# TOTW vs Blue Buffalo



## Karma25 (Jun 24, 2011)

What do u guys think is better TOTW or BB? I currently have my dogs on totw.....


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## Odin`s_BlueDragon (Mar 11, 2012)

Im sure someone will have better evidence for one or the other or a third choice. But I personally feed TotW. Decent price since I make hardly enough to cover my own bills.


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## ::::COACH:::: (Apr 4, 2012)

Blue Buffalo Wilderness is what I would choose of the two. I believe, but I could be wrong that Taste of the Wild is a Diamond food...and I am not a fan of Diamond.


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

They both have had there recalls recently but TOTW which is made by diamond has had WAY to many recalls over the years for me to ever trust them! Period! Then again I don't trust hardly any dog food manufacturers which is why I now feed raw.  I think if I had a choice between the two it would be Blue Buffalo wilderness.


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## Sean_C (Apr 29, 2012)

I feed my guy BB wilderness puppy and he LOVES it....I noticed better muscle tone and nicer coat a couple weeks after switching him from purina puppy chow at 4 months old....now he's 6 months old and is at 53lbs now and doing good


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## PerfectPit (Aug 2, 2010)

I use BB fish and sweet potato. Mine refused wilderness for some reason not eating for 4 days. When I got fish and sweet potato they loved it.


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## motocross308 (Oct 5, 2010)

both had recalls . been feeding earthborn holistics . compairable price and no recalls i can tell.


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## TysonRebelHill (Jun 19, 2012)

I feed mine Blue Buffalo Freedom Chicken. TOTW is made by diamond and they have had a lot of recalls so I dont trust using their products.

I feed my Tyson the best!


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## Vilebeast (Feb 29, 2012)

TysonRebelHill said:


> I feed mine Blue Buffalo Freedom Chicken. TOTW is made by diamond and they have had a lot of recalls so I dont trust using their products.
> 
> I feed my Tyson the best!


I would not call blue buffalo the best, it was envolved in the recall a little while back that killed a lot of dogs. and been recalled recently.


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## Karma25 (Jun 24, 2011)

man you guys are making me nervous and searching around all over about dog food..... lol so what do u think is the best to feed my dogs now knowing that both totw and bb have had their share of recalls?


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## KMdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

Karma25 said:


> man you guys are making me nervous and searching around all over about dog food..... lol so what do u think is the best to feed my dogs now knowing that both totw and bb have had their share of recalls?


TOTW and BB (Whether regular, basics, wilderness, etc as all use the same ingredients just more meat, less meat, more fillers, less fillers, etc) are both garbage.. Cheap quality ingredients, TOTW looks great at face value but take a stroll to Diamonds SC facility and you'll see what i'm talking about.. Diamond produces TOTW, while it may not be the same factory producing wise, same careless crap and same lack of quality..

In kibble, meat lacks water content thus why you see higher proteins in dry feed vs raw.. In order to be "biologically appropriate", the feed must be plentiful in meat content which in return means higher protein diets that not all dogs can handle..

However, if you stick with a feed under 36% protein for a dog that isn't worked but maintained through daily exercise, you will be fine.. Quality makes a world of difference and often its the lack of quality that contributes to food related allergies among other things.. Don't confuse surviving with thriving..

The three feeds i recommend are Orijen, (above 36%) Acana (under 36%) or Instinct (depends on formula)... Orjien and Acana are owned by the same company (Champion) and produce some of the best quality for kibble out there consistently.. Good quality ingredients and 9 times out of 10 you'll notice almost immediate changes (positive) within the first week..

Instinct is also well above your typically feed and overall i'd place the feed some where in between Acana and Orjien..

There are a few others i recommend as well but theres not a place in Sumter or around the area that sells them.. Unless your willing to order online which i can provide more options.

Cost wise..
Orijen - $70 - $90
Acana - $60 - $75
Instinct - $55 - $75

All depends on area as well as formulas.. Certain meats are more expensive in the market thus driving the retail cost higher.

Prices may be more expensive initially but you also have to consider that with the change, you will be feeding less than you currently do on TOTW as there is more usable ingredients in the feed a dog can utilize properly.. In other words, less fillers and less dead weight kibble.


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## NYBlueNose (Apr 22, 2012)

Blue is definitely a good step up in quality. I wouldn't trust ToTW either, ever. It is a great price, but at the cost of quality food.


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## KMdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

NYBlueNose said:


> Blue is definitely a good step up in quality. I wouldn't trust ToTW either, ever. It is a great price, but at the cost of quality food.


Blue is fine if you are feeding during a season, but as an every day method of meals and nutrition its no better than TOTW.. At least, TOTW compared to regular Blue has more meat content thus in reality better for the dog than Blue.. Wilderness is slightly better than TOTW due to the poor quality of Diamond, however not by much and much more expensive per pound mostly due to supply and demand, advertising, etc.. Quality is the same.

I've studied nutrition for years and been involved in different aspects of feed distribution and retail ends, seen it all.. Too many loop holes that many companies utilize entirely to cheapen their product for larger net gains.. It is a business..

That said NO company is a God send, all have their ways of doing things to turn profit.. After all, they ARE a business part of industry.. Kibble is new to dogs, only been around a little over 100 years.. Raw IS the most appropriate and natural for a dog, the healthiest and up most quality by far.. However there are a select few companies producing top notch kibbles that get as close to possible to raw without going raw, for those who choose to feed mostly or all kibble for what ever reason they choose..

The majority is horrible, may not kill your dog but will in fact lower the quality of life in the long run and food allergies are on the rise due to these ingredients used.. Partially that and partially poor genetics.. 9 times out of 10 switching to a high quality feed before these feed related issues get to the point of non reversible, is near instant fix..

It is not so much the ingredient as what else is in the ingredient and the quality of ingredient used..


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## Karma25 (Jun 24, 2011)

i havent seen any of those brands where i live...... acana, orijen, or instinct? could i order them? I live in sumter, sc by the way


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## KMdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

Karma25 said:


> i havent seen any of those brands where i live...... acana, orijen, or instinct? could i order them? I live in sumter, sc by the way


The old pet store that was about 15 or so minutes away looks like it was closed down, in Columbia and Florence there are places to buy all three. Theres not a whole lot in Sumter so unless a newer local pet supply store has opened you probably wont find anything except pet store type feeds.. I.E Nutro, Eukanuba, etc..

You can order them or if you wanted to drive to Florence or Columbia once every 2 - 3 months you could always just buy a few bags at once to avoid making several trips.. If you are interested in doing that let me know and i'll let you know the best places to go for prices.

If you want to order online you surely can do so, sometimes you can get discounts ordering online with free shipping or buy one get one so much off.. I know Champion (Orijen and Acana) has a program where you buy 12 get the 13th free, Instinct (Natures Variety Instinct) does not offer this that i'm aware of.

I live near Florence/Marion just so you know.


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## Karma25 (Jun 24, 2011)

KMdogs said:


> The old pet store that was about 15 or so minutes away looks like it was closed down, in Columbia and Florence there are places to buy all three. Theres not a whole lot in Sumter so unless a newer local pet supply store has opened you probably wont find anything except pet store type feeds.. I.E Nutro, Eukanuba, etc..
> 
> You can order them or if you wanted to drive to Florence or Columbia once every 2 - 3 months you could always just buy a few bags at once to avoid making several trips.. If you are interested in doing that let me know and i'll let you know the best places to go for prices.
> 
> ...


wll places in florence will probably be closer to me than columbia.... where are some stores that have it in florence so i can see how far and hopefully go get some?


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## KMdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

Karma25 said:


> wll places in florence will probably be closer to me than columbia.... where are some stores that have it in florence so i can see how far and hopefully go get some?


Pet Lovers Warehouse in Florence would be your best bet, Mark is the store manager there and he will talk straight.. Good guy, i get my feed from him and pay roughly $71 and change after tax for Instinct Beef And Lamb (around 26lbs), most places charge a little more than that.. (seen as high as $80 but usually around $75)

He doesn't keep the large bags in stock except the one i get and he only did it because thats what i've been feeding for a while, if you look online at the different formulas and decide on one you want to buy give him a call and ask him if he can order you it, 9 times out of 10 he will.

After the initial go, if your going to stick with Instinct he will more than likely just put it on the regular order for you, you'll just need to be sure to ask him if he would.

They get their shipments in every Tuesday on feed i believe.


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## Karma25 (Jun 24, 2011)

so is insticnt the best of the three you mentioned?


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## KMdogs (Apr 22, 2011)

Karma25 said:


> so is insticnt the best of the three you mentioned?


I honestly wouldn't say its the best, it would be hard to really say out of the three.. If i HAD to put them in order i guess i would say Orijen, Instinct then Acana..

Mark can get Orjien and Acana but im not sure what they would charge, it depends on what the distributor would be charging them that they use.. Can't remember the company's name he orders through so not sure about pricing on the Champion line.. He CAN get it though, i do know that their mark ups (store profit) on dog feed is extremely low compared to other stores like PetCo, Pet Smart, etc.. So if you called and asked about either of those or a different formula of Instinct, his pricing is going to be realistically as low as he can go making it worth ordering.. Most of their profits come from accessories, shampoos, collars, leads, etc..

Any of those three i would sincerely recommend, the choice is really yours.. Orjien offers the highest quality but you are also going to be paying the most for each bag, on the flip side you do get a little more pounds per bag compared to Instinct.. Acana is an excellent quality feed but doesn't have quite as much meat content as Orjien or Instinct and that is my ONLY con i have about it.

If you are considering these you have no wrong answer and is a complete step up from what your feeding now.


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