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10 Best Blue Buffalo Dog Foods 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

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By Nicole Cosgrove

Jack Russel Terrier eating dog food

In recent years, dog food makers have tried to improve the foods we feed our four-legged friends. However, many companies still put harmful ingredients in dog food, like fillers and dyes. Blue Buffalo brand has natural, holistic recipes that are healthful and nutrient-rich. They care deeply about the ingredients in dog food and try to expand their selections often.

Here, we have hand-picked and reviewed 10 of the top Blue Buffalo dog foods. They carry quite a large variety of formulas for various diets and palettes. Let’s take a peek at the reviews to find the best Blue Buffalo dog food for your beloved pooch.

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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula
  • Quality protein
  • No harmful additives
  • Fits most canine diets
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient
  • No fillers
  • Eeasy to digest
  • No animal byproducts
  • Best for Puppies
    Third place
    Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Grain-Free Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Grain-Free
  • Filled with protein and DHA
  • Crafted for growing puppies
  • Supports developing bones
  • joints
  • and muscles
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free
  • Grain-Free
  • Terrific for active dogs
  • Amplifies and replenishes energy
  • Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight
  • Nutrient packed
  • Regulates digestive system
  • Helps maintain or cut back on weight
  • The 10 Best Blue Buffalo Dog Foods

    1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food – Best Overall

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula with chicken and brown rice offers a solid, nutrient-rich diet for most canines. It is completely balanced to meet the nutritional requirements for adult dogs until they reach their later years. Meat is the first ingredient, giving your dog an appropriate helping of the whole protein. It’s packed with antioxidants to keep organs healthy. Easily digestible grains like rice, barley, and oatmeal aid in smooth digestion. It’s also rich in omega-3 fatty acids and glucosamine for healthy skin, coat, and bones.

    There are 378 calories in each cup of food, making a total of 3,627 per bag. The Life Protection formula includes 24.0% crude protein, 14.0% fat, and 5.0% crude fiber per serving. There are no harmful fillers like corn, wheat, or soy. There is a bonus—Blue’s famous LifeSource Bits, providing a fantastic extra kick of excellent tasting nutrient-rich pieces for appetite and overall health.

    While this recipe is fabulous for adult dogs, this won’t work for every pooch. Some dogs may be allergic to chicken protein or grain used in the formula.

    Pros
    • Fits most canine diets
    • Quality protein
    • No harmful additives
    Cons
    • Could trigger allergies

    2. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dog Food – Best Value

    Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet with turkey and potato is the best Blue Buffalo dog food for the money. The Basics line is grain-free, so if you have a gluten-sensitive dog, this recipe may work wonders. The formula has a single-source protein, meaning there aren’t animal byproducts or remnants of potentially triggering proteins (like beef or chicken). It’s free of corn, wheat, soy, dairy, and eggs, too. Pumpkin, which calms the stomach, is added as well for smooth digestion.

    This recipe has 352 calories per serving, 20.0% crude protein, 12.0% crude fat, and 6.0% crude fiber in each helping. Infused with LifeSource Bits, this food has a delicious dose of appetite-encouraging vitamin-packed bites in the dry kibble. This particular recipe is meant to help your sensitive dog thrive from the inside out. Many dogs suffer from allergies or illnesses relating to fillers or protein sources, which is what Blue Basics tries to eliminate.

    However, every dog is different and may still show sensitivity reactions. On the other hand, some dogs do not require nor benefit from limited-ingredient diets, so it’s definitely case-by-case.

    Pros
    • No animal by-products
    • Calms stomach and is easy to digest
    • No fillers
    Cons
    • It won’t work for every allergy case

    3. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Grain-Free Dog Food – Best for Puppies

    Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Grain-Free Dog Food

    Giving your growing puppy a healthful, protein-packed diet is essential to their development. Blue Buffalo Wilderness puppy food with chicken is a terrific grain-free recipe to give your little guy or gal a great start. This hearty, whole meat selection promotes healthy bones, coats, and muscles. It’s stuffed with antioxidants, with a power punch of LifeSource Bits.

    This recipe has 423 calories in one serving, with 36.0% crude protein, 16.0% crude fat, and 5.0% crude fiber. Mimicking a wolf-like diet, Blue Wilderness aims to give puppies as natural of a recipe as possible. It’s full of fatty acids, DHA, ARA, and choline. There are never any harmful wheat, corn, or soy fillers. Puppies benefit from high amounts of protein to help their muscles form correctly. The more protein-heavy diet they have, the better their bodies can appropriately distribute the nutrients to vital growing organs and tissue.

    Some puppies may not enjoy the taste of this recipe With little ones, it’s hard to say what will satisfy their palette. But health-wise, this is a carefully crafted, beneficial puppy chow.

    Pros
    • Specially crafted for growing puppies
    • Supports developing bones, joints, and muscles
    • Filled with protein and DHA
    • Grain-free
    Cons
    • Not all puppies will adapt to taste

    4. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    If you want your adult dog to get in touch with their inner-wild, consider Blue Wilderness Grain-Free dry dog food with chicken. It’s full of ingredients that are primally natural to canines. Void of grain and stuffed with powerful proteins, this food is excellent for muscles. It’s loaded with the good kind of carbs that you get in sweet potatoes and peas. It will amplify energy, giving your dog fuel they can burn. Each serving has 409 calories per cup, 34.0% crude protein,15.0% crude fat, and 6.0% crude fiber.

    This dog food has absolutely no harmful fillers, artificial flavors, or harsh preservatives. There is no animal byproducts that could trigger allergies or cause health issues.

    Some dogs who live a relatively sedentary lifestyle may want to stay away from this dog food. Because of the high protein, high-energy dogs burn off the extra calories. But if you have a snoozer on your hands, they could quickly become obese with this caloric boost.

    Pros
    • Terrific for active dogs
    • Amplifies and replenishes energy
    • Grain-Free
    Cons
    • Could cause obesity in less active dogs

    5. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Healthy Weight Dry Dog works best for overweight or obese dogs. The protein is high to promote lean muscle mass while cutting calories in half. The first ingredient is deboned chicken, so your dog will benefit from one main protein source.

    There are 326 calories per cup, with 20.0% crude protein, 9.0% crude fat, and 10.0% crude fiber. This food is packed with Blue’s signature LifeSource Bits. They are nutrient-packed sections of moisture-rich pieces. There is no wheat, corn, or soy. Instead, Blue uses brown rice and barley grain with oatmeal and pea starch, which help regulate the digestive system

    This recipe is excellent for weight management, giving your dog both proper nutrition and weight control. If your dog is in the normal weight range, you may want to stay away from this food. It’s also not a feasible option for dogs with certain allergies.

    Pros
    • Helps maintain or cut back on weight
    • Nutrient packed
    • Regulates digestive system
    Cons
    • Not gluten-free

    6. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

    If you think your dog could benefit from more moisture and protein in their diet, consider Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain-Free Canned Dog Food. This particular recipe is beef and chicken grill, which is aromatic and robust. One fabulous thing about wet food is that you can use it as a topper for kibble or as a standalone diet. With all of the Wilderness foods, this can is grain-free and high protein. It’s entirely gluten, preservative, soy, wheat, and corn-free.

    There are 12 cans in the product. Each can of food has 523 calories, making 1,477 calories in total. There is 10.0% crude protein, 9.0% crude fat, and 1.5% crude fiber. This product has beef and chicken as the first two ingredients. When it comes to easily digestible starch, the food has potatoes, carrageen, and flaxseed. There is more moisture in wet food, aiding in hydration.

    If you feed your dog this food, you must take caution. If your dog isn’t exceptionally high-energy, it could cause weight gain.

    Pros
    • Use as a topper or meal
    • More hydrating
    • Aromatic
    Cons
    • Could cause weight gain

    7. Blue Buffalo Freedom Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Freedom Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Freedom Adult Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a terrific selection for dogs with allergies or sensitivities. The Freedom line is completely gluten and grain-free. Blue focuses on eliminating potential triggers that could cause a reaction in your dog. Chicken is the number one ingredient, serving as the main nutritional point. It’s packed with LifeSource Bits that keep your dog full of energy.

    One serving of this food contains 373 calories, 24.0% crude protein, 14.0% crude fat, and 6.0% crude fiber. While it has no grain, it is full of other powerful ingredients to provide optimal health for your pooch using potatoes, peas, and tapioca starch. This recipe also has flaxseed, which helps your dog digest their food with ease.

    There is no wheat, soy, corn, artificial flavors, preservatives, or byproducts. If you suspect your dog may have a gluten allergy, seek confirmation from a vet before changing your dog’s diet.

    Pros
    • Reduces allergy triggers
    • Grain-Free
    • No artificial additives
    Cons
    • It may not work for all sensitivities

    8. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Dry Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Dry Dog Food

    If you have a large breed, consider Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Chicken and Brown Rice. This food is specially formulated for larger dogs to support their bones and joints. Since larger dogs are prone to certain ailments, the selected ingredients ensure sufficient nutrition.

    Glucosamine and chondroitin aid in the appropriate nourishment that big dogs need to thrive. Chicken is the first ingredient, providing high-quality protein with added L-carnitine for muscles. Each serving of food contains 353 calories, making a total of 3,516 calories per bag. It contains 22.0% crude protein, 12.0% crude fat, and 6.0% crude fiber. Brown rice, oatmeal, and barley are the fiber-packed grains in this recipe. They provide smooth digestive properties, regulating your dog’s tract. It’s completely free of wheat, corn, and soy.

    This food is excellent nutrition for large dogs unless your dog has special restrictions. It isn’t gluten or grain-free.

    Pros
    • Specially crafted for large dogs
    • Great for joints and muscles
    • Easily digestible grain
    Cons
    • Not compatible with all dietary restrictions

    9. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Senior Canned Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Senior Canned Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe for Seniors is a perfectly balanced diet for your elderly pooch. It provides them with a delicious chicken and vegetable flavor to increase appetite. This food is especially good for seniors who are missing teeth since it’s soft and easy to chew. If you have a teeth-in-tact, capable senior, you can add this treat as a topper to dry kibble.

    This product is a 12-pack of 12.5-ounce cans. Each can contains 396 calories per serving, 12.0% crude protein, 4.5% crude fat, and 2.0% crude fiber. Blue Buffalo crafted this recipe to support the decline of the natural aging process. It supports bones, joints, muscles, and coats with vitamins and minerals like glucosamine and chondroitin.

    Because of the high-calorie content, you should use this sparingly for overweight seniors. If it’s a standalone diet, it could cause excess weight gain.

    Pros
    • Specially formulated for senior dogs
    • Supports natural age decline
    • Easy to eat
    Cons
    • May cause obesity

    10. Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Gravy Dog Food Trays

    Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Gravy Dog Food Trays

     

    If you want to spoil your small breed, the Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Gravy Variety Pack will do the trick. This is a two-flavor pack, so you can alternative the recipes to mix things up a little. Each tray comes with a sealed tin top that you peel back and pour out. The recipe is half filet mignon and half New York strip, sure to tantalize the tastebuds of even the pickiest pals.

    Each flavor pack comes with 6 cups of pre-measured 3.5-ounce portions, making 12 total. There are 86 calories in each serving, which isn’t much. Each filet mignon tray has 8.0% crude protein, 3.0% crude fat, and 1.5% crude fiber. Each New York strip tray has 8.0% crude protein, 6.0% crude fat, and  1.5% crude fiber. These dishes are aromatic and palatable. Each recipe is full of adequate nutrition for your small-breed dog. It is completely free of animal byproducts, unnatural flavors, and fillers.

    While delicious, this food is for small breeds only. If you have a dog who eats more than 3.5-ounce portions per meal, another Blue Buffalo food may work better to keep your pup healthy and well-fed.

    Pros
    • Two flavor options
    • Preportioned for small dogs
    • Free of unnatural or harmful additives
    Cons
    • For small dogs only

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    Buyer’s Guide – How to Choose the Best Blue Buffalo Dog Food

    Blue Buffalo has become one of the most trusted dog food brands on the market today after having a humble beginning in Wilton, Connecticut. The company had a very personal attachment to the production of this food when Blue, their Airedale Terrier, was diagnosed with cancer.

    Blue’s owners started making him homemade meals from their kitchen. They saw the value and importance of a healthy diet. That spawned the creation of the Blue Buffalo brand that we know and love today. Blue Buffalo has a series of food recipe lines, catering to virtually every dog’s dietary needs. Is Blue Buffalo good dog food? Here’s a detailed explanation:

    The Signature Product Lines of Blue Buffalo

    With each signature line Blue Buffalo created, they have tried to keep every possible canine diet in mind. Blue Buffalo continues to evolve and adapt to new areas of focus, brilliantly master-crafting recipes. They keep every dog in mind from puppyhood to senior years. They even have a line of cat food, if you’re interested in products for your feline friends.

    All of Blue’s dry kibble selections have LifeSource Bits, an exclusive addition to the kibble, providing a kick of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to every bite.

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula

    Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula is their signature staple diet for dogs. Crafted carefully with meat, veggies, grain, and natural flavors, these recipes are for everyday nourishment and health. Life Protection Formula comes in both wet and dry selections. Dry kibble is infused with Blue’s Life Protection Bits, giving some extra pizzazz to the palette. Wet foods come in singular cans or bulk cans of 12.

    You can add wet food as a topper or as a standalone diet. However, a good recommendation is to combine wet food and kibble to boost moisture while keeping teeth clean. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula includes our favorite recipe selections:

    Puppy
    • Small Breed Chicken & Oatmeal
    • Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice
    Adult
    • Small Breed Healthy Weight Chicken & Brown Rice
    • Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice
    Senior
    • Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice
    • Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice

    Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet

    Blue Buffalo Limited Ingredient diet is for sensitive stomachs and food allergy-prone pooches. Each recipe has a very select few ingredients to cut down on potential irritants or triggers. By making the food have one protein source, it gets rid of other meat interferences so you can eliminate the allergen.

    The Limited Ingredient Diet comes in multiple taste choices. They serve this in both wet and dry selections. It also comes in all life stages.

    Some of our favorite recipes include:

    Puppy
    • Turkey & Potato
    Adult
    • Healthy Weight Turkey & Potato
    • Adult Grain-Free Duck & Potato
    Senior
    • Turkey & Potato

    Blue Freedom

    Blue Freedom recipes are the 100% grain-free line of Blue Buffalo. The goal is to fill the food with nutrient-rich additives and whole proteins. It replaces grain with easy-to-digest sweet potato, potato, and peas.

    This recipe has Blue’s exclusive LifeSource Bits, which has seven layers of extra nutrition. The food has lots of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. This food is available in both wet and dry forms. There are Freedom options for all life stages.

    Our top Blue Freedom recipes are:

    Puppy
    • Grain-Free Chicken
    Adult
    • Grain-Free Beef
    Senior
    • Grain-Free Chicken

    Blue Wilderness

    Is Blue Wilderness good dog food? The Wilderness line is to mimic the natural diet of a wolf, in kibble form. It is a high-protein, hearty meal that is best for high-energy dogs who burn a lot of calories.

    This type of food is especially good for puppies since it’s high in carbs, calories, and protein.

    Puppy
    • Red Meat
    Adult
    • Healthy Weight Chicken
    • Wild Salmon & Halibut
    Senior
    • Chicken
    • Red Meat Dinner

    Blue True Solutions

    This newer line of Blue Buffalo supports the main points of a pet’s diet to target different areas of the body.

    • Perfect Coat Skin & Coat Care
    • Jolly Joints Mobility Support
    • Fit & Healthy Weight Control
    • Blissful Belly Digestive Care

    Blue Natural Veterinary Diet Prescription Formulas

    Blue has veterinary-approved diet choices that aim toward different ailments and areas.

    • Weight Management and Mobility Support
    • Novel Protein
    • Kidney Support
    • Hydrolyzed food for intolerance
    • Gastrointestinal Support Low Fat
    • Weight Management & Urinary Care
    • Gastrointestinal Support

    Blue Carnivora

    Going even deeper into the wild, Carnivora delivers a diet with exotic, plentiful meats.

    Puppy
    • Protein-Rich Woodland Blend Recipe
    • Large Breed Protein-Rich Woodland Blend
    Adult
    • Protein-Rich Prairie Blend
    • Protein-Rich Coastal Blend
    • Protein-Rich Woodland Blend
    • Woodland Blend Weight Control
    • Small Breed Protein-Rich Woodland Blend
    • Large Breed Protein-Rich Woodland Blend

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    Conclusion

    Overall, the Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Dry Dog Food is our favorite. It will fit the needs of a healthy dog more than any other. It has proper nutrition, abundant antioxidants, and LifeSource bits to create a solid diet.

    If you want the best buy, consider Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dog Food. It doesn’t have fillers like wheat, soy, and corn. It is high in protein and rich in flavor.

    When you’re trying a new brand, learning what products the company offers can be complicated. Hopefully, our reviews narrowed your options down a little, so your dog can enjoy their new diet in no time.


    Featured Photo Credit: Srdjan Fot, Shutterstock

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