Blue Buffalo Dog food

[burdock]

I am asking this to find out if anyone has feed their BC the Blue Buffalo dog food that has such a good rating for no by-products or The Wholesome Goodness of the Finest Natural Ingredients. Looking for a good quality dog food for our Emma.

[Kate@JIm]

I've been feeding Blue Buffalo for about a year now. I should tell you I also cook for my dog, so kibble is only about 30 -40% of his diet.

I haven't had any problems with the kibble.

 

Here's the website

 

http://www.bluebuff.com/

[burdock]

I've been feeding Blue Buffalo for about a year now. I should tell you I also cook for my dog, so kibble is only about 30 -40% of his diet.

I haven't had any problems with the kibble.

 

Here's the website

 

http://www.bluebuff.com/

What do you cook and what version of the Blue do you use or feed I should say, we are trying the Wilderness kibble after reading about the Science Diet scam.

[AmandaMJL]

Here's a GREAT tool for checking out the kibble you are feeding:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

 

It rates kibble on a scale of 1 to 6 (6 being the best) and details why it's rated as such at the bottom of the screen. Some of the info is outdated however you will get a rough idea. My oldest girl is on Orijen Senior Grain free and my pups are on either Acana or Taste of the Wild - we switch it up. I also do some raw feeding here and there.

 

Hope the site helps you

[Liz P]

Here's a GREAT tool for checking out the kibble you are feeding:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

 

I would really like to know who wrote all the reviews. A few things said in those reviews struck me as odd. For example, one said that the food contained no grain and had potato instead. It said this was good because grain was not a natural food source for dogs. And potatoes are??? Seems biased to me. They are both carbohydrate sources. Sure, some dogs handle potato better than corn, but corn is not "bad." A lot has to do with the quality and type of corn that went into the product and how it was processed. (ex: corn grown for livestock feed vs corn grown for human consumption, fine vs course ground corn, etc)

 

The reviews also talk about good plant sources for proteins and fats. Dogs don't efficiently process plant sources of protein or fat, so these are essentially wasted nutrients. This is why people talk about grain as a filler. Grains are fine as a source of carbs, but some pet food companies add things like corn gluten to boost the percentage of analyzed protein in the food, making it look a lot better than it really is.

 

Blue Buffalo seems like a decent food. My one major complaint I have is their use of flax as a source of omega 3 FAs. Again, dogs do not process plant sources of fats and proteins nearly as efficiently as animal sources, so the flax in the food makes you feel better but does nothing for the dog. I would still supplement with fish body oil from a trusted source. (Studies indicate that even humans can't utilize flax seed as a source of omega 3 FAs and need fish body oil instead).

[AmandaMJL]

Corn is one of the top ingredients in food known to cause allergies - I went through ALOT of research for Zoe when she started having allergies, and corn is a HUGE factor. I avoid corn in my dogs food at all costs.

 

I believe that site is a great tool to use, but all dogs are different and have different needs. That site however will give you a rough outline of the quality of food you are feeding.

[burdock]

Your dogs are very well trained to get the shot of them all in a row, very beautiful. We are using the BLUE Life Protection Formula for Adult dogs plus the canned and Emma our BC seems to be handling it alright and she likes it so far. Thanks for all the info this site has some good info also http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts . This is from there site on the Flaxseed ingredient info Flax Seed*

Ground flax seed contains flax seed oil, which is one of the richest sources of the essential Omega 3 fatty acids (linolenic acid). Flax is a good source of essential amino acids and contains all the essential vitamins and minerals required by dogs and cats. Flax is beneficial for its anti-inflammatory effect and has been known to help arthritis and prevent cancer. Flax seed is also a great fiber source that aids in digestion. Also an excellent source of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids that promote healthy skin and coat.

[Liz P]

The two most common allergens in dog food are corn and chicken, and yet no one says chicken is bad for dogs. Why are they the most common allergens? Because they are the most commonly used ingredients! Some dogs do just fine on corn. If your dogs don't do well with corn don't feed any kibble that contains it. I have one dog that can't eat corn, the others do fine on it. I do a rotation feeding schedule with my favorite brands, some of which do contain corn. The dog with the corn allergy gets a different food when I am using one that has corn. Whole, high quality, well processed corn isn't evil. It's just a carbohydrate like potatoes, oats, barley, etc. One thing I don't like to see on a label is corn gluten meal, which tells me that the company is trying to artificially boost the food's analyzed protein content.

 

Flax seed oil contains an omega 3 FA called ALA. The benefits of omega 3 FAs come largely from DHA and EPA. ALA must be converted, via an enzyme, to DHA and EPA. Humans and dogs are not efficient at this conversion. There are countless studies out there about this issue if you would like to read them. Here is just one of the many studies.

[Anda]

*Raises hand as owner of dog with allergy to chicken*

[Jimmyd65]

I am asking this to find out if anyone has feed their BC the Blue Buffalo dog food that has such a good rating for no by-products or The Wholesome Goodness of the Finest Natural Ingredients. Looking for a good quality dog food for our Emma.

 

 

Our rescue dog Gus is on Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice . We just switched from the Organic Chicken & Brown rice to the regular since the Organic has been discontinued. He is doing very well on this food.

[juliepoudrier]

Personally, rather than looking at sites that rank foods for you, I would look at a site like The Dog Food Project, which actually gives a ton of good information on how to choose good foods for your dog. There's even a section on why most ranking systems don't make sense. Really, what it comes down to is what you are comfortable feeding (based on the ingredients listed), what you can afford, and what your dog does well on. The answers to this will not be the same for every person or for every dog. I was just checking out some of the Blue Buffalo foods because I have one picky eater who has decided that California Naturals isn't for her. What struck me was the cost. For one dog, maybe it's not a huge deal, but there are some high-quality foods out there that are less expensive.

 

Anyway, while we all would like for it to be as easy as someone telling us what food is best for our dogs, unfortunately the reality is that the best way to figure that out is to go to a site like the Dog Food Project, eductate yourself, then make an informed decision, and let your dog "tell" you by its health and condition if your choice was indeed suitable for your dog.

 

Liz,

I have always used safflower oil as a means of adding fat to my dogs' diets (in addition to the fish oil caps) because most commercial foods don't contain enough fat, and those that do tend to be really high in protein). From what you're saying it sounds as if I'd be better off using something akin to lard?

 

J.

[Liz P]

My interest in nutrition began back when I was running sled dogs. It can sometimes be a challenge to get enough calories into hard working dogs. They can only eat so much in volume. The research I have read, which is based primarily on sled dogs but also on racing greyhounds and sheepdogs, all says you need animal sources of fats and proteins to get the most bang for your buck. Plant sources of fat may be adequate for young, healthy pet dogs, but athletes need a more efficient source. When you need/want medical benefits from omega 3 FAs you also need an animal based (fish) source.

 

So yes, feeding animal fat would be more efficient. I used to get fat scraps (trimmings) very cheap and sometimes even free from local butchers. Scraps from pasture raised animals are best since they are higher in omega 3 FAs than fat sources from grain fed animals.

[Tommy Coyote]

My interest in nutrition began back when I was running sled dogs. It can sometimes be a challenge to get enough calories into hard working dogs. They can only eat so much in volume. The research I have read, which is based primarily on sled dogs but also on racing greyhounds and sheepdogs, all says you need animal sources of fats and proteins to get the most bang for your buck. Plant sources of fat may be adequate for young, healthy pet dogs, but athletes need a more efficient source. When you need/want medical benefits from omega 3 FAs you also need an animal based (fish) source.

 

So yes, feeding animal fat would be more efficient. I used to get fat scraps (trimmings) very cheap and sometimes even free from local butchers. Scraps from pasture raised animals are best since they are higher in omega 3 FAs than fat sources from grain fed animals.

Liz: Don't you have to be careful feeding fat scraps to dogs. I have read where too much fat at one time can cause pancreaitis. Like its not good to feed dogs the fat from the turkey at Thanksgiving because it's way too rich.

[Liz P]

Liz: Don't you have to be careful feeding fat scraps to dogs. I have read where too much fat at one time can cause pancreaitis. Like its not good to feed dogs the fat from the turkey at Thanksgiving because it's way too rich.

 

Yes. Any time you change the diet, especially when increasing fat content, it must be done carefully to avoid problems. Gradually increasing the percent of fat that you feed a healthy working dog should not adversely affect them. There are also breed differences in how much fat a dog can tolerate.

[AmandaMJL]

Personally, rather than looking at sites that rank foods for you, I would look at a site like The Dog Food Project, which actually gives a ton of good information on how to choose good foods for your dog. There's even a section on why most ranking systems don't make sense. Really, what it comes down to is what you are comfortable feeding (based on the ingredients listed), what you can afford, and what your dog does well on. The answers to this will not be the same for every person or for every dog. I was just checking out some of the Blue Buffalo foods because I have one picky eater who has decided that California Naturals isn't for her. What struck me was the cost. For one dog, maybe it's not a huge deal, but there are some high-quality foods out there that are less expensive.

 

Anyway, while we all would like for it to be as easy as someone telling us what food is best for our dogs, unfortunately the reality is that the best way to figure that out is to go to a site like the Dog Food Project, eductate yourself, then make an informed decision, and let your dog "tell" you by its health and condition if your choice was indeed suitable for your dog.

 

Yes another great tool for researching food. The more people read and inform themselves the better. You can get some really great kibbles for a better price than Eukanuba, etc. You just need to do your research.