[chris]

Great to know! Thanks for the recommendations. I have sent Orijen an email last night asking for samples. I can sure try the rest, why not. Yeah, i’ve given him several cans of dogswell now and he has had zero issues. I never tried Blue Buffalo as I had a family member try it and they didn’t care for it and told me not to bother. Thanks again!

-Bobby Dog, Thanks as well for the recommendations! I was just basically looking for some ones that aren’t commercial store bought such as Pedigree etc. Also that have a decent meat content as my dog is very picky and actually doesn’t seem to like “fish or veggies” that much. He’s definitely a meat kind of dog.

Speaking of Canidae as well. What’s your opinion on them? My local pet store told me he was getting Canidae in and said I should give that a try back when I bought Merrick’s. Though for some reason he told me they were a plant based food and here I read it is a meat based mostly.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by chris.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by chris.

[Naturella]

I see. Like I said in another post, the ones I would wholeheartedly recommend are:

Earthborn Holistic GF
Victor GF
Dr. Tim’s GF & GI
Wysong (Nurture and Epigen are their “best” lines, but they have a lot of other good formulas)
Annamaet GF
Nulo
Farmina GF (even though I have not used it yet)
As well as the Canadian foods Orijen, Acana, NOW! Fresh and GO!

You can even email the above companies or send them a message on social media and ask for samples! I have gotten samples from Victor, Dr. Tim’s, Wysong, Annamaet, and Nulo sent me coupon books. 😉

As for Dogswell, 2 friends have fed it with no issues, and Bruno is currently on the Dogswell LiveFree Salmon one and is doing just fine, and I have fed Nutrisca Chicken & Chickpea (made by Dogswell) in the past and he did just fine on it too. I also fed Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy with no issues but I know other people have had issues with the brand (don’t know which line of food, or all of them). A friend, my roommate, and an aunt have all fed Blue (the aunt still feeds it) with no issues. Questionable companies – sure. But from my experience, and that of others around me, we have personally had no immediate issues with them.

[Brad B]

Same problem here. We have 3 dogs which have been on Kirkland Healthy weight for YEARS. No problems. We thought we would try a more “healthy” food and bought the Blue Buffalo brand, and one of our 3 dogs has the pukes. We came home to 2 throw ups and she puked twice this morning. We transitioned foods for 1 full week. My wife was adamant about it and did a good job. They have been on this for a week now and the problems are starting with our German Short Haired pointer. Very disappointed. Our other 2 lab mixes appear to be fine. Perhaps this food isn’t for everyone.

[chris]

Thanks Pitlove!

Yeah, I have already looked into Orijen before and I just can’t afford that. Merrick was even hard to press but I know it would be better and worth a few more bucks then Blue Buffalo. I wish I could afford it because i’ve been recommended that so many times so I assume it has to be great food and a great company to deal with. However, I see it at least I’m not feeding him junk food or commercial grade food. So I figured Merrick’s was a good choice for him, but doesn’t change the fact also in the future I can always switch if need be.

At my local pet store I seen so many people buy Natures Variety or Natures Balance and they sell out of it pretty fast.

Thanks for the reply and recommendations! 🙂

[chris]

Speaking of dog food I was feeding him blue buffalo grain free as well and literally the beginning of this month I switched him to Merrick’s Grain Free. I did a little research on here and it seems to be better and he definitely seems to like it more. Not sure on anyone else opinion on Merrick’s food. I hope I made a good choice as I was going to buy a small bag of there new back country and mix it in with the current bag I have to give him a little different flavors.

Right after you said about the tripe I immediately did research and seen so many people mentioning the Tripett brand on here. So i’ll definitely be trying that especially with it being very good for there stomachs.

Funny you mention about the skin and coat as since I switched my dog to the Merrick’s his coat seems so much smoother, soft, and bright. Good idea on the coconut oil as I actually take that myself and never thought about giving him a little. Geeze I really can’t think you all enough on here for the help! 🙂

[Naturella]

Chris, you are welcome! Anything I can do to help!

Canned green tripe (or raw green tripe for that matter) is infamous for enticing even the pickiest of eaters, so maybe you can try that. Some brands that carry it are Tripett, Petkind, and Solid Gold Green Cow. It is also rich in natural probiotics/enzymes that may help the tummy.

Hooves are pretty cheap and cool, they last Bruno a while, and I would buy the empty ones and stuff them myself. We use cow hooves. They are usually dried, but are also available raw too, I believe.

Fish skins totally helped Bruno shine, literally – I switched him to Blue Buffalo Wilderness back when he was a puppy (before I knew better, but hey, he did great on it) and gave him a fish skin a couple times a week, and a bully stick a couple times a week, and within a month, his skin was much better, his once bare tummy was filling in with hair, and his coat became shiny (I never knew it wasn’t shiny before until it became shiny, lol). So I love the fish skins and he does too.

Try the tripe also for Kongs. It may work. Also, coconut oil mixed with yoghurt or kefir, and/or some plain canned pumpkin puree may be a nice tummy soother and a delicious treat, and coconut oil is super good for humans and pets alike.

[Pitlove]

Ill also note that aside from the yak chews and deer antlers the only treats in my house for my cat and dog are freeze dried raw treats. very easy to digest, made with only one ingredient and made in the USA. I use PureBites, however there are many out there. Nature’s Variety makes them for example as well and I know Blue Buffalo just came out with some but I would stay away from Blue products.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Heather H]

Actually, none, they both feel his weight and everything was ideal, they think he is overall healthy and his breed makes him predisposed to the disease (which is possible) however my issue is that I now have a second dog that I was feeding blue buffalo (possible coincidence, even though I now know the food is crap), that has come up with the same diagnosis, that is what is weighing so heavy on me. My other companion dog at the time of either was perfectly healthy (as a side note) they both are a great weight, so skin issues, etc. I am literally making myself crazy over this. I do believe grain free is the best way to go as it is can be a histamine producer.

[Heather H]

I have read so many different things, saying grain free is the best, raw is best. Clearly, I want what is best for my dog, and we would like to try and prevent any further recurrence of Mast Cells from developing, but does anyone have any experience with what is going to help, with out breaking the bank? I have had a lab in the past that we did multiple surgeries on and the medications after mast cells, this is a golden doodle, we also have a lab at home, we have switched away from all Blue Buffalo products in fear that there was a link there, with having two dogs get this terrible cancer.
Any advice is welcome.

[Karen K]

I have a 9-year old female shih-tzu with recurring yeast infections in her ears and irritated paws that she continuously licks. She has always eaten chicken mixed with Blue Buffalo Wilderness and am now hearing horrible things about BB and that chicken can worsen allergies. I’m considering starting her on a raw diet, but need advice as to what brands are best and how to go about making the switch. Anyone had success with raw helping yeasty ears?

[Naturella]

I also love feeding a variety of foods to my terrier mix Bruno. Since my husband and I have adopted him in 2013, he’s had, in no particular order of dry foods: Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy, Nutrisca Chicken & Chickpea, Dr. Tim’s Kinesis GF, Holistic Health Extension Original, Blue Allergix, and Lamb & Brown Rice, Earthborn Holisitic Coastal Catch, Primitive Naturals, and Great Plains Feast, Back to Basics Open Range, Wysong Nurture with Quail, Nulo Medal Series Lamb & Lentils, Castor & Pollux Ultramix Duck, Victor Salmon, and samples of Fromm, Victor, NutriSource, TOTW, Wysong, Orijen, Acana, Nature’s Variety Instinct (the Rabbit formula he was supposed to eat but it made him very sick, but other samples he did great with), Hi-Tek, Nature’s Logic, and many other foods I can’t recall ATM. Lined up we have Wellness CORE Ocean and Original, more Earthborn, Canidae Pure SEA, Castor & Pollux Organix GF, and right now he just got on Dogswell LiveFree Salmon.

For toppers we used The Honest Kitchen Embark, Force, Keen, and Love, and Big Dog Naturals Green Tripe (air-dried). I have used various canned foods too, like Weruva, Green Cow by Solid Gold, and Green Tripe from Petkind, and also some more dehydrated/air-dried like Sojo’s. Now I use some small Merrick dog cans and some cat food pouches and cans for some of the toppers along with coconut oil, yoghurt, raw egg, canned sardines, and a RMB for his Sunday dinner. I also almost always add extra water to the food when served with a topper so he eats “soup” most of the time. Sometimes I just give him plain kibble as part of a training routine or from a puzzle toy to stimulate his brain. He likes it just the same!

He gets regular treats (Fromm, Canidae, Yummy Chummies, and Think! Alligator and Crawfish Jerky, and also kibble as treats (a different brand and flavor of the main food he is on at the moment), He also has a few natural chews like cow and lamb ears, beef tracheas, bully sticks, pig snouts, fish skins, antlers, hooves, etc.

Sorry for the rant, lol, but yeah, rotations are awesome, and Bruno loves the daily variety, and I love how he looks and feels (shiny and soft). I used to take 10 days or so to transition from one food to the next at first, then about 7 days, then 3, then 0. Now he switches so quickly because he eats a constant variety of foods and treats.

And LM, I guess you can see the replies of a person, but it will be hard to follow an Editor’s Choice topic reply by reply from individual authors. And some topics are EC exclusive.

[Dori]

Blue Buffalo’s not on the EC list. Where did you see that?

[Charlie D]

This is not about Purina; I would like to know about Blue Buffalo, as it is the ONLY pet food I found in this area that is listed on Editors Choice. I’m sure nothing in this area is particularly good for my dogs, but I’m at a loss. Thanks. ( I am located in the Rio Rancho/Albuquerque area of New Mexico.)

[DogFoodie]

Have you ever tried a limited ingredient food, Karen? I’m not a fan of Blue Buffalo at all and guaranteed, your girl is eating chicken if she’s eating Blue Buffalo products. But, keep in mind, food sensitivities like your girl has can be the result of exposure to problem ingredients far beyond chicken and grains. For example, one of mine can’t have fish (including fish oil), flax, chickpeas, lentil, tomato, garlic, barley or millet. Right now, he’s eating Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Duck. He’s doing well, but has recently developed what appear to be seasonal allergies – which yours could be as well. I’m using some supplements (Quercetin with Bromelain and Papain), but something as simple as a foot rinse each time he comes back in from outside helps eliminate the pollen that he tracks into the house.

How old is your pup and how long has she been having sensitivities? How long has she been eating the food she’s eating currently.

Even if the vet thinks it’s not the food, it’s worth a try and easy enough to change.

[Karen K]

She eats Blue Buffalo Wilderness for small dogs and their cookie treats, and some beef jerky treats, so she is grain-free. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. These ear infections just keep coming back…..the vet puts her on Mometamax ointment, which takes care of it in the short-term, but it comes back within a month of stopping the ointment. Poor thing is constantly itching her ears and licking her feet, which are quite red most of the time. Has anyone ever tried coconut oil on their feet for the irritation? I really wish I could get to the source of the problem. My vet thinks food is not an issue, and I completely disagree with him, but don’t know what else to do.

[Stick b]

I will do whatever I can to help anybody that has problems with blue Buffalo’s products. I just need somebody to contact this website and find out if I can post addresses and phone numbers on this website I’m a consumer advocate and I do whatever I can to help the American public especially dog and cat lovers

[Stick b]

I know the Owen or the company I can help ANYBODY that is having trouble with their products.. We are dog loves also and I know how to get TO THE TOP of any company. I do NOT and WILL not ever feed Blue Buffalo food to our dog EVER PASS

I do now know if I can post the Owner of the company’s CELLS phone number on this web site, if I can, I WILL

[Pitlove]

Hi codexstark- C4C did a great job answering you. I also will give you some input as well. From the research I’ve done UTI’s are mainly caused by the build up of struvite crystals that will block the urethra. I have had a male cat in the past that ended up having a UTI. He ended up on a prescription food, however through my recent research I’ve discovered that a leading cause is a lack of moisture in their diet (i.e all dry food diet). Cats by nature don’t drink enough water. Dr. Pierson, who is the vet who started catinfo.org which C4C mentioned says on her site that she would rather see a cat eating a wet food full of by-products like Friskies than to ever see a cat eating dry food. I personally have never heard anything about litter causing UTI’s, so that is new info to me. Can you give a source for that info? Was it your vet or someone else or something you had read on the internet? I’m very interested for more info on that topic.

My kitten has been doing well with that litter, however she has peed outside the litter box about 4 times now. It hasn’t happened in a few days though. (fingers crossed)
C4C had a good idea about transitioning to different cat litter, however I personally have never done that. I never even thought about it like that. Ive always just put the new litter down and I have yet to have a cat that wont take to the new litter instantly.

I’m using the Dr.Esley’s Precious Cat which is a clay litter with very little dust. Its amazing at clumping all the urine which was not true of the Blue Buffalo walnut litter I had her on before. Dr. Pierson suggests the Dr. Esleys because of the clumping power of it. It’s also unscented which encourages litter box use. Be sure to clean the litter box at least 2 times a day and spot clean if needed.

I should have made my own litter box honestly. I ended up with a large one from my work (petco). its been working fine but I like the idea of the storage tub litter box a little more.

I hope me and C4C have been some help. Keep us updated!

[homzie]

That is a very interesting article. I did contact Blue Buffalo a while back when my dog was sick and they told me that their food has a money back guarantee and I could return it with a receipt, but I had already thrown my receipt out. This really pisses me off about the false claims. I wasted a crap ton of money on that stuff. What a rip off!

[mike m]

Hmm…

Blue Buffalo Admits to Bull****ing Pet Parents; Lawsuit with Nestle-Purina Heats Up

[Lazaro B]

My dog currently eats Natural Balance Fat Dogs because he was slightly overweight. The food has about 7 grams of fat per cup and has about 250 kcal per cup. He has lost weight, but I was wondering if I should switch him to Blue Buffalo weight management. I’ve read several comments about Blue Buffalo that it gave there dogs gas or they won’t buy it anymore because of loose stools. What is your take on blue buffalo weight management for small breeds? My dog is about 23-24 pounds Pom poodle mix. He is neutered and is 6 years old. At what age should I switch him to senior dog food? What is there recall history?

Thanks

[LabsRawesome]

I’ve never fed Blue Buffalo, but my cousin did. Her dog (Pit bull) drank water like their was no tomorrow. She would drink a large bowl in like less than a minute, and when you refilled it, she would drink it again. She switched brands and the excessive drinking stopped. They purposely lie about what’s in their food. And with the crazy amount of drinking my cousin’s dog did, I do not trust their food at all.

[Leslie K]

Mille’s Woflheart!!! My youngest (3 year-old border collie / corgi rescue mix) has ALWAYS had problems. In addition to being generally picky and a selective eater, she has HORRIBLE skin allergies. Without fail she ends up with flare-ups and skin infections several times a year, and I have always wanted a reliable, high-quality kibble, but felt like I had no options I could feel good about.

Most of the allegedly high-end and expensive kibble I’ve researched (including Blue Buffalo!) has kind of questionable meat content, with a lot of protein coming from pea flour or other vegetables. They’ll also tout “all natural” ingredients……. and then contain a laundry list of weird chemical ingredients, vitamin packs, preservatives, and so forth.

Millie’s is by far the best answer I have found to this problem. My collie LOVES it, and the high omega content help her skin and coat look great… even through allergy season! I think it’s worth a try for you and your Spaniel!

[Lacy R]

ok than you for your input, I wont either after this even if its not the problem. I have googled and googled recalls on buffalo blue, but I havent seen anything relating to these treats. I am throwing these treats away as we speak!!!

[Lacy R]

Has anyone had any issues with the buffalo blue chicken soft training treats? I got a 8 week old boston terrier puppy and thought it was the change in food causing his severe diarrhea. I called my breeder and we have actually been using the same food. I know it can be either the water or the treats giving him major diarrhea. He is scheduled to go to the vet on monday, but I was just wondering if anyone else had an issue with these treats?

[Cathy M]

Hello,
I have a 1 yr old retriever/spaniel mix. I have been feeding her Wilderness by Blue Buffalo. She always has slightly loose stools and itchy/dandruff. Also, she is killing my grass, bleached spots all over. I have been considering switching her food due to the recent reviews regarding Blue Buffalo. I am also wondering if her food has anything to do with the skin problem and my grass problem.

Musicmom1212

[Lila S]

Thanks for the recommendation about fish oil, he does tend to be itchy. When he was younger we tried a couple different types of Blue Buffalo puppy formulas and that seemed to make him itchier and he would nibble at his legs, so I haven’t tried Blue Buffalo again.

[Pitlove]

C4C- I just got back from PetSmart with my dog haha. Sometimes Petco doesn’t have everything I need or I can get it for cheaper somewhere else and thats even with my 20% discount at work!

Bdog- It’s awesome lol My cat who just passed away on Christmas Eve of last year was a picky eater and picky about his cat litter as well. He ended up with a UTI (probably from being on dry food) and stupidly (because I didn’t know any better) agreed with the vet to have him on Royal Canin’s Urinary SO Moderate Calorie dry food. He died at 5 years old. Now I don’t know if the food had anything to do with it (we have no idea why he died, seemed healthy, but he was overweight), but around the time we got our new kitten was the time I started looking into better food, mainly for my dog. The place I got my kitten from had her on Blue Buffalo dry, some kitten formula. She has only ever had that dry food and Nature’s Variety and when I started her on NV is when I found out she shouldn’t even be on dry at all. Switched her over to an all wet diet instantly. I got lucky that I found that info early in her life. I’m also lucky that she is a “teacup” as the vet called her and only weighs 5lbs at 7 mo so a 3oz can of wet fills her up. Tested that by giving her a second can one night that she barely touched. I completely understand your story as I lived it with all my other cats. After I lost Hugo this past Christmas I poured all my energy into my dog and vowed to give him a longer life than Hugo had. Hugo was my whole heart and I miss him greatly, but his death prompted a change in me to do better for my animals. So I thank him for that and all the joy he brought me.

oh and ya WEF makes cat food now! We just got their complete and full line in at work. The cans are .99$ at my work, but Petco is expensive. Though I doubt many other places are going to have it. Chewy.com doesn’t even carry it yet. I feed WEF canned in my rotation for my dog as well. Got lucky at the feed store I go to, they are going to stop selling WEF as it wasn’t a good seller for them and I got 22 cans for $1 each!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Ok, so I just replaced my cats litter box and am trying a new cat litter. I had her using Blue Buffalo’s walnut based litter, but it does not clump the urine at all. As per catinfo.org I am trying an open large cat box for her and Dr. Esley’s clay litter.

Here’s my problem and she has never done this before with any other litter. She is playing in it, digging like she is trying to find something, and actually tried eating it!

I’m wondering if she is freaking out about the color contrast? the box is dark blue its the SoPhresh large open box from Petco and the litter is well clay so it’s light colored.

Any thoughts on this new behavior?

[InkedMarie]

Hi Rachel,
Go to the Diet & Health issues forum & post there. On top is a yellow stickie with important info on what large breed puppies need. Hopefully someone will post the list of approved foods.
Blue Buffalo is not a food I’d recommend: do a google search on their recent issues.

[Rachel K]

Hi- I’m new to blogs, forums, and posting things. I just purchased a Great Dane male puppy that will be ready for pick up at 8weeks(5/24/15). Everything i’m reading states i should feed him large breed adult food b/c the puppy food has too much protein and additives. Does anyone use BlueBuffalo? If so, is there a particular kind you like? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Ross D]

Which of the 5 star foods are easier to chew? My small dog is struggling with the blue buffalo, the nuggets are very hard for his small mouth.

[Rachel A]

OK. I have looked them over and this is what jumps out to me in the Wellness line.

Potatoes
Chicory Root
Tomato Pumice
Peas

In the Blue Buffalo, there are so many different possibilities that I have decided to completely disqualify the brand. (alfalfa meal? Isn’t that for horses?)

I have noticed that Wellness has a lamb and oatmeal formula. What say you all to trying this? It will give a completely different protein and it also eliminates potatoes. The only other commonalities would be from the above list with the addition of rice.
Is there anything that I should be aware of about oatmeal or rice? I know that starches can exacerbate the problem, so I am almost at a loss at to what dry dog food I can use. Should I perhaps try the wet version? It does not have the rice. Thanks!

[DogFoodie]

Starting them on the Blue Buffalo (while I would personally never use Blue Buffalo products) actually helped to give you more information. What you need to do is compare the ingredients in all of the foods they’ve eaten and reacted to see what common ingredient they might have. Through trial and error, and many, many different foods, I’ve determined that my dog reacts to all fish (including fish oil), chickpeas, lentils, flax, probably garlic and likely tomato. Keep in mind that what might be a problem for one dog might not be the problem for the other and dogs that have food intolerances frequently have more than one. Randomly choosing a brand’s food labelled ” hypoallergenic,” will do nothing to help your dog if he’s intolerant of the ingredients in it.

I would look for a truly limited ingredient food with a meat protein and a starch that your dogs haven’t eaten before and see how they do on that for a while. Nature’s Variety Instinct LID is one of the foods I’ve found that my dog does very well on. Keep in mind anything you offer them could be a problem; ie: treats and edible chews.

[Rachel A]

Hello, I am new here and would really love some help. I have two small breed dog (a cotton de tulear, and a Shih tzu) The shih tzu has had allergies from day 1, more than 4 years now. Unfortunately, I did not realize there was a problem with her food until a few years had passed. We first though it was an allergy to pesticide, or lawn treatment. From there we have tried pretty much everything before being told to switch her food. They were both originally on Wellness small breed, which always worked great for my coton. (The shihtzu came later and had a constant raw stomach). So I switched to the allergy formula (salmon and potato). That did not work, so 6 months later, I switched to the turkey potato version. When that didn’t work I tried switching brands. (Blue Buffalo allergy formula). Now, not only have I not seen a change for the shih tzu, but my coton is licking her paws constantly and she is suffering from ear infections all of a sudden. I have no idea what to try now,(homemade, raw, another brand) but I certainly wish that I had never started on the BB. I am hoping that someone can shed some light on what might be the allergy causing ingredient that is common in these foods. I am open to any and all suggestions. I can cook for them if I need to. Just if someone can point me in the right direction. My girls are very uncomfortable. 🙁

[homzie]

I am worried about my dog. It seems ever since she was on the Blue Buffalo-she has no appetite at all anymore…even with switching to a different brand of food now. She does not eat like she used to and she is drinking more water. Has me very concerned.

[Faith S]

My roommate and I switched our dogs to Blue Buffalo Freedom, and about a year ago my Maltese got sick. I took him to the vet, and he asked the brand of dog food, so I told him. He immediately told me that he did not like Blue Buffalo as he sees too many dogs that get sick on it.
Yesterday we took my roommate’s dog to the vet, and the dog has an enlarged heart & liver. Her vet asked what brand of dog food, and when told she told her to immediately take her off Blue Buffalo. She pretty much said the same thing my vet did.
I thought Blue Buffalo was supposed to be a good dog food. Anyone out there know what the problem with Blue Buffalo is? I sure would like to hear from anyone that can share some light on this.

[CAROL L]

Can you rate Blue Buffalo? What about Rachel Ray’s brand? I expected to see both of them listed, but they are not. Thanks.

[Eliseo M]

Hello everyone. My English bulldog puppy, Tyson, is now 8.5 Weeks old. We got him on 29 March. They gave us Royal Canin. I read up on Royal Canin and also found this site which led me to purchase Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe for puppies. This is kept in stock on base (I am stationed at USAG Yongsan, South Korea).

Over the last 2 weeks his stool has been more pudding diarrhea than solid. Thankfully it hasn’t been uncontrolled (he almost always poops on a pad). It also isn’t “brown water”. He has had no vomiting. He drinks a normal amount of water. He is still active and playful and is putting on weight.

We played with his amount of food and now he gets more solid stools (still has a pudding diarrhea towards the end of the day). However, we noticed he began tearing a lot, to the point he is getting small stains. He also recently began scratching at his ears.

Today we had his 3rd round of vaccinations. The vet looked at his ears, face and eyes. She also looked at his paw pads (between toes). She said he may have a small allergy to the food.

We bought Royal Cannin Hypoallergenic food at the vet office. There is nothing on base and our options at the time were limited.

How do we best go about figuring out this food allergy?

How long should I feed him the hypoallergenic food?

Also, once I am ready to switch back to a puppy food I was thinking of going with Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food for Puppies. My thinking is this is a 5 star food and is also grain free which he may be having an issue with.

Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance 🙂

[Jeffrey G. P]

Can someone tell me what they think the best dog food is for a Jack? He is 3 yrs old (tomorrow) and started him on Blue Buffalo, but Vet thought it was to rich for his tummy as he always had loose stools. Vet put him on Hills Prescription ID, has been on it a year and stools are much better. Time for a change.. I give him dry and wet together. Any suggestions? Thanks…

[homzie]

I am definately learning a lesson here! I am just so glad that my dog quit eating…honestly! Or she might have had some irreversible damage! I am also reading that there was a recall back in 2010 about very high amounts of Vitamin D in their food.

I am happy to say that Blue Buffalo has responded very quickly after I contacted them. I think they are just thinking that my dog eats whatever she wants and scraps, rawhides, etc…but they will not find that in this case. Our dog eats only grain/wheat free foods and treats and eats healthy….until now! I am curious to see what they will do. I will not be buying their foods ever again and the part that upsets me is the money wasted. The food is NOT cheap…it is double what I was paying.

[aquariangt]

Blue Buffalo is a bit of a slippery slope around here.

I’ll lead off by saying that the reviews are written in such a way that it is as unbiased as possible, following the same formula for every food. Ingredient Panel, Guaranteed Analysis which Dr Mike and team convert to dry matter to equally rate all foods. That’s all.

On paper, several Blue Buffalo formulas look quite nice.

All of that being said, it is up to the consumer to do the research from there. The forums and the review comments section are great to find out what you need to know. Blue Buffalo has been found to not be so honest about their ingredients, and the ingredient panel isn’t always what’s in the bag. Many, many dogs have had issues that they shouldnt, and people try to figure out why. They also don’t care to disclose information like who manufactures their food (its almost never themselves)

I avoid them like the plague. Taste of the Wild is manufactured by Diamond, a company of just as ill repute as Blue. The ratings are just the start of what you need to look for, and neither of those brands-while rated highly-will ever go near my dogs.

[homzie]

Ok…I think I tried that food before-got it at Walmart. My dog just didn’t care for it much. I am not sure why-but she likes food for about the first couple of weeks, then quits eating until she is really really hungry. But I think I may go back to that one. I did print out the list of top foods (wheat/grain free) when I shopped around before and that is how I came up with the Blue Buffalo. There is another brand at Farm & Fleet-can’t remember the name but it is also grain/wheat free and the lady that worked there said they sold it 2nd to Blue Buffalo being #1, but I may try this one to see how she likes it.

[david s]

I am also feeding my dog Blue Buffalo chicken and he has runny stools since.

[Gloria M]

When I inquired to Blue Buffalo when they get their ingredients from they told me their vitamins come from China. That was very scarey to me. I was grateful that they were honest but stopped buying it. My dogs had terrible gas with it and I’m sure their stomachs were upset too! I feed Taste of the Wild salmon now and my dogs are so happy!

[homzie]

Has anybody had any issues with their dog not handling Blue Buffalo Chicken dog food? My dog loved it at first for a few weeks and now she will not eat and is getting sick sometimes. I am at my witts end trying to find her a healthy dog food with No wheat or corn and a food she likes. I cannot get to a pet store for food so I am limited on some brands I can get. Any ideas????

And now I just “googled” it and am finding a ton of people having the same situation with their dog! This makes me sick and upset. Wish I had done more research…it has good reviews on here but there is a ton of people out their complaining to Blue Buffalo about sickness from their food.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by homzie.

[Henry C]

Hi All,

I’ve been giving my dog Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Jerky Treats for a year or so. My dog like this treat a lot but the price seems high for the quantity you get. I paid about $10 a bag for 3.25 oz which doesn’t last long. I’m trying to find an alternative to Blue Buffalo with another reputable brand. Thanks

[Cheryl H]

Hi Crazy4cats. I just read some of the posts you referred me to regarding food rotations and I now have another question. During Winston’s recent illness my vet stated that since he is 7-1/2 years old, he should eat a diet lower in protein. She also recommended “senior” dog foods, specifically Science diet.9 Before he got sick I had already purchased a bag of Fromms 4 Star Grain Free Lamb and Lentils and fed him a small amount to start a transition process away from the Blue Buffalo. Although I’ve read there is controversy over her assertion regarding lowering protein levels for older dogs, I decided to try Wellness Simple rather than Fromm’s because of the lower protein content and because he is still under her care. I am going to mix Wellness Simple canned with Wellness Simple dry. I am considering a Fromm’s rotation, but the Fromm’s canned that I hoped to try is hard to find locally and I’d like to try a couple of test cans before committing to the rotation. Should the same brand and formula of the dog food be used when feeding a canned/dry mix?

Did I mention I’m obsessed?

[Cheryl H]

Does anyone have a recommendation for how to determine a good ratio of canned to dry food? During one of my dog’s regular exams, three years ago, he had struvite crystals and was put on a Hills prescription diet. Once the tests reflected the crystals were no longer a problem, I switched to a Blue Buffalo dry formula. Since then there have been no struvite problems. However, due to some problems with bad bags(?) of BB and some potential food allergies I am switching him to Wellness Simple Turkey and Potato. I have read that canned food may help prevent urinary problems due to higher water content, however I would like to try a combination of canned and dry food. Wellness provides guidelines for a canned/dry mix, but they’re confusing. We’ve adjusted the recommended daily amounts of the foods we’ve been feeding him to avoid unacceptable weight gain. I assume we’ll need to do that for Wellness as well.

[merleGDgirl]

The time is almost here, I’m down to the last month before our gorgeous baby pandora comes home. We’ve got almost everything in place. Giant crate? Check. Collar? Check. Toys? Check. Great trainer lined up? Check. Food? umm….. about that…

Okay I’ll cut the melo dramatics. I fell in love with Danes years ago when I first laid eyes on the sleek giant but because of high school then college then grad school then marriage then children I have been unable to commit to what my heart really yearns for a GD fur baby! Well finally, the time is here.

As many pet parents I have done about six months of research on proper dane nutrition found some EXCELLENT information but… It is ALL contradicting. Some say high protein is fine others say it is fatal some say it doesn’t matter, others are more concerned with calcium and phosphorus levels others shun the thought of giving puppy food at all to a dane, to all of you I say….. Your giving me a headache.

Will someone, (preferably with a giant breed dog that can speak from past experience OR factual scientific information) please help me decide.

At the moment raw food diet, albeit good, inaccessible and unaffordable because our family doesn’t have the time or the massive amount of extra money it would take to feed a dane raw.

The plan is wellness CORE puppy. My sister has a Neapolitan Mastiff female who was fed wellness core puppy from the time she could eat kibble and did excellent on it. She has been moved to the adult line and rotates between core flavors.

I wont hear anything about blue buffalo because well…. You know diamond is a joke and I wont even entertain the idea.

I want the best for my new family member. She has the best toys, crate, trainer, the best kinda love but the food is so crutial and im at my witts end with the conflicting information!

Thanks.