Blue Buffalo pet food recalls 2007-2022
| Month, Year | Product | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| March 2017 | BLUE Wilderness® Rocky Mountain Recipe TM Red Meat Dinner Wet Food For Adult Dogs | elevated levels of beef thyroid hormones |
| February 2017 | BLUE Divine Delights 3.5 oz. cups; BLUE Wilderness Trail Trays 3.5 oz. cups | packaging quality |
| February 2017 | Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight; Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables canned dog food | aluminum |
| May 2016 | Life Protection Formula Fish & Sweet Potato Recipe for Dog | mold |
| November 2015 | Cub Size Wilderness Wild Chews Bones | salmonella |
| June 2015 | Kitty Yums Chicken Recipe Cat Treats | propylene glycol |
| October 2010 | Blue Wilderness Chicken Flavor dry dog food; Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Formula Salmon; Potato Recipe dry dog food; Blue Life Protection Formula Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Large Breed Adult dog food | increased vitamin D level |
| April 2007 | Spa Select Kitten dry food | melamine |
Blue Buffalo, which was bought by General Mills in February 2018 for $8 billion, did not issue a public response to the FDA’s report.
The FDA said it received 31 reports of DCM involving dogs that were fed the Blue Buffalo brand, which was the sixth highest number of DCM-related deaths among the 16 brands under investigation.
In addition to Blue Buffalo, the brands cited by the FDA are Acana, California Natural, Earthborn Holistic, 4Health, Fromm, Merrick, Nature’s Domain, Nature’s Variety, Natural Balance, NutriSource, Nutro, Orijen, Rachael Ray Nutrish, Taste of the Wild and Zignature.
Wilton-based Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc. is one of 16 dog food brands cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as being a probable contributing cause of canine congestive heart failure.
The FDA did not call for any of the dog foods to be recalled, nor did it warn dog owners to avoid the brands, but instead asked dog owners to “work with their veterinarians, who have the ability to consult a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, to obtain the most appropriate dietary advice.”
So is Blue Buffalo really killing dogs?
Apart from the mentioned lawsuits, in June 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listed Blue Buffalo among 16 pet food brands that could potentially increase the risk of canine heart disease. Namely, FDA suspected that grain-free dog diets high in legumes and potatoes could be linked to higher occurrences of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Nonetheless, no products have been recalled as the investigation results were inconclusive.
Online customer reviews also state that Blue Buffalo causes intense vomiting, bloating, seizures, and internal bleeding. Some people go as far as saying that Blue Buffalo dog food is killing dogs.
So should you believe these terrible claims, and is Blue Buffalo really making dogs sick?
The main reason is that the negative online reviews alleging Blue Buffalo of harmful ingredients are purely anecdotal. It’s important to remember that when a dog gets sick, many other factors are at play. Unless a dog owner reports a pet food complaint straight to the FDA and there’s a thorough investigation, there’s no clear evidence that it was the pet food that caused the sickness in the first place.
The FDA hasn’t received any massive reports about pets getting sick due to consuming Blue Buffalo, apart from the unconfirmed link between heart disease and Blue Buffalo’s grain-free line. Also, none of the dog food products manufactured by Blue Buffalo has been recalled in the last five years.
FAQ
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