Let Us Find the Winner of Nutrisource vs Blue Buffalo

Your dog deserves the best, especially when it comes to food. Whether it is from dry food or wet food, your dog needs the best source of nutrients. Both Nutrisource and Blue Buffalo are popular dog food brands that promise the best for dogs. But do they really? With this article, we reveal the winner of Nutrisource vs Blue Buffalo so you can see which brand is really the best for your dog. Keep in mind that in the end, the winner is the one that most suits your dog’s needs and preferences. Our article is here to help you decide based on that very reason!

About Nutrisource

Nutrisource focuses on grain-free, nutritionally dense products that contain prebiotics and probiotics. Each product is carefully formulated and packed with nutrition. This brand is also approved by AAFCO as one of the highest quality dog foods available. With that said, we are confident in recommending it to new dog owners.

About Blue Buffalo

Even though it is relatively new, this brand is one of the most popular brands among dog owners. Blue Buffalo offers a formula called LifeSource Bits. This formula is a fantastic combination of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, mixed in the kibbles. Each product usually contains medium to high protein, which will help Pitbull puppies to build muscles.

Nutrisource vs Blue Buffalo Comparison Table

After getting to know both Nutrisource and Blue Buffalo brands, let us compare them according to the contents and quality of their products. Let us begin with the comparison table, followed by a detailed explanation of each feature.

	Nutrisource	Blue Buffalo
Protein source	Chicken, chicken meal, turkey, and lamb meal	Chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, bison, duck, fish, rabbit, trout, salmon, venison
Carbs source	Brown rice, oatmeal, and barley	Barley, potatoes, oat flour
Vegetables and fruits	Green beans, pumpkin puree, extracted carrots	Carrots, blueberries, cranberries, alfalfa
Fiber	Grains and oatmeal	Flaxseed, brown rice, chickpeas
Fatty acids	Omega 3 Fatty Acids = 0.7% Omega 6 Fatty Acids = 2.1%	Omega 3 Fatty Acids = 0.35% Omega 6 Fatty Acids = 0.75%
Grain-free	All products in  Small & Medium Breed Puppy Recipe and Large Breed Puppy Recipe Lines	All products except True Solutions
Variety	60 options for dog food Treats available	101 options for dog food Treats available
Recall history	–	2007, melamine in canned dog food 2010, potentially toxic levels of Vitamin D 2015, salmonella contamination 2016, mold in some packages 2017, aluminum contamination and high levels of beef thyroid hormones
Price	Around $2 per pound	Around $3.45 per pound

Ingredients Comparison between Nutrisource and Blue Buffalo

The most important thing in deciding the Nutrisource vs Blue Buffalo winner is the nutrients their products contain. Following the AAFCO’s regulation, any pet food brand must provide details of the ingredients included in each of its products. Here, we compare the two brands closely to find which one is best for your dog. Note that each product contains different ingredients. The following comparison is based on the average nutrient components of the brand’s overall products.

Protein Source

Protein intake is critical for any dog at any age. Puppies need protein to grow, while adult dogs need them to keep their muscles strong. Nutrisource chooses chicken, chicken meal, turkey, and lamb meal as its sources of protein. These are pretty common among other dog food brands. And there is a reason behind it. First, most dogs like the flavor of chicken, turkey, and lamb. When they like the taste, dogs will eat more. As they eat more, it will not take too much time, even for malnourished dogs, to gain weight.

Blue Buffalo also takes the same approach. This brand also uses chicken and turkey as some of its sources of protein. But there is more. Blue Buffalo also mixes beef, lamb, pork, bison, duck, fish, rabbit, trout, salmon, and venison in their protein formula. As a result, you can rotate between flavors for your dogs. This is also good for picky eaters.

Carbs Source

Second, after protein, carbohydrate is vital to your dog’s growth and health. Before you jump in and say grains are not natural for dogs, let us remind you that grains are not the only source of carbs. In fact, the best type of carbs is sourced from vegetables and fruits. Because of this reason, between Nutrisource and Blue Buffalo, we pick the latter. Blue Buffalo uses barley, oat flour, and potatoes as their sources of carbs. Potatoes are one of the best sources of carbs, especially for dog owners who do not want to feed their dogs grains. Meanwhile, Nutrisource chooses grains as its source of carbs: brown rice, oatmeal, and barley.

Now the question remains: is feeding your dog grains okay? The answer is as controversial as to whether or not you should feed your dog human food. It depends on your dog’s breed, age, and digestive health. Some dogs cannot digest human food well; some can. Some breeds are okay with grains; some are not. So, please do more research on your dog’s needs and diet requirements before you decide to feed them with grains. Consulting a vet is always a great idea.

Fiber Sources

Although frequently forgotten, fiber is actually crucial for dogs. The right amount of fiber plays a big part in weight loss, weight gain, or simply maintaining your dog’s weight. Besides, fiber is vital in feeding those puppers who are always hungry. Meanwhile, it is essential to know the fiber source if your dog has an allergy or certain digestive issues with certain types of food.

Nutrisource gets its fiber from grains and oatmeal. As we mentioned before, this is not recommended for dogs with digestive issues. In this case, we recommend Blue Buffalo since it offers better sources of fiber. They include flaxseed, brown rice, and chickpeas.

Vegetables and Fruits

It is a no-brainer that fruits and vegetables are important for any living thing, including your dogs. These are great sources of vitamins, minerals, and all other things your dogs need. Without them, they may have issues with their health and growth.

Nutrisource brand picks green beans, pumpkin puree, and extracted carrots as its sources of vitamins and minerals. Keep in mind that only selected products have the healthier, organic version of these sources. On the other hand, Blue Buffalo chooses carrots, blueberries, cranberries, and alfalfa. In this battle of Nutrisource or Blue Buffalo, there is no certain winner. But if we must choose, we would go with Blue Buffalo for its diversity of sources. Need we mention how great berries are as sources of antioxidants? Dogs that live in a big city require antioxidants to stay healthy by protecting themselves from pollutions.

Another thing to note is the brand’s fatty acids content. The good news is both brands provide Omega 3 and Omega 6, which are both very important to your dog’s growth and health. Between Nutrisource and Blue Buffalo, the former wins the battle. Nutrisource’s products contain 0.7% Omega 3 and 2.1% Omega 6 fatty acids, while Blue Buffalo falls behind at 0.35% and 0.75%, respectively.

Product Quality Comparison

This section compares Blue Buffalo and Nutrisource for their varieties and production quality. Nutrisource has 60 options for dog food, including tasty treats. All of this brand’s products in Small & Medium Breed Puppy and Large Breed Puppy recipes are grain-free. Meanwhile, Blue Buffalo offers 101 options for dog food, including some treats. All of this brand’s products are grain-free, except for those with True Solutions.

When it comes to recall history, Nutrisource wins the game. This brand has never been recalled, unlike Blue Buffalo that was recalled several times. In 2007, melamine was found in its canned dog food. In 2010, there were potentially toxic levels of Vitamin D. Five years after, for three consecutive years, this brand was recalled for salmonella, mold, and aluminum contamination issues, respectively.

From this section, we learn that Nutrisource is the better option. However, you must not rule out that Blue Buffalo is the bigger brand with a bigger production. As a result, more production issues may occur. With that said, we do not justify the brand’s recall history. It is merely something you should take into consideration.

Price Comparison

When it comes to price, both brands fall in the affordable category. Nutrisource’s products are sold at around $2 per pound. On the other hand, Blue Buffalo’s are around $3.45 per pound. As you can see, Blue Buffalo’s products are more expensive than Nutrisource on average. However, you may still find Nutrisource’s products that are more expensive than Blue Buffalo’s.

So if getting cheaper products is your biggest concern, go for Nutrisource. But we must remind you not to pick your dog’s daily meal solely based on the brand’s price. Nutrients and product quality are still the most important. Please reconsider by taking a look at our comparison table before choosing Nutrisource or Blue Buffalo.

Conclusion

And there you have it, a detailed comparison of two of the best dog food brands available on the market. The winner of Nutrisource vs Blue Buffalo depends on what you prefer for your dogs. If you need more information, consider how these brands are compared to others. Take a look at Nutrisource vs Nutro and Blue Buffalo vs Purina Pro Plan next!

With that said, if you let us choose for you, we would recommend Nutrisource. This brand is the cheaper option without compromising quality. Keep in mind that this brand has never been recalled. This is a great thing, especially compared to Blue Buffalo.

If Nutrisource is the winner, why should you still consider Blue Buffalo? Here are some facts you should not rule out. Blue Buffalo has a wider array of products. This means you can rotate more without having to switch brands. Another reason is its ingredients. Blue Buffalo focuses more on providing better sources. Unfortunately, as a result, these sources are also the cause of most of its recall.

So, the real winner is still in your hand. Consider all aspects one more time before you subscribe to one brand.