BLUE BUFFALO DOG FOOD
Blue Buffalo brand dog food is owned and manufactured by The Blue Buffalo Company. The Blue Buffalo Company is currently based out of Wilton, Connecticut. The Blue Buffalo company was involved with the 2007 pet food recalls, when they recalled all BLUE canned brand dog foods, all BLUE Spa Select canned cat foods, and several other products due to melamine-contaminated rice protein. Since Blue Buffalo obtained their rice protein from American Nutrition, the recall motivated them to remove all of the products in their formulas that were made by American Nutrition, even if they didn't test positive for melamine.
BLUE BUFFALO DOG FOOD REVIEW
It's possible to classify Blue Buffalo brand dog food formulas into four categories, based on the specializations of these formulas. These are: General formulas (for puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs), Longevity Formulas, Wilderness Formulas and BLUE Basic formulas. The Longevity formulas are designed to be calorie-balanced, to help fight obesity and poor development. The Wilderness formulas are designed to be completely grain-free, while the BLUE Basic formulas are designed for dogs with food allergies. Depending on the specific needs of a dog, it's possible to choose from one of the 24 formulas to find one that fits a dog's nutritional needs.
BLUE BUFFALO DOG FOOD FORMULAS
- Blue Buffalo Adult Dog Food - Blue Buffalo has many different formulas designed for adult dogs. In their general formulas, they have nine unique flavors. There is also a Longevity formula for adult dogs.
- Adult Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food
- Adult Lamb and Brown Rice Dog Food
- Adult Fish and Sweet Potato Dog Food
- Adult Large Breed Chicken and Rice Dog Food
- Adult Large Breed Fish and Oatmeal Dog Food
- Adult Large Breed Health Weight Dog Food
- Adult Healthy Weight Dog Food
- Adult Small Breed Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food
- Adult Small Breed Fish and Brown Rice Dog Food
- Blue Buffalo Puppy Dog Food - Blue Buffalo currently has four puppy foods in their general formulas. There is also a Longevity formula that is designed for puppies. These are:
- Senior Dog - Blue Buffalo has three dog foods for senior dogs in their general formulas. These formulas are designed to be fed to dogs that are over seven years of age. There is also a Longevity formula designed for senior dogs. These are:
- BLUE Wilderness Dry Dog Food - BLUE Wilderness dry dog food formulas are 100% grain-free, and are designed to be fed to dogs as a healthy formula more closely mimicking the diet of dogs in the wild. There are three Wilderness formula flavors:
- BLUE Basics - These formulas are designed for dogs that are currently experiencing allergies to certain ingredients in pet food formulas. There are currently two different BLUE Basics formulas:
BLUE BUFFALO DOG FOOD CONSUMER RATINGS
Customer reviews of Blue Buffalo brand dog food are mostly positive. Due to the high quality of the ingredients contained in the formulas, most dog owners reported positive effects on their dogs. The formulas are appealing to dogs, and do not seem to cause some of the stomach problems that sometimes occur in some high-quality dog foods. However, there were a few dog owners that reported their dogs experiencing diarrhea after being switched to Blue Buffalo brand dog food formulas.
116 Responses to “BLUE BUFFALO DOG FOOD”
BB saved my dogs life! I had an over weight Chihuahua, who would not lose weight for anything. His obesity cause knee problems, a heart murmur, as well as various other coat and skin issues. After receiving a literal death sentance from our previous vet, not only did we get a second opinion, but we also made the decision to stop shopping in the bargain aisle of the pet store and began to research natural foods for him. I chose BB Weight Control for my guy, and between following the weight control feeding directions and monitoring his exercise, Bandit has lost 8 pounds in a year! That is amazing, healthy progress for a dog! He no longer has knee, coat, or teeth problems. His heart murmur is a stage 1 and does not require any medication. His transition to BB was seamless and he won’t eat anything else, and unlike OTHER weight control formulas, he DID NOT experience loose frequent stools caused by the excessive grain in them. He poops twice a day, and firm. I was so happy that going in a diet (for him) no longer meant frequent, loose stools which didn’t result
In any weight loss whatsoever. Without BB, I don’t think we would have been able to do it. I have since switched my Schnauzer and our new kitten ears the dry Wilderness formula. She will turn down canned food in order to get her Wilderness. I love this food, more importantly, they love
This food, and will never feed anything else to my pets.
I switched my 2 large breed dogs to blue buffalo wilderness dog food. I was very HAPPY with the benefits and ingredients until I was standing in line buying a new bag of dog food when a man told me 10 dogs have died from this food and he switched his dog to another brand after hearing that. We switched and thank f*ing god because our 1 dog was acting VERY WIERD and I was thinking he was on his death bed. If BB killed my 1 dog I would have been so god da@# piss*d. Up to the owner to pick what they want to feed their dogs but keep in mind of BB past recalls and thier ‘lack’ of standards when producing dog food.
I adopted my dog Spencer almost 2 months ago from a local Humane Society. They were feeding him Hill’s Science Diet food. About 2 weeks after bringing him home I decided that I wanted to change him to a better food that was more healthy and contained better ingredients. Being an 8 year old Jack Russell Terrier, I put him on the Blue Buffalo Senior Small Breed Chicken and Brown Rice food. He had loose stools for about 3-4 days and since then has had no issues at all! He has a lot more energy now then when I brought him home, he is always up for a long walk or some indoor play time. He loves this food and the bowl is always clean after every meal. I feed him 1/2 cup twice a day (I find it easier to feed him twice a day as it helps keep him full all day long… no longer having to worry about him stealing food off plates). I also give him a few kibble bits from the Hill’s Science Diet Oral Care for his teeth, it may not have any good nutrients in it but his teeth are now perfect and clean! Can’t say how much I love Blue Buffalo. I do know of some people who have had dogs that could not tolerate the brand, but just like people every dog is different and has different needs, so if your dog is not tolerating one brand/type of dog food you will have to search around for one that suits your dogs needs.
We fed our dogs Blue Buffalo for several months but found that neither dog would eat the last bag of Blue Buffalo food that we purchased. After stopping at the store and having an alternative food recommended, I called Blue Buffalo and was told that occasionally a bag may be “bad”. They assured me that the food was “satisfaction guaranteed”. Don’t believe it. After a visit to the store where food was purchased, and several conversations with Blue Buffalo I realized that they do not stand behind their product in a manner that is convenient for the customer. Based upon my experience, Blue Buffalo food was not worth the frustration and hassle required to try to get resolution. Recommendation: try an alternative food – there are several that are healthy, dogs like just as much plus they do “make right” the occasional problem that may occur.
I have recently started using blue diamond grain free dog food. I add high quality probiotics, digestive enezymes and omega 3 fatty acids. All human grade supplements disigned for dogs. I also add a tiny bit of raw apple cider vinegar (braggs), a table spoon of the georges alove vera juice, which is a very very mild aloe vera product. Although I use very small amounts, these added supplements, they provide raw human grade nutrition. They also provide a small measure of protections from toxins, which gives me some peace of mind. Omega 3 fatty acids are very unstable and I don’t think any packaged or canned food can be counted on to provide these essential fatty acids. Blue diamond seems to be fine and my dogs like it. However, I didn’t know of the recalls and some of the other afore mentioned problems. One point I would like to make is that any change of diet can produce diarrhea, even if it’s to a higher quality food. Make the change slowly and use probiotics/digestive enzymes designed for dogs to support your dog’s digestive system.
That BB does not make its food in its own plants is a big concern for me and one of the many reasons I won’t feed this food. They outsource it to a company that makes a lot of other brands, so there’s always the possibility of contamination.
I love bb. Although, my dog is pIcky too. He eats lamb and oatmeal for puppies. I will be changing him to an adult food, so I’m hoping he likes it more! I’m thinking about changing the meat, lamb may be too boring for him! Hahha I don’t know, he’s a character though!
We had a new Maltese, the breeder gave us some Purina Puppy mix to take with us, and he (our dog} had terrible gas, from both ends!! On suggestion of friend, switched to BB Lamb for Puppies dry food, he immediately took to it and had no gas (form either end). Endless energy and healthy coat.
I eventually switched to Chicken and Rice for Adults, Small Breed, and he loves it. Good BMs, always on a regular schedule, no gas, still as energetic now (at almost 3 yrs old), as when he was a puppy! I have had great success with their products.
Although, they were out of his normal Chicken/Rice flavor recently, so I switched to the “fish” flavor, and he did not take to that at all. I had to give that to a friend, and go back out to find the Chicken Rice Small Breed -his appetite picked right back up! I love BB!
We switched our Schnauzer to Blue Buffalo. He loves it, and looks the best ever, more playful than ever, and he’s getting to be a senior citizen. We did change foods gradually, no problems, stool is fine.
I’m having major issues with loose stools and BB. After getting our 1 yr old retriever, I switched her to BB and she did great at first. I started on Lamb, then Chicken, then Lamb again, when I went to the Lamb, she got major issues. After much diareha and vomitting and an expensive trip to the vet, she was back on the Chicken, but her stools are still extremely loose. I want a high quality food for her, but now I’m thinking Blue isn’t is. Her coat and energy are great, I just don’t think the loose stools are great. I also slightly overfeed her for her weight range and she sill acts like she’s starving. I just don’t know what I should switch to now? I’ll take suggestions.
i have a chihuahua and no matter what i feed her, she always acts like she is starving, for her treats i give her raw broccoli and carrots, and in the afternoon she gets steamed vegies, as for your dogs loose stools, maybe her tummy is sensitive and maybe you should try “blue basics” that is the one for sensitive stomachs, just a thought
, im trying BB for small breeds, this is my first day, so we will see how it goes. she is currently being weened off of science diet, i wasn’t to thrilled to read about “by-products” good luck!
I have two American Pit Bull Terriors. They both eat Blue Buffalo. Peanut is almost 10 months old. She would eat all day if I let her. I was over feeding her and had to cut her back because of weight gain. I also realized that when I was feeding her more…she had loose stools. When I controlled the amount of food she ate, she was regular again. Peanut acts like she wants to eat all of the time but can be easily distracted with a toy or nap
Try to sprinkle perfect form powder with the food when you switch. Sometimes dogs intestines get irritated and it helps with the irritation. It’s an orange tin
I used it for a week while transitioning and it was perfect again. I also use it in case my dog gets into anything, last year I had an oops and he ate protein bars … It really helped !! Helps with gas too !!
do not listen to marketting talk.. i have two dogs and both of them had stomach issues after i switched them to BB. went to three VETs and they said that they had several cases the same thing as me because of BB.. i thin its a love hate thing..
I planning on getting my dogs off of this food.
I rescued a 4 year old dachshund mix female and the shelter gave to me and advised to me Science Diet. I kept her on it thru 2 bags and and her stool was good. Until people would tell me how its a “scam” and use Blue Buffalo and its worth it and anything else is garbage so I bought her a bag of the bb small breed adult chicken and brown rice (the pink one) and she has had terrible painful looking diarrhea. Vet advised something otc and mix it in her food its day 2 and it hasn’t worked. Shouldn’t I switch back to science diet? Another brand or type?
i also just started BB for small breed today, i will see how it goes, she is also being weened off of the science diet, wasnt to thrilled to read about “by products” did you mix her old food with the new, sometimes this can be the problem it takes sometimes over a week in order for them to adjust, i give my baby a mix of both more of the science diet, just until she gets used to it, ALSO,maybe you should try blue basic for sensitive stomachs, just a thought, good luck, and i will be posting if i have problems with my baby.
I have a 9 month old pittie and I’ve had him on Beneful since he was a pup but I’m getting the BB recommended to me and hopefully he’ll take up to it. Also I’d like him to GAIN a couple pounds even though he eats two times daily a hearty serving of food he doesn’t gain wait.. Thinking it’s the food. Also he’s worm negative.
My Boxer puppy has been eating BB since I purchased her. It seens the Chicken didn’t agree with her so I switched to the Lamb and Rice. So far all is well but she has the worse gas ever. Very happy puppy, with extreme energy.
My 8 yr old Lab had developed severe allergies and lost the hair on her ears from scratching at them. Her Tummy was so sensetive to the touch as well. after many Vet visits…I made the choice to switch her to BB. She has a ton more energy, her fur has all grown back and she doesnt scratch anymore. Her stools are normal.
I’m having the same symptoms with my Dane. Which BB did you go to?
Blue Buffalo Basics for Puppies has done wonders for our Boxer Puppy. She has not had solid stool since we got her and bringing her to the vet all the time was getting expensive especially because they weren’t sure why her stool was soft. We decided to switch from BB puppy to BB Basics Puppy and it worked right away! After looking at ingredients and talking to the vet we think she may not be able to process chicken so the Turkey in the Basics was perfect. Thanks BB!
I have a 3 year old dachshund, after some research i swithched her over from Authority brand to Blue Buffalo life protection formula, for 2 reasons, 1 I wasnt happy about the ingredients going into my previous brand and 2 to shed a kg or 2 off her weight. It was going well for about 2 months, happy, energetic, pretty regular in the poop department. Then this past week she had very loose stool and a few accidents and she vomited once, i asume this was just a bug, so we put her on a regiment of boiled white rice and boiled chicken. Now she is fine back to her happy self, but is shy-ing away from the BB? is she trying to tell me Something? any help would be appreciated
I wouldnt say that (yet)..
She may be shying away because she liked the home-made food better..Did she seem to like the home-made stuff when you first started her on it?
I would think if you could wean her back on..I cant see her body taking that long (2 months)to reject the Blue, unless the food went out-of-date while you had it..which is unlikely, but I know sometimes I forget to check the dates of the food, just assuming that the pet store has that all under control, lol..
I would just see if you can adjust her back to it, and if she gets sick again, definitely talk to her Doc:)
We switched our Australian Shepherd from Dog Chow to Blue Buffalo. He did great on the first bag. He dropped some weight and really liked the food. About 1/3 into the second bag, however, he started vomiting every day. We cut out everything except the Blue, and he was still vomiting. We switched him to Eukanuba Naturally Wild, and he immediately stopped vomiting. I found out BB had a recall last year because it had too much vitamin D in it. The manufacturer produced vitamin D supplements right before they manufactured the dog food. I’m thinking maybe the same thing has happened again.
I just recently swiched from blue chicken and brown rice for my 9 m0nth old terrier to blue basics salmon and sweet potato due to a possible chicken allergy. I am concerned and was not aware of the vitamin D recall. He seems to be pooping alot more frequently on this. is this normal and what is causing this? The other day he had just been out and pooped and then he came inside and pooped again. i called my vet and she said to give his system time to adjust to the new food and that it could be the fiber . what do you suggest? everyone seems to recommend the blue and i want the best for my dog. i would appreciate any advice. his poops seem pretty firm on this but i am concerned about the frequency. what if I need to board him. I dont want him having accidents in his crate. how much should a 9 month old 35lb dog eat per day of the blue basics? sometimes he skips morning meal and just eats dinner. help!!!!!
I am going through the same situation, the problem is that you gave the blue from one hit. You have to ease the dog in; however, the food is a good food and after sometime the dog will adjust and it will work wounders.
this is the 2nd episode i have had with BLUE the canned food. a few months ago we had some cans that had white like fuzziness stuff in it i ignored it thought it was a vegetable of some kind, the dogs were having diarrhea and laying around, then one day we opened a can and there was a huge white ball, it was MOLD!! well of course we got no whee with the company, just a bunch of run around and all that. so today i open and can and it EXPLODES ALL OVER ME AND POPPED so loud everyone came running it fizzled out everywhere like a lava from a volcano, i sat it on the stove and it spewed everywhere like a soda that been shook. i am done with this brand of food! i called and let a message but probably a waste of time. they treat their customers SO GOOD
Jamie, did you check the expiry dates on those cans? That doesn’t sound right at all.
I was on consumer affairs.com doing some research on totally different subject. Then looked up blue. I see a lot of complaints about diarrhea and such with BB. I have a 4 year old weimaraner and 7 year old lab. Both have been eating blue since a puppy. Both are active, happy, beautiful coats. I understand peoples complaints and upsets, but people need to realize you are going to have trouble with every product out their. You take a hand full of labs and give them the same product. Not every lab is going to react the same. I’m in the health field and I see it everyday. Everyone does not act the same. Just like a car, you make 10 honda accord with best rankings and such, one of the cars is going to have a problem with something. Long story short, please give the product a chance and dont go by what other says. Everyone is different:) and thanks BLUE
I switched from Innova because they were bought out by Proctor and Gamble and my dog had serious diarrhia problems. I went to Blue Buffalo Life Protection and after 1 month not as bad diahrria but loose stools. I bought a 4 pound bad of Blue Buffalo Longevity to see if I incorporate it into his present food and see if this is the same, better or worse.
At this point I am wondering if spending a lot of money on food that is making my dog stools loose obviously not a good choice so maybe I should change to a less expensive brand that would work better with his tummy.
I thought the more you paid for dog food the better the ingredients and formulas for them but maybe not…..
This food was a disaster for us. We switched to BB because one of my dogs developed an alergy to “fillers.” Both of my dogs developed diarrhea after two months; one of my dogs, who is only six years old, hasn’t been right ever since. After being a self-feeder his whole life, he is suddenly overweight and has coincidently become blind. I’m not blaming the food for the blindness, but I wish I could take it all back. I would NEVER recommend this food to ANYONE! It’s not worth it, and has been an absolute disaster us. = [
If you’re reading these reviews in search of the perfect food for your dog, keep in mind that each dog is unique and there is no food out there that will suit all dogs.
That said, my 5-year-old rescued chihuahua mix is thriving on Blue Buffalo. When we got him, his stools were loose and irregular, his coat had a dull appearance, and his energy level was quite low. He was being fed a 50/50 mixture of Blue Buffalo and Wellness dog food — two very high quality foods! However, when we switched him over completely to Blue Buffalo (Chicken and Rice Small Breed Adult Formula), we noticed a notable difference! His stools are now firm and he goes like clockwork, his coat is beautifully soft and lovely, and he has a lot more energy!
I highly recommend this dog food — my dog hasn’t tried anything else yet, because there’s no need! He loves his food and it does him very well.
We have 4 dogs 14, 2.5,1 & 7months and a cat. I switched the cat to blue a year or so ago and she loves it although for a short haired cat I get so many hairballs (added some oil to her food to help out) My 2 youngest dogs are like goats and eat everything, the oldest not too picky but being old she needs all the help she can get and the 2.5 yr old husky is a pain, she is super picky and hardly eats a thing (I refuse to budge and give her wet food because daddy thinks she should be spoiled) So I figured whats 10 more bucks to out already high food bill, lets see if she’ll eat the Blue.. Partially I switched because there are several flavors and I figured I could change it up from time to time to keep the boredom at bay.SO this week got the Fish and oatmeal ( we already feed them a higher quality food that had done us well the past 14 yrs with few vet issues) Even ms. picky likes it, ate every last morsel in her bowel and after calculating how much they need, since this is a better and higher protien, it looks like $ it may actually even out.. so lets see how it goes (btw all the other pigs in the house love it, ms. picky loves the cat box so maybe Blue can make a crunchy cat poo flavor for those hard to feed dogs)
I bought Blue Buffalo because the representative at the store told me that it was much better than the “junk” food I had been buying for my dog previously. It was double the price of what I had been buying.
My dog had awful diahrea and his hair fell out. I told my vet and she told me that she had several of her dog’s owners complain of the same result. I have a black lab and this dog food is not right for my dog.
I went back to my original cheap kibble and my dog is back to normal.
Our boxer has IBS. Any time she eats anything outside her normal diet she gets diarrea. We had her on royal canine for boxers and it did not compare to blue buffullo. Lexi looks great, poops great, and can’t wait for her meal times. she goes through a 33 pound bag about every month, we get her a new flavor of the adult every time and she never has any changes in BMs. Its great to have the flavor variety because our boxer is a very picky eater. lexi actually stopped eating the royal canin because she was sick of the taste. Talk about spoiled. When you look at the high priced dog foods bb is actually one of the cheaper brands. Cant say enough good things. No more 2 or 3 bag poops. Thanks blue
I recently switched my beautiful 1 year old english lab over to Blue Wilderness Chicken from Science Diet. There is definitely a lot of positives. His fur has always been beautiful, but now even more so. As many have experienced he is no longer gassy; his stools are smaller and better formed “without the stink”; he has increased energy and alertness; and his incessant itching due to dry skin has decreased tremendously. Previously, when ever he urinated in our yard his urine must have had extremely high acidity. Every where he went, the grass turned yellow. That is no longer happening. My concerns are I’ve read something about high protein and low carb diets leading to heart problems and urinary tract problems. To offset some of this I do mix his kibble with water, and try to give him fiberous treats with a few more carbs. My other concern is some of the writers expressing there may still be problems with the BW food; high Vit D?? And yes, that does scare me. I love my little guy, who’s far from little LOL. But if BB has definitely taken care of this issue, then I would feel more confident that my faithful friend is benefitting from an excellent food source. Like others have reported, he absolutely loves this food. And so far I love what BW has done for him.
I have a 1 1/2 year old chocolate lab. She has been on many different dog foods in the past year. We finally discovered she has a chicken allergy and fish sensitivity. I have been feeding her BB lamb and rice for about 6 months now and have seen a drastic improvement. She not long has diaherra or gas, but she goes through periods of not wanting to eat it. We have tried mixing in BB wet lamb food and also sprinkling her food with cheese or other treats. She will eat the treats and leave the dry kibble. I don’t know if I should switch flavors or just ride it out, maybe it’s a phase. She has been on so many foods I almost wonder if I have created a picky eater :/ Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Goodness, all of this about dogs that have died or become really sick using this food. I know I have read more good than bad about this food, but the bad I have been reading seems to be REALLY bad. I bought a small bag of it today, because I decided to switch to Blue, but now I am a little unsure. I’d rather have a dog eating Eukanuba with a slight alergy problem then a dog eating Blue with an awful DEAD problem. He kept barking earlier, when I put him away after giving him the first 25% or whatever. Beginning to freak out.
dont worry blue is good food the other dogs just had stomach problems other foods are not as healthy as blue compare blue to other brands on blue buffalo.com
My dog was eating Innova for a year then P&G bought them out and my dog had a LOT of Diarrhia and very loose stools/diarrhia. He is now on Blue Buffalo after 2 weeks finally no diarrhia but off and on he has loose stools. I do not know how to get rid of the wet stools? Is this normal in dogs??? what dry food is healthy to feed him. (Am I overpaying for Blue Buffalo)???? I am not sure what is safe to feed my dog and also healthy.. I also mix Pedigree canned wet food (this has never been a problem).
Our boxer puppy was the same way! When we switched to Blue Buffalo her stool was better but not great. We switched her to Blue Buffalo Basic and she has been great! It really is working for her. I highly recommend. The vet thinks she may not be able to process chicken since that was in all the other foods we tried.
blue is absolute garbage for some dogs, others not so much, every dog reacts differently to food. My dog does not have a stomach problem, nor did my sisters, but both experiences explosive (yes explosive) diarrhea when on Blue Buffalo for several months, within a day of changing their food it stopped.
I have a 3 yr old shar pei that was on Nutro dry food (which he was not eating very well). Just got a shar pei pup and breeder told me to use Blue Buffalo. My 3 yr old loves it as well as the pup. It is expensive but worth it – no animal by products or grains. By luck met the BB rep at petsmart and she bought me a bag of food! Thanks Melissa, I have not only happy dogs, but a happy owner too.
We have a 2 year old rescue that we just adopted 3 weeks ago. Being first time dog owners (since childhood anyway), we wanted to give our new dog (golden retriever mix) a good diet. We have been trying blue buffalo, but after a bout of diarrhea that we thought was the roundworm (which he was treated for). So we took him off food for 24 hours per vet’s orders, and then introduced boiled chicken breast and white rice for a few days along w/ a probiotic. We did this for a few days and then slow started to reintroduce the BB food. As of yesterday he was getting 1 cup of bb along w/ 1/2 cup rice/chicken. The diarrhea started again today. Our vet suggested we go to Purina Pro Plan. I’m just beside myself. He’s such a great dog, but has now had 2 accidents of diarrhea in the house in 3 weeks
Any other thougths would be great though! Recommendations? He weighs about 48 lbs
Same problem over here. We wanted to feed our black lab rescue the very best. We felt guilty when the BB rep at the store told us we were feeding him junk by giving him his kibble. BB gave him diahrea and we spent alot of time and money getting him tested for parasites….now we are back to plain old by-product-junky kibble and voila, no more. We supplement with a hamburger or chicken breast once a week. Don’t worry.
I rescued my dog and thought feeding him (Organic, expensive food would be good for him). I have done that I fed him Nutro (recalled) then switched to Innova (bought out by Proctor and Gamble)(he had very loose stools and diarrhia. So then I switched to Blue Buffalo (still having loose stools a month later…..no diarrhia but very loose stools).
I am so unsure as to what dog food if any is safe any more…..everything is imported from another country so their is no “quality control”, no “safety checks”. No different from human food!! This has to change and their needs to be “Quality Control with Dog/Cat/Animal foods.” Safety for ALL ANIMALS AND HUMAN FOODS SHOULD BE NO. 1.
I have been feeding my dogs blue buffalo for a year now. We would feed the the Life Protection Large breed lamb formula and then switched to the fish and oatmeal. Their health and skin improved. Then just 2 weeks ago we bought a new bag of the fish and oatmeal flavor we always feed them and they both got really bad diarrhea. Both dogs. They became lathargic, almost depressed, one started limping, one drank excessive amounts of water, both urinated a lot, and both had constant diarrhea. I stopped the food and fed them just some cheap wet canned food till we could figure it out. After a day and a half of the cheap canned food all symptoms subsided and they were jumpy and happy again. And their poop was normal. Thinking it was a bad bag or just that lot number(I read about the recall at the end of last year and thought it could be an old bag we got) I bought a different bag- in a different flavor. This time fish and sweet potato. After a day and a half(3 servings) they were lethargic and in a depressed mood again. Then I after not pooping all day I took them out and they had diarrhea again. Really angry right now. The symptoms matched dead on with the excessive vitamin D amounts they stated in the recall end of last year. Have never had a problem with Blue till now and now my dogs are really sick. I can never buy it again. Just can’t chance their overall health.
Claire
I have two golden retrievers (males, age 6, litter mates). I switched them from Iams to BB (I took 1 month to gradually switch the food). 3 months after the dog food switch, both dogs have pretty bad gas. I’ve noticed stools are loose and now one of the dogs are messing in the house. I give them the BB kibble and make a weekly supplement of usually of ground beef and rice.
I’m almost considering going back to Iams but don’t want to. What did you switch to and did you have better results?
I had been feeding my 6 dogs KIBBLES N BITS (poorest of choices) for a while when 2 of the dogs started having seizures. After researching the problem, I discovered the culprit to be the poor quality dog food I was feeding them. After deciding to try BLUE BUFFALO, the seizures have completely stopped, and my 2 older dog’s health have improved also. I plead total ignorance in not researching sooner a quality food for my pets. Please make other dog owners aware of the importance of feeding their pets quality food.
Please be careful..as of today 4/22/11 I have lost 2 dogs to blue buffalo..due to high vit d. They had all the issues and did not know there was an issue till this happens. The vet had to tell me what was the problem. I lost a white mini schnauzer and a shitzu mix…and almost lost the 3rd…she was in for emergency treatment and almost lost here..
I just got the paperwork from the vet and plan to send it to the company…
One other comment I would like to make is I have friend who has a St Benard, he feed’s him nothing but raw and cooked fresh chicken, beef, and turkey, bone’s and all. The Dog devour’s the bone’s and everything. His vet said the dog is extremly healthy. When he told the vet what he fed his dog, the vet said that it was unhealthy, even though his dog was extremely healthy. I’ve watched many documenteries and not one carnivour ate grain or filler’s. They ate meat,tendon’s, fat and bone’s. I have never heard of a carnivour eating grain’s. Dog’s are still 99% wolf. Wolve’s eat meat, not oatmeal,corn, or any other grain.
Very strong point but how are the dogs getting vitamins, minerals etc. Since dogs/cats etc. are now domesticated??? I may be wrong but I think we have to know give them the extra nutrion they need.
There is no way any food that has corn or grains in it is good for a dog or cat, this is just common sense. No where in the wild would they eat grains, even cow’s cannot digest corn, nor can human’s, let alone dog’s or cats. When is the last time Lion’s or wolve’s in captivity were fed grain? NEVER. I lived on a farm and the cow’s might wonder into the corn field, but not one would eat the corn, they CANNOT DIGEST IT. Dog’s and cat’s are MEAT EATER’S. The pet food cheapies that add corn and other grain’s do it only for filler’s so they can skimp on quality ingredients, nothing more. I switched to BB Wilderness and my APBT terrier’s coat is already changing, no more scratching and licking of the paw’s. No vet worth their salt would recommend any food that has any Grain’s in it. Plus in the past, there was no dog food. The dog’s got the left over’s off the table. Never seen a wolf eating corn in the field.
I tired Blue Buffalo for my new collie. He developed severe loose stools. Nothing helped. My vet recommended Royal Canine which he was switched to and is doing great now. The vet said that the Blue Buffalo does not contain ANY FIBER and this was the reason for the loose stools. Why on earth wouldn’t they put just a little fiber in it??? It’s a shame. His coat was beautiful and he seemed to like it, but he couldn’t have the runs all day and night. Maybe they should re-think the formula!
Hi Constance Steck,
BB dog food does contain Fiber. The fiber is included in the whole grains in the food, like Barley, brown rice, oatmeal and rye and the fresh vgetables and fruit in the food. If you are knowledeable about nutrition, then you would know that if you have a high level of fiber in ones diet, then the digestibility of fat and protein decrease. Check the labels on BB and notice that their foods have between 1.5%-5% crude fiber. They shouldnt go much higher because they can interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
I first like to note that if you did have issues with the recalled food the founder? or someone in the higher up at blue buffalo said that they would pay for any vetting cost linked to the Vit D issue. I’m not sure if it’d still be viable being how long ago it was but you may still be able to try.
My story with blue is nothing but love. When I took two kittens from a lady that had supposedly rescued them from a feral mother who left them to die they were covered in fleas, somewhat starved, and just sad litte things. I didnt want to start them on soft cat food because that almost always leads to soft stools, and with them already have loose stools I couldnt take the chance of dyhadrating them. I bought my first bag of a kitten formula hard blue buffalo and just used a little bit of water to soften it up a bit. They ate it willing and loved it, I had to constantly put out new bowls throughout the day to keep them happy. As the kittens got older I noticed unlike all the other cats I’ve ever known their poo did not stink at all. Well after a bit of a hard time I switched to a cheaper brand that was supposdly as good as blue. WRONG instantly they started to get gassy, their poo was aweful stinky and they just were not themselves. So I gave in and bought a new bag of buffalo. Within a week they were back to normal, no smelly kitties.
I now feed my shihtzu puppy blue formula for small breed puppies, the cats get blue buffalo indoor cat, and the outdoors lab gets wilderness ^-^ All are doing really well on it, no one has smelly poop and everyone has a constantly solid stool.
The information provided is not entirely accurate. This website states that Blue Buffalo food is “manufactured by” Blue Buffalo Corp which is not true. Blue outsources it’s production, making it easy to identify as nothing more than a marketing firm that is soon to sell out to a corporate conglomarate like most of the industry. Not producing your own food leads to the issues that they have experienced which is multiple recalls in both dry and canned foods as well as P.R. nightmares being caught lying on their bags about human grade meats.. Don’t fall for the hype around this food as it is nothing more than a very good marketing company and their is so much better out there for the money you are spending.
Joni, All pet food that is available at retail HAS to have AAFCO approval. But don’t think that the AAFCO stamp of approval means that you are getting a quality product, all it means is that the ingredients will keep your pet alive; a lot like Burger King or McDonalds for us. If you ask the employees at your local pet supply store they will recommend a good food.
Is buffalo blue approved by AAFCO
When we got our puppy she was on Ol’Roy puppy chow so we immediately switched to Iams, which she refused to eat, and we found out that it is just as bad as the walmart cardboard food. Within days of switch to Blue Buffalo puppy formula, she has twice the energy and her coat is beautiful. We also just switched her over, didn’t wean or mix her food, and she did fine. will never buy any other brand again
My great dane was on various brand foods (always venison) but they kept having recalls. A petsmart employee convinced me to change over to Blue Buffalo Fish & Oatmeal. She had me slowly ease him into it mixing it with other foods to avoid being to harsh of a change. That was in September. He slowly lost weight and was always hungry and started stealing food from our counters which he had never done. We took him to the vet after he began vomiting Thursday night. The vet took xrays showing his intestines were extremely swollen. She put him on an IV and took more xrays through the morning. It got worse and she had to do surgery. His spleen twisted while at the vet after the GI problems. We lost him by 10:00 pm. I absolutely regret feeding him this food and can’t believe that I didn’t hear about any recalls on the food on the news or in the pet stores.
I am very sorry for your loss. We just switched to BB dog food a week ago, and my dog is at the vet having blood work done right now. The first few days went fine, over the weekend she kept getting worse, she stopped taking food and treats, very lose stool and vomiting. She just lays there, so we took her to the vet this morning and are waiting for the test results. I will be furious if there is Vit D issue in her blood!! My other two dogs are acting fine, but they have lose stool as well. I regret changing the food.
There recall was handled in October. All of the possibly effected food was taken off the shelves at that time-so there is no possible way that your dogs would have been effected by it-plus it was only three formulas of food out of the twenty five that they sell. Did you switch your dog slowly over to this food over a two week period as suggested? This is a very rich food due to the chelated vitamins that they use which allows for greater absorbsion of the minerals which in the long term is excellent for your dogs. My three dogs have been on this food for over a year and all are doing great!! Not every formula is right for each dog. Its important to find what works for yours! Think about it-if all people only ate one type of food-many would have issues with it cause not every one has the same needs and everyone has different reactions to different foods. It is the same for dogs. Hope your animals are doing better !!
OMG, I noticed that since I changed to Blue Buffalo Life Protection he is going into my bathroom wastebasket. In all the 7 years I have had him he did not do this until I switched to Blue Buffalo.
What is lacking in this food????
We rescused a mixed Lhasa Apso Terrier back in July. I immediatley got her BB. Although she loved it, it didn’t love her! She never once had firm stools, I even put a dash of canned pumpkin to try and firm. Nothing worked, I ended up switching her to another Holistic product and have had firm stools ever since.
I wish I could could have stuck w/ BB since it’s so convient to find and not too pricey.
Read about your experience with buffalo blue…I have a 6 yr old dachshund with severe bloody/diarhea problems…he’s had loads of anti-biotics and medicines…he’s been on canine i/d for 2 years…I’m thinking of switching to buffalo blue basics…
You said bb didn’t agree with your dog..what holistic product did you change to????
Any advice would be appreciated…thank you
I do not work for Blue Buffalo. Just want to make that perfectly clear. The recall was in October. It has been handled. I have a senior dog (13 + years) who has idiosyncratic idiopathic epilepsy. He has had horrible seizures for 12 1/2 years. Due to the medication he was on and the store bought dog food he ate he developed pancreatitis. He lost most of his pancreas. When I finally got him home from the hospital I decided to make all his food. For six years he has eaten only home-cooked chicken and fresh, cooked vegetables. He grew bored of this food earlier this year and was refusing to eat. So, I talked with a Blue Buffalo rep and tried my dog on a little of the senior kibble. He has been eating that, cleaning his plate and begging for more for one month now. No seizures, his coat is beautiful, his eyes are bright again and while he’s not acting like a puppy, he runs to the door to greet me and seems extremely content.
This is not an endorsement for anyone with a seizuring dog to switch to Blue Buffalo–I’m just telling you my story. My dog’s nervous system couldn’t handle the garbage in the regular food. Yes, Blue Buffalo is expensive, but a two week stay in a canine intensive care is MUCH more expensive. And having my beautiful, loving, special dog back is priceless.
They have a recall on some of there products.
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/news/20101012/blue-buffalo-dog-food-recalled
I have 2 adult dogs and 1 puppy. One of my adult dogs recently developed environment and food allergies. We decided to keep all of the dogs on the same food (Blue Buffalo Basics Salmon), instead of feeding them 3 separate foods. This food works well with the adult dog’s allergies. She is not itchy nor red/scaly any longer. The adults dogs stool are perfect.
The puppy has been eating the food for a little over a month and has extremely loose frequesnt stools. This food and any food we have tried (except IAMS puppy) causes it.
CAUTION! PURCHASING BLUE BUFFALO DOG FOOD MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES FOR YOUR DOG. I purchased a medium size bag of BLUE BUFFALO LIFE PROTECTION SENIOR FORMULA dog food on 10/20/10 and my dog had extreme bloody diarrhea by 10/27/10. Previous to this episode my dog had finished her first small bag of the weight control chicken & brown rice formula without incident. My vet in Irvine, CA reported seeing several dogs with similar symptoms that had recently purchased a new bag of blue buffalo dog food. Apparently my dog had the most severe reaction, with diarrhea lasting 2 weeks and an intestinal tract infection, resulting in vet bills totaling $478.13. PetsMart took the product back for a full refund (without the bag) and took a full report of the incident and copies of my vet bills to file a report with their corporate office.
what??? I am feeding wilderness not the same granted but this is worrisome…….why haven’t we heard anything else about this?
Do you think that your dog was just a “flook” with the Blue food you changed him/her to? It seems from everyone’s review that this dog food is the best food overall for ALL types of dogs. Did your vet actually advise you that his/her problems were from the Blue food for certain? Was your vet able to verify it was indeed from the food or possibly from something else? What would be in the food that would cause this type of reaction since all of the ingredients look to be all natural and vitamins. I am unable to find any ingredient in this Blue food that would have any type of negative impact on any dog. Are there any ingredients that anyone knows here that “may” cause any type of health problems? Thanks for your help and time. I have a 4 month old Maltese and he has been eating Pro Pac since he was born. I have noticed that his stool is very soft and he is unable to get on a normal schedule of “when” he poops and pees. My previous dogs went pee and poop like clockwork. There are many people here that are claiming that their dog goes like clockwork now after using Blue. I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kevin
I recently changed my dog to Blue Buffalo from Innova due to buy out by Proctor & Gamble and very bad Diarrhia.
Now I am rethinking Blue Buffalo Longevity or any Blue Buffalo food is not safe. So what dog food is safe??? I am fed up with relying and trusting only to find out dog foods/treats are NO LONGER SAFE. Wasn’t the FDA supposed to protect us from this? And protect humans
I started my 2 cocker spaniels on this a week ago. I didn’t wean them off their old food because their old food was horrible and I just wanted them on good food. My 6 year old dog had been prone to ear infections and her coat had become course and brittle. After only one week on this food, her ear infection was completely cleared up. Her ears looked like they did when she was 2 years old.. her coat is also much softer. I really didn’t expect these kind of results. They both eat the food.. don’t gobble it up but eat it through-out the day. To everyone who says their pet will not eat the food I recommend waiting it out, they are prone to eat it if they are hungry enough. Give a kid a plate of vegetables and chicken, he or she may scoff at it too. Give them an happy meal from Mc Donalds and it’s gone in seconds… My dogs stools have been normal. They didn’t have any problem with the transition, which I am grateful for, but even if they had I would have stuck it out.
I am researching a LOW RESIDUE dry food for my dogs. They were on Hill’s ID and all three became sick with significant and extended GI issues.
Can anyone give me feedback if they have dogs that require LOW RESIDUE diet … right now they are all on pumpkin, boiled white meat chicken and white rice.
I don’t want to put them on heavy medication again … would like to see if anyone has had good luck with BLUE BUFFALO LIFESTAGES.
In my research this looks like a viable path to get them back on dry food.
Thanks very much!
AML
I will probably never be able to use this food again after it just put my two Corgis through a month of kidney symptoms and blood and urine tests to find out what was wrong. They were on the verge of needing IV fluids to support their kidneys when my vet contacted a pathologist who told her about the Vitamin D toxicity related recall. They are on different food now and are recovering quickly. I will be watching to see if there are any long term affects but this was an awful experience and this food is not worth this kind of stress.
Which BB food were you feeding your Corgis and for how long (time period) did you feed them that brand? I look forward to your response—and I’m so happy your dogs are better!
Interesting! I just tried to switch my puppy/dog over from BB’s puppy formula to the adult lamb and brown rice fomula (basic). He started drinking TONS of water (in excess of a gallon a day for a 50-lb dog), and was unable to hold it in the house. My mother remembered the prior recall, and we switched him immediately to another brand, and within 24 hours he was back to normal. He had only been eating it a few days, and we have not seen any lasting effects.
Just was curious if others have had this issue with the regular line rather than the Wilderness? I had seen recall info from 2010, but it was specific to Wilderness.
I have a small breed who was on an ID diet due to stomach problems for 8 months, the vet never informed me that he would be unable to tolerate anything other then the ID diet. I asked my sisters dog trainer about what if anything I can try and she highly recommended Blue Buffalo and not only does Spot love it but he was not gotten sick. And an added bonus is my once lazy little man now has more energy and I love it. Thanks Blue Buffalo for making great food that I can be certain is good for my dog and safe for him to eat.
I have realized that the Merrick that I am feeding our six Shelties is giving them horrible gas. I love the food, what it does for their coats and their overall physical condition. I had home cooked for them for several years because I want to know where the ingredients come from and exactly what is in their food. Time constraints make home cooking impossible right now, but i can’t tolerate the gas either.
I want to feed one food to all, from our retired show dogs to our younger dogs just starting their careers.
Is Blue Buffalo the one for MY Shelties ?
Thanks for your input
Hi just started to feed blue to my Doberman puppy for about a week now and his stools are still very loose just wondering if anyone has had same problem switching to this food I had him on taste of the wild and switched him as he was going about 5 time a day which I thought was to much. Just wondering if anyone has had their dog with loose stools for this long after switching. Also can you swithch the flavor of the blue for a change every few bags or would you have to slowly introduce new flavors. Thanks
I hope you noticed that on the bag it says to make the switch over 14 days, not the usual 5-7 days. I just switched my 6 month lab to the Longevity Puppy formula because I heard that they poop less and don’t need as much. It has been 13 days and I have noticed the stools are so much firmer and easier for me to pick up. I did notice every time I increased the proportions over the last 2 weeks she seemed to have a little gas–but it clears up quickly as she adjusts–and she loves the food! I am thinking this food just takes longer to adjust to…and you may have to continue with the old food longer. I changed the ratio about every 4 days. I too would like to know about switching flavors within the BB line–14 days is a long time! So far I am very happy with BB!
I have a 7 yr old Amstaff/Shepherd rescue and a 2 yr old GSD. I started the GSD on Blue Wilderness formula at 10 weeks of age and began switching my rescue over at that time. I questioned the high protein level at the time but my breeder checked it for me and said the other ratios were in line and that her pups are raw fed and get higher protein levels than Blue. I also mix it with water to help with kidney function. I’ve mostly fed the chicken but have switched to the duck or salmon from time to time with no adverse reactions. Both dogs are doing great on this food.
Hi Bill and Sylvia, If you decide to change up th flavors for your furry family members(being they are still BB) It should be a 50/50 ratio over a couple days. It doesnt take as long for your dog to adjust to because their formulas are VERY similar. This is ok to do with all BB’s line except if your dog is on the Basics for allergy reasons or the Wilderness-high-protein diet for health reasons. Hope this helps!
Kim, I have two schaunzers, a rottweiler and an australian shepard and I am having trouble with all of them with alot of gas and loose stools. They all have been on the food for approx. months now and I have seen no indication of it getting better. I have had to remove the food from my one schaunzer because he was actually having diarreha in his crate and blood in his loose stool and he never did that before when I was feeding Canidae! I think I am going to have to take all my dogs off and go back to Canidae. Good luck!
Karen, which formula were you feeding your dogs? Have you had your Schnauzer allergy tested? If you are not already, try the Basics formula. This is not as harsh on your dogs belly’s because it has no eggs or dairies in it. It also has limited ingredients for those sensitive dogs tummies.
I have two senior Chinese Cresteds. The male suffers from constipation frequently and the female scratches herself horribly. I believe the scratching is due to allergies. I purchased Blue Buffalo Wilderness canned food, which is without grains, in hopes that the scratching will stop. Does anyone know anything about this, or could recommend another type of food?
Hi Sharyn,
I use Blue Buffalo Basic dry food. It is for dogs with food allergies.
My golden retriever and bernese mountain dog love it. The bernese
used to have terrible gas and he doesnt anymore. Their coats
look great, their energy level is good. I have tried other foods which
don’t even compare with the great results of Blue Buffalo.
A lot of dogs especially fair skinned or in your case almost no hair, have skin issues and allergies. For an animal that has possible allergies, put them on fish and sweet potato food for a few weeks and then slowly add something like, say chicken back into her diet to see if the reaction happens again (my rednose rescue pit was allergic to all chicken and chicken by products and it wasnt until I did a raw diet and also gave suplements to boost her immune system that she recovered from the allergies, which had caused a double ear infection and a mange outbreak)You can also use benadryl as needed in the begining for relief but finding the source is the most important thing. Could be fleas or a cleaner you use in your home or it could be chicken or wheat or grains in general (food allergies frequently cause dogs to lick their feet until they have hot spots on them and ear issues in floppy eared dogs) but only add 1 item back in per 2 week period so you can give her system time to adjust.
I would talk to my vet about both problems. They are suffering and need help. Can you imagine being constipated and itching constantly??? Your dogs need serious help.
Try the Salmon based Basics formula
If you are still feeding your old dry-then move over to the Blue Wilderness dry(100% grain free). You will notice a change in a couple of weeks. Also if you are bathing 1 a week-stop-it’s like you shampooing your hair 3x a day.
Hi have a 7 month old Shiba INu and have tried many foods. He was last on Canidae, which he liked at first but then got sick of and refused to eat it unless he was starving. We recently switched over to Blue Wilderness Salmon Recipe and he loves it! He is excited about dinner again, and even when we were first transitioning him to the new food. He would actually eat around the Canidae to get to the BLue WIlderness. Once it was all gone he would leave the Canidae in his dish. He was also very gassy, and that has diminished since we made the Switch. BLue wilderness is great dog food for our little guy. And he loves it!!!
My husband and I recently adopted a husky/white german shepherd mix from a kill shelter, and he was in poor condition. We switched his diet to Blue Wilderness, and he is doing so much better. The constant horrible gas has lessened quite a bit, his stool is actually firm now, and he has more energy. I definitely recommend this dog food.
Has anyone experienced problems with incontinence with any of the BB foods?
We have a 4 month old Golden Retriever who was fed purina pro plan from the breeder. When we brought her home at 8 wks old, her poops were normal and firm. I started her immediately on 35lb bag of BB Large Breed puppy food because I heard it was good. The entire time she went through this bag of food, her stools were very loose and wet. When we finished this bag, we switched to BB chicken/brown rice puppy formula. After switching to this bag, she began having severe diarhea multiple times throughout the day and night, even having several accidents in her cage at night.
Two days ago, we decided to switch away from Blue even though I still have about 20lbs of food left in the bag. We started her on Nutro Large breed puppy after our vet recommended it… so far, her stools are already starting to get more firm and she is having to go less often. I can’t say we had a good experience with BB.
Sounds like you switched too fast. Start slow and take 14 days!
I have a young rhodesian ridgeback, and she’s worth every penny of giving her better quality dog food then mainstream fillers and by-products that most big corperate cheap dog food companies use. Anymore then i’d feed my kids mcdonalds every day over homecooked meals. does she get the occasional treat; of course, i’m guilty, once in a while when she deserves it, she might get some leftovers that aren’t the “ideal” part of a dogs diet, just like cookies and donuts aren’t great for us either but we love ‘em… or if i’m in a hurry and last minute realize she’s out of food, i’ll grab a small bag of dog chow at the convenient store to get through the night in a pinch; but daily and on the regular she eats blue buffalo. she’s healthy as can be, never a bad vet visit yet, her stools are regular, her coat is perfect, and her weight/energy levels are ideal. my girlfriend has a weimeraner who’s mine’s best friend, and she switched too, and of course at first his stools were a bit runny as he got used to it, but now, his coat is better, stools are better, and he’s healthier then ever. at the age of 6 he’s acting like a energetic puppy again. i’m happy with the brand.
I just wanted to say that me and my Bloodhound mix love this food she poops like clockwork happy happy dog. Her coat is just amazing and her shedding has dropped 75%. Alot of my friends who have pets and seen her before BB are switching. They see the difference in her personallity and her coat. Her hair feels like silk. Thankyou Robert.