Blue Buffalo Dog Food

Canine Nutrition and Safety

Dog lovers learned a hard lesson from the 2007 Menu Foods dog food recall. You can never be complacent about your dog's nutrition or the quality of his food. Many unsavory facts have come to light about the manufacturing of dog foods, including what really goes into the kibble and how dog food manufacturers meet those minimum nutritional standards. This information sent many pet owners in search of organic and holistic products for their pets.

Blue Buffalo Dog Food is one of several brands that appears to be a healthier alternative to the average processed kibble.

About Blue Buffalo Dog Food

According to the makers of Blue Buffalo, their philosophy about feeding dogs is a simple one. If it isn't good enough for people to eat, it's not good enough to serve dogs. Blue Buffalo takes a holistic approach to dog nutrition as evidenced by their ingredients and processing standards.

Standard Ingredients

This brand does not include animal by-products in any of its formulas. Animal by-products are anything left over from an animal after the real meat has been removed from the bone. Lesser dog food brands use these by-products as a cheap source of protein to meet minimum government standards. However, by-products are generally harder to digest than real meat, so it's doubtful that a dog receives the full amount of protein intended when a significant portion of the food passes through his system undigested. In comparison, real meat is always the first ingredient in every Blue formula.

Blue Buffalo also includes a variety of fruits and vegetables as a source of phytonutrients, minerals, antioxidants, vitamins and fibers. Many other brands pass these valuable ingredients by, but your dog's overall health can certainly benefit from fruits and veggies as part of a balanced diet.

What Blue Leaves Out

This brand also chooses to leave out a number of common ingredients.

• No glutens: Corn, wheat and soy are all used as fillers in many dog food brands because they are another cheap source of protein that can be used to meet the minimum crude analysis listed on every package. However, these glutens provide inferior proteins that are difficult for dogs to digest. Additionally, these three grains have been linked to a number of food allergies in dogs. Blue Buffalo chooses not to use them, and instead add grains that provide complex carbohydrates for energy.
• No artificial colors or flavors: When a dog food is made with high quality ingredients, there should be no reason to enhance the product with artificial ingredients. These items provide no nutritional value, and it's only people who care about what the food looks like.
• No chemical preservatives: Common dog food preservatives like ethoyquin, BHA and BHT have been identified as toxins. Yes, they do preserve the food for a longer shelf life, but they are not worth the health risk they pose.

Superior Processing

Most dog foods are processed at high temperatures, with the nutritional additives processed together with the protein sources. This method can lead to a break down in vitamins and antioxidents, further robbing the food of it's nutritional content. At Blue, nutritional additives are cold processed separately. This leads to two types of kibble in every blend, the larger protein food bites and the smaller LifeSource® Bits that contain valuable minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

This brand is also available in canned food varieties.

Blue Buffalo Varieties

Blue Buffalo offers a variety of formulas for puppies, adults and senior dogs. You can choose a specific flavor or opt for a variety specially formulated for your dog's size. The company website also provides the complete ingredient list for every variety of Blue, as well as the crude analysis, so you can see exactly what goes into every bag.

Reports of Digestive Upset

Although many pet owners report being happy after switching to Blue, others report that their dogs experienced digestive problems, including gassiness and diarrhea. It's possible that these upsets were caused by switching to the richer formula too quickly, and most owners note that their dogs recovered in a few weeks and are now doing well on the new diet. Others reported no improvement and switched their dogs to another brand altogether. In the end, only you can judge if Blue Buffalo is the right food for your dog, so make the change gradually to avoid shocking your dog's digestive tract.

You can read a number of customer reviews on Blue Buffalo at RateItAll.com.

Visit Blue Buffalo

For more information, visit BlueBuffalo.com. You can compare Blue to several popular brands, and find out how to receive a free sample for your pet. You can also use their search engine to find a retailer near you.