Feeding your dog Blue Buffalo or Blue Wilderness Dog Food? Wondering why your canine doesn’t seem to be doing well?
Sadly, despite all their enticing television commercials, another Class Action Law Suit has been filed against Blue Buffalo Pet Products. Note that Blue Wilderness dog foods are also made by Blue Buffalo.
In California on June 26, 2017, charges against Blue Buffalo Pet Products included Negligent Misrepresentation, violations of the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, violations of the California False Advertising Law, violations of the California Unfair Competition Law, breach of Express Warranty, breach of Implied Warranty, and Negligence.
This time the law suit was filed due to evidence documenting the fact that several of Blue Buffalo’s dry dog foods contained toxic levels of lead. Lead tainted dog foods included Blue Wilderness Chicken Recipe for Small Breed Adult Dogs, Blue Freedom Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Small Breed Adult Dogs, and Blue Basics Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe for Adult Dogs.
The Problem: LEAD in Your Dog’s Food.
The contaminated dog foods contained toxic levels of lead. Lead, is classified as a carcinogen, which means that at certain levels it can lead to cancer. Lead is a toxin that builds up in your dog’s body and over time as it accumulates your dog becomes sickened. Dog illnesses that may result from ingesting lead include cancer, reproductive problems, abnormal growth issues, as well as damage to the nervous system and other vital organs. Lead poisoning in dogs occurs when the amount of lead in your dog’s blood reaches levels high enough to cause visible signs. Signs of lead poisoning in dogs may include appetite loss, vomiting, diarrhea and/or constipation, jaw chomping, blindness, seizures, muscle spasms, behavior changes, anxiety, circling and/or lack of coordination. Blood work may reveal elevated liver numbers.
It is interesting to note that that the FDA considers acceptable levels of lead in bottled drinking water to be 5 ppb (parts per billion). The three Blue Buffalo pet foods were documented with lead levels at 200 ppb in the Blue Wilderness Chicken Recipe for Small Breed Adult Dogs, 140 ppb in the Blue Freedom Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Small Breed Adult Dogs, and 840 ppb in the Blue Basics Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe for Adult Dogs.
Therapy to reverse lead toxicity is based on liver detoxification and whole body support. Depending on the severity of your dog’s condition, therapy may range from hospitalization and intravenous fluids to supportive care. Natural therapies helpful to detox the liver includes antioxidants, NAC, milk thistle, buffered vitamin C, bentonite clay, and turmeric derivatives. Homemade diets high in green leafy vegetables are also beneficial.
Buyers Beware when you spend your hard-earned dollars on “healthy and holistic” dog foods. Blue Buffalo and Blue Wilderness Dog Foods have a 9-year history of being anything but “healthy and holistic” in this author and veterinarians experience.
I started giving this to my dog when we adopted her in May because they said it’s the best food to give to a puppy Pitbull. She has been having diarrhea and acting crazy and runs when we put her food down. She doesn’t eat it unless I mix it with something. Definitely won’t be giving this to her anymore.
Wow, I am shocked by this! Like yourself, I have been feeding my Silky Terriers this food because I believed it was the best quality and safety. Now I wonder, have I poisoned my babies? My puppy is 10 months, so he’s had it all his life, will that shorten his life with lead poisoning? My other dogs are 5 years, and I didn’t start using until 2 years ago, so I hope they are OK too. This is horrifying, and I am furious about learning this so late. Surely they knew this a long time ago?
me as well my purebred shep is 15 months old ben feeding all his short life he is on lamb and rice not mentioned in list but still concerned how do we have it checked.
Me too, pissed me off so much. You think you’re buying the best then this. How can I sue?
How can we sue??!? We buy this cause we read its healthy for our pets, but its actually harming. Costs of the food we bought and future health issues because of it?!?
Here is a link with more information on how to report dog foods that may be bad: https://www.chagrinfallspetclinic.com/2018/03/12/pet-sick-blue-buffalo-pet-foods-report/
Well I thought I was doing the right thing here .i have two cockers and thought we had a problem with the grains in the old food so we switched that when things happened the male is struggling with seizures and had a stroke and has lost feeling in the right side of his face and can’t even blink they better hope this is as far as this one goes Thanks mike
We fed our boston this for a while-he got led poisoning and we had to take him to an animal E.R. and he stayed there for a week-we now feed him royal canine and he loves it
Just take all pets to vet asap, it’s been the best thing for them. Be Wise. Don’t just assume you can stop feeding them this bad food and all will be well.
Wondering how their wire haired dog from the commercial died. Airing on TV now.
Research Earthborn holistic grain free no recalls in history of company. Excellent quality & they’ll plant trees with upc from bags! Every ingredient is checked coming in to their plant. My dogs love it!!!!
I feed my Golden Doodle Earthborn Weight Control for a couple years now, she has no complaints eats everyday and never turns up her nose.
Hi there my only problem with earth born is it starts with meal instead of deboned which means there is no actual meet look up the definition of meal in dog food I’m very upset because I do feed my dog blue Buffalo and I too am looking for a new brand it’s very hard to find a brand that starts with deboned meat
Pam, “meal” means it’s the dehydrated version of the meat, and when you see it high up on the list of food, that means that it’s the heaviest ingredient in the food. That means you’re getting a very high amount of meat in the food. “Deboned” just means that it hasn’t been dehydrated. You actually get more out of the “meal.”
My 4 dogs have been eating Earthborn Great Plains Holistic for years and love it. You’re right – never had a recall!
Where do buy the Earthborn? I go to Pet Supply Plus & never remember seeing it there
I also just started feeding one of my pups this Earthborn, it has good ingredients and is reasonable priced for Kibble
Karen do you know anything about if they have a good cat food? I feed the Blue Wilderness and with this and the sale to Nestle I need a change. Total bummer because my cats love it.
I’ve been feeding my cats Blue Buffalo but one has been throwing up shortly after eating. Why cat we trust food producers, human and animal, to make a safe food?
They do – dog, cat, kitten & puppy. Can order through Chewy.com
I was wondering the same thing about the cat food . I. Have 3 days and just switched to blue wilderness around 2 weeks ago . So far no problem. Wondering if I should go back to wellness for indoor card ?
Maureen,
If your cats are happy and there are no signs of vomiting, diarrhea or any abnormal behavior, then it is really your choice. It is not a food we recommend, due to their high recall history.
Just had to take my cats off Blue. 2 of them started sticking up their nose at it. The third started vomiting it up and I started seeing blood in the spitup. I changed over to Life’s Abudance,came recamended by a breeder. I had the same issue with Blue and one of my dog’s. He became so sick after eating Blue Denali formula. This was every time he ate it. Then he just ran when he saw it. Now everyone so far is doing well on Lifes Abundance.
Considering that “Blue Buffalo and Blue Wilderness Dog Foods have a 9-year history of being anything but “healthy and holistic” in this author and veterinarians experience.” , it would be hard to think that they didn’t know!
I completely agree with this! My past White GSD was always sick on Blue Buffalo, so I put her own the Coastal catch (earthborn holistic) and she was on that perfectly up until she passed. My Coonhound that I have now was great on it until we discovered his skin allergy and I moved him onto a special Royal canin diet. I stand by Earthborn Holistic all the way!
We use Earthborn Holistic Bison and Rice, now wondering if it is safe. We have been using it for about 7 years. WESLEYBROMLEY@aol.com
Just put my dog on this after having her on Blue Wilderness. Hope it helps. She has been very sick.
I agree , same here on my part. My Yorkie has been sick a lot. Paid Vet bills out the Wazoooo! She’s still not the same…..😥. Don’t want to lose her.
Cathy, my Yorkie has been sick too. We changed her food, she has been on Wellness Whitefish and Sweet potato (she has a skin allergy and I take her to a veterinarian trained in both western and Traditional Chinese medicine).
She recently started vomiting, alternating between diarrhea and constipation. We have been running tests. Just sent my veterinarian the link about Wellness. We can check her blood for lead and arsenic.
If you don’t mind, can you tell me symptoms your Yorkie baby is having. I am so worried about my little one. She is the love of my life. She just turned 11 at the end of December. Like you, I am scared to death. I don’t want to lose my baby.
I have been giving this to our dog for two yrs. She had a bad seizure a month ago scared us terribly. She is only 2. I thaught we had started her off with great food. Now I’m scared for her, she is our little girl. We have a huge bag of that. It’s sad that you can’t trust makers of food products.
I have a “well loved” Silky as well. I’ve been feeding him Blue Buffalo wet food. Lately he’s refused to eat it and has had diarrhea. I assumed that perhaps it was some people food I had given him. He loves the roast beef sliders (minus the bread and cheese) from Arby’s!! I just received a shipment from Chewy.com 😵 Hopefully they’ll let me exchange it! Regardless, thanks for the information!!! You may have saved my precious furr babies life and me a lot of grief
It would be great if Chewy.com would discontinue the sale of all pet foods found to be harmfull to our pet friends. I’m sure the food companies are making a nice check with not having to be responsible with their sales to unkmowing consumers.
Let’s not forget folks that this is being reported by a celebrity vet. We don’t know who’s sponsoring her or who can be sponsoring the FDA or even who is doing the testing. Certainly the State of CA is in a state of corruption the likes we haven’t seen so … I’ll take it with a grain of salt and consider the source – which, in this case, doesn’t even care to have their name associated with this report.
This author and veterinarian is not sponsored by anyone. Dr Carol simply tries to help pet owners by offering accurate up to date pet health news on may topics including pet food.
I was using beneful medleys (wetfood) and changed it to blue diamond delights rotisserie chicken flavor . I thought I was doing good because I heard beneful was bad . I have a shih tzu that’s 12 years old . How much damage have I done ?
I too have been feeding this to my girls for 4 years. I’m very shocked to hear this, as well as in fear for their health. I’m out of town until tomorrow, however as soon as I get home I will have blood work done on them. Stopping the food now.
My dog wentcompletely blind severe sudden brain damage dementia pancratitis highest liver values everything wrong hemorraging while eating Blue buffalo Turkey and even duck but more so Turkey and he’s dead now I’m devastated did 3 4 ultrasound and other procedures because i insisted because it wouldn’t occur to my reg vet to do so. All other 3v dogs all very ill year of 2016 2017 til recently always sick. Til i saw the recall. Im devastated that this disgraceful company killed my dog and has damaged my others. I cry every single DAY. The NEUROSURGEON SAID BLUE BUFFALO IS THE WORSE FOOD ON THE MARKET. Their Intern also ear very upset and even orthos andbsudden Dermatologist due to his coat was dulll losing hair from all the lead poisining being weak unable to walk with Vestibular Vertigo it is heart wrenching a highly intelligent boy to go to total confusion and in total despair at night til dawn. We have videos of it all all and even the the bleeding tge despair panting blindness crying falling and drinking gallons of water in few minutes. I would give my soul to have him here. He was a precious cockerspaniel. There’s so much more to tell had to show him how to even drink so he wouldn’t drown or any aspiration all because of me buying blue buffalo for some years. I have bags unopen and opened bags still which Orthopedic Neurosurgeon said to hold on to. Blue buffalo is responsible for the barbaric production of dog food on purpose.
Just take all pets to vet asap, it’s been the best thing for them. Be Wise. Don’t just assume you can stop feeding them this bad food and all will be well.
Wondering how their wire haired dog from the commercial died. Airing on TV now.
I am worried to death. I have fed my Maltipoo Blue Buffalo Chicken all of her life. I’ve had her since she was a puppy and she will be twelve this year. She looks and acts like a puppy. But I have noticed a couple of things that could be related to this lead issue according to what I’ve read. Or these things may simply be age related. She will see her Vet next week and I will request blood work to check her liver. I’m very upset about this. If I find Blue Buffalo is responsible for any health issues I intend to become part of the lawsuit. I would encourage anyone who’s animal has problems related to lead poisoning from Blue Buffalo, if true, do the same.
Your pup is probably getting more of the life sources when she eats. (You’ll notice two different types of kibble in the food.) I use Nature’s Variety which is a more holistic food. The food is absorbed into the system— firmer poop and less of it.
Who makes the natures variety food?
What dog food is recommended??
TruckerChick1@hotmail.com
Try orijen !! Or Acana. Both are the best on the market for your fur baby.
ALL feeds are at risk, even ACANA and ORIJEN. When profit is to be made they take shortcuts to expand their bottom line. FEED RAW or at least partial raw and watch the recall sites like a hawk.
http://truthaboutpetfood.com/lawsuit-filed-against-champion-pet-food-acana-and-orijen/
Please note a new class action law suit just posted for Orijen and Acana
Orijen is the best food out there. Simply the freshest, local ingreidents. Look it up and read the ingredients. No recalls ever and my four GSD’s do very well with it.
Mike,
We just found out yesterday, Champion Pet Food the makers of Acana and Orijen are facing a lawsuit of their own. Read more here: https://www.chagrinfallspetclinic.com/2018/03/20/class-action-lawsuit-orijen-acana-dog-foods/
Natures Variety is made by Natures Variety. They are an American Company, and as American Companies go, they make a pretty respectable food. When last I researched the subject of dog food, they did not buy ingredients from third party vendors, like bone meal and fish meal from the Chinese.
Dont buy this food. Please read. There is an investigation! wwlp.com/2018/02/10/fda-plans-investigation-after-euthanasia-drug-found-in-dog-food/
Natures variety is a family owned company. You can get it at Petco stores or on line. I am not sure what other bigger stores might sell it,but many smaller shops due. I have never had my dogs do as well as they have on Natures Variety. They have dry canned toppeers and raw frozen.
What is the definition of “holistic” in pet foods?
Unfortunately the word “holistic” has become more of a marketing term when used in food-it sounds good but has no actual value.
Dr Carol
My American Eskimo did not recover from acute Pancreatitis,and liver readings that were off the charts.
Our family is heart broken.we had our family member put down just after Christmas 2016. Her diet was Blue Buffalo .
I have just become aware of this action in regards to this dog food.
I’m looking for advice on what steps to take on finding justice.
Dr. Carol, I have read all the replys including yours. Many have asked you if It’s just the three mentioned or all blue buffalo? Can you answer that? Also, many have asked your opinion on a good food to switch to. Can you as a Veterinarian reporting on this recommend an alternative to BB?
Concerned pup parent,
Jeanette
Jeanette
As a veterinarian seeing many dogs and cats sickened by [BB] Blue Buffalo Foods, its hard to imagine why a pet owner
would consider feeding anything made by this company. After all “Blue” is a publicly traded company that
sells well over $1 Billion Dollars of Pet Food each year. After the 8 year pet food recall in which
Blue Buffalo and Blue Wilderness pet foods sickened over 100,000 dogs and cats, one would think they could
allocate a few dollars to insure the quality and safety of the ingredients they put into their pet foods…
Apparently not since the 8 year recall was followed by pet food tainted with Toxic LEAD Levels !
Our veterinary clinic offers From’s Four Star dry pet food and Stella and Chewy’s raw diets both frozen and dehydrated.
We also formulate custom “home-made” diets for many pets.
Best Wishes
Dr Carol
We lost our large dog last year. This sounds like how he was the last year of his life. It makes me so mad and hurt.
My golden age ten when we bought a bag had diarrhea!
This is so true, and so many companies have tried changing the design of their bags to mimic the healthier foods I’ve noticed, also the fact that Blue Buffalo has now started selling to grocery chain stores. I recently believe it or not have started using the Costco brand Kirkland Organic Chicken kibble, it seems to be a great food, I also add organic veggies as well and organic rolled oats and joint supplements. Unfortunately the pet food industry does not have the same regulations on them so they are able to cut corners at our animals expense.
Thanks to everyone that have contributed and sadly either lost or had catastrophic issues with Blue Buffalo dog foods. We started feeding it to our HEALTHY 12 year old Great Dane. In a year she was dead. We put her down because she was falling all the time. This came on suddenly. Not long after we changed from Nutro. I did not have her necropsied because at the time I was sure it was just Old Age. Most Danes don’t make it past 9.
So, we brought home a new Dane puppy. At a year we started her on Blue Buffalo large breed in the salmon colored bag. She had terrible diarrhea. We asked vets and then wormed her. Nothing helped. Finally we switched dog food and Voila no more diarrhea.
I’m really sick about this. We could have lost another dog, and not known why.
I feed my dog Fromm’s Chicken au Frommage (grain free) and he does extremely well on it despite having a sensitive tummy. It’s the only grain-free recipe he does well on and he’s always energetic-he’s 13 years old too! I fed him Blue Buffalo once (just under a tablespoon mixed with his regular) and he was sick all over the floor within hours. Been suspicious of it ever since
Dr, what about Pure Via dog Food grain free Venison and red lentils or Grangers brand? My little toy phantom poodle is allergic to any poultry, he was eating fine but then stated losing patches of hair! It’s hard to find dog Food without anything chicken or chicken meal until I came across Grangers and PureVita dog food! Now he is perfecting fine!
We have no personal experience with this food and have not researched it but dogs have good natural instincts
about many things including food and if he seems to be doing well-chances are it’s fine.
It’s just Nature’s Varriety. I don’t think it’s owned by anyone else. I use Instinct Ultimate Chicken and sometimes buy their frozen raw. They also have freeze dried. PetCo carries some of their stuff.
comments on Nature’s Variety: https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/natures-variety-dog-food/
We have fed Earthborn foods since they came out – really have had no problems with it. We use coastal catch – however, my puppies don’t do well with their puppy food.
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free is a great food. Several different flavors available. Dog Food Advisor gives the Primitive Natural 5 ⭐ and others 4.5⭐. Both my dogs live it. One is bloodhound/mastiff and other a hound/shepard mix. They enjoyed the large breed formula too, with the kibble being larger.
Earthborne is my favorite!! Wish it was a little cheaper tho
Both my dogs died after eating this food a year ago. When I called the company they really didn’t have much to say. The food was recalled about two months later. Makes me so mad.
What are they going to do to compensate those of us that lost our beloved pet due to their food? I lost my Afghan hound due to eating blue buffalo.nothing that can pay can bring her back but I think we deserve somthing for such a gut wrenching loss.
I fed my dog this food also he developed cancer and just passed away 2 months ago I never new this food was recalled the pet shoppe I go to told me it was the best had I known it caused cancer I would have never fed him this I miss my baby so much had to watch him die at home the hardest thing I have ever had to go through
We lost four (4) Rottweilers over the course of about 6 to 8 years. They were always fed Blue Buffalo from the first day we brought them home. Our last Rottweiler was diagnosed with bone cancer, she had a toe amputated which healed nicely after about 1 month of care. Feeling great, she was excited on a beautiful Sunday morning to go out to the patio last fall, when she slipped and shattered her femur, fractured shin, and damaged both hind legs ACLs so it was determined that it was best to let her go at 9 yrs old. Our other three Rotties also passed when they 6-7 years old. ALL our pups through the years have been and are totally indoor pampered family members. The weather in Las Vegas NV is extremely HOT (up to 115-117 degrees) in the summer and during the winter nights get pretty cold, freezing and below.
Now, this also makes us worry a great deal about our remaining pups, because we currently have four (4) rescues a young GSD (2 yo), two Chihuahuas (1 – 9 yo senior & 1 – 5 yo), and a Yorkie (4 yo) that up until about 4 months ago, we were feeding all of them Blue. The German Shepherd was contually experiencing not only, horrifying and extremely oderous diarrhea but also developed skin allergies that we couldn’t get under control, even with the grain free Potatoe/Turkey. Then we went thorough a nightmare event just before our Rottie’s toe was amputated, in which all 5 of our rescues (Rottie, Chi’s, Yorkie, & GSD) got sick with what the vet at the time thought might be Giardia which required meds, testing, and diet modification for over a month. Odd because they are NOT exposed to other dogs either at dog parks or otherwise and we sanitize our pets area regularly. The Rottie and the Yorkie had a re-ocurrence; thought we were going to loose my Yorkie because of the severe symptoms.
All the red flags were there, we just didn’t figure food contamination/lead was the cause. Every time we bought or opened a new bag of Blue which for the Rottie & GSD was about every 2-1/2 to 3 weeks; the Rottie would go through periods of diarrhea that were ridiculous. Additionally, the Rottie’s appetite just never seemed to be satisfied, no matter how much we fed her. We would supplement her with additional sweet potatoes or brown rice w/protein and veggies with yogurt added (almost another meal) so she wouldn’t get hangry. At 120 lbs, the Rottie being a senior, also experienced nerve tremors and became very moody as she aged, especially the last 2 to 3 years. We thought it was just age. Now i believe it was more Blue and it is very frustrating and disappointing because we were loyal Blue customers. Note: When Blue first started about 15 to 20 years ago, they were all about quality not to mention, the size of their food bags were also much bigger.
We have since changed over our current four rescues food, they are all now eating Royal Cannin (breed specific) and from thqeir behavior and appearance, all four seem to be doing MUCH better and definetly happier.
If someone has access or can direct me, i would like more information about the the class action.
I would like more info also please
The best food for pit bulls is natural balance dry dog food.thats what I give my pitbull she s love s its.
unfortunately they do not smell the lead.
I just read all of this about blue buffalo i had 3 dogs and i started giving them blue in early 2017 in sept of 2017 one of my dogs had to be put down due to kidney & liver failure. He started getting really sick months before throwing up diarrhea and lost of energy. My second dog had to be put down on dec 2017 due to the same problems it has been so hard for me to loose my two dogs. Now im starting to think that it could of being the food and I didn’t know this. I still have one dog left and i switched his food right away. My friend just started feeding her dog blue because i told her it was the best food and now she is noticing some changes in her dog. So I decided to look for answers online and found this about blue buffalo and i had to tell her to stop the food and get something different. This really is upsetting to me hearing about blue having lead in the food. What can i do?
Is this lead in the hard dog food as well do you know ? I feed my dog that ??? Or just the ones mentioned in this post about Blue buffalo and Blue Wilderness ?
Our dogs eat B.B. wet food. Is this included in the recall?
I feed my dogs all the blue buffalo line and have recommended this to many many people.
wow I feel terrible.
I feed my dogs the venison and also the salmon dry food as well as the stix.
what is the next best step here?
although the foods I feed them are not listed I am concerned and do not want to support a company that will not own up to its mistakes.
You know why. With dogs sense of smell at the ppm level they smell the lead. Just like dogs smell cancer cell.
Gave my dog diarrhea also. Now have my Airedale on purina Beniful.
That food is just as bad if not worse. They have had recalls and law suites over dogs dying. Read the label, look it on the web. I would dream of going near the stuff. I feed Fromm or Eagle Pack.
Purina and Beneful are garbage. Do your research.
Please don’t feed Beneful, it is a hundred times worse, Ive found a food especially is bad if it has different colors in it proving it has artificial flavors and coloring.
Beneful is also a really bad dog food. Check out the dogfoodadvisor.com. In addition, to reading about Beneful it can help you find a healthier food.
Eight years ago, we fed our goldendoodle Blue Buffalo when we got her. Much diarrhea and upset tummy led to pancreatitis diagnosis. We switched foods (now successfully using Natural Balance venison and sweet potato) and symptoms were eliminated. She’s doing wonderfully. I will never suggest Blue Buffalo as a good option based on our experience.
Holly
This is an excellent observation and surely our pet lovers will greatly appreciate your thoughts!
Dr Carol
Dr. Carol, I cannot believe I am just now hearing how bad the hard Blue Buffalo is! Just this morning I spent over $50.00 on BB Home style canned dog food. This type of canned Blue Buffalo is a 5 star dog food on Dog Food Adviser. Is it the CANNED dog food too?
My 10 year old Akita died of kidney failure. By the time he was diagnosed it was too late. We tried dialysis and researched.kidney transplant but nothing was available. We had to put him down when he went down and wouldn’t get up, he was peeing blood by the time we got to the vet. I begged him for a solution but there was none. He had been on Blue Buffalo, turkey and potato because grain made him scratch continuously. My female ate it also and she has trouble. She seems to have acid reflux, it makes her vomit after eating. The vet can’t diagnose this. ???
I just had to put doen my 9 yr old puggle from 4th stage kidney failure and just like you when they found out it was to late. She also was eating the turkey and potato food from Blue Buffalo. This company needs to be held accountable for us losing are animals by poisoning them with putting lead in there food.
I just found out about this dog food and i am very angry and upset. We lost our 3 yr old black lab pup to gastric cancer and I have given him Blue all along. Inwant someone from this Blue Buffalo to communicate with me. I will NOT allow my other 4 pups to eat that food again. I am exchanging my bags tomorrow. I am so sad and disappointed. Media must expose this more and vets need to expose them as well. I refuse to let another pup die because their food is poisoned.
I started feeding my Aussie Blue in 2012. Like everyone else I thought it was the best thing on the market. By 2014 she began having tremors and was becoming disoriented when trying to stand. She would have seizours and dia rehea. But this was not everyday. The sizours would last a minut or 2 then end. But then they stared getting longer. She was 13 and we thought it may be due to old age. By Feurary 2015 she just stoped eating and died of internal bleeding. I was home alone at the time and called my husband. I was so hysterical I was having chest pains and considered calling 911. If this was all related to Blue I would sue them for all the pain they caused me.
My veterinarian had nothing good to say about Blue Buffalo products several years ago. No, I don’t purchase her food either. We were discussing nutrition value. Very picky what my dog’s eat. I WON’T promote brands because I change so they enjoy different types. YES, you can do it so they don’t get bored with one type. Suffice to say they get the best nourishment available.
My dogs are really sick from this puking yellow having siezers
We fed this to two of our dogs about 2 years apart with the same results vomiting & Diarrhea. It cost us over 1,000 to have our golden doodle treated. That is horrible dog food.
I feed my bullies Earthborne. None of their varieties have ever been recalled. It’s not usually carried in stores but can be ordered from Chewy.
My Rottie died at 3 1/2 yrs…. LEGS GAVE OUT…. ONLY ATE THIS FOOD
Please give me the details on this Dog 🐕 foods. Because I have given my dog the dry and the little wet kind blue Divine Delights. The chicken ones. The dry is lamb & potato Recipe of Basices blue Limited ingredients grains free and the turkey 🦃 one also.. please tell me if I should STOP 🛑 giving this food to my fur baby’s. Also cat 🐈 food hairball kind and sensitive adults stomach.
Stop!
If one kind of Blue Buffalo has lead in it, how can you be sure others don’t? I would never feed Blue Buffalo to my animals. They have had way too many recalls. Look at all the suggestions for food that are in these other emails, and pick one of those. I feed my cats Farmina, as it is made in Italy and has no gmos. I used to feed my bulldog-hound mix Earthborn Holistic , but she developed skin allergies, so I had to change to a limited ingredient diet, which is chicken Canine Caviar.
My shitzu Maltese mix is now 12 and a half years old. He’s been on Blue Buffalo his entire life. He’s had none of the problems mentioned. He’s one of the most intelligent animals that I know. He’s well behaved.
And I always have questions about class action suits. This is because of the way they are brought about.
I also have a Mal-sho who has eaten Blue Buffalo for years with absolutely no problems but now I am a little concerned. She doesn’t eat any of the three listed but now I’m wondering if maybe it’s in all their foods. I’m out…
I have been feeding this to my 9 month old purebred Frenchie for months now!! For about a month he had diarrhea and after multiple trips to the vet, we couldn’t figure out why! Thankfully, I switched his food multiple times only feeding him the adult version of this food about two or three times. This is so scary and I’m so thankful we switched our pup over!!
Hello, I just read your story sweat blue food I am very discouraged and disappointed. As my dog a 15-month-old dobermen he had gotten out of his way I came very close to losing him after $ 4000 and more lucky veterinarian was the lesser ruler. I hope so. It is still not perfect his blood my on the good to see if you with advises I would soon be disappointed to see that we are made like that by the companions of food we love them so much thank you to you. kime Du Canada 🇨🇦
Good. Dogs know when food was bad. Natural Balance Limited Ingredients is very good. That is what I feed my pitties.
My Border Collie/Corgi mix started to lose his beautiful plume tail after I switched him to Blue Buffalo. Now after numerous thyroid tests, all of which were normal, I realize it is his food. Between Euthanized pets being addded to ALL commercial dog foods and that known carcinogen being passed on and now LEAD? No way. Switching my dog over to only food I eat.
What are the led levels in Blur Buffalo Wilderness ,chicken and Life Source Bits ??
What is the status on this? I feed my yorkie blue toy breed adult formula.
I’ve been buying blue buffalo for over 6 years! Last year my dog was taken to the vet for lock jaw. Thank God he’s o.k now. Them just the other day my dogs wouldn’t touch there dog food. Tossed it out! I just came across this site. I’m so upset about this whole thing.
I have been giving this to my 3 year old lab since he was a puppy. This is crazy.
We feed our two young cats the wet food from this brand. Is this something we should be concerned about as well?
Definitely
I would love to hear a reply to your comment as well. We have 4 young Siamese/Oriental Shorthair cats and are feeding them the wet food from Buffalo…. very concerned!
We had a precious Pug who was only 8 years old. We started feeding Blue Buffalo thinking it was the best grain free food we could buy. After about 6 months he went into liver failure and within a few days he died. I always thought it was the Blue Buffalo!
What variety of Blue Buffalo did you feed your pug?
I am feeding my Shi Tzu’ s blue buffalo wet food is there any problems with that. That is all I have fed them since they were babies. I am so upset you can’t trust any pet food any more I think I’ll start cooking for them.
We were feeding our two shin tzus dry blue buffalo. Our male had bloody urine and stones due to the lead. He’s on prescription wet food now. We are now looking for a good dry food. Any suggestio?
Sorry for your loss. I have a 3 year old pug and my wife just switched to this brand about a month or two ago. I’ve also noticed in the past 3 weeks or so my pug is trying to eat leaves/grass, which they usually do if they’re sick (I think). I let him do what he thinks will make him better.
I don’t know if it’s because of the food or just coincidence.
Me and my wife take him everywhere he’s allowed to go. Sometimes he even sits at the dinner table and is more well behaved than many children.
Definitely switching to a new food.
Hi my little Rodeo been eating here food for awhile and he was very sick and the Veterinarian could not figure out what was wrong with him. Vomiting diarea with blood in it. He had very test you could think of. Was a antibiotic for a month and took him for a second opinion. They couldn’t figure it out to. Do you think it’s the food. My Yorkie is 11yrs and weights 2lbs
I have fed Blue canned food to mydogs whole life one is 8 the other one is 10 what have I done to them? What do I switch to now?
Let me tell you I almost lost my 2 dogs after transitioning them to Blue Buffalo with bloody diareah so bad it dripped as they walked. A vets office asked me over the phone what food I was giving them and when I told them they asked me to stop immediately. I had yo have them hospitalized on iv’s for 4 days and never again has it happened. I know it was that food.
After reading this, I am sure that’s what happened to my pug Mia. She was the only one that ate the Blue Buffalo small breed chicken recipe. She was such a healthy pug. She became listless and started vomiting and pooping blood. Then the seizures started. She was diagnosed with thrombocytopenia. She was in the hospital and was given blood, but she did not get better. $3000 later, she crossed the rainbow bridge. This was a year and a half ago, and I still miss her terribly. I’m so glad I changed food. So sad. It makes me so angry.
Dear Phyllis,
My last 2 dogs were fed nothing but Blue Buffalo chicken dry dog food for small breeds…the first dog got cancer of the pancreas and died of “complications of pancreatitis” at age 8. A few months later, I rescued another small dog and fed him exactly the same Blue Buffalo chicken dry food. At about 6 yrs. old he collapsed and I rushed him to a E.R. Vet, where blood work, ultrasound, and X-rays confirmed Pancreatitis…he died of organ failure and it was a horrible death I witnessed. Now I rescued another small dog, chihuahua/dachshund mix and on my Vet’s recommendation feed him only Royal Canin low fat dry dog food and he loves it and is healthy. I am so sorry for your loss.
That’s exactly what happen to my 2 doggies as well i just lost them in sept & dec 2017 and same illness. I was feeding them blue i just can’t believe how bad this is. So sorry for your loss
Beware I fed this to my kitty for years and then the March of this year I had to rush him to the ER because his bladder was blocked by crystal and grit. It was so bad they couldn’t unblock him so he ended up having to have the PU surgery done. Cost us 5k to save his life :/ he is on a vet diet for life now
I’m sorry about your kitty. Please do some research into the vet diets because those diets aren’t any better, especially the dry ones. http://catinfo.org/#Prescription/Therapeutic_Diets
Kitties really need canned/wet food. They need the moisture that dry food lacks.
Interesting. All of my cats were on Blue Wilderness No Grain Indoor adult for a very long time. My youngest, 2, became severely blocked with crystals, with blockage re-occuring within 1-2 days after cleared 2x and subsequent PU surgery, which failed. He then had PPU surgery (stoma placed in abdomen) which also failed. He then had a 3rd surgery, a revision to the PPU,, which so far has worked, but I monitor him continuously for urination, and signs/symptoms of urinary tract infection/inflammation. Total cost just under $15,000 (and I am retired). I don’t point the finger specifically at this food as male cats are prone to blockage and is not uncommon. I had another cat that blocked (before Blue Wilderness) but once they unblocked him, he was just fine. But seeing these comments makes me wonder.
I do too. Wondering if I should be worried.
I used to feed my cat this brand, and he ended up with bladder stones so large he couldn’t pass them. Had to have emergency surgery. I can’t say it was for certain Blue Buffalo’s fault, but pretty suspicious…
I also was feeding my cats this food. two of them ended up with the blockage with crystals in the urinary tract. One was OK after a week in the pet hospital the other had the Surgery.
Kitties are really better off eating canned/wet food. They need the moisture that dry food lacks.
I have been feeding my 3 cats the dry varieties of Blue Buffalo cat food for about 6 months now. Now I’m worried about feeding it to them. They are all over 12 years old. Have there been any reports of problems with the dry cat food?
Taking my cats off the Blue Buffalo now! Thanks for the warning.
Dr. Carol. Thank you so much for this info. I found it invaluable. I shared it with my son who also has a rescue. I have moved to Idyllwild, CA near my son. All my rescues came with me. I do miss the Cleveland atea
Hope all is well with you.
I feed Blue Buffalo chicken for small breed to my dogs for years. I just lost one of my dogs to cancer. I bought this thinking I was feeding them something healthier.
I’ve noticed this in my 2 little dogs! 🙁
The only reason I bought it was the blue buffalo & blue wilderness representatives were at the store & they told me it was the best! Not!!! My dogs only weigh a pound or so’ not good! How can you get in on this lawsuit? This needs to stop!!!!!! Now I’m stuck with 2 big bags cuz I won’t be feeding them another kibble!!😡
Call Chewy. I had this happen w/Blue Buffalo wet food (Turkey and Potato) and another brand that I bought from them when my dog was switched to a prescription diet. they gave me a credit and I didn’t have to return any of the food. when I asked about returning the canned food they said ‘Our products are 100% guaranteed to the customers satisfaction’ and to donate it to an animal shelter. Oh yes, my dog was switched to a prescription diet due to elevated liver enzymes, which can be caused by high levels of lead! Since switching him to the prescription diet he seems to be doing well and will have his liver enzymes rechecked is about 3 weeks. Fingers crossed that his levels are back to normal.
I just ordered a lg bag of blue senior from chewy.com this really sucks my huskies a very picky Can I return it for free
I would think so as long as you have a receipt.
What is a good brand to feed instead?
Jamie,
There are many suitable brands of pet food available that do not carry the health risks of Blue Buffalo.
Talk to friends, do a bit of “homework” and see how your pet responds to a few new brands.
There is a web site: http://FDA.gov/petfoodrecalls Take a look. All pet foods currently recalled are listed. The list changes daily.
Unfortunately many pets become sickened long before a pet food is actually recalled.
Note that Pet foods with Class Action Law Suits are not necessarily on this recall list.
Thank you
Dr Carol
I have fed all my critters (cat/dogs) PURINA in the green bag for 50 years. My cat lived 23 years..!! Golden lived 18 years….none of them died of anything except old age…!!!
thanks I occasionally feed my golden retriever BB lamb and oatmeal puppy when nursing as she is allergic to chicken. ( ended up feeding her that as a puppy) any suggestions? there are a few other lamb puppy foods but often still have chicken in them! or missing the DHA … any suggestions?
Here is a working link to the FDA. https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/default.htm
I find all this a real shocker and unbelievable. I have 4 Shih Tzus ranging from 1-6 yrs and they have never had anything else to eat but Purina puppy food. None have ever had any problems and have regular check ups. I also get an alert for recalled or lawsuits on dog food and have heard nothing from it.
I will be looking into this.
Ok. So what am I suppose to do? I have been giving him Blue Buffalo since we adopted him. His stools are soft at times, but we figure It’s from the raw hide. Can they have raw hide? We went with Blue Buffalo cause of their reviews. Now I find this out. I have doing research about other DOG foods, & didn’t find any that had good reviews. There are times when I smell the empty Blue Bufffalo can, some of them have a farm smell. I am low income. I don’t have the money to keep running him to the vet. (just saying)
Hi. I’m really interested in the link you included in this reply so I can save it for future reference. Unfortunately, I keep either getting a Webpage not found message or I get bumped back to the beginning of the article. Would you please tell me the title of the link so I can search for it? Thank you, and thank you for the information. I’ll be sharing it.
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/default.htm
Your reference http://FDA.gov/petfoodrecalls doesn’t work. Can you please check it again to make sure it is the correct one.
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/default.htm
It is important to understand that this time Blue Buffalo/Blue Wilderness was a class action law suit not a recall, so it is not going to appear on the FDA’s recall list.
I’ve been looking all over trying to find a link to the criminal charges against the company in relation to lead levels in the food. Do you have that handy?.
Scott,
We are not involved in the lawsuit. You would have to read the direct lawsuit https://ca-media.classaction.org/pdf/zakinov-v-blue-buffalo-pet-products.pdf
I have been reading all the responses to this Blue Buffalo issue. I’ve been a customer for ten years. I am a bit miffed by all the reviews but seemed a bit miffed at you as well. Several folks have asked for recommendations for alternative foods and you keep giving out this website and requesting doing research. You are a veterinarian and as one I would think with your knowledge and experience you would recommend a reputable and reliable brand of food. Being that this is part of your expertise. We, as beloved pet owners are looking for advise and may not have the experience or wherewithal to do research. We look for experts for answers. So with that being said, what would be a good alternative to Blue Buffalo?
we’ve had luck with Fromm’s Four Star and Stella and Chewy’s
Go to dogfoodadvisor.com Great info and you can make your own decision based on it.
Dr. Carol, I cannot believe I am just now hearing how bad the hard Blue Buffalo is! Just this morning I spent over $50.00 on BB Home style canned dog food. This type of canned Blue Buffalo is a 5 star dog food on Dog Food Adviser. Is it the CANNED dog food too?
look at Fromm (made in USA-Wisconsin)
What should I feed them instead?
I feed my dogs Annamaet it is a great, trustworthy, resonable price, smaller company and have never had a recall. I get the grain free chicken formula but they all come highly recommended. Check em out!
I have always fed my dogs nature’s balance and my dogs have lived to 18 and 19 years old.
I’m thinking a copy of this article would allow a valid return anywhere Blue Buffalo is sold. If you used a credit or debit card, you would have proof of purchase with these; otherwise, even without a receipt, anyone trusting B.B. enough to put it on their shelves should honor any return. The seller can deal with B.B. afterwards. My mini schnauzer died last May with a liver mass. He ate Blue Buffalo Basics for years. I cannot even begin to express how upset I am! My other 2 dogs are eating the other recipe mentioned, the Freedom recipe. I am so done with this company. I am hoping a dab of pumpkin will expedite the transition to a new food and certainly from another company. Thank you for this article.
How do we pick a dog food since everybody seems to lie? Now what is a good brand? I have four Akita so I need large breed
They are controversial however in our experience they are also very helpful as a detox with many health issues including cancer.
Blue Buffalo should offer you your money back as long as you have proof of purchase.
Good Luck!
Dr Carol
Do you know if this is the case for the Salmon Halibut kind? We have been giving it to our dog for about a year and he is having eye issues now but we can’t figure out the cause. As of right now he can’t see at all. He is just shy of 5 years old.
Doctor, what about the Blue Buffalo cat food? I feed my 15 year old cat Blue Wilderness canned Chicken for mature cats.
Dr Carol,
I have 2 Cockers that I have been feeding Blue Buffalo their entire lives. Bella is 4, Cody is almost 3. They don’t appear to have any health issues other than since spaying Bella about a year ago she is a little over weight. I feed wet and dry healthy weight blue wilderness chicken and turkey recipe.
After learning of the class action suit I think I ought to try and change their diet. Please recommend a healthy and safe food for me. I’ve researched on the net but I’m unsure which one to try as I thought BB was safe. Thank you, Leah
Ps. I live in rural Utah so I will have to order in the food I’m sure
I have found Chewy.com is an incredible company for returns. I bought a bag of dog food that split open during delivery and they replaced it with in 2 days. They told me to donate the open bag to a shelter, if I felt comfortable enough doing so…I paid $80 for the food.
My sister also bought the wrong size like jacket for her dog & they told her to keep it and sent her the right size to her!
Yes, call Chewy or speak with them on the 24/7 chat. They are great about looking out for our pets.
We started using this on our Pom he started with vomiting then diarrhea so we changed
Not real happy right now. I’ve been feeding my dog blue life protection chicken and brown rice for a long time because of the fiber grams. Not the same food mentioned. Should I be concerned? I will change his food.
Have I poisoned my dogs? My puppy is 10 months, he’s had Blue Buffalo all his life, will that shorten his life for lead poisoning?
How about my two 5 year olds, they have been eating this for about 2 years, and I have treated them for itchy skin and diarrhea off and on, but frequent. How do I find out the long term effects? I am tossing it all today, and will go with something natural. I’ll try making their food myself if I can’t feed them safely otherwise.
Interesting that I fed one bag of food to my dog and she would not eat the second until I mixed it.
I would like to share your dog food alert post but there isn’t a “share” button in your email.
My God!
My dog has been thriving on Blue Wilderness chicken for 2 years…..what now?
Does anyone know if the Blue Wilderness Cat Food has been tested?? Or where you could find out…??
I would like yo find out also. Because I was thinking of switching them to it after I bought a bah to try. My cats seem too tear it up. But if it is gonna hurt them I don’t want to feed them this. Any help will be appreciated.
Sounds like a smart choice for anyone who loves their pets!
How can a person trust ANY brand? What Can I make at home to feed my dogs that will give them the nutrition they need? I do not trust any brand now.
I feed my two kitties Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient canned turkey (they also have other “flavors”) after my one kitty developed IBD and was found allergic to chicken. They also do a frozen raw food as well.
I was wondering that too..and the Wellness ones. Although, my kitten and older cat only tried those brands over a few months this year…they were not that excited about it so don’t buy it now. Also heard BB was not all it’s cracked up to be. My dogs eat Nutro Max chicken.
Someone told me to switch to Blue Buffalo which I did about 6 months ago for some dogs. Instant diarrhea. I asked at the pet store and they said it was because of the high protein content. They need to be informed. I am throwing out this bad of dog food. I won’t take a chance.
Did you mix your old food with the new. When you introduce a new food but don’t mix, lots of dogs get diarhea
I have just spent a bit of money taking one of my dogs to the vet! Got the runs etc believed from this food.
I started feeding raw 7 years ago, so glad I did. If you think Blue is the only kibble with problems think again.
More info on class action. My Cocker Spaniel was fed The Chicken and Rice Senior for years. She developed cancer, went blind, deaf, and nervous system tremors. Cancer went to her lungs and breathing got so labored I had to euthanize her. 13 years old and now I question if it was this lead…
I’d like to join class action.
https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/772577-blue-buffalo-class-action-says-dog-food-contaminated-lead/
Glenn
I am very sorry to hear this and want to express ,my sympathy and understanding to you.
Surely many dogs have suffered devastating health issues because of being fed Blue Buffalo and Blue Wilderness Dog Food.
Joining the Class Action Law Suit makes complete sense.
Note that during the 8 years prior to this Class Action Law Suit over 100,000 dogs from multiple states were sickened with vomiting, diarrhea, IBD, pancreatitis, etc
A judge finally settled the case after 8 years.-it was the BIGGEST PET FOOD RECALL in the history of Pet Food! Obviously the company learned nothing as after
just a few months here we are with this Class Action Law Suit.
Surely this is a company to avoid when shopping for pet food!
Best Wishes
Dr Carol
There have been so many issues with the “good” dog foods that I stopped feeding my 4 Chihuahuas any commercial dog food. They get meat loaf made with lean ground beef and/or turkey, grated zucchini, golden paste, eggs, oatmeal, rosemary, chopped green beans (or other chopped vegis) and broad spectrum vitamin mineral supplement. They love it and I know it is safe and healthy.
Good recipe! Thanks for sharing. I am making my own food from now on.
I was given free samples of these by the local pet shop in Peterborough Ontario for my Pug and she nearly died.
Is Victor ok?
I fed this food to my two dogs for years. My girl ended up getting IMHA (she succumbed to it back in May) and my boy has Lymphoma. I would like more information on this.
So the puppy lines of blue buffalo are ok?
I have been feeding our dog Blue Buffalo for a couple years. She suddenly became ill. Drank excess amounts of water loss so much weight she was literally skin and bones. I recently switched her dog food to Eukanuba and it has been a night and day difference. I can’t believe I have been poisoning her with that over priced food. Makes me sick
My baby Bella has been eating Blue buffalo all of her 3 years. I switch back and forth between the salmon and chicken with wild rice. I don’t know what to do. What’d the best thing to feed her? She’s a Shiloh Shepherd and weighs about 90lbs.
Go to this site https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/ This guy is unbiased, not affiliated with any dog food company. Just do some research and read everything, especially ingredients.
My dog of nine years ate Blue Buffalo all his life. He is now dead of cancer. He died six months ago. The vet said he couldn’t save him. This shit killed my dog. I have since rescued my fifth dog and was feeding him Blue Buffalo he was throwing it up. I have now changed dog food and he seems better. F Blue Buffalo and the Chinese company that is putting lead in it!
2 of my dogs went through 45 days of vomiting and diarrhea. Then it was food allergies, this that the other thing, the only thing that we changed for a last time was this blue buffalo. This was in 2013. They both now have died. However, 2 years before blue like many other companies outsourced their products and this is what happens. I hope this company shuts down once and for all. It is horrendous.
Is this for the toy breed chicken dry food with life bits too??
I have been feeding my Bichon Shihtsu Blue Wilderness Denali Dinner 1/2 cup once a week, but lately she’s being throwing up now and then and I thought it was because she generally eats what I eat. The other day she had a half a can of tuna while I had a grilled salmon sandwich and she was throwing up again. I wasn’t feeling very good either so I don’t know if it was the food or what. She’s been okay this last few days though since I put her back on Caesar soft in the evenings.
I’ve been feeding blue buffalo to my four cats for half a year now because everyone tells me it’s the best. Has lead also been found in cat food? Where can I check the lot numbers that have been recalled? I already lost 2 cats a few years ago due to poisonous jerky treats (anti freeze) – no more!
Hi did you find out if it’s In the dry cat limited turkey potato?
I was giving this food to my Havanese and she started having seizures and kidney stones. She is now on seizure medicine for the rest of her life and is on special prescription dog food to keep her urinary track in balance. Her vet asked us if there have been any changes and when we mentioned this food, they advised to get her off of this food immediately.
Is this true… valid information?….it makes me sick to think I have been feeding my dog something so harmful when I believed I was buying him only the best.. what is wrong with companies?
Is it only the listed ones that contain lead? Mine get Blue Wilderness grain free duck.
How can we determine if the dry food had lead in it?
I also believed I was giving my dog the best food possible. My dog has had the diarrhea for months. I contacted my friend who is a vet , she has seen several cases related to blue buffalo dog food. She told me to start feeding him science diet it’s regulated and very good for the dog. I’m having a full exams done on my dog to see if this food harmed him in any way.
I feed Blue Buffalo to my girl and out of the blue she ended up with pancreatitis which then lead to diabetes, cataracts and now she is almost blind. Could this food of caused this in her? If so I’m really not a happy person right now.
Both of my Labs passed from cancers…this makes me sick. All I they ever ate was BB, up until their last few months when it was mostly eggs, chicken and rice.
does anyone know if their jerky treats are afffected?
According to the FDA, 5200 reports have been received from pet owners whose dogs have been sickened by Jerky Treats.
Over 3000 dogs have died, and many other canines suffer with Fanconi Syndrome as a result of eating Jerky Treats.
This author is not yet familiar with the history and/or status of Jerky Treats from Blue Buffalo.
This post and the FDA report are referring to the vast majority of all Jerky Treats regardless of what the label happens to say.
Remember the labels are generally printed in America but that has no reflection on where the Jerky Treats are sourced-most are from China.
I have 3 husky which I been feed this brand of food for the only reason is the best food and not only that is not a cheap brand either I have to mixed with something else otherwise they wouldn’t eater. they often get sick they act weird and they get diarrhea too. I cant believe this corporation still advertise and expose our animal this away I done buy this dog food
Shame on you. Try to give my babies the best and you guys screw it up. I’m not buying anymore of your treats or food. I have Poms and they are fed the small breed food. I will spread this like wild fire as I love them more than most humans. Here is a perfect example of why this is true. SHAME, SHAME
Wow! Is this only in the wilderness small dog food or all wilderness dog food?
I fed my 5 yo dog exclusively BB food..we had him for 5 months( we adopted)..He died of liver failure at the age of 4…I will NEVER feed BB food ever.ever again..
i meant to say he was 4 when died, not 5
Hello,
My name is Joelle Iuliano. I received your information from a Facebook post in regards to the Blue Buffalo class action law suit. Here’s my story:
At exactly this time last year my perfectly healthy 8 year old Jack Russel Terrier Cartier stopped eating suddenly. This was a champion agility and barn hunt dog who was VERY good motivated. His feeding bowl even had the bumps inside to slow him down when eating. He was notorious for stealing food off the counter. When he stopped eating I brought him to my vet right away because this was NOT like him at all. Up until this day he was never sick a day in his short life. At first the vet thought maybe he had swallowed something. They have him barium, took expats snd kept him overnight. They saw small particles but thought they had passed and sent him home the next day.
Cartier started to eat again but in just a few days time he stopped once again. I Brought him back to the vet. They told me his intestines were filled with air which could be a sign of cancer. I needed to get him an MRI.
I took him to the Red Bank animal hospital here in Tinton Falls NJ. Dr. Morges broke the sad news to me that Cartier did in fact have cancer. Lymphoma. I was devastated to say the least. We started chemo, acupuncture, supplements, and I started cooking for him at home under the guidance of their nutritionist.
To no avail Cartier still wouldn’t eat. We sadly had to say goodbye to him on December 12, 2016. He had just turned 9 in November.
After Cartier’s passing I was so freaked out about everything I had read about cancer contributors like lawn fertilizer and food, that I stopped having my lawn fertilized and set up an appointment with the canine nutritionist at Red Bank to discuss the food I was giving my other to remaining Jack Russell Terriers Winston now 6, Mojo 4. She assured me that dry food only was substantial enough for my active pups and that Blue Buffalo limited ingredient grain free turkey and potato was a quality food for them. She did inform me that Blue Buffalo did have some claims against them primarily I believe from Purina about the contents of the food not being completely truthful.
I have no doubt at this point in time that the food I was giving my perfectly healthy dog Cartier contributed to his getting Cancer. I will be changing the food for my other dogs today! But now what do I feed them? My 6 month old puppy eats Fromm. Oh by the way, my breeder, in all her years and lines of dogs… has never had a dog with cancer. So what do I do from here? I would like to be included in this class action lawsuit. Not to obtain an monetary reward, but to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else or their sweet pup.
Sincerely heartbroken,
Joelle Iuliano
OMG!!! Why hasn’t this information ever been reported on the news? I’ve been feeding Blue Buffalo chicken small bite to my 4 dogs for years. I had to put my lab down a year ago January and my pugle today. I have 2 other furbabies who have been eating this since I rescued them. They are both 4yrs old & were still babies when I brought them home. I’m going back to making they’re food from scratch just like I did when all those dogs died from poisoned dog food a few years ago. I wish I’d never stopped but working 12hr days made it hard 😥
I lost my 8 yr old Corgi BRUCE just over 1 year ago. He started having seizures that could not be controlled by medication and lost all body function. He was a zombie after each seizure and was having 4-5 a day. This was so hard on him and we could find anything to help.
We put BRUCE down and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. He went from a running, swimming and happy dog to the sad state he was at the end. I couldn’t stand to see him suffer. If this is caused by Blue Buffalo, I’m beside myself.
What food is safe? I have 2 other fur babies to protect.
I feed my dogs Blue Freedom Grain-Free Red Meat formula. Is there need for concern???
I am shaking as I’m reading this. My beloved 8 year old mini labradoodle fell ill winter of 2016. I fed him BB for years. He lost his appetite, lost massive amounts of weight, insanely elevated calcium levels and kidney failure. We lost him, thinking it could have been the food we fed him is devastasting. I’m just at a complete loss.
I was wondering why my dog was not feeling good. Now I know
Where can we read the analysis of evidence presented in the class action? It was not in the link provided by the commenter above. Thanks in advance.
We were feeding both our dogs Blue Wilderness (nor chicken) for years. They were both doing great until about a year ago. One of the dogs started vomiting frequently. My mother had previouslymentioned that the blue brand made her dogs sick and almost killed a friend of hers dog. With that knowledge we decided to change food brands. No more vomiting! She is back to her playful (sometimes annoyingly so) self. So glad we made the change. Wish we had done it much sooner
We’ve been giving our 3 rescues the grain free chicken Blue Buffalo food cuz our vet said it was one of the best ..our dogs do tend to gwt bored of it after awhile but they’ve been on it for a few years and haven’t had any symptoms yet but now I’m kinda worried cuz nothing was being said about the food in the news til just now . We brought a brand new bag last week cuz our dogs didn’t like the Purina One grain free food so we went and got the Blue Buffalo . How do we know if this new bag is being recalled or not .. they should have signs posted just like they do for people food .. now I have to call my vet to get my dogs checked out . I hope we aren’t slowly killing them with this food cuz I saw this article just now .. Is this article in effect now with recall on Blue Buffalo ?
A silly but right to the point kind of question. Why is there lead at all in the food? I don’t get it. This would basically solve all the issues if lead was removed. Having said this, where does the lead come from or is it added for some reason?
Excellent question…and I was wondering the same thing!
Probably because they claim to use wild meats. Lead shot used to shoot wild birds ends up in the soil and the water. Fish may eat it. Deer (venison) graze on the plants growing out of it. Birds take it up when they forage too like small stones to help their gullet. It ends up in the food chain then.
Now hold on I just put my baby down in April because of seizures. Idiotathic seizures and me Bacon wes on blue buffalo basics since we got him a 9 weeks. And your saying this is what could have caused his seizures. His last seizure lasted 16 minutes and when he come out of it he couldnr see us or hear us. My biy was my everything lits of money involved as he was also my service dog but mostly because he was the best not even 3 years old. And your telling it could have been what I fed him and I killed him. I better find out about this as I am now really upset and pissed
Does anyone know if the cat food is ok?
I use the recipe from justfoodfordogs.com and make my own dog food at home. My 13 year old pitbull mix looks like he’s about 4 years old. So far so good it seems. I supplement their homemade food with horizon legacy kibble from Canada.
I have helped many for years with good nutrition, “the proof is in the putting” results tell you if a diet is working,,, be it kibble, canned or raw, our dogs are not what they eat, they are what they digest 🙂
I have been feeding my Westie Blue Buffalo Basics limited ingredient formula small breed turkey and potato recipe for 9 months. I just got back from the Veterinary Office and my Westies bloodwork is perfect. I am not going to buy blue buffalo anymore, but!
Robert
Very smart decision!
Dr Carol
We just put down the love of our life due to liver ailment. Symptoms came on acutely and he died in less than 2 weeks. Prior to this, my 10 yo lab was asymptotic. He became acutely uninterested in food & then drink lost weight rapidly, became jaundice, liver values off the charts and despite iv fluids antibiotics and steroids they said it was incurable liver CA.
I’ve fed my baby blue buffalo for the passed 7yrs.
I’m gutted to think I did this to him.
Dr Carol,
Do you have any details on who funded the tests on Blue Buffalo food to get these results? Also, I would like to know if the testing included ALL blue Buffalo food, and if so, then where were ALL the results publically released.
thankyou
I am so disgusted. My dachshund has been on Blue Buffalo the last 5 years. . She is 10 but has been diagnosed with liver disease. She throws up periodically and drinks water constantly. She has days where she won’t eat and is very lethargic. My poodle/terrier mix is on the same dog food and has period of throwing up or being sick for what seems no reason. I give both dogs boiled chicken and rice or eggs. They get back on their feet and then I start with the Bkue Buffalo again. I can see a cycle here. From now on I am making their food myself. No more dog foods of any kind for then. I cannot bring myself to trust any brand now. Such a shame.
I’ve a Boston Terrior, She is about 10yrs old ,we changed her food to the small breed blue buffalo brand in the large red bag. It has been about 3 years, recently and suddenly she stopped eating, I notice her urine was dark and took her to the vet. Tests showed extreme liver problems. We spent about $800 on tests, and then more on meds including antibiotics and at this time continued liver supplements for what will be years to come. Obliviously not happy, but she’s still active.
I used to feed it to my bullies. the first couple years, moose had/ still has lots of GI probs and Bee ended up getting seizures. Not sure if it’s coincidence or not. After a vet told us how terrible it can be to a dog’s health, we gave it up immediately and started what he recommended: Victor’s ocean fish dog food. It’s found at feed stores and a few smaller pet stores.
What about the Blue Buffalo & Blue Wilderness Chicken cat foods, are they affected also?
I lost my Rottweiler in December 15, 2012 she started having seizures and tick fever but they never tested her they just went by they found tick on her and that was it. I was feeding blue buffalo at the time and one of my other dogs was always hungry on food and itching so I was going to find something different for them anyway. At time I was buying blue for one dog and something totally different for the other two because they didn’t seem to get do good on it. The neighbor dog would jump our fence to come eat with her and they never said it was making her sick she was always over her at feeding time I just put more at fore two and let them know she tinie food a lot.
My last three dogs died of cancer none of them lived to be 8 years old. I fed them blue buffalo….I loved my dogs very much and spent thousands on operations and treatment…
Shame on you money hungry bastards. Hope you rot in HELL for what you have done!
Omg! We lost our 10 year old Yorkie Poo to cancer Nov. 10th. We fed him the Blue Buffalo grain-free turkey and potato because it was for dogs with sensitivities all his life! We are heart broken over his loss! Did this food lead up to his death? What can I do to find this out?
My Akita just turned 1 in October 17’ I’ve always fed her the chicken one but puppy version.. is this still okay?! She seems to act fine but I will gladly switch ASAP. I don’t want her to get sick either but she really likes this food. Any suggestions?
I had a cat that died from the recalled food. The local national chain pet supply store still had it on their shelves after the recall. The store manager was not about to remove it. I see the ads on TV but know better than to feed that brand to my greyhound. She is healthy and going to be 11 next month.
My dog puked multiple times a day for a week straight because of this brand! I thought I was doing something good for him and it harmed him. Had to switch to boiled chicken and rice and add probiotics to get him back to normal.
Keep your Blue Buffalo receipts or go to the pet store and they can pull off purchases based on reward numbers. Why? My wife donated 1 dollar per purchase so I kept for tax purposes. When the other law suit came through I had a number of receipts for Blue Buffalo dog food purchases. I submitted copies knowing I would max out at 200 dollars. Well, last week I received a check for over 1500 dollars. It seems that not enough people submitted claims and the 200 dollar limit amount was thrown out. I was shocked to see another law suit.
After seeing Blue Buffalo ads , and receiving a coupon we chose to changed our Sheltie’s food in Sept 2017. We mixed it for a couple of weeks ( so he would become accustomed to
Blue Buffalo). In November, he had blood in his urine and was taken to his vet. This was followed by many other visits. He had some diarrhea and a little vomiting. He stopped eating. Blood tests and antibiotics, and shots to stimulate his appetite, did not help. Xrays showed his liver was larger than normally should be. Since he was not eating (he would drink water but none of the food the vet suggested.) He was starving to death and we had to make the decision to let him go peacefully with the vet’s assistance. It was December 19, 2017.
If only we had seen this sooner the vet may have had other alternatives.
This is hard to write as the pain still hurts. I still hear his bark, sleep with one of his toys and miss him so because he was loved as much as he loved us.
The only positive thing is now hopefully I’ll no longer blame myself or the vet.
Blue Buffalo has had MANY accusations thrown at them. I refuse to give this food to any of my animals BUT my mom swears by it! According to her, the previous lawsuits were BS and created by Purina. While I don’t doubt that maybe one of those lawsuits could be fake, there is no way that they all are. Now that the FDA is involved it seems very likely that this is not false. It just frustrates me to no end that some people will stand by this company despite the lies and cover for them!
I have one cat that died from kidney problems a year ago. It didnt occur to me that it was Blue Buffalo. I recently started feeding another cat Blue Wilderness and he isn’t feeling well at all.
Sad to say. I didn’t lose one dog. I lost two dogs. April and her daughter Winnie died right after eating Blue Buffalo Dog food. They died a horrible death.
They died a little over a year ago.
I had April for 16 years and she still acted like a 8 year old. April had been in a movie and on America dog talent show.
Minnie just turned 12. Minnie was my Service dog.
They were my world. I still cry over their loss.
Blue buffalo didn’t care one bit when I called. They told me it was the manufacture fault.
They didn’t have much to say after that.
The dog food was recalled about , two to three months after
I wish I could of sued them. But there are no laws to help someone like me. The Blue Buffalo Company has way to much money. I live in the Boise area and the dog food was bad.
Buyer beware. Carlene
I had a dog and I thought I was doing great by buying Blue Buffalo. He died last year from cancer it was horrible. I’m glad that I started feeding my new puppy Rachael Ray dog food.
Are the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Turkey Biscuits also bad and included in this alert??
Both of our Poms DIED two weeks after switching to Blue Buffalo. I sent samples to the FDA, I asked them where the food was made, they wouldn’t tell me. I was pregnant at the time and losing both our pups was heartbreaking. I still have all the documents and pics to prove what Blue Buffalo did to our family. Shame on them!
I have been using Blue Bufflalo adult small dog for many years. I am so upset right now reading this article because i lost 2 of my Papillons within 2 years and that is what they both ate their whole lives
My male died at the vets office and they did he had a stroke which we never knew what caused it, my female got extremely sick and we never figured out the cause, she was in the hospital on fluids and oxygen for 4 days and never got a diagnosis. We were told they didn’t know what it was a she wasn’t getting any better, she didn’t eat for 2 weeks, we eventually had to make the choice to put her down which was heartbreaking. Now my 1 1/2 year old is on the same food and after reading this article i will be switching his food asap. My dogs are my babies and this scares me.
How does one join in on the class action lawsuit? Seems to me anyone who has fed Blue Buffalo should be able to do so!
I have been feeding my 3 Yorkies small bits adult food for years and did not see this, also canned food and plastic containers too. I feel so bad because my 4# silky Yorkie died 3 years ago of kidney failure at the age of 7. I have another 4# Yorkie that has lost control of her back legs and my 9# Yorkie has pancreatic problems and diabetes, insulin dependency. How could all 3 that came from different breeders have these problems. This gives me the answer or at least a reason for vet check for lead
I’m not happy.
After feeding BB to our Airedale girl for years, she was diagnosed with cancer (canine lymphoma) after her diagnosis she rapidly declined in health and stamina and a short 90 days later we made the selfless act to help her go…after she no longer had an quality of life. (Well what we knew her quality of life to have been, that is).
If the increased levels of lead are in fact a cause and effect for the development of disabilities and cancers…BB and their parent companies and subsidiaries should be held accountable for their wanton and reckless disregard for the well being of the animals and families health.
My Shetland Sheepdog Chief, ate nothing but Blue Buffalo most of his life. Sadly he died of Cancer two years ago. Where has this info and is there any recourse????
As I read all these comments I get more upset. I lost my lab 7 months ago to cancer that seemed to come out of nowhere. He had been eating the Turkey and Potato food that was listed for many years. I have a one and a half year old Boston that has been eating the small breed food that was listed. I have searched for information as to how to join this class action suit related to the lead on the food and can’t find a way. If anyone know how to join please share!!!! I have read the whole article that this is attached to but can’t find a link that send you to the information on how to join the suit.
WHAT ABOUT CAT FOOD??????
This is the reason we lost our lab Bently. I hate you people who made this crap. I can only hope Karma gets you before you can reap the wealth you made, while the rest of us lost family buy trusting your company. You and all who work at blue buffalo should be condemned to life in jail for murder.
I have no words!!! I just switched to the Blue Buffalo Products and am disgusted to read this article. I will for sure be changing to another brand now. How do people sleep at night knowing that these products are hurting pets everywhere? Truly sad. 🙁
This is SO sad……Have had 3 Schnauzers that were all fed Blue Buffalo Chicken, small breed. Two of them died with different forms of cancer. The last one Maggie started developing some strange behavior and towards the last began having seizures, disorientation, bumping in to walls and ultimately a complete loss of appetite. Shortly after her death….the youngest of our dogs began developing some strange symptoms. We changed vets and they immediately switched his food from Blue Buffalo to Science diet. His cholesterol levels were off the chart and his blood sugar was in the 600-700 range. We began giving him twice a day insulin shots and feeding him Science Diet w/d. After 4 months of bouncing back and forth……we’ve finally got him stabilized and his spot BG is now below 150. Of course there’s lots of anecdotal evidence here……but Blue Buffalo is not something I’ll personally ever use again. I feel this story regarding LEAD levels 1000 times higher than known acceptable levels is something I’d REALLY have wanted to know and would NEVER knowingly feed my dog something obviously so toxic. These people should be held criminally liable.