Pet owners want the very best for their furry companions. Naturally, they seek advice from veterinarians on important decisions like which dog food to choose. Blue Buffalo is a popular brand that markets itself as a high-quality, natural pet food.
But do veterinarians actually recommend Blue Buffalo dog food to clients?
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: While some vets recommend Blue Buffalo, others have concerns about unsubstantiated health claims and potential links to pet illnesses. Overall, veterinarian recommendations vary on the brand.
Background on Blue Buffalo Dog Food
History and marketing of the brand
Blue Buffalo was founded in 2002 by Bill Bishop after his family dog Blue was diagnosed with cancer. He wanted to create a natural, healthy dog food free of by-products and artificial ingredients. The company is headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut and emphasizes using high-quality proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in their recipes.
Blue Buffalo built its brand around the tagline “Love them like family. Feed them like family.” Their marketing highlights the use of ingredients you would find in your own kitchen rather than mystery meats and artificial additives.
The packaging features real meat as the first ingredient and contains no chicken/poultry by-product meals. In 2003, they introduced the Blue line of dog and cat foods followed by the Blue Wilderness line in 2007 featuring grain-free recipes thatmimic the diet of wolves.
The product lineup has continued to expand over the years while promoting premium, natural ingredients.
Ingredients and formulation used
The key ingredients Blue Buffalo uses in their dog food include:
- Deboned chicken, turkey, beef, fish, and lamb
- Whole grains like brown rice, barley, and oatmeal
- Fruits and veggies like carrots, blueberries, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and spinach
- Health supplements like glucosamine, chondroitin, omega-3s, probiotics
They avoid ingredients like corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. Their recipes generally have higher protein percentages compared to many standard dog foods. Some veterinary nutritionists have expressed concerns over possible links between diets very high in protein and increased risk of developmental disorders in large breed puppies.
However, for adult dogs, the high meat content aligns with a more natural, ancestral canine diet.
In terms of formulation, Blue Buffalo follows AAFCO nutritional standards and conducts feeding trials to formulate and test their recipes. They also partner with veterinary nutritionists and food scientists to continually evaluate and improve their products.
The company highlights the fact that their foods are made in the USA, allowing for stricter quality control and food safety standards.
Veterinarian Perspectives on Blue Buffalo
Vets who recommend Blue Buffalo and why
Many veterinarians recommend Blue Buffalo dog food because of its high-quality ingredients and strict standards. Here are some of the main reasons vets suggest this brand:
- No meat by-products – Blue Buffalo contains real meat as the first ingredient, not mystery meat by-products.
- No artificial preservatives – They use natural preservatives like vitamin E instead of controversial preservatives like BHA.
- Grain-free options – Some vets recommend grain-free diets for dogs with allergies or sensitivities.
- Variety of formulas – Blue Buffalo offers specialized formulas for different life stages, activity levels, and health conditions.
- Supports immune system – Ingredients like antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals help strengthen the immune system.
- Made in the USA – Their products are manufactured in their own facilities in the United States.
In a survey by Blue Buffalo, over 80% of veterinarians said they would recommend their dog food to clients. Vets like that they offer veterinary formulas tailored to dogs with specific health problems.
Overall, most vets are impressed with the ingredient quality and health benefits of Blue Buffalo recipes.
Vets who do not recommend the brand and their reasoning
While many vets are fans of Blue Buffalo, some do have concerns about this brand and may not actively recommend it to pet owners. Here are some of the top reasons why certain vets avoid suggesting Blue Buffalo:
- Misleading marketing – Their marketing emphasizes buzzwords like “holistic” and “natural” without evidence behind it.
- Too high in protein – The high protein content may overwork some dogs’ kidneys.
- Grain-free caution – Some vets are concerned about possible DCM risks of grain-free diets.
- Quality control issues – There have been recalls related to mold and other contaminants.
- Expense – Blue Buffalo costs considerably more than many competing brands.
- Digestibility problems – Some dogs may have trouble properly digesting all those ingredients.
One survey showed only 9% of veterinary nutritionists would recommend grain-free diets like Blue Buffalo’s. They often suggest owners stick with a tried-and-true brand that meets WSAVA guidelines instead.
Some vets also feel that fancy ingredients like cranberries, spinach, and apples are unnecessary and drive up the price tag.
While most vets agree Blue Buffalo is a higher quality commercial brand, some feel owners can find similar nutrition at a more affordable price point. There are also concerns about the brand’s grain-free formulas in light of the DCM studies.
But many still view it as a good option for pet owners seeking a natural, protein-rich diet.
Ingredient and Nutrient Analysis of Blue Buffalo Formulas
Protein sources used
Blue Buffalo uses high-quality protein sources like chicken, lamb, fish, and eggs in their dog food recipes. Chicken and chicken meal are common primary proteins. They also incorporate novel proteins like bison, duck, venison, and salmon to provide dogs with different protein sources.
This helps dogs who may have food sensitivities to certain proteins.
According to Blue Buffalo’s website, they use proteins certified as fit for human consumption. This ensures quality protein ingredients. They do not use any by-product meals, which can have highly variable nutritional quality.
Carbohydrate ingredients
The main carbohydrate ingredients in Blue Buffalo recipes are grains like oats, barley, brown rice, peas, and potatoes. Some grain-free formulas replace grains with lentils, chickpeas, peas, sweet potatoes, and tapioca.
Blue Buffalo states that they only use whole grains, not grain fractions that can be harder to digest. They also avoid artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives in their carbohydrate ingredients.
Vitamin and mineral content
Blue Buffalo enhances their recipes with supplemental vitamins, chelated minerals, glucosamine, and chondroitin. This helps ensure complete and balanced nutrition. Their LifeSource Bits also provide a package of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
According to Petfood Industry, LifeSource Bits contain vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin E, vitamin D3, vitamin C, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, glucosamine hydrochloride, and chondroitin sulfate. This supports skin, coat, immune system, bone, and joint health.
Blue Buffalo Foods Linked to Pet Illnesses
Reported cases of pet illnesses
In recent years, there have been concerning reports from pet owners that their dogs and cats became ill after eating certain Blue Buffalo pet food products. Some of the most commonly reported symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and lethargy.
Between 2015-2016, the FDA received over 1,000 complaints about dogs and cats becoming ill after consuming Blue Buffalo foods.
In March 2017, a class action lawsuit was filed against Blue Buffalo for allegedly misleading pet owners about the quality of their ingredients and not disclosing the risk of pets getting sick. The plaintiffs claimed that their pets suffered from a variety of gastrointestinal problems after being fed certain Blue Buffalo foods over time.
An investigation found that some Blue Buffalo products contained high levels of lead as well as Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that can be harmful to pets if consumed in large quantities.
Blue Buffalo recalls and FDA warnings
Due to consumer complaints, Blue Buffalo has initiated several voluntary recalls of their cat and dog food products over the years. Here is a timeline of some significant actions:
- October 2010 – Blue Buffalo recalled a single manufacturing batch of Blue Wilderness Chicken dog food due to potential Salmonella contamination.
- May 2016 – The FDA issued a warning letter to Blue Buffalo for making false and misleading claims about ingredients in some of their foods. Tests showed that some products promoted as “grain free” actually contained poultry by-product meal.
- March 2017 – Blue Buffalo recalled one production lot of Homestyle Recipe dog food due to potentially elevated beef thyroid hormone levels.
- March 2018 – Multiple canned dog food products were recalled due to potentially elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone.
While many pet owners have had positive experiences feeding Blue Buffalo, this history of recalls and FDA warnings means consumers should monitor their pets closely for any health issues. It’s also a good idea to discuss your pet’s diet with your veterinarian.
Some pets may be more sensitive to certain ingredients than others.
Blue Buffalo Advertising Controversies and Lawsuits
Criticisms of health and ingredient claims
Blue Buffalo has faced scrutiny over the years for some of their advertising claims about the health and ingredients of their pet foods. In 2014, a lawsuit filed by Nestle Purina alleged that Blue Buffalo’s “True Blue Promise” to never use poultry by-product meals was false.
An independent test found that some Blue Buffalo products contained poultry by-product meal. Blue Buffalo claimed the ingredients were from an unauthorized 3rd party supplier and admitted some food did contain by-product meal, settling the lawsuit in 2015.
There have also been disputes over Blue Buffalo’s claims about ingredients like cranberries, spinach, pumpkin, and other “superfoods”. Competitors have argued that many of these ingredients are present in minuscule amounts not demonstrated to provide health benefits.
In 2016, a lawsuit against Blue Buffalo claiming “misrepresentations and omissions concerning its pet foods’ ingredients and effectiveness” was resolved by an undisclosed settlement.
Legal actions against the company
The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureau has called for Blue Buffalo to modify advertising claims about competing products several times from 2016-2018. This includes ceasing comparison claims against competitor’s products.
As of March 2022, the Better Business Bureau lists 97 complaints against Blue Buffalo in the last 3 years regarding advertising issues, with most complaints settled. However, in 2021 the NAD again recommended Blue Buffalo discontinue certain advertising statements comparing ingredients to competitors, implying health promises not demonstrated by evidence.
While the legally required statements “results may vary” and “consult your veterinarian” do appear in Blue Buffalo’s advertising, the persistence of lawsuits and advertising disputes suggest the company still aggressively markets the implied health and ingredient benefits of its foods versus competitors.
Pet owners should consult their veterinarian and carefully analyze ingredient lists themselves when choosing a food, rather than relying solely on advertising claims.
Conclusion
In conclusion, veterinarians have mixed opinions regarding Blue Buffalo pet foods. Some vets are comfortable recommending certain Blue Buffalo formulas due to their use of quality ingredients. However, other vets express reservations about the brand’s marketing tactics, links to pet illnesses, and legal issues regarding their advertising claims.
Pet owners should thoroughly research any pet food and consult directly with their veterinarian before choosing a diet for their dog.
