First-Time Yorkie Parents: Blue Buffalo
 

Hi! We are new yorkie parents and first time dog owners. Our dogs do not have fleas and occasionally scratch/itch. We have them on Blue Buffalo Life Protection kibble.

Is Blue Buffalo quality dog food? I've searched the forum and there seems to be inconsistent reviews. We would love your input!

Our yorkies recently turned 6 months!

No. Blue buffalo is just not a trustworthy company. The have been sued multiple times and lost because of lying about what is in their food. They also have very bad quality control and dogs have gotten very sick from to many of the life source bits. The itching could be invromental allergies.

Thank you for the advice. We will look for alternatives to and slowly transition to another brand. Do you have any recommendations? and also, you might be right about the environmental allergies!

At 6 mths of age - enviro allergies are almost never, ever seen due to the maturity level of the immune system....so I'd doubt that.

I feed raw...but kibbles I recommend highly are Natures Logic Venison, Solid Gold Wee Bits, Wellness Core, Solid Gold Barking At The Moon...

We feed Solid Gold Mighty Mini (thanks to Wylie's Mom) and/or Fromm. We needed a very small kibble.

I'm a huge fan on Royal Canin. I really like the research and science they put behind their dog food.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend this food *at all* in a dog who is already itching...Royal Canin has WAYyyyyy too many potential allergens in it for canines, imo.

Agreed. Royal Canin also has a small kibble size. Another good brand with a small kibble size is Wellness Core Grain Free Small Breed. We've fed both to our Bella with no problems. She gobbles them up.

But I thought allergies were rare in puppies? I really like and trust Royal Canin.

So do I. They actually have canine nutritionists on staff, unlike a certain dentist who bases his dog food reviews on ingredient lists only. I'm just saying... :D

They truly are, for sure -- it's just that whenever I hear of undiagnosed itching being present - I tend to steer clear of the more common allergens...like corn especially, which can cause big problems in vulnerable dogs. If a dog is itching and if allergies are even a remote possibility, I wouldn't risk adding common canine allergens to the diet/body bc that could be the tipping point for the immune system to go into overdrive.

Dog food
 

So many different views about royal canin. I got the royal canin mini for sensitive stomachs. They sure like the taste. Kibble size is small. It's not grain free. Is that important. Seems like a lot of emphasis is on grain free today.

It's not necessary to be grain free its just one of the fads.

You'll get a lot of opinions on food. Blue Buffalo is not one I like or trust.

I suppose I prefer the more 'natural' route (but really... kibble is far from 'natural' if we're being honest). And I don't really care so much about grain-free. I just prefer minimal grains if possible/less carbs. I also do not like the heavy inclusion of pea products in all the grain-free foods now. Nothing inherently wrong with peas but I hate the ingredient splitting being done. I also care about low ash meats/food (Nature's Logic Venison is wayyy too high, IMO).

Brands I like and trust (which are not very many): Acana, Annamaet, Farmina, Dr. Tim's, Victor.... I know I'm missing a few other good ones.

I feed a rotation of Acana or Orijen Senior (same company) and Annamaet. I really really like Annamaet as a company. They have wonderful customer service as well as a board certified Veterinary Nutritionist on staff as well. I continue feeding Acana because my dog does well on it. :)

Brit how do you find out about all these companies lol I'm like checking them all out I'm curious. :D

Grain free can be *key* if a dog has GI issues or allergy issues...

Hello and welcome to YT:)

we really appreciate everyone's feedback on our question and also continuously browsing the forum, we've narrowed down our list!

It was good to hear that grain-free is not a requirement since we thought that we had to head towards the grain-free route. Royal canin seems to be very popular around here but Wylie's mom makes a great point that we could try limiting the amount of common allergens.

I read somewhere on the forum that chicken could be causing the itching, should we avoid chicken in our kibble?


royal canin (small breed - yorkie picture)
hill's science (small breed - yorkie picture)
natural balance (potato & duck or sweet potato & fish)
wellness core (turkey & chicken)

As far as food allergies go, they are usually due to exposure to the same allergen over the course of many years. Hence the comment from Taylor (LoveToDream88) about food allergies being rare in puppies. That said, if there IS a food allergy, it could be an allergy to ANY food component. It could be grains (corn, rice, wheat, etc.) or it could be non-grains (peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, etc.). It could be ANY of the meat components (chicken, beef, pork, turkey duck, bison, fish, etc.). No protein or carbohydrate source is inherently any better than any other. The important thing is, if there is a food allergy, to switch the food component that's causing the problem to something different. I suspect the reason that people think that corn is such a problem is that many common dog foods contain corn, and allergic dogs have been fed corn for many years, resulting in the allergy. If the dog had been fed grain-free duck or bison for many years, then the allergy could be just as easily to either a grain-free component, duck, or bison. Again, the important thing is to feed something different, or feed a hypoallergenic prescription diet.

That said, any of the foods you listed would be fine to start with. Personally, we have used both Royal Canin small breed Yorkie and Wellness Core Grain Free Small Breed with no problems. If the itching gets worse instead of better, then switch to something different. In the meantime, consult with the vet about the possibility of allergies or skin infections being the cause of the itching.

Dog food
 

I am looking at various kibble also. I looked at the wellness core. I think the protein level is high. I know merrick has 38% protein. When looking for food should this be a concern. This may help you all decide kibble.

My puppy has been on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy dry food for 3 months and I have no complaints. Once Blue Buffalo lost the lawsuit, the company had to smarten up and remain true to their products as they were now with targets on their back.

That's actually very far from true. They probably paid their fine and continue to do the same things. They have always be more about advertising then their product. I personally would never touch it.

To each his own. Go with what you feel is best! :)

To each his own. Feed what you feel is best! :)

Just saw this post! LOL. I'm in a dog food group on FB and also just from the local pet stores around here.

For what it's worth, I've been working with/around dogs for 10 years as a sitter/walker/etc and grown up around them my whole life. EVERY dog I walk who has eaten or eats Blue Buffalo has GI issues -- they're either gassy, have loose stool, rumbling tummies, throwing up, etc. I do not like the brand and do not trust their quality control. I actually prefer companies who have their own manufacturing facilities in general. Blue Buffalo uses like 4-5? last I checked.

I used to feed my two Yorkies Blue Buffalo. One of the bags had about 50% life source bits in it. They got diarrhea so I called the company to ask about it. They acted like it was no big deal and told me to just return it to the store and get a new bag that did not have the same lot number on it. She told me that The kibble and the life source bits come down two separate chutes into the dog food bag. When one of the chutes runs out of food the bag fills up with too much of the other. She sounded like it was no big deal and she sent me a free bag of treats.

I never trusted that company after that. If they had decent quality control that should not have happened. I never trusted BB after that because of their casual attitude about something that made my dogs sick.

And if I'm not mistaken one of their recent recalls had something to do with possible metal shavings in the food? I would not use BB again.

Dog food
 

I totally agree. I would not buy blue buffalo no matter how many TV ads or gimmicks they use to sell their food. It is up to each to choose a good dog food. I rely on all your input and experiences with food. Lately I tried fromm but I think it's a little too rich. Stools are a little loose. They only get a few kibble and I haven't noticed good results.

Are you sticking with the new food long enough for them to get adjusted to it? When I switch food it seems like there is an adjustment period where their little systems are getting used to the switch.

Dog food
 

Jojo doesn't seem to like it. He ate it but only because daisy was ready to get it. I only fed a little. Is this a good food. They say no recalls then I read they had one. What's the truth?