Grocery shopping for your pet can be fun but it comes with a lot of deliberation and decision making.
Many brands are represented on shelves; even when you have a list, you may not know what brand suits you the most.
This article answers fundamental questions on Wellness and Blue Buffalo. By the end, you will know exactly which one to pick for your little buddy!
After you are done with this awesome comparison, check out Blue Buffalo and Wellness here to see the different flavors and pricing.
Contents:
- 🤔 Blue Buffalo vs Wellness FAQ
- ⚖️ Blue Buffalo and Wellness Pros and Cons
- 😻 Types Of Pet Food
- 🥕 Nutritional Value Comparison
- 💰 Price Comparison
- 🤤 Ingredients and Flavors
- 🏡 About Blue Buffalo and Wellness
- 🙀 Product Safety and Recalls through History
- 🏆 Blue Buffalo vs Wellness: And the winner goes to…
Having prior product knowledge, especially when it comes to purchasing pet food, is a major advantage.
As a pet owner, your best ally is a pet food brand that provides your pet with all the nourishment and nutritional value that they require to grow.
This article answers fundamental questions on Wellness and Blue Buffalo.
You will get insights on the brand history, principles, dietary content, product quality and safety, and more.
You will get insights on the brand history, principles, dietary content, product quality and safety, and more.
🤔 Wellness vs Blue Buffalo FAQ
What is guaranteed analysis?
The concept of guaranteed analysis on pet food products is to assure purchasers of the precise nutrient content of each consumable. Emphasized by AAFCO, guaranteed analysis by food labels must meet certain requirements such as an exact value for the minimum percentage of crude protein and fat, as well as the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture on the basis of dry matter obtained. All of the percentages that I use in this comparison are averages of dry matter basis. Learn about dry matter basis here.
Which one has more protein?
In the dry food category, Wellness provides a significantly higher amount of protein while It exceeds Blue Buffalo with about 5 percent for cat food and 4 percent for dog food. whereas In the wet food group, Blue Buffalo provides more protein with a slight difference. It is higher by 0.2 percent for dog food and 0.8 for cat food.
Which one is cheaper?
Wellness is more expensive than Blue Buffalo across all food categories for cats and dogs. whereas wellness is also considered to be quite affordable.
Which one has more flavors?
While both brands have a remarkably wide and robust product range, Blue Buffalo triumphs with 339 unique flavors. On the flip side, Wellness has a total of 230 flavors.
Which has more recalls?
Of both brands, Blue Buffalo has had more recalls. Wellness has been recalled 5 times while Blue Buffalo has been recalled 9 times.
Check the current prices and recipes/flavors for Blue Buffalo and Wellness.
⚖️ Wellness and Blue Buffalo Pros and Cons
Wellness Pros:
Wellness Cons:
Blue Buffalo pros:
Blue Buffalo cons:
😻 Types Of Pet Food
| Product | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Dry Dog Food | 51 Recipes | 85 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 62 Recipes | 101 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | 30 Treats | 51 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | 16 Recipes | 40 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 65 Recipes | 47 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | 6 Treats | 15 Treats |
| 😻 See all Wellness recipes | 😻 See all Blue Buffalo recipes |
As represented on the table, Blue Buffalo has a larger number of recipes than Wellness. Both brands produce all types of food products ranging from dry food to canned food and treats for cats and dogs.
🥕 Nutritional Value Comparison
If your pet’s food does not provide the necessary nutrients, then it has no value.
Pets function optimally and are healthier looking when their body is being nourished by the right nutrients.
Conversely, pets suffer ailments or appear malnourished when their body does not absorb needed nutrients in the right proportion.
Before you reach a decision on the brands in question, you must take a look at their nutritional components.
This is important because pets generate most of the needed body nutrients from food.
The most essential nutrients as recommended by AAFCO include protein, fat, and fiber.
All pet foods have labels that indicate the percentage or proportion of the nutrients available in each serving.
We are going to outline the amount of these nutrients that are contained in Wellness and Blue Buffalo on the table below.
| Dry Cat Food | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Crude Protein | 42.0% | 37.0% |
| Crude Fat | 16.0% | 16.3% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.9% | 6.4% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Crude Protein | 44.6% | 45.4% |
| Crude Fat | 23.6% | 24.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.7% | 8.2% |
| Dry Dog Food | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Crude Protein | 32.6% | 28.5% |
| Crude Fat | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.7% | 7.1% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Crude Protein | 40.2% | 40.4% |
| Crude Fat | 23.9% | 25.2% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.6% | 7.5% |
| 🥕 See more Wellness Info | 🥕 See more Blue Buffalo Info |
As illustrated on the table, Wellness leads in the dry food category as it supplies more protein and fat.
However, Blue Buffalo supplies more fiber in this category. For the wet food group, Blue Buffalo provides more nutrients for protein, fat, and fiber.
This is definitely an advantage for Blue Buffalo.
You may wonder why protein, fat, and fiber are so significant in your pet’s diet. We will discuss these reasons below.
Protein
Cats and dogs need essential amino acids but their bodies cannot produce or synthesize these independently, the protein content of their food makes up for this lapse.
Among myriads of functions, protein helps to build their form and keep them in good shape. Their fur, paws, skin coats, bones are made sturdy by protein. In cases of wear and tear, protein repairs worn out tissues in their body.
Fat
Do you know that dogs and cats never have to worry about their cholesterol level?
Fat does not clog their hearts like it does to humans so you may want to allay your fears about this nutrient.
Fat is needed in every balanced canine and feline diet but in the right proportion.
Pets need energy and fat provides one of the main sources of energy, this is the first source of energy pets use before protein or carbohydrates.
It gets better, pets are not self-sufficient because they cannot produce essential fatty acids which is needed by the body, they depend on fat for this.
Fiber
Digestion is a key part of nutrition; this is where fiber comes in handy. Fiber encourages bowel movement as it supplies bulk matter and water in the digestive tract.
Fiber prevents overeating and reduces risk of obesity by giving a feeling of satiety during meals.
It prevents other diseases like diabetes, hairballs, diarrhea, constipation among others.
💰 Price Comparison
Pricing is of great essence in every review and analysis. What good is a product if you love it but cannot afford to pay for it?
In our review, we put a premium on cost because we understand that budgeting is central to decision making. Luckily both brands are quite affordable.
Food products are either measured by pound or by calorie so, your budget is determined by your shopping pattern and food preference.
On the average, buying per kilocalorie is recommended because you get to eliminate the extra weight of moisture. Below is the cost for Wellness and Blue Buffalo.
| Dry Dog Food | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Per Pound | $4.26 | $2.61 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0026 | $0.0016 |
| Dry Cat Food | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Per Pound | $4.60 | $3.88 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0027 | $0.0023 |
| Wet Dog Food | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Per Pound | $5.87 | $4.29 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0135 | $0.0088 |
| Wet Cat Food | Wellness | Blue Buffalo |
| Per Pound | $6.48 | $5.54 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0158 | $0.0112 |
| 💰 See the best Wellness prices | 💰 See the best Blue Bluffalo prices |
According to the data on the table, Wellness is more expensive than Blue Buffalo.
So where is the best place to purchase these brands? Good question! Overall, Chewy.com has the cheapest prices.
They also offer 30% of your first autoship order which saves you a good chunk of change and makes your petfood ordering process automatic. Overall this has saved me a ton of time.
🤤 Ingredients and Flavors
Wellness
Many ingredients are combined in unique ways to create recipes and treats, some include:
Turkey Meal, Deboned Turkey, Peas, Potatoes, Chicken Meal, Dried Ground Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Chicken Fat, Chicken Liver, carrots, Parsley, Apples, Choline Chloride, Blueberries, Kale, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Sweet Potatoes, Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Carbonate, Broccoli, Niacin, Ferrous Iron Proteinate, Sulfate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin D3 Vitamin A, Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). Folic Acid, Zinc Sulfate, , Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Natural Chicken Flavor, Salmon Oil, Ground Flaxseed, Spinach,
Popular flavors
- Chicken and turkey
- Tuna, Beef, and carrots
- Salmon and herring
- Turkey and duck
Blue Buffalo
The most common ingredients include chicken meal, Deboned chicken, brown Rice, barley, oatmeal, flaxseed, peas, potatoes, kelp, carrots spinach, and barley grass, pumpkin, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, apples, menhaden fish Meal, pomegranate, chicken fat, and fish oil, dried egg, vitamin E, zinc, iron, among others.
Popular flavors
- Chicken,Duck,Beef, and Turkey
- Meaty Morsels in tasty Gravy
- Chicken and Trout flaked entree
Check out the current Wellness recipes and Blue Buffalo recipes here.
🏡 About Blue Buffalo and Wellness
Wellness Information
Wellness has commendably remained relevant for more than 100 years! They are passionate about bringing balance to feeding.
They maintain that food must be fun and nutritious. Healthy should not be approximated to boring.
To ensure your pet’s wellness and glee during mealtimes, they creatively combine toppers, treats
At Wellness, it is
Blue Buffalo Information
Blue Buffalo, a family-owned brand, was born out the tragic loss of Blue, a family dog.
The Bishop family created the company to use food to combat some health problems suffered by pets.
The Blue Buffalo’s mantra has always been “love them like family, feed them like family”.
They maintain that dogs and cats are family members so, you will imagine that their meals will not be prepared without much thought.
This clearly demonstrates that quality is not compromised in food production. This brand uses the best natural ingredients.
One of their bestselling formula is named the Life Protection Formula. Get the idea?
🙀 Product Safety and Recalls through History
Companies make scheduled recalls on products that may have a foreseen defect or safety issues.
The importance of a recall is to conduct further safety tests in order to effect changes to product to ensure that it is safe for use.
Wellness Recalls
- March 18th, 2017 – elevated beef thyroid hormone
- Feb. 10th, 2017 – foreign material
- Oct. 30th, 2012 – High Moisture
- May 4th, 2012 – Salmonella
- Feb. 28th, 2011 – Low Levels of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
Blue Buffalo Recalls
- March 18th, 2017 – elevated beef thyroid hormone
- Feb. 14th, 2017 – presence of aluminum
- March 3rd, 2017 – Foil Seal Packaging Problem
- May 31st, 2016 – Mold
- Nov. 25th, 2015 – Salmonella
- Nov. 6th, 2015 – Presence of Propylene Glycol
- Oct. 8th, 2010 – toxic levels of vitamin D
- April 19th, 2007 – Melamine
- April 26th, 2007 – Melamine
🏆 Blue Buffalo vs Wellness: And the winner goes to…
By a very narrow margin, the winner for this review is Wellness. Longevity is definitely advantageous for Wellness.
Blue Buffalo almost matches up with Wellness save for her alarmingly high number of recalls.
What Blue Buffalo lacks in the dry food category which is improved on in the wet food group.
It even costs less than Wellness but I guess we can all agree that safety should come first.
| If you want | Then you should choose |
| Higher levels of protein | Both |
| A cost effective option | Blue Buffalo |
| A wider variety of flavors and ingredients | Blue buffalo |
| Safety, based on number of recalls | Wellness |
| A balanced diet for all age levels | both |
References:
https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/wellness-dog-food-super-5-mix-dry/
