Choosing the right puppy food is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your new furry family member. The nutrition they receive in those early months will set the foundation for their growth, development, and long-term health. In this article we talk about Royal Canin Vs. Blue Buffalo-Breed Specific Puppy Nutrition Comparison.
Royal Canin and Blue Buffalo are two of the most popular puppy food brands. They both offer breed-specific formulas tailored to the unique needs of different puppy sizes and breeds.
Royal Canin Puppy Food Overview
Royal Canin takes a very scientific approach to pet nutrition. They produce diets targeted to a puppy’s specific breed, size, age, and health needs.
Some stand-out features of Royal Canin puppy foods include:
- Breed and size-specific kibble: Uniquely shaped for different puppy jaw types
- Supports digestive health: Probiotics, prebiotics, and specialized fiber for better stool quality
- Immune system support: Antioxidants including vitamins E and C
- Brain development: Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA for cognitive growth
- Picky eater formulas: Very palatable proteins and flavors
Some examples of Royal Canin puppy formulas include their Breed Health Nutrition and Size Health Nutrition lines.
Blue Buffalo Puppy Food Overview
Blue Buffalo uses high-quality natural ingredients enhanced with proprietary LifeSource Bits. These are cold formed nuggets packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Key features of Blue Buffalo puppy foods include:
- Real meat or fish is the first ingredient: Deboned chicken, fish meal, etc.
- Whole grains: Oatmeal, brown rice, barley
- Fruits and veggies: Such as blueberries, cranberries, parsley and sweet potatoes
- LifeSource Bits: For immune support, oxidative balance, and healthy development
- No by-product meals, corn, wheat or soy
- DHA and ARA for brain development
- Variety of tailored puppy lines: Such as Freedom Puppy, Basics Puppy, Wilderness Puppy
Ingredient Comparison
Since ingredients are the building blocks of any diet, this is an important area to compare these brands.
Royal Canin’s first two ingredients are brewer rice and chicken by-product meal. Further down the list you’ll see corn, corn gluten meal, and wheat gluten. Many puppy owners like to avoid these grain heavy ingredients. However the nutrients are very precisely balanced to meet puppy needs.
Blue Buffalo features deboned chicken, chicken meal, and brown rice as the top three ingredients. Their formulas also typically include healthy grains like oatmeal and barley. Many pet owners prefer this meat-first, limited ingredient approach.
Based on the ingredients alone, Blue Buffalo comes out slightly ahead due to its fresh meat focus and avoidance of corn, wheat and soy.
Nutritional Analysis
The guaranteed analysis shows key nutritional percentages for crucial nutrients. This gives a high level view of the diets’ nutritional makeup.
Royal Canin has minimums of 28% protein and 16% fat. Blue Buffalo guarantees a minimum of 28% protein and 15% fat. The protein levels are equal but Blue Buffalo edge ahead slightly in fat content.
In terms of calories, Royal Canin Small Breed Puppy formula supplies 389 kcal per cup. The comparable Blue Buffalo Small Breed line provides 409 calories. So for pets needing higher energy, the Blue Buffalo food packs a bigger caloric punch.
For nutritional content, it’s very close between the two brands but the Blue Buffalo puppy food delivers slightly higher fat and calories.
Puppy Health Support
Since puppyhood is marked by rapid growth and development, the right nutrients are crucial. Let’s see how Royal Canin and Blue Buffalo puppy diets stack up for supporting pup health.
Royal Canin puppy foods include antioxidants for immune system development. They also have omega-3 fatty acids like DHA for healthy brain support. Digestive health is aided by prebiotic fibers and probiotics. For small and toy breeds, the kibble shape is designed to fit tiny jaws.
Blue Buffalo also has antioxidants and omega-3s from fish oil. Digestion is helped by ingredients like pumpkin, yogurt, and chamomile. Some formulas add glucosamine and chondroitin for joint strength. And small breed kibble is sized for little mouths. Immune support comes from the LifeSource Bits in each bowl.
Both brands offer excellent health solutions tailored uniquely to growing puppy needs. Royal Canin’s size and breed specificity gives them a slight advantage. But Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits approach is also compelling.
Conclusion
So in this battle of top puppy food brands, is there a clear winner between Royal Canin and Blue Buffalo?
Here’s a quick recap of the key differences:
- Ingredients: Blue Buffalo
- Nutrition: Blue Buffalo
- Health Support: Royal Canin
- Price: Blue Buffalo
While both brands offer high levels of nutrition and breed-specific customization, Blue Buffalo gets the edge in several key areas.
The ingredient quality and focus of Blue Buffalo on real meat makes their formulas very appealing. And the lower pricing while still providing excellent health solutions makes them even more competitive.
Of course every pup is unique, so be sure to monitor your dog’s reaction to any diet change. But for an affordable, natural diet packed with premium nutrition, Blue Buffalo is a great choice that covers all the puppy food basics. I sincerely hope you find this “Royal Canin Vs. Blue Buffalo-Breed Specific Puppy Nutrition Comparison” article helpful.
