Choosing the right food for your beloved canine companion can be a real headache! In fact, it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed by the myriad options available in the dog food market. How do you choose a good diet adapted to the needs of your dog? Is it worth shelling out more for a premium brand?
To help you in your search, we compared two premium dog food brands that both promise a host of health benefits for your pup: Pro Pac and Blue Buffalo. Keep reading to find out the winner of this close fight!
A Sneak Peek at the Winner: Pro Pac Dog Food
Pro Pac and Blue Buffalo are high-quality brands that have proven themselves in the dog food market. Based on their ingredients alone, these dog foods look like above-average dry products. However, while these foods have much in common, we prefer Pro Pac for the overall quality of the ingredients and the more affordable price. Also, its recall history is better than that of Blue Buffalo.
At a Glance
Pro Pac
Blue Buffalo
About Pro Pac
Pro Pac is a small, family-owned American business owned by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. It creates balanced formulas for all stages of a pet’s life, and all the dog and cat food recipes are developed at facilities in four cities across the United States.
The company’s personal mission is to create the ultimate pet food, and it has been doing so since 1926. You can buy its products online and in many pet stores across the United States.
Pro Pac Ultimates Is Ideal for Dogs With Sensitive Stomachs
Pro Pac is known, among other things, for its line of Ultimates products, which are formulated without corn, wheat, or soy, which may prove beneficial for dogs with ingredient sensitivities.
The Recipes Are Packed With Antioxidants
Antioxidants are essential nutrients that help neutralize and limit the negative effects of free radicals on cells. Basically, they help maintain your dog’s overall health by slowing down the aging of their cells. Antioxidants can be useful for:
Pro Pac dog food contains antioxidants like vitamins A and C, which come from fruits and vegetables like blueberries, carrots, and spinach. The fibers in these ingredients also aid in digestion.
Meat Meal (Chicken, Lamb, Beef) Is the First Ingredient
Meat meal often has a bad reputation in pet food. However, according to the Ohio University Veterinary Medical Center, chicken meal contains more protein than fresh chicken. In fact, all meat meal is a more concentrated source of protein because the water has been eliminated, which enables better integration within dry foods. Therefore, chicken meal can be a source of quality protein at a lower price.
Pro Pac Tends to Be Expensive
Pro Pac tends to be in the high price bracket, but it’s not as expensive as many other premium dog foods.
About Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo is named after Blue, the Airedale dog of founders Jackie and Bill Bishop. In fact, when their beloved dog developed health problems, the two brothers began to take an interest in nutrition to improve the health of pets, with the aim of strengthening the immune system of our four-legged friends.
Blue Buffalo Creates Recipes Tailored to Specific Dietary Needs
There is a whole range of formulas adapted to the specific dietary needs of dogs, including those who suffer from skin sensitivities, a deficient immune system, joint problems, or weight management.
Its Recipes Do Not Contain “Controversial” Ingredients
Blue Buffalo Dog Food contains no corn, wheat, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or by-products. In addition, the company offers two grain-free formulas. However, “grain-free” or the absence of “by-products” do not necessarily guarantee optimal nutrition, as these “controversial” ingredients are not necessarily bad for dogs. Nevertheless, many pet owners are often ready to pay a high price for this type of food.
It’s Expensive, Even for a High-End Dog Food
Despite the quality of the ingredients and the care taken in formulating Blue Buffalo Dog Food’s recipes, we are not convinced that its high price is justified. Indeed, using “real chicken” and avoiding ingredients like grains does not necessarily correlate with a perfectly balanced and healthy diet.
Blue Buffalo Has Been Accused of Falsely Advertising Its Products
In 2020, Blue Buffalo Dog Food was sued for creating false advertisements for its Blue Wilderness line of dog food. The marketing campaign conveys the message that its dog food is very high in protein and therefore, similar to the diet of a wild wolf. However, these claims are misleading, as the Blue Wilderness products also contain “more carbohydrates than a wild gray wolf is likely to consume in its lifetime.”
The 3 Most Popular Pro Pac Dog Food Recipes
Let’s take a look at three of the most popular dog food recipes from Pro Pac.
1. Ultimates Chicken Meal & Rice Large Breed Adult Dog Food
Ultimates Chicken Meal & Brown Rice is designed for the special needs of large breed dogs. The addition of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate help keep your large dog’s joints healthy. This formula is also rich in antioxidants and vitamins to boost the immune system and aid digestion. However, the first ingredient is chicken meal and not real chicken, and some dog owners only want to offer “real” meat to their pets. Also, this food is quite expensive, though not as expensive as some other premium brands of similar quality.
2. Pro Pac Ultimates Overland Grain-Free Red Beef & Potato
Pro Pac Ultimates Overland Red Beef is a grain-free formula with potatoes, which is generally not a problem for most dogs. However, this can cause gastrointestinal problems (gas, bloating) in some sensitive dogs. Nevertheless, this gluten-free recipe, packed with antioxidants and fiber and added taurine to protect the heart, is particularly popular with dogs that seem to like the crunchy texture of the kibble.
3. Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside Select Fish & Potato Grain-Free
Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside Select Fish & Potato is a grain-free formula made with white fish meal. The fiber content is relatively low, but there are plenty of omega-6 and -3 fatty acids, which help the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and immune system work the way that they should.
The 3 Most Popular Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recipes
1. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Nature’s Evolutionary Diet
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Nature’s Scalable Diet is a high-protein formula (34%), which is about 10% more than other products in this review. It also has 15% fat and 6% fiber, so your energetic dog will feel full longer between meals. This food contains complex carbohydrates like oats and barley as a good source of energy. But if your dog is more of a lazy type, watch the portions that you give them to avoid weight gain.
There are no artificial flavors, by-products, and added preservatives. Blue Buffalo also scrupulously avoids adding soy, wheat, or corn to its recipes. Finally, the Blue Wilderness line of food contains “LifeSource Bits,” a special blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support immune system health and healthy oxidative balance.
However, a major drawback of Blue Buffalo (and this goes for its entire product line, not just Wilderness) is that the company has a long history of recalls.
2. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Adult Chicken & Brown Rice
Blue Buffalo Life Protection is a plant-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of meat meals as primary sources of animal protein. The Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice recipe uses deboned chicken as the first ingredient, but it also contains a few potential allergens, such as dried egg and dried tomato pomace. Nutritionally, this product contains a decent amount of protein and carbohydrates, making it a good food for less-active dogs. Ingredients also include fruits (cranberries, blueberries) and vegetables (sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots) for extra vitamins and minerals.
Overall, it’s a great food that most dogs will enjoy, but we think that it’s on the pricey side considering its average nutritional value.
3. Blue Buffalo Freedom Adult Healthy Weight Chicken Recipe
Blue Buffalo Freedom dry dog food is designed to help adult dogs maintain a healthy weight with high-quality protein and moderate fat content. This kibble is made with real boneless chicken, and there’s no added corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, and preservatives, which should please even picky eaters. This formula also includes antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins in the form of LifeSource Bits exclusive to Blue Buffalo. However, this food is high in starchy carbohydrates and expensive.
Recall History of Pro Pac and Blue Buffalo
Pro Pac had maintained a perfect no-recall record until quite recently. On January 11, 2021, Midwestern Pet Foods issued a large-scale recall of the brands that it handles for aflatoxin, which is a mold byproduct that can be harmful and even fatal to pets in sufficient amounts.
Two Pro Pac recipes were affected by this recall:
On March 27, 2021, Midwestern Pet Foods issued a large-scale voluntary recall for much of its product line, including the Pro Pac Ultimates line. This recall was due to potential contamination of salmonella, which is one of the most common causes of pet food recalls in the United States.
However, Blue Buffalo’s list of dog food recalls is much more extensive. These recalls involve multi-year events, including:
2010
Recalls of several products for excessive Vitamin D levels, including
2015
There was a recall of Cub Size Wilderness Wild Chew Bones dog food due to possible salmonella contamination.
2016
There was a recall of Life Protection Formula Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe for mold contamination.
2017
There were recalls of multiple products, including
Pro Pac vs. Blue Buffalo Comparison
We compared Pro Pac to Blue Buffalo in a few key categories, to see which of the two brands would stand out.
Taste
Winner: Blue Buffalo
In general, dogs seem to enjoy the taste and texture of Blue Buffalo more, probably because “real meat” is one of the first ingredients. Still, it mostly depends on the preferences of each dog.
Nutritional Value
Winner: Tie
At the nutritional level, the fight is tight because the two brands have essentially the same guaranteed analysis, with barely 1% more crude protein and crude fat for Blue Buffalo.
Price
Winner: Pro Pac
Pro Pac wins here because its price, though high, is more justified and affordable than that of Blue Buffalo.
Selection
Winner: Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo wins in this category because it offers more diverse products tailored to the specific needs of dogs.
Overall
Winner: Pro Pac
Due to its near-flawless recall history, relatively affordable price, quality ingredients, and lack of false advertising accusations, we picked Pro Pac as the clear winner in this heated battle.
Conclusion
Pro Pac and Blue Buffalo are two above-average dog food brands. They both offer recipes made in facilities in the United States and don’t add corn, soy, or wheat. Their formulas are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, though Blue Buffalo primarily uses real meat as the first ingredient and Pro Pac uses meat meals.
That said, we consider Pro Pac to be a better choice, not only because of its price but also its security history and for being transparent with its customers.