Notice: What is going on with Blue Buffalo?!

[Kimberly Cook]

A friend of mine just posted this link and it has me very concerned. I apologize if it has already been posted. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html
I just started adding BB Life Large Puppy Breed to Chopper's current food Puppy Pro Plan which the breeder had him on. After what other pet owners went through I want the stuff out of my house ASAP. :/ So now to find another food for him....sigh...

[Star and Goldie]

Wow this is definitely not the same stuff I found when researching the food. I saw average reviews where loose stools were concerned but nothing this severe. When I transitioned my pup she had loose stools for just a few days but they firmed right back up.

Im going to follow this discussion to see what others say. I'm really happy with BB and don't really want to switch but this is certainly enough to get my mind spinning.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Kimberly, I am willing to bet that you could find these kinds of stories on the internet about any dog food or other pet product you Googled.

These are anecdotes, not documented cases. We have no way of knowing what was wrong with these dogs, what caused it,  or what else they were eating at the same time. We have no way of even knowing if any of it is true. One person mentioned Flint River, which does have recalls out on several of its products. There are no facts indicating that there are any problems with any of the Blue Buffalo products or that they have caused any health issues in any dogs.

I personally would not be concerned at all with these kinds of stories, or with feeding Blue Buffalo. Many thousands of people are feeding it, including many right here,  and have had no issues. But if you are not feeling comfortable with the food, we will be happy to help you choose another one.

Also, unless your pup is expected to top 85 or 90 lbs as an adult, you don;t need a "large breed" formula.

[Star and Goldie]

So glad you chimed in! As always, you slowed the spinning of my mind down. Haha. That was a WWKD moment ;)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Also, as we have said many times before, it is very very important that you not change your puppy's food for at least two weeks after she comes home. Do not add any treats or any other foods that she has not been eating at her breeder's until she has been home at least two weeks and her stools are regular and well-formed.

[Star and Goldie]

I just went through a few of the recommended brands from DK on Consumer Affairs and even some of the best of the best have 1 or 2 stars. It appears that website is a place that people go to just to complain even though there is an option to rate high as well. So actually 191 complaints on a place that seems to be mostly for complaining isn't bad in comparison, in my opinion. I'm sticking with BB :)

As with everything there are going to be people who love or hate a product. You just have to take the tools and resources that you have and make the best decision you can. I guarantee you that ANY food you choose has some type of extreme negative review out there somewhere.

Reading through the Consumer Affairs website is very interesting though! Thanks for sharing!

[Julie and Charlie]

Don't believe these crazy people, believe us instead!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks for posting this Sandy.

I did notice that a lot of the people on that review site mentioned that they were feeding Science Diet. If they are feeding Science Diet, they are probably also giving their dogs crappy grocery store treats like Pup-a-roni, or even chicken jerky from China. There could be so many reasons why their dogs are sick, IF in fact they are sick.

From a medical standpoint, many of those stories sound extremely unlikely as well.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, the internet can be a wonderdul tool for getting information, but as with everything else, we need to consider the source.

[Star and Goldie]

This is fantastic! Thanks so much for posting this Sandy. I think they did a fantastic job of addressing the issue of all of the crazed reviews.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Perhaps someone wants Blue Buffalo to lose business so it could be bought or ????

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That makes a lot of sense to me. It's really the most visible brand competing with the "big dog food" companies...the only one I can think of with TV ads that are making people take a look at the ingredients in their Beneful, Pedigree, Science Diet, etc. It's probably taking a lot more business away from the corporate brands than most of the other foods on our recommended list combined.

[Kimberly Cook]

Thank you all for replying so quickly with good answers. That article really freaked me out. "Dang it! I knew I should not have bought the 30lb bag to start with!" was what I first thought. I did a lot of research and talked to some vet friends as well as all my FB dog owner friends as to what they fed. The majority feed BB and like it so I thought I would try it. "Then" that post appeared and got me very worried and second guessing myself. I will give it a try now that I feel much better about my original choice after hearing from you all. It is being added very slowly and he is a very hungry little boy. Not a morsel is left in his bowl after meals. No treats are being given until he has successfully made the change over in the next month. He will however gladly scarf up a snack dropped by my 6yr old if I don't pick it up first. /:)
When is a good time to start adding in home cooked foods ie: chicken or veggies? We want to start cooking foods specifically for him in addition to store bought. We have always had family with food allergies to one thing or another so making customs meals is no big issue.