To dog owners, raising a dog is almost like raising a child. The affection you have for them is enough to make you want to give them only the best things! And the food is one of those. It’s a basic need for your pets. A dog’s food hugely affects its health and growth. There are even dog foods specialized for certain conditions. More often than not you need to spend more to get the best dog food that can fulfill your dog’s nutrient. Plus the kibbles need to match your dog’s palate. You would need extra effort to feed your dog if it’s not their cup of tea. That’s why; choosing a brand to feed your dog should never be an instant decision. Some of the popular names in the dog food market are Kirkland Dog Food and Blue Buffalo. How good are they? Which one is better for your dog? This article will let you know as we compare Kirkland Dog Food vs Blue Buffalo!
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.
3 Most Popular Kirkland Dog Food Recipes
Part of the reason why this food is so inexpensive is because it uses turkey meal as the first ingredient instead of just plain turkey.
This isn’t necessarily bad — turkey meal has plenty of important nutrients that you won’t find in turkey breast. However, it also shows that they’re trying to cut costs wherever possible, which is understandable in a budget food.
It also limits the overall amount of protein you’ll find in the bag (at 24%, this food is on the lower end of average).
After the turkey meal, there’s a long run of starches and veggies before you get to any more animal-based ingredients. Many of these are fine — we like sweet potatoes and flaxseed — while others are somewhat useless (regular potatoes and tomato pomace, for example).
The only other animal-based product we can find is salmon oil, which is fantastic for dogs, as it’s chock-full of omega fatty acids. It doesn’t really add much in the way of protein, though. Pros
Cons
Greenies Pill Pockets are 41% cheaper at Amazon.
Apologies for the picture of the empty shelf. My Sam’s Club was out of stock. I guess all those shoppers didn’t know that Greenies are cheaper on Amazon.
Sam’s Club charges $16.78 for a 23.7 oz box of Greenies. That’s $0.71 per ounce. After Amazon Subscribe & Save discounts, a bag of Greenies is just $3.29 for a 7.9 oz bag or $0.42 per ounce.
Shipping :
FAQ
Is Blue Buffalo cheaper at Costco?
What was the controversy about Blue Buffalo dog food?
Who makes Costco Kirkland dog food?
What dog food is better than Blue Buffalo?
However, it’s such high-quality food at such a low price that we think it’s a better deal than Blue Buffalo, and we’d recommend purchasing it over the premium brand. Also, there have been a few safety issues with Blue Buffalo that concern us.