Orijen vs. Blue Buffalo
In this comparison article for Orijen vs Blue Buffalo, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Orijen and Blue Buffalo, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.
Throughout this Blue Buffalo vs Orijen comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Orijen Review Page or Blue Buffalo Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Blue Buffalo vs. Orijen
According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.
All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.
Orijen Dog Food vs. Blue Buffalo Dog Food
Dry Dog Food | Orijen | Blue Buffalo |
Crude Protein | 42.9% | 29.5% |
Crude Fat | 22.6% | 15.3% |
Crude Fiber | 5.5% | 6.8% |
Wet/Canned Dog Food | Orijen | Blue Buffalo |
Crude Protein | 57.4% | 40.0% |
Crude Fat | 24.7% | 26.2% |
Crude Fiber | 7.8% | 7.4% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.
When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for dry dog food, it's clear that Orijen provides significantly more protein. On average, Orijen guarantees about 13.41% more protein than Blue Buffalo. Similarly, Orijen wet dog foods provide significantly more protein than Blue Buffalo wet foods.
Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food
Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.
Our analysis shows that Orijen guarantees 7.28% more fat than Blue Buffalo dry dog food recipes. For wet dog foods, Blue Buffalo and Orijen provide roughly the same amount of fat.
Orijen and Blue Buffalo both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Orijen and Blue Buffalo also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Orijen Cat Food vs. Blue Buffalo Cat Food
Dry Cat Food | Orijen | Blue Buffalo |
Crude Protein | 44.8% | 37.5% |
Crude Fat | 21.0% | 16.8% |
Crude Fiber | 4.0% | 6.2% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.
There is a relatively large difference between the protein content of Orijen and Blue Buffalo. On average, Blue Buffalo dry cat food recipes contain 7.24% less protein than Orijen recipes.
Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food
There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):
- Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
- Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
- Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.
Blue Buffalo dry recipes contain 4.13% less fat than Orijen dry recipes. This difference in fat content is a notable difference between Orijen and Blue Buffalo.
According to our data, Blue Buffalo guarantees 2.25% more fiber than Orijen. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference.
Orijen Pet Food Ingredients vs. Blue Buffalo Pet Food Ingredients
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Blue Buffalo.
We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.
Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Blue Buffalo.
Product Safety: Recall History of Orijen & Blue Buffalo?
Orijen has been recalled once.
- Nov. 22, 2008: irradiation treatment consequences
Blue Buffalo has been recalled 9 times.
- Nov. 25, 2015: Salmonella
- Nov. 6, 2015: Presence of Propylene Glycol
- May 31, 2016: Mold
- March 18, 2017: elevated beef throid hormone
- Feb. 14, 2017: presence of aluminum
- March 3, 2017: Foil Seal Packaging Problem
- Oct. 8, 2010: toxic levels of vitamin D
- April 19, 2007: Melamine
- April 26, 2007: Melamine
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
Dry Dog Food | Orijen | Blue Buffalo |
Per Pound | $12.58 | $3.42 |
Per Calorie | $0.0060 | $0.0021 |
Dry Cat Food | Orijen | Blue Buffalo |
Per Pound | $6.57 | $5.07 |
Per Calorie | $0.0036 | $0.0031 |
The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.
If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Orijen or Blue Buffalo, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.
Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Orijen or Blue Buffalo will depend on your shopping habits.
Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Orijen and Blue Buffalo. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
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Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!
Where To Buy Orijen Pet Foods
You can purchase Orijen pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Blue Buffalo Pet Foods
You can purchase Blue Buffalo pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
Product | Orijen | Blue Buffalo |
Dry Dog Food | 14 Recipes | 93 Recipes |
Wet Dog Food | 3 Recipes | 94 Recipes |
Dog Treats | 13 Treats | 50 Treats |
Dry Cat Food | 7 Recipes | 42 Recipes |
Wet Cat Food | None | 59 Recipes |
Cat Treats | 6 Treats | 16 Treats |