Is taste of the wild or Blue Buffalo better
Taste Of The Wild vs. Blue Buffalo
Picking out a dog food that best fits the needs of your dog can be tricky, especially with all of the different dog food brands available. Sometimes, you may ask yourself what the difference between all of the food brands are and why one food is better over the other.
To help you with your researching adventure of different dog foods, we will go over the difference between two different, yet similar-looking dog foods, Taste of the Wild vs. Blue Buffalo.
For this particular review, we will go over who makes the different dog food brands, if they have had any recall history, what makes up their diets, as well as give a short review on some popular flavor within the brands.
By the end of the article, you should have a better idea which of these two similar dog foods will fit your dogs diet the best, as well as what makes the foods different from each other.
Who Manufactures Blue Buffalo & Taste of the Wild Dog Food?
Taste of the Wild
Now let us turn to Taste of the Wild. Taste of the Wild was created in 2007, and since its creation, it has remained a family-run pet food brand. While still being a family run pet food brand, their foods are manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods, Inc, which is owned by Schell & Kampeter, Inc., which has been around since the 1970s.
Taste of the Wild makes all of their dog food in the United States of America. They have five state-of-the-art facilities across the United States that are responsible for making their pet food brands, two in California and one each in Missouri, Arkansas and South Carolina.
They only source their ingredients from reputable resources that they have established long term relationships with. Some of their ingredients are sourced locally while others globally, but you can always be sure that their ingredients are of the highest quality.
Blue Buffalo
Lets start with who manufactures Blue Wilderness. Blue Wilderness is a line of dog food offered by Blue Buffalo, which produces all of their dog foods in the United States of America, except their BLUE Chomp n Chew treats, which is made in Ireland.
Blue Buffalo was founded in 2002 in Wilton, Connecticut by Bill Bishop. Currently, though, Blue Buffalo is owned by General Mills, a popular cereal company who is aiming to create better dog food by using natural ingredients.
For the majority of their ingredients, Blue Wilderness uses their resources or seek out aid from partnering companies, like Ainsworth, ANI/Vita-Line, CJ Foods, Triple T Foods, and Tuffys, for specific ingredients.
For the smaller ingredients used, Blue Wilderness is not as precise on where their ingredients are sourced, so it is not sure that they are entirely sourced in the United States of America or not.
Recall History of Each Brand
Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild is still a young dog food brand since it was established in 2007, compared to Blue Buffalo that was established in 2002. But in their short time Taste of the Wild has only had one case of a recall.
In May of 2012, Taste of the Wild recalled both dog and cat foods with production code have a 2 or a 3 as the ninth digit and the letter X as the tenth or eleventh due to a risk of salmonella contamination.
For being a young company, having only one recall case is this positive as the case occurred long after they were established, and they have not had another recall case as of then.
Blue Buffalo
The most recent recall incident that Blue Wilderness has had was in March of 2018. Blue Wilderness recalled their Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Red Meat Dinner Wet Food for Adult Dogs due to the wet food being at risk of elevated levels of naturally-occurring beef thyroid hormones in the beef used for the diet.
In the same month, they also had a recall on their Blue Wilderness Trail Trays, and BLUE Divine Delights due to a quality issue with the foil seal of the trays. In November of 2015, the Cub Size Wilderness Wild Chew Bones were recalled due to salmonella contamination.
In October of 2010, Blue Wilderness Chicken dry food was recalled due to toxic levels of Vitamin D. While the Blue Wilderness food line has had no other reports of recall, the Blue Buffalo brand has had eight total, including the Blue Wilderness, recall cases, recall cases from 2007 up till 2017
Key Ingredients of Each Brand
Each brand of food uses a variety of key ingredients in an attempt to make them stand out amongst other similar brands. We will go over four of these key ingredients and how both brands use them.
Protein Blue Buffalo Wilderness
Blue Wilderness uses a wide variety of animal proteins in their diets to both encourage dogs to eat, and to make sure that there is a flavor preference for every dog.Blue Wilderness does tend to mix animal proteins in their diets as a way to keep dogs from getting bored of only eating a single flavor.
Here is a list of all of the animal proteins Blue Wilderness uses.
- Chicken
- Beef
- Menhaden Fish Meal
- Dried Egg Product
- Duck
- Salmon
- Bison
- Rabbit
- Alligator
- Catfish
- Venison
- Halibut
- Trout
- Turkey
- Quail
- Duck
Protein Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild does not have as extensive of an animal protein list, but that does not mean that their ingredients are a lesser quality. Taste of the Wild seems to focus on making diets with one or two animal proteins, except some flavors, to prevent dogs from having an allergic reaction to the food.
Here is the list of animal proteins that Taste of the Wild uses.
- Venison
- Bison
- Salmon
- Beef
- Lamb
- Boar
- Trout
- Turkey
- Fowl
- Chicken
- Ocean Fish Meal
Fats Blue Buffalo
Blue Wilderness tends to use Chicken Fat as one of the leading fat giving ingredients in their diets. While Chicken Fat is not a harmful ingredient for dogs, some dogs can have allergies to poultry.
Since the majority of their dry food contains Chicken Fat, those flavors cannot be eaten by dogs with poultry allergies, thus eliminating a broad spectrum of pets from being able to eat the dry food.
Fats Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild does also tend to add extra fat to their dry food diets, but it is later down the list as they are confident that the natural fat provided by their choice proteins is enough to help your dog develop strong muscles and have the energy they need for day to day life.
Antioxidants Blue Buffalo
To provide your dog with the Antioxidants that they need, Blue Wilderness tends to add some variety of fruits and vegetables to their dry food, but they tend to be tried and not as diverse as some dogs can benefit from eating.
Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that Blue Wilderness use to give your dog an Antioxidant boost.
- Peas
- Pea Protein
- Pea Starch
- Dried Tomato Pomace
- Flaxseed
- Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
- Sweet Potatoes
- Carrots
Antioxidants Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild also uses a variety of fruits and vegetables to give your dog the antioxidants that they need, but they also lack some in the variety department. They do have a few extra fruits in their mix compared to Blue Wilderness, but there is room for improvement.
Here is a list of fruits and vegetable Taste of the Wild uses.
- Sweet Potatoes
- Potatoes
- Peas
- Lentils
- Dried Chicory Root
- Tomatoes
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Yucca
Blue LifeSource Bits and Species-Specific Probiotics
Since Blue Wilderness is a Blue Buffalo diet, it has the exclusive LifeSource Bits added to it.
These LifeSource Bits contain a hearty blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals chosen by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists aimed at supporting your dogs immune system health, Life Stage requirements, and provide a healthy oxidative balance.
Taste of the Wild offers its unique ingredient to their dry food in the form of Species-Specific Probiotic.Every pound of Taste of the Wild contains around 80-million live, active cultures that are meant to support a healthy digestive and immune system.
They are added after the cooking process to ensure the highest viability possible.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Vs. Taste Of The Wild Reviews
Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo Dog Food Which Is Better In 2021?
This is my detailed comparison of Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo dog food brands in 2022.
Many people like Taste of the Wild and Blue Buffalo dog food. This is because these two brands offer an affordable price with high quality.
However, if you cant decide between them, youre in the right place now. In this article, I compared the two companies and their products in essential respects. I contrast recipes for similar purposes, write about recalls, range and selections, and many other useful details.
I spent an entire day with the comparisons. I concluded that Taste of the Wild is the better dog food.
By the end of my article, I hope you also can decide which is the best food for your pup.
Lets start!
Why you should trust me
Whether youre experienced in dog and other pet topics or not, Im sure youre in the right place. I do my best to provide the best and most reliable information possible to my readers.My name is Peter Laskay, and I have been a pet lover since I was a child. One of the most important places in my life is to gain as much knowledge as possible about pet care. And I want to pass this knowledge on to my blog visitors.Should you have any questions at any time, feel free to contact me using the contact information on the website.
More about Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild is not a very old brand; It was founded in 2007. It is made by Diamond Pet Foods, Inc., one of the largest pet food manufacturers. Schell and Kampeter own the company.
With Taste of the Wild, their goal was to create a pet food option that is affordable yet high quality. All products are made in modern facilities. Ingredients are sourced locally and internationally, but all suppliers are carefully inspected.
As its name suggests, Taste of the Wild mimics the ancient diet of dogs. It is no accident that there are gray wolves on many packages. All foods include real meat and vegetables.
Veterinarians and various pet nutritionists helped create each recipe. The products are of good quality and safe for pets.
More about Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo was founded in 2003 by the Bishop family. Bill and Jackie Bishop had an Airedale Terrier called Blue.
Unfortunately, Blue had cancer. Because of this, the Bishops began to study the dog food on the market. They realized that there are plenty of recipes that contain questionable or downright harmful ingredients.
Their goal was to create their own formula that does not contain fillers, artificial preservatives, and other chemicals.
Veterinarians and animal nutritionists have also been involved in the development of Blue Buffalo products. The so-called LifeSource Bits blend vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals developed by professionals and found in almost all Blue products.
These foods are made in the USA with high safety standards. The brand offers a solution to virtually every problem in the form of some recipe.
Blue Buffalo vs Other Dog Food Brands
Most experts consider Blue Buffalo to be a very high-quality and competitive brand. So its no coincidence that it is often compared to many other dog food brands. Below you will find my Blue Buffalo comparison articles:
Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo Which is the better?
Now that Ive written a little about the two brands basics and history, a comparison can come. I will proceed in different ways.
I first examine the offerings and product lines of both dog foods. I will then contrast products from both brands for similar purposes and analyze them to find out which one is better.
Later, I will write about recalls, general prices, and other important aspects. By the end of the article, I hope to help you decide if Taste of the Wild or Blue Buffalo is better for your dog.
Taste of the Wild product lines
Taste of the Wild doesnt have as wide an offer as Blue Buffalo. However, you should check them out as they are of excellent quality.
The standard line includes 14 products, 9 dry and 5 wet recipes. Each is grain-free and contains special meats and fish. All recipes are good for adult and senior dogs, but there are also puppy formulas on offer.
These recipes contain special grains such as grain sorghum, millet, quinoa, and chia seed. They do not cause sensitivity or allergies, but they are extremely nutritional. There are four dry foods in this line. Each is suitable for dogs at all life stages.
This is essentially the limited component line of Taste of the Wild. That is, if your dog has a sensitive stomach, consider these products. 3 dry foods are included here, and each is suitable for dogs of all life stages.
Blue Buffalo product lines
Blue Buffalo has 8 product lines. As I mentioned, the company takes great care to ensure that all products contain only natural ingredients. The first ingredient and the main protein source is usually real meat or meat meal in every recipe.
This is one of the most popular product lines of Blue Buffalo. There are high-quality recipes here with lots of meat.
You can find dry and wet food, treats, sticks, and topping here. Life protection formulas do not contain wheat, corn, and soy.
This line also includes formulas for puppies, adults, seniors, small, medium, and large breeds. It also has grain-free and grain-inclusive dog food.
Each recipe here contains a special blend called LifeSource Bits, which contains valuable vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Blue Basics products are true to their name. They contain a limited ingredient, the first of which is some real meat.
Due to the few ingredients, the chances of developing possible sensitivities and allergies can be reduced. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, be sure to consider this product line.
And the added LifeSource Bits increase the efficiency of the dogs immune system.
Check out my detailed Blue Basics dog food review.
This line is also trendy. All recipes here are high in protein and fat. The name Wilderness suggests that the company tried to mimic the diet of the ancestors of the dogs.
These products are grain-free. They contain carbohydrate sources such as legumes, tubers, and roots. LifeSource Bits can also be discovered at this line.
Check out my detailed Blue Wilderness Dog Food Review.
This line is similar to Basics in that there are also limited-ingredient recipes here. That is, if you have a dog with a sensitive stomach, you can also choose a product from here.
All Freedom products are grain-free and contain the standard LifeSource Bits and omega fatty acids. They boost the immune system of dogs great.
Veterinarians often recommend True Solutions products. This is because these recipes are usually designed to meet some special dietary needs. They can help with digestive problems, weight control, joint problems, and skin and coat problems.
These products are worth choosing for owners who want to keep their dogs on a carnivorous diet. Carnivora recipes are high in meat, protein and fat, while low in carbohydrates.
LifeSource Bits are not found in these recipes; however, many internal organs provide your dogs vitamin and mineral intake.
This line only includes wet dishes that are prepared in a homemade style. If your dog loves really mouth-watering flavors, consider these products.
This is Blue Buffalos line of prescription diets. It offers solutions to many health problems such as allergies, tenderness, kidney, and urinary problems, weight management, joint problems, and gastrointestinal diseases.
Ingredients do not include questionable and harmful fillers or artificial preservatives and dyes.
Finding the best diet for your dog is not easy. You have to consider several aspects, e.g., activity, breed, age, health condition, etc. If you want to make the best decision possible, check out my comprehensive guide on how to choose the best dog food.
Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo comparisons
To make the comparisons appropriate, I selected products for similar purposes from both brands. So I contrast the recipes with Limited Ingredients, the recipes that mimic the ancient diet, and at the end I choose a puppy formula from both brands.
After that, you can draw the lesson of which dog food company is better.
Lets get started.
Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo Reviews
Key features:
- The first 5 ingredients are Turkey, Lentils, Tomato Pomace, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor
- Promotes lean, strong muscles
- Contains added micronutrients and omega fatty acids
- Contains added probiotics
- Free of grains, GMOs, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
A limited ingredient recipe usually contains one type of meat. In this case, this is turkey, which is very well digestible, is lean, and does not cause sensitivity in dogs.
There is also only one main source of carbohydrates, and that is lentils. It is a high-quality legume with a low glycemic index, in addition to which it contains a lot of fiber and other useful nutrients.
The fiber content is also increased by tomato pomace, which is a common ingredient in dog food. Adequate fiber content is essential for digestive health. Incidentally, this is also supported by the added probiotics in this recipe.
The two main sources of fat are sunflower oil and salmon oil. Together, these two complement each other very well, as sunflower oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids, and salmon oil is high in omega-3.
These fatty acids are involved in a lot of bodily processes. They are responsible for the health of the brain, skin, and coat of dogs and prevent or help treat various inflammations.
There is much debate circulating about whether a grain-free diet is healthy for dogs. There is evidence that taurine deficiency can develop with a grain-free diet. You dont have to worry about this with this product, as it also contains added taurine.
And the added vitamins and minerals support overall health.
Key features:
- The first 5 ingredients are Deboned Turkey, Potatoes, Turkey Meal, Pea Starch, Peas
- High-quality ingredients like potatoes, peas, and pumpkin
- Free of chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy, and eggs
- Contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
- Made without poultry by-product meals, and artificial ingredients
Blues limited-ingredient product also contains one type of meat, albeit in two different forms.
Next to the turkey meat, there is the turkey meal. This is not inferior in quality. It is a concentrated version that is a great source of glucosamine and chondroitin. These two minerals are the vitamins of the joints.
There are more carbs in this recipe than in the Taste of the Wild recipe. These are potatoes, pea starch, peas, tapioca starch, and potato starch. While these are all great carbs, I prefer dog food to contain one, max two sources.
The sources of fat are canola oil and fish oil. This is very balanced, as the former contains many omega-6s, the latter a lot of omega-3s.
This product contains added vitamins and minerals in the form of LifeSource Bits and fresh fruits and vegetables. This way, you can be sure that your dogs immune system will be properly supported.
Comparison table:
Brand: | Taste of the Wild | Blue Buffalo |
First 5 ingredients: | Turkey, Lentils, Tomato Pomace, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor | Deboned Turkey, Potatoes, Turkey Meal, Pea Starch, Peas |
Main Protein Sources: | Turkey | Turkey, Turkey Meal |
Main Carb sources: | Lentils | Potatoes, Pea Starch, Peas, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch |
Other ingredients: | Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salmon Oil, Added vitamins, Probiotics, and minerals | Canola Oil, Natural Flavor, Pea Protein, Fish Oil, added fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals |
Protein content: | 30% | 20% |
Fat Content: | 15% | 12% |
Fiber Content: | 5% | 6% |
Omega-3: | 0.3% | 0.75% |
Omega-6: | 2.4% | 2.25% |
Price rating: | 4.7 | 4.6 |
Looking at the comparison chart, it is easier to find out which product is better. None of the recipes contain harmful ingredients, and each ingredient is of excellent quality.
I think turkey is excellent meat if we look for a diet for a dog with sensitive stomachs. If you look, the Taste of the Wild recipe contains a lot more protein.
In terms of carbs, I rated the product of Taste of the Wild as better. It is very positive for me that it only uses lentils as a carbohydrate source.
Im happy with both brands in terms of fatty acids, although Blue Buffalos product contains more omega-3s. In the price of Taste of the Wild, if not much, it defeated Blue.
Considering the above, I have to say that Taste of the Wild won this round.
Key features:
- The first 5 ingredients are Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas
- Contains real fruits and vegetables
- Free of grain, corn, wheat, filler, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
- Contains probiotics
- It helps build lean muscle mass
Clearly, imitating the diet of the ancestors of dogs clearly requires a lot of protein. And, of course, its good to have this much protein given by real meats.
High Prairie is one of Taste of the Wilds most popular products. It contains several types of meat such as Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Roasted Bison, Egg Product, Roasted Venison, and Beef.
These are excellent sources of protein. They are very digestible and contain all the necessary nutrients needed to build and maintain lean muscle mass. Plus, theyre so delicious that dogs go crazy for their taste.
This is a grain-free product, meaning it contains complex and easily digestible carbohydrates such as Sweet Potatoes, Peas, and Potatoes. They provide long-lasting energy to dogs, are complex, and are rich in fiber.
I tend to look at the total fiber content because this ingredient greatly supports the digestive system, just like the probiotics found in this recipe.
In addition to what has been said so far, it is important to write about fat sources. Fats are very good sources of energy, they help absorb certain vitamins, and they play a role in many important bodily processes.
This recipe contains added chicken fat, which is delicious and contains a lot of essential fatty acids.
And fresh fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals promote the functioning of dogs immune systems. If you want a healthy dog, consider this product.
Key features:
- The first 5 ingredients are Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca Starch
- Helps build and maintain lean muscle mass
- Features healthy carbs like sweet potatoes and peas
- Contains omega-3 and -6 fatty acids
- Free of by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, and artificial ingredients
From a protein point of view, this product is not disappointing either. The first ingredient and the main protein source is chicken, which is a very digestible, nutritious meat.
Other sources of protein are Chicken Meal and Menhaden Fish Meal. Not only do they add to the total protein content, but they also contain plenty of other nutrients.
Chicken Meal is concentrated meat that is an excellent source of glucosamine and chondroitin. These are essential for the development of healthy joints. And Fish Meal is an extremely good source of omega fatty acids, which has a good effect on dogs skin and coat.
Other protein sources are Pea Protein and Dried Egg Product. Thus, this product will have a total protein content of 34%, which is truly impressive.
Peas, Tapioca Starch, and Pea Starch are sources of gluten and grain-free carbohydrates containing many useful nutrients.
Proper digestion is provided by fiber sources such as Dried Tomato Pomace and Flaxseed. The latter also contains omega fatty acids.
The main source of fat is Chicken Fat, which is tasty and healthy for dogs.
Wildernesss recipe also includes fresh vegetables, fruits, and the excellent LifeSource Bits. These are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and make sure your dogs immune system is working perfectly.
Comparison table:
Brand: | Taste of the Wild | Blue Buffalo |
First 5 ingredients: | Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca Starch |
Main Protein Sources: | Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pea Protein |
Main Carb sources: | Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes | Peas, Tapioca Starch |
Other ingredients: | Chicken Fat, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Added Fruits, Vegetables, Vitamins, Probiotics, and minerals | Dried Tomato Pomace, Chicken Fat, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, added fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals |
Protein content: | 32% | 34% |
Fat Content: | 18% | 15% |
Fiber Content: | 4% | 6% |
Omega-3: | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Omega-6: | 2.8% | 2.75% |
Price rating: | 4.7 | 4.5 |
Both products have similar benefits. Both contain good quality meats and are high in protein. Although the Blue Wilderness recipe has more vegetable protein, I think the 2% difference is due.
Taste of the Wild has a higher fat content, which is closer to a natural diet. Of course, the 15% fat content of Blue Buffalo is also plenty.
Both products have satisfactory fiber content, with no significant difference between 4% and 6%.
Blue Wilderness is better for Omega-3 fatty acids and Taste of the Wild for Omega-6.
In terms of price, Taste of the Wild is clearly more affordable.
Overall, I think the Taste of the Wild vs Blue Wilderness round was won by Taste of the Wild.
Key features:
- The first 5 ingredients are Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Egg Product, Pea Protein
- Made for puppies
- Contains added vitamins and powerful antioxidants from real fruits and vegetables
- Free of grain, corn, wheat, filler, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
- Contains probiotics
Puppies need plenty of calories, protein, and other useful nutrients to grow. For this reason, it is vital to consider the ingredients for puppy formula.
Water Buffalo and Lamb Meal are great meats that provide all the amino acids needed for growth. Other protein sources are also in the recipe, such as Egg Product, Pea Protein, Roasted Bison, Roasted Venison, and Beef.
As you can see, they are all red meat. Therefore, this product is good for dogs who do not like poultry so much.
The main carbohydrate sources are Sweet Potatoes, Peas, and Potatoes. So this product is also gluten-free and grain-free, so even sensitive dogs can consume it with confidence.
Chicken Fat and Salmon Oil are sources of fat that provide plenty of energy and maximally balance omega 3 to omega 6 fats. These two fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects and promote skin and coat health very well. Flaxseed also contains such fatty acids.
The product also contains added fiber sources such as Tomato Pomace and Potato Fiber. Fiber is essential for healthy digestion. Added probiotics also support digestion.
The Taste of the Wild Puppy formula also features fresh fruits and vegetables that add plenty of useful vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your puppys diet. This significantly increases the efficiency of his immune system.
Key features:
- The first 5 ingredients are Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley
- Formulated for puppies
- Contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat
- Contains vitamins, chelated minerals, and antioxidants
- Free of corn, wheat, soy, or by-product meals
The main protein sources in this recipe are Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, and Menhaden Fish Meal.
These are delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-digest meats that guarantee proper growth for puppies. Menhaden Fish Meal contains many omega fatty acids, which are essential for puppies coat and skin health.
Carbohydrates are given by wholesome grains like Brown Rice, Oatmeal, and Barley. In addition to energy, they contain many useful vitamins, minerals, and other useful nutrients. Of course, if your dog is sensitive to grains, this is not the best option.
Fat sources like Chicken Fat, Flaxseed, and Fish Oil can be found in the recipe. They also provide plenty of omega fatty acids for our puppy to develop.
LifeSource Bits and fresh fruits and vegetables have been added to the recipe because of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support the immune system. This product is highly recommended for puppies.
Comparison table:
Brand: | Taste of the Wild | Blue Buffalo |
First 5 ingredients: | Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Egg Product, Pea Protein | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Menhaden Fish Meal |
Main Protein Sources: | Water Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Egg Product, Pea Protein | Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal |
Main Carb sources: | Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes | Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley |
Other ingredients: | Chicken Fat, Tomato Pomace,Flaxseed, Potato Fiber, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Added Fruits, Vegetables, Vitamins, Probiotics, and minerals | Chicken Fat, Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, Fish Oil, added fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals |
Protein content: | 28% | 27% |
Fat Content: | 17% | 16% |
Fiber Content: | 5% | 5% |
Omega-3: | 0.3% | 0.75% |
Omega-6: | 2.8% | 3% |
Price rating: | 4.6 | 4.7 |
Blue Buffalo has a slightly lower protein content. However, among the first 5 ingredients in Taste of the Wild, there is pea protein and egg product. For this reason, I conclude that the one percent difference may be due to these. I prefer when the protein content of a product is given by meat or meat meal.
I dont take grain-freeness into account now because then competition would not be balanced. Of course, if your puppy is sensitive to grains, then Taste of the Wild is the better choice.
The Blue Buffalo puppy formula contains more omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which is more beneficial for dogs healthy development. And in this case, Blues product has a more affordable price.
Therefore, overall, this round was won by the Blue Buffalo puppy formula.
Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo overall comparison
In the following, I will compare the two brands taking into account other factors. Examples are recalls, ingredients, price, etc. At the end of the section, youll also find real customer reviews of the two brands most famous products.
Taste of the Wild recall history
- May 2012 Potential for salmonella
Blue Buffalo recall history
- April 2007: Melamine
- April 2007: Melamine
- October 2010: Potentially too much Vitamin D
- November 2015: Propylene glycol
- November 2015: Potential for salmonella
- May 2016: Possible mold
- February 2017: Possible aluminum contamination
- February 2017: Quality of packaging
- March 2017: Elevated levels of naturally-occurring beef thyroid hormone
Since Blue Buffalo has had many more recalls over the years, Taste of the Wild is clearly better and more reliable in this regard.
Ingredients
You have to realize that the quality of dog food depends on the quality of the ingredients. For this reason, what is written on the packaging of products should not be taken lightly.
It would help if you strived to provide a natural and balanced diet for your dog. Proper diet is the foundation of overall health.
The primary ingredient in Taste of the Wild recipes, without exception, is whole meats. This assures you that your dog will get the most natural diet possible.
The brand uses meats in its products, such as bison, salmon, lamb, wild boar, etc. These are very high-quality protein sources that provide all the necessary amino acids for dogs.
Taste of the Wild does not add controversial, questionable, or harmful ingredients to its products. Examples include inexpensive fillers, meat by-products, and various artificial colors, tonics, or other additives.
The company has grain-free and grain-inclusive products. The latter ones contain good quality wholesome ancient grains that are outstanding quality and nutritious.
All products of the brand usually contain fiber sources (e.g., chicory root) and natural probiotics. They are great for supporting the health and efficiency of the digestive system.
In terms of ingredients, Blue Buffalo also does its best. The first ingredients in recipes are usually some meat or meat meal. The meats are of excellent quality, nutritious, and well digestible.
Almost all Blue foods contain fresh vegetables and fruits. They provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The amount of these micronutrients is also increased by a blend called LifeSource Bits.
This brand also does not use harmful or questionable ingredients in its products.
Price
Although there are exceptions, basically Taste of the Wild products are more affordable than Blue Buffalo products.
Ranges, product lines
As you can see, Blue Buffalo has a lot more product lines. For this reason, it is definitely better in this respect. However, you should be aware that Taste of the Wild also offers solutions to many problems.
Real customer reviews
Below you will find customer reviews of the most popular products from the two brands. So hopefully, you will get a complete picture of what others think of these two dog foods.
All the reviews are from Chewy.
Positive
Great Grain-Free Option
- There has been a lot of controversy over grain-free dog food. However, after a lot of research, it appears the fillers are the issue, not being grain free. I checked this food out on a number of quality reviews and am confident that it is good for my dogs. I have a high-energy collie mix and this satisfies her well. No weight issues and she loves the flavor. I have no hesitation recommending this food as a great grain-free option.
Great for dogs with food allergies
- This was a simple fix. My Bensji started getting sores all over her body. The vet decided it was a food allergy so I had to look for something all the other dogs would but not cause her pain. My friend who also has an English bulldog (one of mine is an English bulldog too) told me to try this and wham bam everyone loves it and Gidgets sores are all gone. Thanks, Chewy
Negative
Previously good food
- I believe this food to be good as it was used by us previously however I made the mistake of changing foods for our dogs to this brand without knowing that a food change is not usually recommended by veterinarians. My dogs did not react well to the change so we had to throw out essentially a whole bag of food. Lesson learning as we reverted back to the American Journey brand.
Formula Change???
- Did the formula in TOTW recently change? The last two bags I purchase online pacific stream and prairie, my dogs have turned their noses up to. Ive had to add things like warm water, pumpkin, yogurt, etc. to get them to eat. Even then its hit or miss. If the formula hasnt changed, the only other difference is I used to purchase TOTW locally vs online at Chewy. I hope the retailer purchased from us just a coincidence because I really enjoy the convenience of ordering online at Chewy.
Positive
Snarfed it down.
- My little Shih-Tzu mix was always fed a different brand of dog food with rice just like this one. I always just felt she had picky little dog syndrome and hated new food flavors after the first day. Not this one! Boy did I hit the jackpot. This is wonderful!
Amazing best dog food
- Sam Wheat (my golden doodle) has been eating this food since he was born. He just turned 1 year old and Blue Buffalo has always kept him healthy and he loves it. When we changed his food from puppy to adult the choice was clear. And the best part is still the same food only difference is now adults. He loves it and a happy dog makes a happy owner.
Negative
Aggravating pellets
- My dog eats the kibble well enough but as others have stated, not only will not eat the tiny dark pellets but scatters them all over the dark carpet and I am constantly stepping on them. For this reason alone, this will be my last bag. I actually take the time to pick out most of the pellets but that is a pain. There is no benefit to the dog no matter how good the ingredients are if he wont eat them. Can someone recommend a similar product without the pellets?
Review for Sissyh6
- There was something added this time. Looked like peppercorns but not sure what they are. My dog wont eat it. She always liked it before.
As you can see, both brands received both positive and negative reviews. However, if you look at the website, you can see that Taste of the Wild has received more 5-star ratings than Blue Buffalo.
My final verdict about Taste of the Wild vs Blue Buffalo
I want to point out one thing. I find both brands particularly good, and Ive tried both on my dogs already. I was satisfied with the results in all cases. Both Taste of the Wild and Blue Buffalo use great high quality and natural ingredients.
In terms of selection, Blue clearly wins. If your dog needs some extraordinary diet, chances are youll find the right one among Blue Buffalo products.
In terms of recalls, review comparisons, and price, overall, Taste of the Wild proved to be better.
So my judgment is that Taste of the Wild is better than Blue Buffalo.
I hope my article helped you decide which dog food brand is best for you and your dog.