One of the primary questions many pet owners ask themselves when shopping for their animals is, “Are the premium foods really worth it?”
After all, some of the high-end foods can easily cost twice as much as the kibble you get from big box stores. Many owners are willing to pay premium prices if it means that their dogs will be healthier and happier, but they wouldn’t want to spend that additional money if it wasn’t worth it.
Today, we’re going to try to answer that question by comparing Kirkland Dog Food, a budget-friendly kibble, with Blue Buffalo, which is at the higher end of the price spectrum.
Did the premium food prove that it’s worth the price, or did the inexpensive upstart pull off the upset? Read on to find out.
Where To Buy Hill’s Science Diet Pet Foods
You can purchase Hills Science Diet pet food products from these retailers:
35% OFF
Recall History of Kirkland Dog Food and Blue Buffalo
Kirkland has had a couple of recalls in the past few years. The biggest was in 2007, when they were part of what was known as “The Great Melamine Recall.”
Over 100 brands were affected by the recall, in which foods that were processed in a facility in China were tainted by melamine, a chemical found in plastics. Thousands of pets were killed as a result, but we don’t know if any of those animals were harmed as a result of eating Kirkland specifically.
They also had a Salmonella scare in 2012, but there were no injuries reported.
Blue Buffalo has had quite a few more recalls to deal with. They were also a part of the Great Melamine Recall, but again, we don’t know if any animals were affected by Blue Buffalo’s products.
There was an issue with vitamin D levels that caused a recall in 2010, and they took back some chew bones in 2015 over Salmonella concerns.
2016 saw them recalling canned foods due to mold, while the next year they recalled other canned foods because they might have metal in them. They also recalled some other canned foods that same year due to the presence of elevated beef thyroid hormone levels.
Blue Buffalo has also been named by the FDA as one of 16 foods that could potentially be linked to heart disease. The evidence is far from clear, but it’s worrisome all the same.
FAQ
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