Last Updated on January 14, 2021
Since 2003, Blue Buffalo has set a new standard for pet food. They create pet food with the highest quality ingredients with no artificial flavor, no preservatives, poultry by-products, corn, soy, or wheat. And they even made it available for dogs of all sizes, ages, and unique needs. How awesome is that?
But like everyone else, this company had to begin somewhere. For them, it all began with Blue.
Blue was the Bishop family’s Airedale, who was struggling with health issues. The Bishops wanted to give Blue the healthiest food while he was recovering. The result is Blue Buffalo.
At present, they make use of their own facilities and their manufacturing partners around the United States to produce their recipes.
Blue Buffalo remains to be one of the most popular dog food brands today.
Best Blue Buffalo Puppy Food Review
1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Puppy Dry Dog Food
Puppies need more nutrients in their food than adult dogs need. Because of this, choosing a puppy food that meets their special needs is crucial. Good thing, Blue Buffalo brings exactly that and more!
This puppy food is made from real meat that helps your puppy build lean muscles. It has DHA and ARA, essential fatty acids found in mother’s milk, for brain and eye health. It has calcium and phosphorus for his developing bones and Omega 3 and 6 for a healthy coat and skin.
Plus, with the addition of Blue Buffalo’s exclusive LifeSource Bits, your pup gets the antioxidants and essential nutrients he needs. This formula has no preservatives. No artificial flavor. No poultry by-products, corn, soy, or wheat.
To further ensure your pup would enjoy his meals, Blue Buffalo made this formula in smaller sized kibbles. It also aids in tartar removal.
Key Features
- Available in 2 flavors (Chicken and Brown Rice, Lamb and Oatmeal)
- Contains DHA and ARA for cognitive function and retinal health.
- With LifeSource Bits that has antioxidants, essential vitamins, and minerals for a growing pup
- Has calcium and phosphorus for bone development.
- With Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for skin and coat health
- Uses real chicken and lamb meat.
- No preservatives. No artificial flavor.
- Contains no poultry by-products, corn, wheat, or soy.
- Comes in small-sized kibbles.
Also check out: Best Puppy Food
2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein, Natural Puppy Dry Dog Food, Chicken
A formula made for puppies who have a wild future ahead of them. This puppy food contains 30% more protein and is grain-free without preservatives or artificial flavoring added.
The carbohydrates in this formula are from healthy fruits and vegetables without using common allergy triggers like soy, wheat, and corn.
It has calcium and phosphorus to help your puppy build strong bones. Omega 3 and 6 for a healthier-looking coat and skin. DHA and ARA for your puppy’s brain and eye health.
Additionally, you don’t have to worry about him contracting any diseases. The LifeSource Bits are packed with antioxidants that promote a healthy immune system. The kibbles are also in smaller sizes – specially made for smaller jaws.
Key Features
- Grain-free
- Made from real chicken meat
- Has 30% more protein.
- With calcium and phosphorus for strong bones
- Omega 3 and 6 for skin and coat health
- Includes DHA and ARA for cognitive and retinal health.
- With Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits has antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals
- Specially made to be in smaller sized kibbles.
- Has no preservatives, no artificial flavor, and no poultry by-products
- Contains no soy, wheat, or corn.
3. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Puppy Dog Food, Natural Dry Dog Food for Puppies, Chicken and Brown Rice
Own a large breed puppy? This formula from Blue Buffalo might interest you.
It’s made from real deboned chicken with L-carnitine to help him develop and maintain lean muscles. It has calcium and phosphorus for proper bone development. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for skin and coat health.
It also has brain boosters like DHA and ARA, two crucial fatty acids, to help your puppy with cognitive development and healthy vision.
This formula also includes Blue Buffalo’s exclusive LifeSource Bits that have antioxidants and vitamins and minerals for his immune system.
This puppy food doesn’t contain poultry by-products, soy, wheat, or corn. No preservatives. No artificial flavors added.
Key Features
- Specially formulated for large breed puppies.
- Has calcium and phosphorus for proper bone development
- Has choline and l-carnitine for muscle function
- With Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids plus DHA and ARA for cognitive function
- With antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals for immune health
- Comes in a smaller kibble size that aids in tartar removal
- Made with real chicken meat
- It has no preservatives and no artificial flavoring.
- Doesn’t contain any poultry by-products, soy, wheat, or corn.
Also see: Best Large Breed Dog Food
4. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Small Breed Puppy Dog Food, Natural Dry Dog Food for Puppies
If you own a small breed puppy, then this is the puppy food you want to start them with. It’s made with real deboned chicken and has the essential nutrients your puppy needs for his development.
It has DHA and ARA for his brain and eye health. Calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for skin and coat health. This formula also comes with extra supplementation from Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits that has antioxidants from blueberries and cranberries and vitamins and minerals.
For your puppy that still has small jaws, this formula is also perfect because it comes in a smaller size of kibbles.
It has no preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no corn, wheat, or soy added. It has no poultry by-products either.
Key Features
- Specially formulated for small breed puppies.
- Made with high-quality protein from real chicken meat
- With calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth
- With Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
- With DHA & ARA
- With Blue Buffalo’s exclusive LifeSource Bits that have antioxidants and vitamins and nutrients
- No artificial flavors and no preservatives
- Contains no chicken or poultry by-products
- Has no soy, corn, or wheat
- Is in smaller kibble size
Also related: Best Dog Food for Small Dogs
5. Blue Buffalo Blue Homestyle Recipe Puppy Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables Wet Dog Food
This wet food formula from Blue Buffalo is a game-changer. It can be given as balanced dog food in itself or mixed with his usual dry dog food.
It contains Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and DHA – all essential nutrients for your puppy’s overall development.
It doesn’t contain common allergens like wheat, soy, and corn. It also has no preservatives, no artificial flavor, and no poultry by-products.
Key Features
- Wet puppy food
- Can be fed as a complete and balanced meal, mixed into dry food, or as a tasty reward between meals.
- With Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
- With high-quality protein from real chicken meat
- With DHA for brain development
- No corn, wheat, soy, or any poultry by-products
- Has no preservatives or artificial flavors
Also related: Best Wet Dog Food
6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Puppy Wet Dog Food, Turkey & Chicken Grill
This Blue Buffalo canned dog food is made from real ingredients. It’s considered to be grain-free and made without soy, corn, or wheat in the formula.
It has DHA, an essential fatty acid, that supports cognitive development in puppies. You can either give it as a meal or mix it with his dry food. It also contains Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that promote healthy skin and coat.
It has no preservatives. And no artificial flavoring added.
Key Features
- Wet puppy food
- Grain-free
- Made from real high-quality turkey and chicken
- Has DHA and Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
- Can be given as a balanced meal in itself, mixed with his favorite dry food formula, or as a treat
- No corn, wheat, or soy included.
- Contains no artificial flavor and preservatives.
7. Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Natural Puppy Large Breed Dry Dog Food
This Blue Buffalo formula is specially made for large breed puppies who have a bright future ahead of them. It’s grain-free. Contains 30% more protein from deboned chicken, chicken meal, and fish meal. Has DHA and ARA for your puppy’s brain development.
It also has the optimum amount of calcium and phosphorus – a very crucial nutrient especially for large breeds – for proper bone development. It also has Omega 3 and 6 for healthy skin and coat.
For your puppy’s oxidative balance, Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits provides him with the antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals he needs.
No preservatives or artificial flavoring were added to the formula.
Key Features
- Specially made for large breeds
- Grain-free
- Contains 30% more protein.
- With DHA and ARA for brain development
- Has calcium and phosphorus for proper bone development
- With Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
- With LifeSource Bits that have antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals
- Made from real deboned chicken
- In small-sized kibbles and shaped to promote tartar removal
- No preservatives. No artificial flavoring.
- Doesn’t contain any poultry by-products.
- Contains no soy, wheat, or corn.
8. Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Natural Puppy Dry Dog Food
Does your puppy’s tummy reject gluten-rich ingredients? Then try this Freedom Grain Free Natural Puppy Food from Blue Buffalo. It’s delicious and is considered to be grain-free and gluten-free.
It’s made from real chicken meat without preservatives, artificial flavoring, poultry by-products, wheat, soy, or corn added.
This formula is rich in DHA and ARA, nutrients found in mother’s milk, that are essential to your puppy’s cognitive development and eye health. It’s also rich in calcium and phosphorus to help your puppy develop strong bones and teeth.
Plus, with Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits, he gets immune-boosting nutrients keeping him away from illnesses. It also comes in smaller sized kibbles for your puppy’s small jaws.
Key Features
- Grain-free and gluten-free
- High-quality protein from real deboned chicken meat, chicken meal, and turkey meal
- With DHA and ARA
- With calcium and phosphorus for strong bones
- Doesn’t contain preservatives or any artificial flavoring.
- Has no poultry by-products, and no wheat, soy, or corn was used.
- Added with Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits that have antioxidants and vitamins and minerals
- Comes in small-sized kibbles for small jaws.
Also related: Best Grain-free dog food
9. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet, Natural Puppy Dry Dog Food, Turkey & Potato
Do you have a puppy with a lot of food sensitivities? Switch to this recipe from Blue Buffalo. It features only a single animal protein and doesn’t contain common allergy triggers like chicken, beef, wheat, soy, dairy, and eggs.
This formula also features easily digested carbohydrates from peas, pumpkins, and potatoes – all very nutritious vegetables for your puppy.
It supports a healthy immune system (vitamins C and E) and proper development (DHA and ARA) of your puppy at this crucial stage. It has Omega 3 and 6 for his skin and coat.
Additionally, the kibbles come in smaller sizes that also promote tartar removal. This formula has no preservatives and no artificial flavoring added.
Key Features
- Limited ingredient puppy food (doesn’t contain any chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy, eggs)
- Made with real turkey meat Includes potatoes, peas, and pumpkin for easier digestion
- With Vitamins E and C With DHA and ARA for your puppy’s brain and retinal development
- With Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits, a source of antioxidants and essential nutrients and minerals
- Has Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
- Has no preservatives and no artificial flavor.
- Doesn’t contain any poultry by-products.
- In smaller sized kibbles that promote tartar removal
Blue Buffalo Ingredients Analysis
For most of Blue Buffalo’s puppy recipes, chicken, chicken meal, turkey, turkey meal, chicken fat, brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and brown rice are the most common. Berries (blueberries, cranberries, blackberries), carrots, garlic, barley, fish oil, and peas are also other notable ingredients in their recipes.
Below is a breakdown of these ingredients.
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids dogs need to sustain life. However, it’s important to also note that chicken contains high moisture. The meat content will be greatly reduced after it gets cooked. A factor you need to consider, especially when determining the actual meat content.
Chicken meal is a meat concentrate containing 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
Turkey. Like chicken, turkey also contains about 73% of moisture. After its cooked, meat content will be reduced by a considerable amount.
Turkey meal is considered to be a meat concentrate. It contains 300% more protein than fresh turkey.
Chicken fat is acquired by a process called rendering. It’s similar to making soup where the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid. Chicken fat is rich in linoleic acid – an essential omega 6 fatty acid to sustain life.
Brown Rice doesn’t add much nutritional value to dogs, but it’s a complex carbohydrate that becomes easy to digest after cooking.
Blueberries, cranberries, blackberries are nutritious ingredients for dogs. Blueberries, in fact, contain antioxidants that prevent cell damage in dogs. They are packed with fiber and phytochemicals as well.
Barley is a cereal grain that is of only modest nutritional value to dogs. Nevertheless, it’s a good source of carbohydrates and healthy nutrients for dogs.
Fish Oil is naturally rich in EPA and DHA type of omega 3 fatty acids. These are quality fats that bring a lot of benefits to dogs and humans alike.
Blue Buffalo is not alone in adding garlic in their formula. Many believe that small amounts of garlic can be beneficial to dogs. But it’s also important to note that garlic has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.
Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber, and (depending on the purity) can be gluten-free.
Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. It’s also rich in natural fiber and contains about 25% protein. Again, a factor you need to consider when judging the meat content of the product.
Carrots are delicious and healthy veggies for dogs. They are low in calories, high in fiber, and a great source of beta-carotene, which produces Vitamin A.
Flaxseeds are one of the best plant sources of healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
Sweet potatoes are a great gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta-carotene.
Blue Buffalo Recall History
Below is a list of Blue Buffalo’s recall history for their dog food products. Recall history of cat food products is not included in this list.
March 2017. Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner canned dog food for adult dogs was recalled because of a potentially excessive level of beef thyroid hormone.
February 2017. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight, Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables was recalled because of possible aluminum contamination.
February 2017. PetSmart recalled the following Blue Buffalo dog food cups because of packaging quality.
- Blue Divine Delights Filet Mignon Flavor in Gravy, UPC #84024312035
- Blue Divine Delights New York Strip Flavor in Gravy, UPC #84024312037
- Blue Divine Delights Prime Rib Flavor in Gravy, UPC #84024312039
- Blue Divine Delights Rotisserie Chicken Flavor in Gravy, UPC #84024312041
- Blue Divine Delights Pate Filet Mignon Flavor, UPC #84024312043
- Blue Divine Delights Pate Porterhouse Flavor, UPC #84024312045
- Blue Divine Delights Pate Grilled Chicken Flavor, UPC #84024312047
- Blue Divine Delights Pate Top Sirloin Flavor, UPC #84024312049
- Blue Divine Delights Pate Angus Beef Flavor, UPC #84024312051
- Blue Divine Delights Pate Roasted Turkey Flavor, UPC #84024312053
- Blue Divine Delights Pate With Bacon, Egg & Cheese, UPC #84024312057
- Blue Divine Delights Pate Sausage, Egg & Cheese Flavor, UPC #84024312059
- Blue Divine Delights Pate Steak & Egg Flavor, UPC #84024312061
- Blue Wilderness Trail Trays Duck Grill, UPC #84024312071
- Blue Wilderness Trail Trays Beef Grill, UPC #84024312073
- Blue Wilderness Trail Trays Chicken Grill, UPC #84024312075
- Blue Wilderness Trail Trays Turkey Grill, UPC #84024312077
May 2016. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe were recalled because of moisture problems and possible mold.
November 2015. Wilderness Wild Chews Bones were recalled because of potential salmonella contamination.
October 2010. Blue Wilderness Chicken, Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Salmon, and Potato, and Blue Life Protection Formula Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Large Breed Adult were recalled because of potentially too much Vitamin D.
April 2007. Blue Buffalo Blue canned dog food and Blue Buffalo Blue dog treats were recalled because of melamine.
Final Verdict: Is Blue Buffalo Good for Puppies?
There is no question. Blue Buffalo knows how important food is in influencing the future of puppies. This is why Blue Buffalo is definitely one of the puppy food brands you need to consider. They have set the bar high by providing a healthier, more nutritious option for pet parents out there.
Their recipes are made from high-quality proteins such as real chicken meat, turkey, and lamb without adding preservatives or artificial flavors. The source of their carbohydrates is also easily digestible – a key factor, especially for puppies who tend to suffer from stomach issues.
Their recipes also have the necessary nutrients a growing puppy needs, such as fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, because they are for puppies, the kibbles are smaller in size and made to promote dental health.
The only downside, however, is that Blue Buffalo puppy foods can be a bit pricey. It runs for about $60 for big bags and about $20 for small bags. But, if you ask me, the price is so worth it.
You can see the difference in their coat the moment you switch him to Blue Buffalo. If you’re wary about any food sensitivities, there are various recipes you can choose from. Highly recommended.
Also related: Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review