Puppy foods are formulated differently because their growing body also needs a different amount of nutrition than their older brother or parents. If you have a puppy at home, Purina Puppy Chow Vs Blue Buffalo are two ideal options to feed them. These foods are designed to be balanced and contain the amount of protein, fat, and other nutrients they will need to grow healthily and stay active. Before deciding to choose one, do check what they can offer below so we will know what they are made of.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- How to Feed Puppy Dogs
- What are Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo
- What are the Food Variants in Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo
- What are the Ingredients of Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo
- How are the Quality of Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo
- How are the Nutrient of Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo
- Purina Puppy Chow Vs Blue Buffalo
Feeding Puppy Dog
Having a pet at home is fun because they are like a part of the family and for many of us, they are also what makes the day a little bit better when you are tired or just bored with daily routine. Their pure innocent acts often are our motivation to smile more that day and it is just natural that we also want to provide the best for our best friend. What we have to pay attention to is, they will need different nutrients in each growing stage, starting from puppies.
First is try to choose to incorporate dry food in your puppy diet. They can eat both moist and dry food just like your older dogs but they are different because we need to feed our puppies four times per day as opposed to the older dogs that only need two meals each day. This is because they are still in the growth rate in comparison to your other dogs and this is because we still need to give them plenty of fuel to grow up.
But, it doesn’t mean that our puppies are eating more than the older dog because they are eating in a much smaller amount of food but separated into tinier portions with twice feeding frequency. We will also need to increase the amount of food more frequently as they are gradually growing depending on their weight and age.
Second is pick the food that you prefer and stick with it because our focus on these early years is to feed the right amount of food hence it is more convenient to stick with the same food to ease the job. It may sound boring but unlike us, dogs don’t need a three-course menu and meal variation so it is easy to start with the food that has a balance of nutrients, most importantly protein and fat. Changing food often can get confusing because the amount of nutrients in each food can be different.
Third is choosing all-natural ingredients for your puppy food because the best food is when they are natural and what nature intended them to eat. Because it will be inconvenient to change food later, it is best if the owner is choosing a solid food from the start with no artificial ingredients and hidden fillers. We want to avoid chemical blends as it is bad for them and will upset their stomach or cause digestive problems because dogs take a longer time to digest their foods.
About Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo
Regardless whether it is for puppy or adult dogs, we as the owner will still need to consider the food option because it is necessary to select the options as not all foods are made to be the same. If you have an adult dog it is best to select and adult formula, if you have a large breed then it is ideal to choose food meant to be their size while if you have a puppy then it is best to provide puppy food in order to give them the best balanced nutrient appropriate for the lifestage.
Thankfully, there are plenty to choose from in the market so we can freely select which formulation to give them such as based on the recipe and if present, any health concern regarding their body or specific breed. Among those dog food brands, Purina and Blue Buffalo are two popular options that are often chosen by dog owners to feed their pet. Coming from well-known names does put our mind at ease because they have been around for so long and chances are, they have better quality control over their products.
These brands also have both regular dog foods and puppy food so if your older dogs have been using these brands as well, we can simply pick the puppy variant from the shelf. While equally popular, some owners may confuse which of them will be the better option because they are pretty far different in terms of price point. Both are good options but are differentiated by the type of ingredients used in the formulation that lead Blue Buffalo to come a little bit steep.
Purina has various brands in their catalog and Puppy Chow is one of them while also one of their budget options which is why the price and ingredient is not as premium as the other for example the Purina One. Blue Buffalo is one of our favorite brands for a fairly affordable price and good quality ingredients thus, the puppy food options will most likely deliver or made of the same good ingredients and balance formulation.
Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo Food Variants
Just like most dog foods out there, both Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo are also available in various different recipes or food options to choose from, not only one variant. Starting with Puppy Chow, this brand is available in both dry and canned wet foods as well as treats to reward your puppy. The example we choose today is their chicken and rice recipe but the other option is a mix between tender and crunchy bite and food for large breed puppies.
Similarly, Blue Buffalo is a house of various different dog foods with different main goals or focus in their formulation. The puppy food today is from the Life Protection line in which the whole line itself is made of lots of different recipes such as the chicken and brown rice in our example today. But, in addition we have lamb based recipes, food for large breed puppies and small breed puppies. Read also: Purina Puppy Chow Vs IAMS Puppy Food.
Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo Ingredient
Just like when you choose a packed food or beverage to consume, we have to pay attention to what our dogs are eating. Starting with Purina Puppy Chow in chicken and rice recipe, this food is made from whole grain corn as the main or first ingredient. The second main ingredient is corn gluten meal followed by chicken by-product meal, beef fat, and soybean meal. On the other hand, chicken and brown rice from Blue Buffalo is made of deboned chicken as the first ingredient.
The chicken meat then followed by chicken meal which is a dry form or chicken meat itself, brown rice, oatmeal, and barley. Just from the ingredient list, we can instantly see that Blue Buffalo is the one that is made with more ideal ingredients for a good dog food as it is using animal meat on the first ingredient or the main source of protein.
Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo Quality
Corn is safe for dogs and it contains energy as well as fiber to enrich your puppy’s diet but it should not be at the top, especially in good quality dog foods. Corn gluten meal is the protein from corn and is often added to affect the food’s texture as well as the source of protein. If possible, it is good to choose foods that are using animal meat as the first or main ingredient as it is what our canine friends are eating in nature and chicken is a good source of protein as well as easily available.
Chicken meal itself is made from chicken meat that has been dried so it will have similar nutrient as the fresh meat but, chicken by-product meal means the parts of chicken carcass that is not used for other commodities and usually from the less desired parts such as neck, feet, underdeveloped eggs and intestines; similar to chicken meat, it is high in protein but cheaper. The rest of ingredients such as barley, soy, or oatmeal are usually the source of carbs and fiber in dog foods.
Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo Nutrient
Lastly we also want to talk about the nutrient in Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo because the ingredients alone won’t be able to tell us what to know and what our puppies are eating. Starting with Purina, this food contains 27.5% of crude protein mostly from corn and chicken by-product meal, 12% fat, and 5% crude fiber while on the other hand Blue Buffalo also contains 27% of protein but sourced from animal meat or chicken, 16% of crude fat, and 5% crude fiber.
Purina Puppy Chow vs Blue Buffalo
In comparison these foods are very similar to each other when it comes to the guaranteed analysis but the type of ingredients used are different because Blue Buffalo Life Protection, especially the chicken and brown rice recipe is using more animal based product and a better quality ingredient as well such as choosing chicken meal instead of chicken by-product meal. It also uses meat as the main and first ingredient as opposed to grain.
| Purina Puppy Chow | Blue Buffalo |
|---|---|
| - Grain main ingredients | - Animal meat main ingredients |
| - Lower quality ingredient | - Better in quality |
| - Cheaper | - More expensive |
Conclusion
In our opinion the price is often what makes the food and the more we pay, usually the better the quality. In comparison between Purina Puppy Chow and Blue Buffalo, we prefer Blue Buffalo because its food is made with more natural ingredients and using animal meat for the main ingredient.