Is Blue Buffalo dog food the right choice for your furry friend? Explore comparable options and top alternatives like Diamond Naturals on COMPARE.EDU.VN. Find the best dog food to meet your pet’s needs and budget.
1. Introduction of Blue Buffalo: A Deep Dive into the Brand
Blue Buffalo has established itself as a prominent brand in the pet food industry. Let’s delve into its history, review, and explore what makes it a popular choice among dog owners.
1.1. Blue Buffalo History
Blue Buffalo was founded in 2003 in Connecticut by the Bishop family. What started as a small, independent venture was later acquired by General Mills for billions of dollars in 2018. The company’s origin story revolves around a beloved dog named Blue. Diagnosed with cancer, Blue’s passing motivated the Bishop family to create superior dog food. Collaborating with veterinarians and nutrition experts, they developed natural formulas designed to provide complete and balanced nutrition. The result was Blue Buffalo. The exceptional quality of Bishop’s food quickly garnered attention from owners facing similar situations. Within two decades, the brand evolved from its inception to become a leading natural pet food brand in America. Despite its relatively short history, Blue Buffalo has rapidly earned recognition as a top-tier manufacturer of premium pet food.
1.2. Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review
Blue Buffalo adheres to stringent health and safety standards, ensuring that its pet food products offer animals a clean and natural food source that closely aligns with their natural diet.
Blue Buffalo offers a range of dog food lines with recipes tailored for all life stages and specific dietary needs. The brand provides both dry and wet dog food options with formulas addressing common health issues such as food allergies and weight management. Additionally, Blue Buffalo features a veterinary diet line with prescription food for dogs with acute conditions and chronic illnesses.
All recipes prioritize real meat as the primary ingredient, excluding fillers or poultry by-products. All formulas meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for dogs. The brand also provides detailed ingredient information for transparency. Most of the brand’s products are readily available and highly rated on online platforms like Amazon and Chewy. While Blue Buffalo offers high-quality food, it comes at a higher price point compared to many other common brands. The superior nutrition, however, often justifies the cost.
1.3. Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recalls
Blue Buffalo has faced recalls on seven occasions:
- April 2007: Rice protein contaminated with melamine
- October 2010: Elevated levels of Vitamin D
- November 2015: Potential Salmonella contamination with chew bones
- May 2016: Excessive moisture and mold
- February 2017: Aluminum contamination
- March 2017: Issue with the foil packaging
- March 2017: Elevated levels of the naturally occurring hormone
In 2014, Purina filed a claim against Blue Buffalo for false advertising, alleging the presence of poultry by-product meal ingredients in their recipes despite Blue Buffalo’s claim to never use by-products. Following an investigation, Blue Buffalo acknowledged the issue, attributing it to their supplier, and took corrective measures.
1.4. Blue Buffalo Dog Food Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Created in collaboration with vets and nutritionists. | Tends to be pricey. |
| Wide selection of recipes for all life stages. | Sizable recall history. |
| Popular choice for picky dogs. | Brand has accusations of false advertisement. |
| No artificial flavors or preservatives. | Some foods still use controversial ingredients. |
| No soy, wheat, or corn additives. | Recipes might not cater to some dietary needs. |
| Most recipes are grain-free. | Not always as nutritious as similar products. |
| All recipes contain natural ingredients. | |
| Doesn’t use fillers or by-products. | |
| Most dogs find Blue Buffalo foods palatable. |
1.5. Best Blue Buffalo Dog Food
- Best Overall: Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Dog Food
- Best Value: Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Beef Dinner
- Premium Choice: Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Natural Dog Food Salmon Recipe
- Best For sensitive Stomach: Blue Buffalo Blue Basics Skin & Stomach Care Natural Dog Food
- Best for Small Dogs: Blue Buffalo True Solutions Small & Mighty
- Best Vet-Formulated Dog Food: Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet Dog Food
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3. Factors to Consider When Searching for a Blue Buffalo Alternative
When seeking an alternative to Blue Buffalo, several factors should be taken into account.
3.1. Price
Price is a significant factor for most individuals seeking a Blue Buffalo alternative, whether to upgrade or opt for a more affordable brand.
Blue Buffalo dry dog food recipes typically range from $45 to $75, depending on the size and variety, while wet food typically costs around $2-$3 per can.
3.2. Availability
Ensure that the alternative brand is readily available from multiple sources, such as local pet food stores and online retailers like Chewy.
Switching to a brand that is difficult to obtain reliably is not advisable.
3.3. Nutrition
Blue Buffalo dry dog food recipes generally contain between 20-30% protein and 12-15% fat, although some recipes may fall outside this range.
When selecting an alternative, consider finding a recipe with a protein and fat proportion that is within this range or within 5% of your dog’s previous recipe.
3.4. Ingredients
Many dogs may react negatively to new ingredients, so it’s essential to avoid this if possible. Blue Buffalo dog food recipes commonly utilize meat ingredients like Chicken, Chicken Meal, Lamb, Salmon, and Turkey. They also incorporate plant-based ingredients like Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Peas, and Flaxseed.
While finding an alternative with the exact same ingredient list may be challenging, aim for the first five ingredients to be similar.
4. Alternatives to Blue Buffalo Dog Food
4.1. Diamond Naturals
Diamond Naturals is a collection of recipes from Diamond Pet Foods. Founded in 1970, Diamond Dog Food produces its products in the USA, sourcing each ingredient locally. They conduct thousands of weekly tests to ensure safety and quality. The Naturals line is considered moderately above average.
Diamond Naturals Dog Food offers a variety of recipes, including limited ingredient and grain-free diets. The recipes commonly include grain ingredients similar to Blue Buffalo, such as Brown Rice, White Rice, Barley, and Sorghum. The Naturals formulations feature ingredients not commonly found in lower-grade dog food, including berries, fruits, and vegetables. They typically have a protein proportion between 22%-27% and a fat proportion between 12%-16%, similar to Blue Buffalo recipes.
Diamond is competitively priced and more cost-effective than Blue Buffalo. A 40lb bag of dry dog food typically costs between $40-$45, making it roughly $1 per pound. Naturals is available at physical stores like Petco and Tractor Supply Company, as well as online retailers like Amazon, Chewy, Petco, and Petflow.
Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice Dry Dog Food
Price: $46.99 for 40 lbs
Diamond Naturals Chicken & Rice All Life Stages Dog Food offers comprehensive nutritional support suitable for various dogs. Made with real cage-free chicken as the first ingredient and real fruits and vegetables, it provides protein and minerals, along with omega fatty acids and antioxidants.
With 26% protein and 16% fat, it supplies the energy and muscle-building blocks your dog needs. It is made without corn and wheat and formulated to contain healthy ingredients while excluding artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Chicken is the first ingredient. | Chicken is a potential allergen. |
| Good selection of formulas for different life stages and needs. | No exotic protein options. |
| Great value with extras like probiotics. | Excessive carbohydrates. |
| No fillers like corn, wheat, or soy. | Picky eaters may need enticing to give it a try. |
| Satisfactory proportion of fat. | Contains barley & pea flour. |
4.2. Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild is a fast-growing pet food brand that offers grain-free formulas made with real roasted meat. The formulas align with your pet’s ancestral diet and include healthy probiotics to aid in digestion and support the immune system. All foods are manufactured in the USA and are affordable while using high-quality ingredients. The brand’s recipes include unique proteins from boar, bison, duck, trout, and venison. They rely more heavily on legumes and starches than Blue Buffalo, but have some grain-inclusive recipes that use grains like Barley, Sorghum, and Millet. The protein levels range from 25-32%, and the fat levels range from 15-18%.
Taste of the Wild is priced similarly to Blue Buffalo, with a recipe typically costing between $45-$55 for a 28 lb bag of dry dog food, or roughly $1.75-$2 per pound. It is also easily purchased from physical retail pet stores and online retailers.
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Price: $19.99 – $58.99
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dog Food is an alternative to Blue Buffalo Wilderness formulas. This recipe uses several different animal proteins to offer a high crude protein content of 32%. It includes peas and sweet potatoes that deliver the highly-digestible energy your active pup needs, along with natural antioxidant support from real fruits and vegetables and dried chicory root for prebiotic support and healthy digestion.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Real meat is the #1 ingredient. | The manufacturer has a lawsuit and a recall history. |
| High-protein (32%) to help support bones, joints and LEAN, STRONG MUSCLES. | Has been subject to a grain-free diet controversy. |
| Family-owned and made in the USA using quality ingredients. | Contains chicken fat, eggs, and other common allergens. |
| Contains vitamins and essential minerals. | |
| No corn, wheat, barley or rice. | |
| Suitable for dogs with grain allergies. |
4.3. American Journey
Established in April of 2017, American Journey is a newer player in the dog food industry. This brand of dry dog food is owned by Chewy, and is sold almost exclusively through the company’s website. Since Chewy cuts out the middleman, the company is able to produce and sell its own products at a competitive price.
American Journey dog food recipes are competitively priced, and a 28lb or 24lb bag of dry food can be typically purchased for between $40-$50, depending on the recipe type.
With dry and wet recipes for cats and dogs, the brand focuses on deboned protein with no corn, wheat, or soy. All American Journey recipes are created, developed and overseen by Chewy and their production partner teams. They have food that caters to all three life stages: puppy, adult, and senior.
American Journey uses a large range of high-quality meat and fish ingredients in their recipes, many of which are shared with Blue Buffalo, such as Salmon, Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lamb, and Beef. These recipes are generally high in protein, and for plant-based ingredients, American Journey offers a broad range of both grain-inclusive and grain-free recipes, and they typically utilize ingredients like Brown Rice, Barley, Peas, Chickpeas, and Sweet Potatoes.
American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Price: $17.34 – $110.10
American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe is a high-quality dry dog food with a significantly above average nutrient profile. The first ingredient is real salmon, followed by turkey meal and chicken meal. The minimum nutritional breakdown of this recipe includes 32% protein, 14% fat, 5% fiber, and 10% moisture. The real salmon and chicken meal give this dry dog food a flavor most dogs will enjoy.
Antioxidant-rich ingredients help support a healthy immune system, while omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help support skin, coat, brain and eye health. It has no unnecessary extras like corn, wheat, soy, or poultry by-product meals.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Real salmon is the first ingredient. | Contains plant-based proteins. |
| Packed with nutrient-dense ingredients for a balanced mix of vitamins. | Only available from Chewy.com. |
| Balanced nutrition to encourage weight loss. | Subject to grain-free diet controversy. |
| Supports healthy joints. | High fiber content may cause digestive issues. |
| Good source of protein. | Low in moisture. |
| Affordable. | Some dogs may be allergic to fish. |
4.4. Rachael Ray Nutrish
Rachael Ray Nutrish is a popular pet food brand and one of Blue Buffalo’s biggest competitors. This dog food is an above-average dog food with decent ingredients and a budget price tag.
Nutrish is priced below Blue Buffalo, with their recipes typically costing between $1.5 per pound to $2 per pound when purchased in larger bags. This dog food line has a wide variety of wet and dry food, as well as treats and biscuits to choose from. Nutrish also has limited ingredient recipes and grain-free recipes.
Rachael Ray Dog Food is made in the USA, although it is not specified where. Their wet recipes are made in Thailand. The ingredients consist of multiple protein sources per food to ensure a well-rounded amino acid profile and an array of plants and gluten-free grains for vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers. The ingredients found in Rachael Ray Nutrish’s recipes are very similar to Blue Buffalo, with the inclusion and widespread use of Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, and Peas. And it does include some ingredients that are not commonly found in Blue Buffalo recipes, like Soybean Meal, Brewers Rice, and Corn.
You can purchase Rachael Ray Nutrish from several of the online pet food websites like Amazon and Chewy, which often stock more recipes or offer discounts.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Chicken & Veggies Recipe Dry Dog Food
Price: $53.28 for 40 lbs
The Rachael Ray Nutrish Dry Dog Food, Real Chicken & Veggies Recipe is nutritious and delicious. Real chicken is the first ingredient, and it supports healthy organs and helps to maintain lean muscle mass. This food has a moderate protein percentage of 26%. Fiber sources like peas and brown rice help to support healthy digestion. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil promote an active mind, and antioxidants help to support a healthy body. Whole grains help to maintain balanced energy levels.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Real chicken is the first ingredient. | Contains a potentially harmful ingredient |
| Supports a healthy mind, body and energy level. | High in fillers |
| Natural dry dog food for adult dogs. | |
| Contains above-average protein. | |
| Free from artificial colorants. | |
| Has simple and natural ingredients. |
4.5. Merrick Pet Care
Merrick Dog Food’s ideology is built on promises to their customers: using real whole foods, using high-quality ingredients, health improvement in your dogs, crafted in the original kitchen of Garth Merrick and giving back to society. All Merrick dog foods are produced in the United States. Merrick is a high-end dog food that’s filled with organic ingredients as much as possible. Each recipe is high in protein, with a mixture of plant and animal sources. Moreover, all dog foods are formulated with high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin, which enhance bone health and strengthen muscles. All the ingredients for the dog food recipes are sourced from local farmers and ranchers near their production facility to keep the ingredients as fresh as possible.
Merrick Backcountry Grain Free Dry Dog Food Recipes
Price: $81.98
Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Great Plains Recipe dog food is an excellent cheaper alternative to Blue Buffalo Carnivora. Merrick’s Backcountry line uses the same kibble as many of their other grain-free recipes, with one key difference: it has chunks of freeze-dried meat mixed in. This formula incorporates freeze-dried raw meat to replicate the diets of your dogs’ ancestors. Merrick Backcountry dog foods feature an incredibly high protein content and organ meat to mimic prey feeding. It comes close with a 38% crude protein content from beef, lamb meal, and salmon meal. Merrick Backcountry is around 25% cheaper than the Blue Buffalo Carnivora Brand.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Has chunks of raw freeze-dried meat. | Have to wash your hands after handling it. |
| Lots of protein, vitamins, and minerals. | One of Merrick’s most expensive foods. |
| Good way to transition into feeding a raw diet. | |
| Grain-Free nutrition. |
5. Q&A
5.1. Is Blue Buffalo really grain-free?
Yes, their BLUE Freedom line of dog and cat foods are 100% grain-free. Their high-protein BLUE Wilderness line and limited-ingredient diet BLUE Basics line also have grain-free formulas available.
5.2. Is Blue Buffalo high quality?
Blue Buffalo dog food is touted as a healthy and holistic brand. It contains high-quality ingredients without unnecessary additives. It contains all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that your dog needs to stay healthy.
5.3. Is Blue Buffalo worth the money?
Yes, Blue Buffalo Dog Food is worth it. The brand offers a superior nutrition profile.
5.4. Does Blue Buffalo source from China?
Blue buffalo does not source any of their meats, proteins, fruits, grains or vegetables from China.
5.5. Why is Blue Buffalo dog food the best?
Blue Buffalo’s Dry Dog Food lines are touted as some of the best dog foods you can buy.
5.6. Does Blue Buffalo have chemicals?
Unfortunately, Blue Buffalo Dog Food contains meat product meals and meat byproducts as well as synthetic ingredients, artificial preservatives, and fillers.
5.7. Where is Blue Buffalo pet food made?
While its headquarters is in Connecticut, Blue Buffalo has other locations across the United States, Their only product made outside of the United States is the Chomp’ n’ Chow treats, produced in Ireland.
5.8. Is there a problem with Blue Buffalo?
Blue Buffalo recalled some of its products due to excessive levels of Vitamin D.
6. Finding the Right Choice for Your Furry Friend
Choosing the right dog food can be a daunting task. Blue Buffalo is a popular option, but exploring alternatives can help you find the perfect fit for your dog’s needs and your budget. Consider factors like price, availability, nutrition, and ingredients when making your decision.
For a more comprehensive comparison and to discover other options, visit COMPARE.EDU.VN at 333 Comparison Plaza, Choice City, CA 90210, United States. You can also contact us via WhatsApp at +1 (626) 555-9090. Let compare.edu.vn help you make an informed decision for your pet’s health and happiness.
