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.
Is Blue Buffalo Bad For Dogs?
Blue Buffalo is above-average dog food when it comes to ingredients and their quality. Compared to cheaper dog food brands such as Purina Dog Chow, Blue Buffalo uses meat as the primary protein source of their products. Deboned chicken, beef, duck, and salmon are common protein sources used in Blue Buffalo products.
At the same time, the brand also uses complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and barley. While these are excellent sources of energy, they offer minimum nutritional value for your dog.
Blue Buffalo is also known for using controversial ingredients such as garlic, dried yeast, and sodium selenite.
On top of that, Blue Buffalo has received some bad rap over the last years due to their aggressive marketing and potentially deceiving practices. The critics are stating Blue Buffalo is positioning itself as a holistic pet food brand without providing scientific research behind its formulations and actual feeding trials.
However, Blue Buffalo isn’t necessarily bad for dogs. If your dog is doing fine on Blue Buffalo, stick to it. But if you’re switching to Blue Buffalo, make sure to keep a close eye on your dog’s stools, weight, and energy levels.
Is Blue Buffalo Making Dogs Sick?
Blue Buffalo is a famous US-based pet food brand that claims to use only all-natural finest ingredients. Instead of cheap corn fillers and meat meals, Blue Buffalo products derive their protein from quality meat sources and whole grains such as brown rice. Each product also contains trademarked “cold-formed” LifeSource Bits – a blend of nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants critical for a dog’s proper development and functioning.
Sounds too good to be true? Unfortunately, it might be.
Despite its advertised rigorous testing and premium quality, Blue Buffalo has been hit by several lawsuits and scandals over the recent years. The plaintiffs alleged the brand of bad ingredients quality and misleading marketing.
The most recent class-action lawsuit against Blue Buffalo was filed in 2020. The plaintiff Shannon Walton fed the dog BLUE Wilderness Rocky Mountain since it was advertised to be inspired by a natural wolf’s diet. Walton claimed that Blue Buffalo dog food caused her pet to gain significant weight and get diabetes. After the investigation, lawyers found that a plate of BLUE Wilderness kibble contained more carbohydrates than a meat-eating wolf would consume in a lifetime, thus accusing the brand of misleading marketing.
Three years earlier, in June 2017, Vladi Zakinov accused Blue Buffalo of selling foods that contain high levels of lead – a toxic chemical with multiple health hazards. The foods mentioned in the lawsuit included Blue Wilderness Chicken Recipe for Small Breed Adult Dogs; Blue Freedom GrainFree Chicken Recipe for Small Breed Adult Dogs; and Blue Basics Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe for Adult Dogs. The lawsuit was dismissed a year later.
The biggest storm of lawsuits hit Blue Buffalo in 2014. Several dog owners carried out independent testing on some of the Blue Buffalo products and eventually filed a class-action lawsuit. The group accused Blue Buffalo of deceptive advertising and claimed that Blue Buffalo dog food ingredients do not conform to the brand’s True Blue Promise. For example, independent testing revealed that:
Blue Buffalo admitted working with a shady supplier who supposedly sent mislabeled ingredients to the manufacturing facility. They also filed a complaint against two of their suppliers in the next year. The lawsuit ended in a settlement, and the company paid $32 million to the plaintiffs.
Is there a problem with Blue Buffalo dog food?
Blue Buffalo is a brand that pet owners either love or hate. Some call it the best dog food ever made. Others claim Blue Buffalo is making their dogs sick and causing vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.
Blue Buffalo has bit hit with a lot of criticism and several lawsuits over the recent years. However, there’s no clear evidence that Blue Buffalo food is making dogs sick. The brand hasn’t had any active recalls since 2017, and most of the claims that Blue Buffalo dog food is killing dogs are anecdotal.
Read on to learn why Blue Buffalo has been criticized so much, the complete Blue Buffalo recall history, and what vets think about Blue Buffalo dog food.