Dog Natural (BDN; air-dried) green tripe, so you add that and water to the kibble, let it rehydrate as with THK, and serve.

As far as how much I take away – as per the feeding calculator on this site, and his food bags recommendations, he should have about 1 cup of dry/day, give or take small caloric differences in his brands of food. So, what I do is, I feed 3/4 cups/day of most recipes to account for the additives. On Saturday, when I feed the 1/2 can of sardines I feed 1/4 cup kibble for breakfast instead of the usual 1/4 + 1/8 cup. On Sunday, when I feed the RMB for dinner, I feed no kibble or THK, nothing. Just RMB. On Wednesday, when I feed the raw egg, I feed 1/4 cup kibble. All other meals, even with additives, are 1/4 + 1/8 cup of dry per meal. Of course, I make minor adjustments based on activity, body condition, etc., but that is his norm from which I can adjust.

Dry foods I have tried that he has done well on and could eat the kibble with no problems are: Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy (his first food when we got him, before I knew much about dog food – not a bad food though; Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy, Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension – Original, Allergix Chicken and Turkey, and Lamb and Brown Rice formulas, Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain Free (slightly bigger kibble, but oh well, he managed it just fine), Nutrisca Chicken and Chickpeas, Earthborn Holistic Grain Free (Coastal Catch and Primitive Natural), Victor Grain Free (all formulas) – (LOADS of samples, enough to consider him having eaten it and done well on it as a brand), Nature’s Variety Instinct (on samples he did well, on the actual food, Rabbit recipe – not really, so I stopped feeding it), Now! Fresh Adult (1 lb sample, he did well on it), NutriSource Grain Free all recipes (samples), Annamaet Grain Free (samples), Wysong (various samples), and I have a lot lined up – Back to Basics Red Meat, Canidae Pure Salmon, Dogswell LiveFree Salmon, Wysong Nurture with Quail, Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast. He’s had one-time samples of Stella and Chewy’s and Primal too, loved them. On occasion I would give him a small piece of a fruit/veggie, or a piece of organ/meat as a tiny treat, but those are sporadic enough for me to not account for. Same with edible natural chews – he can chew on and “eat” his antler daily, but sometimes I give half a 6-inch bully stick, 1/3 cow ear, 1 piggy snout (small) or 1 lamb ear, homemade doggie ice-cream treats, and those I don’t account for in his meals.

Hope this helps, I tried to be pretty extensive… LoL

[Naturella]

How cute they are! I would second BCnut’s recommendation on Victor and Earthborn Holistic. My little guy is 14.5 lbs now but even when he was smaller (8-10 months though, not 11 weeks) he was able to handle Dr. Tim’s, Holistic Health Extension, Now! Fresh, and the aforementioned two. He also did very well on Blue Buffalo Wilderness although it is not a very favored brand around here, plus it is quite pricy and you can do much better with good food for less cash.

I also second finding a good puppy or All Life Stages food from some of the brands you got as recommendations. This way both your pups can eat the same great food. 🙂

But do look into diet rotation, it is very good for them too – changing the protein types and the brands.

[Karen J]

I really appreciate the input. I lost Lucky dog last year. I was heart broken, and Trixie is sunshine in a tiny body.

I know vet said pre struvite…I’ve heard stay away from fish too.

What should the PH be?

I’ve heard one person on FaceBook said:” If the crystals are Struvite, then acidifying the food, as well as high protein, low carb, grain-free food helps them from forming. I feed my dogs Taste of the Wild with wet food added as a topper.”

I’m mixing a little kibble and some freeze dried crumbled on top and part of a can of Blue Buffalo which I may return the BB products, then adding Cranberry Comfort and some water to make it all really moist. Either boiled tap or Brita water only. I’ll get the PH strips and trade kibble in for grain free I also heard “low ash” is good for this.

[Karen J]

Trixie a 1 year old Terrier Mix/Chinese Crested 12.8lbs, has some crystals in her urine, no infection no stones. I’m getting not one straight answer from any one on what to feed her.

I’m now using filtered water not tap.
I crumble Stella & Chewy onto her Blue Buffalo kibble but take out the dark bits. Was told I should get “low ash” kibble.
Was told not to give her kibble and wet food?
Was told to give her only freeze-dried raw.
I’m putting Cranberry Comfort powder on her food.
I give her bully sticks as treats and Natural Balance dental chews.
I was told to stay away from all fish products.
The vet wants to put her on some prescription food, I don’t believe that is best for her.
I’m so confused.

Karen

[Karen J]

Trixie is a rescue, she just turned 1 year I’ve had her for 8 months, a terrier mix/chinese crested. Diagnosed with urinary crystals. No infection or stones. But she peed in house twice, there is a dog door and she walks and goes to daycare.

Since diagnosis 2 days ago I’ve switched her to filtered water and add Cranberry Comfort to her food, was told to get low ash food and also raw dried. I put Stella and Chewy on her kibble and she loves it. I give her Natural Balance dental chews. I also remove the dark kibbles from her Blue Buffalo kibble.

Right now she eats Blue Buffalo canned chicken and lamb and small dog kibble. She weights 12.8lbs. I’ve heard this brand and food are really not the best for her condition.

[Naturella]

Karen, it is not bad at all to add wet food to dry – it helps moisten it, which helps with digestion and the constant state of mild dehydration that dry food causes. Just try to switch around both dry and wet food brands until you find a combo that works for them. Also, adding just warm water to kibble and letting it sit for a few minutes should help too.

Some quality and affordable brands with small kibble are Victor, Earthborn Holistic Grain Free, NutriSource (in some areas it is affordable, in others – not so much), Wysong, and my boy did well on Blue Buffalo Wilderness, he managed Dr. Tim’s kibble size (a bit on the medium size), and has done great on the above brands both food-wise and kibble size-wise. Also, Holistic Health Extension he has done well on and with. For wet I use The Honest Kitchen dehydrated and I just add water to it and the kibble, let it sit a bit, then serve.

Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions!

[Akari_32]

Wish my cat had liked the Blue Buffalo, or I would try it! I don’t think he’d like the pine either, though.

PetFlow has their free shipping at $15 going on right now with the code Columbus at check out.

[Karen D]

I have a Shih Tzu and a Lhasa Apso. Both are having very loose bowel problems. I don’t know what else could be causing it but food. They get Blue Buffalo dry food, mixed with a small amount of Little Caesars. Any ideas on a food I can change them to? Thanks

[Akari_32]

They do sell small cans of dog food. I use a 6 oz can in about 3 days for my 12 lb dachshund. Most cans should last 3-4 days covered in the fridge, and I’ve used a can of Pure Balance for 5 days. I figure as long as it smells ok, it should be fine.

I would trade out the Taste of the Wild for Wellness, and not use any Diamond products (TOTW, Blue Buffalo, etc). Wellness is great, and I use it most of the time for my dogs and cat. It’s my go-to brand, for sure.

My dogs definitely love rotational feeding. When my parents used to feed them only dog chow, my rott mix would not eat for days at a time. He doesn’t like to eat the same thing for too long, much less something that might as well be cow feed… You’re on the right track, for sure 🙂

[Tracy L]

For the last 13 years, I have been told by the vet that my poodle had seasonal allergies. She has always licked her paws like crazy and it would drive her and my husband crazy. I have tried several pet foods (such as Science Diet, Nutro, Blue Buffalo, etc.) and 1. she hasn’t liked them, and 2. she still licked. However, recently, I visited a local pet store (not a chain) and the lady recommended Fromm for my picky eater. She also gave me some Stella and Chewy’s Super Beef Patties to help put some weight on my little girl (she stopped eating as much). My poodle seems to like Fromm, but she LOVES the Stella and Chewy’s patty. Also, she has not been licking her paws at all! I sure wish I would have figured out her food allergies sooner. 🙁 I also wish my several vets across the country would have mentioned that there was better pet food available.

Now, I’m torn. She is 13 and I want what is best for her that she likes the most. Which dog food would you recommend for my allergic, picky eater senior poodle? She is in great shape (can walk 3 miles straight with no issue), but she does have a sensitive stomach at times.

Thank you!

[cindy q]

Dori, I have 2 very picky eaters so I have been feeding all different foods trying to find something they will eat. We have tried Blue Buffalo, Merrick, Orijen,Primal, Fresh pet, honest kitchen, Now Fresh, Go! The only ones they seemed to like somewhat were Primal, Now Fresh & Go! They love BDN, they eat it right away and lick their bowls clean they have never done this before. I was always wasting food before throwing away what they didn’t eat. For me don’t you think it would make sense to stick with what they will eat?

[Bobby dog]

Hello:
Pennywise Paws has a new link posted to the Petsmart $5 off certain brands of cat and dog food any size exp date 11/24/14, “Natural: Blue Buffalo, Castor & Pollux ORGANIX & Ultramix, Hill’s Ideal Balance, Innova, Nature’s Recipe, Nutro Natural Choice, Nulo, Nutro Max, Nutro Ultra, Simply Nourish, Wellness, Specialized: Authority, Bil-Jac/Farmer’s Bounty, Eukanuba, Hill’s Science Diet, Pet Botanics, Pro Plan, Royal Canin. One coupon per transaction, so plan accordingly!!”

http://www.pennywisepaws.com/

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m sure others will post, but you most likely won’t see Blue Buffalo listed on the editor’s choice selections. Even though, ingredient wise they rate high on the list they have a few problems. They use lots of co packers, have been reported to allegedly make some animals sick. These are just a few of the reasons I’m aware of. Imho, I’d choose Wellness Small Breed over Blue Buffalo hands down. I feed it in my rotation. They manufacture they’re own food now, or outsource very little of their dry. They claim to use non-GMO ingredients. They don’t contain the lifesource bits…..even though years ago when I fed it for a short time my dogs ate them, I like the fact that Wellness doesn’t have them. Wellness also sends out coupons every month and I like their newsletter. Each of us must do what we think is best for our pets and I just am not comfortable with Blue Buffalo anymore.

[Patricia B]

I would like to nominate, Blue Buffalo Life Protection Small Breed. Was surprised not to see it here considering it’s good reviews on the Stars listings.
Would also like to know which would be a better choice. The above mentioned vs Wellness Complete Health Small Breed or Wellness Core Small Breed.

Thank you.

[Ivan L]

@sue66b
I’m using Blue Buffalo to feed all of them. The Cocker have almost only wet canned food. The other two have dry food topped with wet food.
They like the Blue Buffalo, I just want to rotate the food and try other brands of high quality food.

[samlab]

I am taking back a bag of Purina Sport 28/18! I just started my Lab on this crap. He shows this weekend and he’s now got to two infected ears. Ear goop as I call it is food allergy and so is paw licking. I am going back to the Euk Performance 30/20 today…that’s what I get for listening to others. So I gave Purina a try again and they failed as usual. Every single show Lab I have owned has this problem with their food. Watch the high protein level in big dogs it “burns” them…Also for dogs with sensitive stomach and allergy problems. The Blue Buffalo limited ingredient/grain free Duck and Potato is fantastic! If you have a sensitive eater this is the food. My retired Champion is on this and he takes sweepstakes 12 and older every time he looks superb on this food. Good luck.

[Naturella]

Hey, all!

Please allow me to preface this by saying that this comment is NOT directed to anyone in particular.

I just do not understand why this bugs me so much, but it does… Here it is: I do not seem to grasp why people recommend stuff like “Blue Buffalo Wilderness” or “SomeBrand Grain Free”, when those foods are not BRANDS. They are brand LINES. Blue Buffalo is a brand with grain-free and grain-inclusive dry and wet foods. You can’t just pick your favorite formula and boom, want it to be an Editor’s Choice BRAND. It is usually a part of a BRAND with multiple formulas and even the line you recommend rated well, that doesn’t mean all products did or that the BRAND is worth of being included as an Editor’s Choice brand.

Sorry, just had to get this off my chest, still not directed to anyone personally.

[Illyas H]

Don’t even “Natural” “Grain Free” dog foods contain GMO? I use Blue Buffalo Wilderness (which has a five star rating on this site) but even this food may not be truly healthy. For example, in the ingredients it has Turkey meal, chicken meal, and potatoes -all of which could be gmo. Can someone clarify this for me or am i correct in assuming so? I see no seal such as “USDA” which mean us as consumers simply just has to take the companies “Natural” or synonymous marketing terms as truth?

[aquariangt]

I wouldn’t worry yourself over staying within the brand, that’s a bit of a myth. I switch between brands with every bag, and i don’t even bother to mix them unless i dont have enough left to give a full meal. Depending on how you switched though if your dog isnt used to a rotational diet, you may have switched Acana too fast, as that is a fair amount lower in protein than orijen (which i can’t use either) I do like acana, though alot if their kibble sizes are a bit big for my liking.

I don’t recommend blue buffalo at all-any line of them. sketchy company, if you nose about on the forums you will see a lot more in depth comments about tham

Some dogs dont do well on certain proteins, so that could have been the case with the beef there, though it could have been changing him too quickly if he isn’t used to it.

As far as that range of protein %, I would try out Fromm, especially the 4 star line, they have plenty of flavors to pick from. I also like Earthborn, and the small breed i use a lot in my rotation as I have one that has issues with peas so a lot of grain free blends don’t work for us (though sometimes I just buy her a separate bag and the other 2 can share) but the Earthborn grain free line is a favorite of mine as well, though it’s a bit higher in the protein than what you are looking for. Go! is manufactured by Now Fresh and they have Now Fresh and Summit you could look into. Nature’s Variety prairie is a bit lower and from a solid company, precise is a good company…you will find that in the 20%s for protein, you probably won’t be at 5 stars, but as long as the red ingredients are kept to a minimum, i wouldn’t balk at the food if it’s what you need to do for your dogs stomach

[Audrey C]

I am looking for a moderate to low phosphorous canned food for my 13 year old 45 lb. hound dog. I add Chinese herbs to his food to help strengthen his kidneys and the Blue Buffalo “Blue’s Stew” is the only canned food that “absorbs” the bitter herbs so he enjoys his meal. Can you tell me if either the Blue’s Stew and/or Blue Buffalo “Senior” canned foods have low phosphorous level and appropriate for an aging dog? They don’t list phosphorous level in the nutrition analysis on the cans. Thank you.

[lolo2379]

I have a lab that has had chronic ear infections since we rescued him at 1 year old. We have all our kids on 4health right now. I don’t mind it but it seems they all shed more and his ear infections are coming back more frequently. Has any one else had a similar issue and found relief by switching food? I would like something maybe grain free and holistic that’s made in the US and NOT by Diamond. We’ve done Pro Plan, Blue Buffalo and Halo (which I liked but we had to have it shipped to us) as well. Just struggling with finding a great food that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg since we have 4 large dogs.

T.I.A.
Lori

[sheltielove]

I am a college student looking for a good food on a budget. The dog I recently adopted is on Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Small Bites mixed with a grain free wet food. He doesn’t have any grain allergies so I am interested in switching him over to a good food that is more college student budget friendly!

When reading some reviews, I saw some negative feedback on the brands Diamond and Nutro. I know that Nutro is AAFCO certified, so I was wondering what problem there was with this brand? My parent’s shelties have been on Nutro Max their whole lives and have wonderful coats, etc. I just want to make sure I am the most informed as possible before making a switch!

[Ivan L]

Thank you for all the suggestions.
@LabsRaweson: Are the food you mentioned similar in quality to Blue Buffalo? The difference in price surprise me.

[Ivan L]

Hi
I have been feeding my dog with Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe and he love it. However I’m looking to an alternative canned food to rotate the food and looking for an cheaper alternative.
What dog food do you recommend to try that is similar in quality and consistency to Blue Buffalo?
He is a 10 years old cocker spaniel and doesn’t like food with chunks 🙂

Thank you

[texasniteowl]

Just want to mention, that if they live in the country, it is possible that a local feed store may carry Victor. Also, Taste of the Wild. Now, I’m in Texas, and not every feed store around me carries Victor, but one close to me does. There are feed stores out there that carry more than just Purina. In addition to Victor, mine carries Nutro, Canidae, Blue Buffalo, and Nature’s Variety among others.

The Victor Dog Food web site does have a “Find A Dealer” link and is accurate for my stores.

http://www.victordogfood.com/

Of course, online is good too.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by texasniteowl.

[AL D]

Thanks,
A website that was mentioned:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html
has a lot of new reviews and thought others might be interested.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi AL D –

Questions about Blue Buffalo not being on the Editor’s Choice have been brought up numerous times on this thread – please scan back through and read my previous responses. Thanks. 🙂

[AL D]

Blue Buffalo seem to have higher grades/stars than some of your EC foods. Why is it not an EC?

[Brenda E]

We have a 6 and a half month puppy, believed to be an Irish wolfhound mix, that has been having diarrhea for the past month. It is about once or twice a week and only lasts for a day. We assumed he caught a parasite, but vet tests found nothing. He has been on Blue Buffalo Wilderness puppy since we got him (at 3 and a half months) and I have seen other people complaining about similar things with Blue. Now I am wanting to switch him to another kibble, but don’t know which one. We are strongly considering feeding raw, but until I do all my research I would like to try another kibble. Any suggestions? Also people have suggested trying a probiotic. Could that help? Thanks in advance.

[Kim E]

I have 2 Maltese and am having a very difficult time finding a good quality small kibble. One of my babies has an under bite and definitely needs the smallest kibble available – she won’t even try a larger piece. My second baby is violently allergic to corn – not that I would want corn anyway. He’s less picky but a really tasty kibble would really help both of them. Neither of them care for Blue Buffalo – it’s been awhile and I don’t recall whether they offer a tiny kibble.

Ironically, I can find really small kibble bites in grocery stores – full of corn and other unhealthy ingredients.

Thank you for any suggestions.

[Audrey C]

Thank you for responding. I was hoping to find a tasty low-phosphorous canned food. He’s currently eating (and loving) the Blue Buffalo and I noticed it was one of the editor’s picks for quality dog food especially the Blue’s “Stew” I worry about switching him to the k/d prescription science diet which my vet does stock because I’ve heard others comment that their dogs hair fell out…

[DogFoodie]

I just received a response from Blue Buffalo this afternoon regarding who their co-packers are; this was their response:

Thank you for taking your time to contact BLUE. I appreciate the opportunity to help you. In addition to our own manufacturing facility located in Joplin, MO, we partner with various certified pet food and treat manufacturers in the US. They include CJ’s, Triple T, Simmons, Tuffy’s, American Nutrition, Pro Pet, Hampshire Pet, Healthy Partners, and Mountain Country.

Thank you again for contacting BLUE. Please feel free to contact us back if you have any further questions.

Take Care, Tracy Blue Buffalo Co.

[Kritterlady]

4FootedFoodie, thank you for the update. The person I talked to from corporate told me they have taken over the facilities due to the rapid growth of the product while building their own facilities. This would qualify as a copacker though they are making only food for Blue Buffalo according to their standards. That being said, I feed 80% raw and 20% rotation diet between several of the 5 star brands Blue Wilderness included. It’s easily accessible at Petsmart and petcos in my area and the price is within reach.

[DogFoodie]

Here’s current information dated March, 2014, regarding Blue Buffalo’s co-packers.

Who manufactures Blue Buffalo?

Located in Wilton, Connecticut, the Blue Buffalo Company owns and produces Blue Buffalo dog food. However, they outsource their manufacturing to a number of different food production companies, including CJ Foods, Ainsworth, ProPet, Triple T Foods, Tuffy’s, and ANI/Vita-Line.

Source: http://dogfood.guru/blue-buffalo/

I emailed Blue Buffalo earlier today for an update to this, but they haven’t responded. If they do, I’ll post their reply.

[Erin R]

Her current food protein level is i think 25% so 30%+ seems to be a big leap to me. Maybe that’s not such a good idea? Hmm. The only low fat grain free foods i can find seem to have high protein levels.

I did find Innova Weight Management with 22% Protein and 10% fat, and Blue Buffalo Small Breed Health Weight with 25% Protein and 9% Fat. They both have meats as the first two ingredients but Innova has Whole Grain Barley, Whole Grain Brown Rice, and Whole Grain Oats as the 3-5 ingredients. And Blue has Whole Ground Barley, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Oatmeal, and Rice Bran as the 3-6 ingredients.

Blue seems to have more grain, but it’s ground if that makes a difference? I just don’t know. I guess i’ll discuss it with the vet and see what they say.

[Kritterlady]

Blue Buffalo has not used co-packers for a long time. They lease facilities all over the country and are building a huge facility in Joplin Missouri to aid the town after the devastating tornados. It’s an easy target because its a fast growing company, but I haven’t had problems getting answers from them.

[DogFoodie]

Blue Buffalo is questionable at best. Too many co-packers, too many quality control issues and far too little transparency from the manufacturer. I’d never feed my dogs a Blue Buffalo product.

[Ly]

I changed my 7 month old yorkie’s diet from Blue Buffalo Freedom to Orijen last weekend. He got Diarrhea. He was on it from Sat-Thursday. I called my vet Thursday and they said to give him chicken and rice, then go back to BB and transition again. He’s been on chicken and rice since Thursday night. Now his poops are orange liquid. Should I fast him or maybe I’m just giving him too much food?

[Kritterlady]

Blue buffalo is still owned by the Bishop family. It has not been sold off though rumors abound and I’m sure offers have been made. Checked it out on business sites. I still have it in rotation and keep tabs on the company.

[Naturella]

Holly C,

Thanks for the advice! I would also feed TOTW even to my dog, and yes, I am aware some have an issue with it being made by Diamond, but I would at least try it. My Bruno did fantastic on Blue Buffalo Wilderness and I personally know of 3 other dogs that have also done great on it. But yeah, I doubt the lady would buy that.

As far as Rachael Ray, I haven’t tried it, but I think it also depends on the dog how it would react to it. Earthborn is my go-to food as I can get it for cheap, but I can also get TOTW and even Victor for not much at all.

As for the lady, I already ordered her some food – Dogswell LiveFree (Grain Free) in 3 different flavors – Salmon, Chicken, and Lamb (4 lbs each) and one Wysong Nurture with Quail (5 lbs) – the LiveFree was on sale for $4 each, and the Wysong for $5, so it was legit a steal – 17 lbs for $18 (even with the shipping – I got a $5 discount too). And I have bought bigger bags (14-15 lbs) of food for my small guy (13.5 lbs) with no problems, but I will DEFINITELY only use small bags in my rotation for more variety in brands and flavors. But the lady would rather I get her the same 14-15 lb-bags so that she doesn’t have to worry about getting dog food too often, which I understand… But yeah, if I catch good deals, I will get her smaller bags too. 🙂

[Holly C]

Hooray! I’d definitely go with Taste of the Wild (the fish one, probably for her coat). I think Chicken Soup for the Soul dog food is a good choice too. When I have budget issues, I always buy it. It’s the best bang for my buck, but I prefer ToTW when I can buy it. I also like Earthborn Holistic. Wellness and Castor and Pollux are great foods, but really pricey.

Stay away from Blue Buffalo (too much for what it really is, and it always gets my dog sick!), and the Rachel Ray food. I have tried both before, and it made my dog itch like crazy.

If I were you, I’d go for a smaller bag of ToTW. A 15lb bag of TOTW lasts my 55lb dog about 2 weeks (he eats 300 grams a day), so don’t buy big dog food bags. It might spoil and you’ll lose more money than you’d save.

Good job with helping this dog!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Holly C.

[Deby G]

About 2 weeks ago I started to fed my 7lb poodle mix the family style with veggies, etc. I researched and even called the company and was told they import nothing from China and neither do their suppliers. Now there are posts on the internet that the company was sold to a china based company and there are horror stories about the dry food. I rescued Marley this past Feb. and she is about 5-6 years old. My vet practically insisted on Hills WD prescription food. However, Marley had patella/cruciate surgery recently and in discussing her food the Dr. was shocked about using WD RX long term when she has no gastro or other problems. So, I figured he was pushing it because I need to buy it from him and decided to try Blue. Marley loves it but now I am frightened. Anyone out there have any answers for me? I will really appreciate your input. Bunny

[Naturella]

Wow, there are quite a few threads of mostly Shasta220 and I venting about Beneful and the like and Science Diet, lol, so I was not sure where to post, but here it is – I have a success story, y’all!!! (I get Southern-like when excited apparently, lol)

Anywho, I babysit these kids, and the family dog is a shitzu mix, 4 years old, unknown weight, but probably around 15-ish lbs. She is on Kibbles ‘N’ (PUKE)… I mean Bits. Kibbles ‘N’ Bits. She STANK!!! Like, BAD!!!

So I talked to the mom and tossed the idea to her that it may be the food and she was quite open to suggestions on what to feed her! I first warned her to steer clear of Kibbles N Puke, Beneful (Crappyful), Pedigree, Iams, and the like, and she goes “That’s all that we’ve been feeding her!”. And I was like “Well… Don’t anymore, please!”. So I asked where she usually shops for food, and she said Walmart. So I immediately recommended Pure Balance Grain Free and Rachael Ray Zero Grain. Also some other foods like Blue Buffalo Wilderness and some of the ones I’ve fed.

So the lady takes a note, but with a full-time job, 3 kids, a husband, and a household to run, I am sure doggie food is not a top 10 priority, so I look at my stash and see some gifts from a friend, who had given me about a lb or so each of Nutro Max, Simply Nourish, and Whole Earth Farms. So I scoop them up (after keeping a cup of each for Bruno) and pour some of the current Earthborn he is on, and I brought them to the family today, along with a sample pack of THK perfect form, for the puppy’s tummy. I asked for permission to transition the dog (named Snowy) to better food with the ones I have brought. Permission granted. I’m ecstatic! I mixed 1/3 of Nutro Max with 2/3 of Kibbles N Crap (luckily, the last in the bag!) and served her a scoop. Poor pup was picking out the Nutro like crazy! I was so touched for some reason. She has enough Kibbles N Yuck mixed with Nutro to last her the end of the week, maybe more, and once/day, while I’m there, I will be giving her some Perfect Form so that her tummy doesn’t get upset. After that she will be on some Simply Nourish, then Whole Earth Farms will join in, and, finally, Earthborn! 🙂

Also, I told my mom about the good deals I get often, so she said I can get her a big bag of a good food (up to $20) and she would pay me. Oh, will I!? Of course! I am thinking TOTW with alternating Pure Balance Grain Free, Earthborn Holisitic Grain Free, and Rachael Ray Zero Grain (those I can either get for real cheap or with coupons), and if I catch deals on Victor or something from the local pet boutique, I will get her some from there too. I am so excited, so as long as I’m babysitting the kids, I will be able to transition this poor dog to something better. It is so necessary as she has 3 bumps on her smallest ribs and I don’t know what they are… The lady didn’t either, but she said she’ll check them out when she takes her to the vet next. Also, even if I don’t work for her anymore, I have left her a list with foods to use, so I hope she adheres to them. I just can’t wait to see results from the transition – no more stink at least, and hopefully the bumps will just kind of be ok.

But yeah. I’m excited. Success story. Yay! 🙂

P.S. This website was on the top of each page on the list. Hope she looks at it! 🙂

[Naturella]

Liz S, I also think adding canned will do much, much good! When I use canned, I prefer the pate-style ones, and I add a bit of water with the canned and kibble (I mix dry and canned usually), and make it mushy/porridge-like/soupy, and this way I try to counter the dryness of the kibble.

My dog is small too (Jack Russell-mini Rat Terrier mix (we think, as he was found in the bushes), 13.5 lbs), but I never really fed him a small-breed specific food except for his very first one when we adopted him. Foods I have tried that he did good on (and could eat the kibble with no problems) are: Blue Buffalo Wilderness, Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension, Dr. Tim’s (slightly bigger kibble, but oh well, he managed it just fine), Nutrisca, Earthborn Holistic Grain Free, Victor Grain Free (lots of samples), Nature’s Variety Instinct (samples), Now! Fresh (sample), NutriSource Grain Free (samples), Annamaet (samples), Wysong (samples), and I have a lot lined up – Back to Basics, Canidae Pure, Dogswell LiveFree, Wysong, NVI, more Victor Grain Free (which, in my case (heads up to LabsRawesome), told me I could PURCHASE the samples at $0.33/baggie, but wouldn’t send me free ones, AND I had to pay the shipping… But I stocked up at 5 samples/food, lol).

All the kibbles aside from Dr. Tim’s were small enough and just fine to manage. For canned I have fed Wellness Core, Nutro Natural Source and Nutro Ultra, and now I feed The Honest Kitchen (THK) dehydrated with water instead of canned. I also add a raw egg once a week, coconut oil with some lukewarm water every other day, and yoghurt/kefir every other day, as well as a canned sardine and its fish juice from the can once a week too. So you can use some of these for variety and to cut the costs of canned.