Blue Buffalo vs Purina Pro Plan dog food: which is better?

Are you currently trying to decide between Blue Buffalo vs Purina Pro Plan dog food? Choosing a dog food for your canine companion isn’t easy – there are so many different brands and diet types, so if you’re struggling, you’re not alone.

Many brands claim to be better than others, but with so many ingredients branded as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ depending on who you ask, and no universal definition of the best dog food , how do you know which is best?

Well, the most important thing to check is that the dog food that you feed to your dog is nutritionally balanced and complete. Remember, every dog is unique with different needs and different tastes. So, what suits one might not be the perfect choice for another.

In this article, we’ll compare two dog food brands, Blue Buffalo and Purina Pro Plan, to see what’s good and what’s not so good.

About Blue Buffalo

This family-run company created Blue Buffalo dog food because they were passionate about feeding their dog, Blue, a good quality dog food without any poor quality or unnecessary ingredients. The result is a nutritionally complete dog food that contains meat as the main ingredient, vegetables, and fruit for nutrients and fiber, and no preservatives or artificial flavors.

Like a lot of the best dry dog food and wet food, Blue Buffalo contains chicken meal, but the meal is made from chicken meat rather than by-products like bones or offal. It’s also free from fillers like corn, wheat, and soy, which can cause allergies in some dogs.

It’s important to remember, though, that certain animal by-products might not be palatable to us as humans, but that doesn’t mean their nutritional value is poor. Similarly, while some dogs will benefit from a grain-free diet, grains are a good source of carbohydrates, which dogs need for energy. There’s also a potential link between grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs, so avoiding feeding your dog grain unnecessarily isn’t a good idea.

The Blue Buffalo range is varied, providing wet food, dry food, and dog treats, depending on your dog’s preferences. As well as veterinary prescription diets, there are also diet options for each life stage, breed size, and specific health needs like limited ingredients (for dogs with allergies and intolerances), joint care, and weight management.

About Purina

Purina is the overarching brand behind many different dog food names, including Bakers, Winalot, and Pro Plan. Of all the brands, Pro Plan is the most advanced and high-quality, providing a nutritionally complete and balanced diet tailored to your dog’s needs. As well as using top-quality ingredients, Pro Plan avoids additives like colorings, flavorings, and preservatives and uses whole grains in their recipes – which can help to keep the heart healthy.

Their range of dog foods is extensive, as they aim to have food to suit the needs of almost every dog. As well as life stage, breed size, activity level, body type, and neuter status, Pro Plan also offers diets and supplements targeted at weight management, joint health, and anxiety.

Unlike Blue Buffalo, some of the best wet dog food and kibble in the Purina Pro Plan range contain grains and fillers like soy meal and wheat. They also use chicken and poultry by-product meal in some of their dog foods. However, as long as your dog isn’t allergic to grains, there’s no particular nutritional need to avoid these ingredients, because they contribute to making the dog food nutritionally balanced overall.

Blue Buffalo dog food recipes

1. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe

• High-quality ingredients, with deboned chicken as the main ingredient
• 24% crude protein, which is important for tissue growth and repair
• Nutritionally balanced with all the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber
• Good value for money considering the quality of ingredients, and similarly priced to the equivalent amount of Pro Plan
• This is a good quality, nutritionally complete dog food that would be an excellent choice as long as your dog isn’t allergic to any of the ingredients and has no additional health needs.

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food 30lb bag
$64.98 from Chewy
Featuring real, high-quality chicken as the first ingredient, this natural dog food also includes exclusive antioxidant-rich LifeSource Bits for immune system support. Packed with fruits and vegetables, it's wonderful for supporting your dog's overall health and wellbeing. View Deal

2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe

• High-quality ingredients, with deboned salmon as the main ingredient
• An excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote the overall health of the skin, coat, brain, heart, and other organs
• Nutritionally complete, and containing glucosamine, which promotes good joint health
• More expensive than other offerings in the range, but may be worth the investment due to the added health benefits
• The omega-3, glucosamine, and vitamins and minerals found in this dog food could make it an excellent choice, particularly for large breeds or active dogs.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe
$78.84 from Chewy
Made with natural ingredients and enhanced with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients this delicious kibble comes packed with real salmon for a fishy taste your pup is sure to go crazy for. View Deal

3. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Beef Dinner with Garden Vegetables

• This wet food has beef and vegetables as its top ingredients, with no fillers or by-products
• Nutritionally complete with carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes and enhanced with vitamins and minerals
• Pate style, which dogs may find more palatable
• On the pricier side, being more expensive than similar Pro Plan offerings, but with less filler and high-quality ingredients
• This could be a good choice for fussier dogs who don’t like dry food. However, remember that dry food can keep your dog’s teeth healthier for longer.

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Beef Dinner with Garden Vegetables
$35.76 from Chewy
Serve alone or mixed with dry food, this rich and hearty dish will make your pup's tail wag no matter which way you serve it up. View Deal

Purina Pro Plan dog food recipes

1. Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Beef and Rice

• Good quality ingredients, but containing poultry by-product meal and grain-based fillers within the top ingredients
• Whole grains which promote heart health
• Nutritionally balanced, providing essential vitamins and minerals
• Similarly priced to Blue Buffalo, however, the quality of ingredients is less consistent
• This is a good overall dog food and will suit the majority of dogs, with the added benefit of containing whole grains.

Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Beef and Rice 35lb bag
$69.48 from Chewy
Available in a range of delicious flavors, this high-protein kibble contains vitamin A and omega-6 fatty acids to nourish your dog’s skin and coat, plus prebiotics and probiotics for a healthy digestive system. View Deal

2. Purina Pro Plan Adult Weight Management Chicken and Rice Formula

• Chicken is the main ingredient, but fillers and by-product meal also feature in the top ingredients
• Sources of whole grains and glucosamine, promoting heart and joint health
• High in protein to keep your dog satisfied for longer
• Reasonably priced compared to other similar products
• This weight management diet is nutritionally balanced and although not all of the ingredients are top quality, they should help to keep your dog feeling full.

Purina Pro Plan Adult Weight Management Chicken and Rice Formula 34lb bag
$71.98 from Chewy
Help your dog look and feel his best with this low-fat weight management formula that's been optimized with a protein-to-fat ratio to help maintain muscle mass during weight loss.
View Deal

3. Purina Pro Plan Adult Complete Essentials Lamb and Rice Entrée

• The first ingredient is water, which may be expected in many wet dog foods
• Other top ingredients include lamb and liver, but also wheat and meat by-products
• Nutritionally complete and balanced, with many vitamins and minerals supplemented
• Comparably priced to other similar brands, however, without the highest-quality ingredients
• This diet will suit the majority of dogs and contains the right levels of essential nutrients. However, the ingredients aren’t as consistently high in quality compared to Blue Buffalo.

Purina Pro Plan Adult Complete Essentials Lamb and Rice Entrée
$32.40 from Chewy
With a tender texture and a yummy flavor, this real lamb dish comes packed with 23 essential vitamins and nutrients. View Deal

Verdict

While both of these brands make dog food to suit dogs of various breeds, life stages, and activity levels, as well as providing nutrition tailored to various health conditions and requirements, when it comes to ingredient quality, Blue Buffalo seems to have the edge. However, dog foods from both brands are nutritionally balanced and meet the requirements of the majority of dogs, so there’s not much to set them apart.