Blue Buffalo

[lcws]

What do you folks think of the Blue Buffalo brand?  There are always pesky Blue reps in the pet stores pushing it and I had heard it was good, so I tried it.  My cats hated the canned, but liked the dry version.   Then my vet said that it was so very high in protein that adult cats really shouldn't have it as it contributed to kidney problems.   Would anyone like to weigh in on what they think of this brand?

 

[2cats4me]

 
What do you folks think of the Blue Buffalo brand?  There are always pesky Blue reps in the pet stores pushing it and I had heard it was good, so I tried it.  My cats hated the canned, but liked the dry version.   Then my vet said that it was so very high in protein that adult cats really shouldn't have it as it contributed to kidney problems.   Would anyone like to weigh in on what they think of this brand?

I think Blue Buffalo is good . My cats do not like the kibble and I have not yet tried the canned with them ..

As for the high protein issue  I think I read somewhere that high protein is not bad for cats kidneys  unless they already have kidney problems ..

 

[ldg]

There were quite a few complaints on the consumer affairs site about Blue Buffalo making people's cats and dogs sick, some having issues with kidney disease. A TCS member reached out to me privately to say that her vet mentioned that every one of the 12 cats she'd diagnosed with chronic kidney disease that year were eating Blue Buffalo dry. (This was in 2012). The concern was sourcing problems and potentially contaminated ingredients (from China) as opposed to the high protein comment of your vet. Obviously these comments are pure speculation.

"High protein" in cats is, I think, misunderstood. Cats are obligate carnivores. Feral cats with almost no access to human food naturally eat a diet that is about 63% protein, 23% fat, and 3% carbs (the rest minerals) on a dry matter basis. It seems to me that (on a dry matter basis) 63% protein is appropriate for an adult cat.

(This is the study: Estimation of the dietary nutrient profile of free-roaming feral cats: possible implications for nutrition of domestic cats (Plantinga et al 2011) http://journals.cambridge.org/actio...ion=&fulltextType=RA&fileId=S0007114511002285 )

 

[lokhismom]

I don't buy Blue Buffalo because from what I have seen most if not all of their wet food has potatoe in it

 

[lisahe]

 
I don't buy Blue Buffalo because from what I have seen most if not all of their wet food has potatoe in it

Same here.

 

[felineempathy]

I'm not a fan of Blue Buffalo wet and dry.  Not only does the wet food have carrageenan in it but a lot of their recipes have like 10% protein and 9% fat in their canned foods which is a red flag when it comes to meat quality in my opinion.  Also I hear their dried foods have been making a lot of cats sick, may have a lot to do with all the fruit and vegetable fillers in it or something else.

I also hear that when consumers have issues or questions regarding the food, they don't cooperate or ignore you.

If you shop at Petco or PetSmart, you can definitely find way better foods then Blue Buffalo.

 

[2bcat]

For a long time Blue Buffalo didn't make their food and was not too forthcoming about it. Then they were building a plant, so maybe they make it now. I thought it had been bought out now as well but my searching only found rumors of buyout a couple months ago and not confirmation. I personally wouldn't choose it but there are probably worse choices.

As far as kidney issues my understanding is that it's really phosphorous that is the problem. And what happens is apparently that when you try to make the food really low in phosphorus it tends to have less protein. Or vice-versa. So low protein gets associated with the kidney diets, e.g. Hills k/d and such.

But it's possible to find lower phosphorus foods that are good. If you look at the catinfo.org site there is an aging but still very good list of foods with the phos content listed. My memory is that about 1 and below is reasonably low, but I can't explain the unit or what basis that is off the top of my head! It's a really great list of info though, took a lot of hard work to get it because the phos is not a content that is typically labeled or listed on pet food company web sites.

When feeding a healthy cat I have only looked at this a little. When I first chose some foods I noted that the they had reasonable levels, but now I realize I may have introduced some different options that have higher levels. When I was feeding a CKD cat a couple years ago I studied it and picked out things like "Wow this can has 200+ calories and only 0.76 phosphorus" or something like that. That can was a Castor & Pollux variety, that's all I remember. My CKD cat was not eating well so calorie density was key.

In the end I have read that even controlling the phos intake may not make any difference in how a CKD cat feels or progresses. I don't remember the source but I remember filing that info in my head. Whether that intake matters earlier in life with still normal kidney function I would guess could also be an open question.

The protein itself, though, really isn't the issue as I understand it. It's a too-simplified way of looking at it.

 

[misterwhiskers]

Bought a bag of their dry, about $15 if I remember right, when my cat was a year old or so. The smell interested him, so I was hopeful. However, when my cat tried to eat it, he had trouble with the round shape. He'd roll it around on his tongue, trying to maneuver it so that he could bite it, but in the end, he was either spitting the round pieces out, or gagging trying to swallow the pieces whole. I might add the food does seem pretty well compacted. Darn shame. My cat would have liked it, I am sure, if only it wasn't shaped like rabbit food. The ingredients looked great and this was a disappointment to discover something as minor as the shape to maje it unpalatable for my cat. Other dry foods don't pose a problem for him. I wonder if anyone else experienced this. Maybe it was a godsend, though. This was early 2013, so if the food was bad, I'm glad he didn't eat it. Ir maybe it only APPEARED he had trouble chewing it, and it was something else?

 

[nora1]

I tired my cat on both dry and wet, but it really didn't sit well with her system! She had gross diarrhea, so we took her off. Once and a while I'd try again, something basic like pate chicken.....nope! Nasty diarrhea. I've stopped giving it to her. Not sure what's in it that doesn't agree with her. Not saying it's bad, just that it really didn't go well for her!

 

[Kat0121]

 
What do you folks think of the Blue Buffalo brand?  There are always pesky Blue reps in the pet stores pushing it and I had heard it was good, so I tried it.  My cats hated the canned, but liked the dry version.   Then my vet said that it was so very high in protein that adult cats really shouldn't have it as it contributed to kidney problems.   Would anyone like to weigh in on what they think of this brand?

I don't buy it. Lilith and Sophie (AKA the diva sisters) didn't like the canned at all. They don't eat dry so I can't speak for that.  I had one of those pushy BB reps come up to me in Petco. That is so annoying. I was only there to buy litter that day so it was kind of easy to get rid of her

 

[dave_l]

i've been using Blue Wilderness dry food for almost three years. Both of my nearly-seven-year-old cats love it, and are very healthy. I rotate among the Chicken, Duck and Salmon flavors.

 

[manemelissa]

I have never had a pushy BB rep at any pet shop... but that sounds annoying. My Belle eats both wet and dry and I chose BB indoor dry to feed her as a supplement to her wet food. She has eaten it for a year, loves it, and has never had any problems with it. I truly think that each cat (just like people) have their own level of pickiness and food sensitivities. Some cats are very sensitive to the grains/starch in the BB dry, some aren't. I don't know about the issues from 2012, since I didn't buy their food back then (my brother had his cat back then but he fed her Nutro). But if your cat becomes ill, has no interest in eating the food, or gets diarrhea from it even though you transitioned properly, then they aren't compatible with it.

 

[unknown]

Well iread dat cats sleep a lot so that's cool

 

[2cats4me]

 
I don't buy Blue Buffalo because from what I have seen most if not all of their wet food has potatoe in it

I realize that potato  is not a natural food for cats but other than that what is wrong with it ?

 

[zoocat]

One of the reasons I avoid potato in cat food is because of an article by Dr. Becker talking about allergies.  I have one cat that has severe allergies of unknown origin and I've searched for all the possible ways to minimize the problems.  One of the things she said in the article is "your allergic pet's diet should be very low in grain content and absolutely potato-free."  Potatoes are high carb foods and she also said diets that create or worsen inflammation are high in carbohydrates.  Potatoes are a "filler" ---but aside from this potential allergen thing, I'm not sure there is anything worse (wrong) about potato than peas or other vegetable and fruit additions.

 

[2cats4me]

 
One of the reasons I avoid potato in cat food is because of an article by Dr. Becker talking about allergies.  I have one cat that has severe allergies of unknown origin and I've searched for all the possible ways to minimize the problems.  One of the things she said in the article is "your allergic pet's diet should be very low in grain content and absolutely potato-free."  Potatoes are high carb foods and she also said diets that create or worsen inflammation are high in carbohydrates.  Potatoes are a "filler" ---but aside from this potential allergen thing, I'm not sure there is anything worse (wrong) about potato than peas or other vegetable and fruit additions.

Thank you so much for the info . I guess we learn something new everyday huh ?  I always go grain free but I never really paid attention to potato .

 

[lisahe]

 
One of the reasons I avoid potato in cat food is because of an article by Dr. Becker talking about allergies.  I have one cat that has severe allergies of unknown origin and I've searched for all the possible ways to minimize the problems.  One of the things she said in the article is "your allergic pet's diet should be very low in grain content and absolutely potato-free."  Potatoes are high carb foods and she also said diets that create or worsen inflammation are high in carbohydrates.  Potatoes are a "filler" ---but aside from this potential allergen thing, I'm not sure there is anything worse (wrong) about potato than peas or other vegetable and fruit additions.

Potato is a ubiquitous filler these days -- one of our cats vomits and gets gassy if she eats foods with potato -- and it's becoming harder and harder to avoid. Like peas and pea protein, which I've also nixed. I seem to rail about this a lot lately, given the carbs and calories and troubles those ingredients can add to foods.

Thank you, @Zoocat, for noting Dr. Becker's article.

 

[2bcat]

You pretty much can't have dry kibble without potato, sweet potato, peas or something similar to those to bind it together.

The real issue is finding those ingredients in canned foods where it is possible to make it without that stuff.  In that case it is truly just useless filler/thickener.

 

[Kat0121]

 
You pretty much can't have dry kibble without potato, sweet potato, peas or something similar to those to bind it together.

The real issue is finding those ingredients in canned foods where it is possible to make it without that stuff.  In that case it is truly just useless filler/thickener.

ITA about the canned. I think it's also there because a lot of pet owners will see the veggies in it and assume it must be healthier because veggies are good for people and dogs.

 

[2bcat]

 
ITA about the canned. I think it's also there because a lot of pet owners will see the veggies in it and assume it must be healthier because veggies are good for people and dogs.

Oh yes, any touting of the vegetable content in cat food is totally marketing to humans without regard to a cat's needs.  Not quite as true for dogs perhaps, and sometimes the marketing overlaps.