Dogster is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review 2024: Pros, Cons & Verdict

Written by: Nicole Cosgrove

Last Updated on April 11, 2024 by Dogster Team

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review 2024: Pros, Cons & Verdict

Review Summary

Our Final Verdict

We give Blue Buffalo dog food a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Blue Buffalo is one of the largest dog food manufacturers in the United States, and its surge to the top is due to the fact that it creates high-quality and nutritious food for dogs.

It makes all its food in the United States, and it has recipes for just about everything. In short, we highly recommend Blue Buffalo dog food for your pup.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here, we go over everything that you need to know about Blue Buffalo dog food. This way, you can make your own decision about what’s right for your dog.

divider-paw

At a Glance: The Best Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recipes

Rating Image Product Details
other
Winner
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Adult Chicken Dry Dog Food
  • Multiple bag sizes
  • High-quality ingredients
  • Great mix of price and value
  • Second place
    Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Dog Food Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Dog Food
  • Extremely high protein content
  • Multiple size options available
  • High-quality ingredients
  • Third place
    Blue Buffalo Homestyle Chicken Canned Dog Food Blue Buffalo Homestyle Chicken Canned Dog Food
  • Only high-quality ingredients
  • You can purchase in bulk
  • Wet food formula is great for picky eaters
  • Blue Buffalo Life Protection Adult Lamb Dry Dog Food Blue Buffalo Life Protection Adult Lamb Dry Dog Food
  • Great source of high quality protein for healthy muscle development
  • Contains glucosamine for joint health and mobility
  • Multiple size options available
  • Blue Buffalo Freed Adult Chicken Dog Food Blue Buffalo Freed Adult Chicken Dog Food
  • Completely free of grains and gluten
  • Protein-rich
  • No corn, wheat, or soy
  • divider-pawBlue Buffalo Dog Food Reviewed

    Let’s learn all about Blue Buffalo dog food, so you can see if it’s the right choice for your dog. Whether you want to know where it’s made or more about the ingredients, we break it all down for you here.

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula

    Who Makes Blue Buffalo and Where Is It Produced?

    Like most dog food companies, Blue Buffalo doesn’t own itself. It’s owned by General Mills, which in addition to Blue Buffalo and its comprehensive cereal collection, owns Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Pillsbury, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, and others.

    Blue Buffalo does make all its products in the United States, with the exception of its Chomp ‘n Chew Dog treats, which are made in Ireland. Having all the production facilities in the United States ensures a higher level of quality control.

    Which Types of Dogs Is Blue Buffalo Best Suited For?

    Blue Buffalo is an excellent general-purpose dog food that is best suited for pups that don’t have dietary restrictions or medical conditions. Whether you have a couch potato for a pup or an extremely active running dog, Blue Buffalo has a great dog food for them.

    With choices that range from puppy formulas to senior recipes, you can start your dog on Blue Buffalo early on and never switch them to another brand. It also sells tons of different treat options, so if you like Blue Buffalo, you don’t ever need to feed your dog anything else!

    Which Types of Dogs Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

    While Blue Buffalo is a great dog food choice for most pups, it’s sometimes better to go with something else. That’s especially true if your dog has many food allergies or other medical conditions.

    If this is the case with your dog, we recommend an option like Hill’s Prescription Diet. It has high-quality ingredients, and your vet can help you determine if it’s the right choice for your dog before you order it.

    divider-multipet

    Discussion of the Primary Ingredients

    When you’re evaluating dog food, you should check the ingredient list. With any Blue Buffalo product, you get good results.

    The first ingredient in all its foods is a “deboned” protein, either “deboned chicken,” “deboned salmon,” or “deboned lamb,” depending on the recipe that you go with.

    From there, one of the most common ingredients is “chicken meal” or “fish meal.” While protein “meals” might not seem like the best choice, the consensus is that as long as the company lists the source of protein, they’re a good thing. “Meal” products provide more protein than you can get with regular deboned protein choices. So, if you want to up the protein content in your dog’s food, which many dogs need, get some sort of meal product.

    Blue Buffalo prioritizes putting ingredients in your dog food that you are familiar with, so you’re not feeding them filler or other low-quality ingredients without realizing it.

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula

    Made in the U.S.A.

    When you’re shopping for your pet’s food, you want high-quality ingredients, and that starts with being able to trust what you read on the ingredient label. Going with a company that not only makes its dog food in the United States but also sources as many ingredients as possible in the country is a huge step in the right direction.

    Also, Blue Buffalo is extremely transparent about where all its ingredients come from. Chicken, turkey, beef, and grains come from the United States, while its lamb and venison products either come from the United States or New Zealand.

    It gets rabbit from Europe and fish products from the United States or Canada. Blue Buffalo does its best to source all the nutrients and other ingredients from the U.S., but when it can’t get it here, it subjects all the nutrients to stringent testing protocols to ensure that it’s getting exactly what it ordered and nothing else.

    Tons of Options

    Each dog is a unique situation, so you can’t go with a one-size-fits-all dog food. Blue Buffalo understands this, hence why it has so many different recipe options. It has foods for lazy dogs, active dogs, dogs with food allergies, and just about any other dog that you can think of.

    This means you can get the perfect food for your dog, whatever their needs are.

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food

    A Quick Look at Blue Buffalo Dog Food

    Pros
    • Only high-quality ingredients
    • Plenty of recipes
    • Multiple size options
    • Outstanding mix of price and value
    • Plenty of health benefits
    Cons
    • Limited prescription choices

    Recall History

    Blue Buffalo has had one notable recall, according to the FDA. But it was a voluntary recall completed out of an abundance of caution. Neither the FDA nor Blue Buffalo received any reports of this dog food having any negative effects on dogs.

    It also only affected one batch of one type of dog food, making it a relatively small recall. This response shows that Blue Buffalo is willing to do the right thing if there’s even a chance of contamination or other ill effects, and it also highlights how few recalls affect Blue Buffalo products.

    divider-dog

    Reviews of the 3 Best Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recipes

    Blue Buffalo has many different recipes for you to choose from, but if you’re considering Blue Buffalo for your dog, these are three of the best choices:

    1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken & Rice Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food

    This is Blue Buffalo’s best-selling dog food, and there’s a reason that it’s so popular. It’s an outstanding mix of price and quality, so you can give your pup a highly nutritious meal without completely draining your bank account.

    There are also many size options available, enabling you to save even more money by purchasing in bulk. This Blue Buffalo recipe supports a healthy immune system, muscles, skin, and coat, and it provides all the necessary nourishment for your pup to thrive.

    However, it’s mainly for dogs that live an average active lifestyle. If your dog is on the lazier or more active side of things, you’ll probably want to go with one of Blue Buffalo’s other recipes.

    Pros
    • Multiple bag sizes
    • High-quality ingredients
    • Great mix of price and value
    • Supports healthy immune systems
    • Great for muscles, skin, and coat
    Cons
    • Low protein content for active dogs

    2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    If you have an active pup, they require a high-protein diet to help them get all the nutrients that they need. You will want to go with the Blue Buffalo Wilderness line of dog food. The salmon recipe is great for pups with sensitive stomachs, but there are multiple different protein options.

    No matter which one you choose, you’ll get high-protein dog food to help sustain an active lifestyle, and there are tons of other high-quality ingredients to keep your dog healthy. Like all Blue Buffalo products, it’s made in the United States, and there are multiple size options available.

    However, compared to its Life Protection Formula recipes, its Wilderness recipes are slightly more expensive, especially when you compare them pound for pound.

    Pros
    • Extremely high protein content
    • Multiple size options are available
    • High-quality ingredients
    • Great food for active dogs
    • Made in the U.S.A.
    Cons
    • Slightly expensive

    3. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Chicken Dinner Canned Dog Food

    BUFFALO Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Brown Rice Canned Dog

    While dry dog foods are great for most dogs, sometimes you need to mix things up with wet food. Maybe you have a picky eater on your hands, or perhaps your pup has a medical condition that prevents them from eating dry foods.

    No matter your dog’s situation, if they need a wet food, the Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner With Garden Vegetables Canned Dog Food is an outstanding choice. It has high-quality ingredients, is made in the U.S.A., and is a complete and nutritious meal.

    It is expensive compared to regularly dry kibble, but you can purchase it in bulk to try and keep the cost down.

    Pros
    • Only high-quality ingredients
    • Wet food formula great for picky eaters
    • Can be purchased in bulk
    • Made in the U.S.A.
    • Complete and nutritious formula
    Cons
    • Expensive

    What Other Users Are Saying

    • Chewy: Multiple users on Chewy comment about how their picky dogs love their Blue Buffalo dog food and how it’s great for pups with sensitive stomachs!
    • Amazon: As pet owners, we always double-check with Amazon buyers’ reviews before purchasing something. You can read these by clicking here.

    divider-food2

    Conclusion

    If you’re in the market for a new type of dog food for your pup, Blue Buffalo is an option to consider. It has high-quality ingredients and stringent quality-control procedures, so you can feel confident that you’re giving your dog a healthy and nutritious meal with every scoop and bowlful.

    There’s a reason that the company is well-known for creating top-notch dog food, so if you’re on the fence, go ahead and give it a shot. Your pup and their health will thank you for it.

    See also: 

    Get Dogster in your inbox!

    Stay informed! Get tips and exclusive deals.
    Dogster Editors Choice Badge
    Shopping Cart

    Pangolia

    © Pangolia Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved.