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A class action lawsuit has been filed against Blue Buffalo Company by a consumer who claims that their “Blue Wilderness” dog food products are deceptively labeled as being “inspired by the diet of wolves.”
Plaintiff Shannon Walton states that the company’s Blue Wilderness dog food contains “high levels of dietary carbohydrates” which are unhealthy for dogs and not a major part of the diet of grey wolves.
The plaintiff notes that she owns a seven-year-old labrador-beagle mix named Tucker and she purchased and fed Tucker the BLUE Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe (Red Meat flavor) and BLUE Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe (Bison flavor).
Walton argues that Tucker’s weight has increased and requires medical observation for canine obesity. In addition, the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit states that Tucker has been diagnosed with diabetes.
The Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit claims that wild wolves eat very little dietary carbohydrates and do not have high rates of diseases like obesity and cancer.
Carbohydrates are the major cause of obesity in dogs and have clear links to the morbidity of the animal. Also, the consumption of carbohydrates causes a dog’s glucose levels to increase, which could eventually cause cancer, the plaintiff states.
The Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit argues that cancer is basically non-existent in wolves, but there is an “epidemic” of cancer in the United States, which may be afflicting at least 25 percent of dogs.
“Millions of dogs in the United States — the vast majority of whom eat carbohydrate-rich kibbles like the ones sold by Defendant — suffer from diabetes. But among wolves — a species that never consumes carbohydrates — there has never been a single documented case,” the plaintiff alleges.
“And while this disease was virtually nonexistent among wolf populations, American dogs are currently experiencing an epidemic of obesity, with studies suggesting that at least 50% of dogs in the United States are overweight,” Walton states.
Walton claims that the defendant advertises their dog foods are “Healthy” and “Holistic,” but their products are made by extrusion processing, which requires ingredients that are high in carbohydrates which are unhealthy for dogs.
In addition, the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit states that the high carbohydrate content is concealed from customers. To be sure, the plaintiff claims that the amount of carbohydrates is not even displayed on the products labels.
“Instead, Defendant markets and promotes its dog food products by focusing on the non-carbohydrate nutrients found in the products, such as proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals,” the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit states.
The plaintiff alleges that in order to ascertain the carbohydrate content of Blue Buffalo products, the consumer has to contact customer service or by “backing out the percentages of the disclosed nutritional information from the sum of ingredients.”
The defendant also markets this high-carbohydrate dog food to veterinarians by stating that the foods will have a positive effect on the canine body.
“In one way or another, all of the marketing claims described above fail to reflect the scientifically-verified reality about the health effects that dietary carbohydrates have on the bodies of domestic dogs,” the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit states.
In 2016, Blue Buffalo settled a class action lawsuit for $32 million whereby customers complained that the company misled the public when they claimed their pet food ingredients were free of poultry byproducts, corn, wheat, soy and artificial preservatives.
Do you give your dogs any of the Blue Buffalo products? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiff is represented by Carlos V. Ramirez and Michael R. Reese of Reese LLP and Anthony J. DiRaimondo of Rice Reuther Sullivan & Carroll LLP.
The Blue Wilderness Dog Food Class Action Lawsuit is Walton v. Blue Buffalo Company Ltd., Case No. 7:20-cv-00001, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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372 thoughts onBlue Buffalo Class Action Says Dog Food Is High In Carbs
How do I go about filing a law suit with this company because, I’ve been giving this to my dog for 3 yrs, since a puppy. I’ve also noticed that he’s been breathing much harder than usual. I’ve had to take him to the doctors.
Been feeding my Cavapoo blue Buffalo small breed and she is now 8 years old and last month was diagnosed with a heart murmur I’m very upset to hear blue Buffalo could be the cause. She is a healthy weight and no health issues whatsoever when I got her March 2015.
How do I get in on the lawsuit
I went to a pet expo where I received samples of the Wilderness dry dog food. I had at least 3 different flavors, my dogs, which I had 3 wouldn’t touch the food at all. So I figured I’d try the original version, but again, turn their noses up. I left it in their bowl for 24 hours at least and nor a single piece of food was touched. Make your own food for them . Raw carrots,frozen peas, corn and certain fruit. But brush their teeth, or should I say let them naw a bit on a toothbrush you hold and twist.
Never feed Dogs Corn!
I have heard this was good food to feed my dogs I have. Now I’m worried about feeding them blue buffalo small breed dog food
I fed this to my dog, before I really stared delving into dog food & became somewhat of a connoisseur, so to speak. I have a pittie, & they are notorious for having a lot of reactions to things.any vets & vet nutritionists believe that it’s not *actually* allergies & claim that having a grain allergy is extremely rare. And that the only way to find out, is by elimination diet. Which I did. After eliminating obvious things, like chicken, then other poultry, then white potatoes, he slowly got less dermatitis each time. But he was still struggling & having hot spots. I even changed laundry detergents, changed cleaning products, etc. I monitored if he flared up when I vacuumed, even though my floor was concrete.🥴 I paid close attention to see if he reacted to pollen, grass, etc. None of that was the cause. It was not stress related, either. So after everything, months of work, I finally eliminated grains. A couple weeks later, his symptoms were basically gone, & his mood had significantly improved. All that I had to wait on was for his hot spots to heal, & his hair to grow back. Which it did. And his coat was eventually shiner than ever. Blue buffalo made him absolutely freaking miserable. Many vet visits, several prescriptions. I wish I’d known there was a class action lawsuit against the company. I’m glad I know what I know now, & what to look for.
I fed my dog different varieties of blue buffalo dog food her whole life. She was healthy but as she got a bit older she developed a little bit of a weight problem and then her heart gave out. She died before her time.
I have fed my dogs Blue Buffalo Grain Free dog food for years. Both dogs have been diagnosed with diabetes. One dog is skinny, the other obese. Both fed the exact same amount.
I fed mine blue Buffalo for years until one died in 2020 and the other died in 2021.
I currently feed it to my 2 year old dogs. The only food they like. Now I’m worried.
We have fed Blue Buffalo to our 2 dogs all their lives. 1 is 11 years old and the other is 9. Both have CANCER ! One had his spleen removed and chemo and is not expected to last long . The other is on chemo. They need to be stopped. Please Help.
I have a 4 year old siberian husky/German shepard mix and a 13 year old dachshund. I have fed them Blue for smaller breeds with the bits. They get 2 1/2 cups a day to split for 4 years and both are obese. They have no energy and always sleeping. I am worried about them.
We had two little Shiz Tzu, we fed them Blue Buffalo all their lives. The boy became diabetic, he also went blind overnight. We gave him insulin shots for over 8 months. He died then our little became sick and she died a month later. I went into a depression for years. We thought we were feeding them the best dog food because that’s what you said. You have lied to everyone who believed your commercial. I feel betrayed by you. I hope you never gave your food this food! You broke my heart.