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Blue Buffalo’s Homestyle Formula is a wholesome formula range, full of nutritious ingredients and made without wheat [2]. This recipe has been formulated with wholesome wholegrains, natural ingredients, and quality protein to ensure a healthy, nourishing homestyle diet.
By assessing the ingredients of the recipe, we can investigate whether the food is as high quality as it claims. Ideally a recipe should be low in starch-based fillers and packed full of quality protein. These are signs of a quality product.
Is the Homestyle formula really deserving of such a nostalgic and traditional name? Let’s find out!
Quick overview:
Comprises 12 canned dog foods.
Wholesome nutrition ideal for senior dogs.
Natural, high-quality chicken.
Healthy garden veggies and nutritious fruit.
Doesn’t use soy, wheat, corn, artificial flavors or preservatives.
So: Does the Blue Buffalo Homestyle Formula really offer senior dogs complete and balanced nutrition? Let’s find out!
Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Formula
Blue Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables for Senior dogs is only available in a canned form, like the whole range of homestyle formulas.
Chicken and veggies combine for quite the savory taste inside this can! Topped off with a touch of vital vitamins and minerals to deliver your mature dog a dose of balanced nutrition.
Serve it standalone or mix it with their moist dry food to further add moisture and flavor, this formula really is winner-winner chicken dinner!
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Chicken Dinner with Garden Veggies is certainly an quality dog food, earning 4.5 out of 5 paws on its nutritional analysis and ingredient list.
Contains only healthy natural ingredients.
High quality deboned chicken for complete protein needs.
Wholesome complex wholegrains, such as barley and brown rice.
Nutrient-rich garden veggies and fruit.
Made without any wheat products.
No artificial colorants or preservatives.
This recipe is formulated to contain the perfect mix of nutrients, vitamins and minerals for senior dogs. Below we’ll examine the notable ingredients that make up this recipe.
Quick peek of what's inside
Quality
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Liver, Flaxseed
Questionable
Carrageenan, Brown Rice
Potential Allergens
Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth
Dog Food Labelling
In the United States, the guidelines for pet food ingredient labels are established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and individual state regulations.
The AAFCO requires that ingredients must be listed in descending order of weight (including water weight). This means that ingredients that appear at the top of the ingredient list — typically the main proteins, carbs, and fat sources — are present in higher amounts by weight in the food than items at the bottom.
Although it is difficult to determine how much of an ingredient is actually in the food (due to high water content in meats and vegetables), you can assume that the first few ingredients are in the highest amounts. Therefore, the first few ingredients of a dog food can tell you a lot about the quality of the product.
Deboned Chicken & Chicken Broth
Deboned chicken is the main protein source in this recipe. It is high quality and easily digestible. It is an excellent source of energy to promote a healthy, active lifestyle. Chicken broth is of a low nutritional value; however, it adds moisture and a delicious taste to the food.
Chicken Liver
The organ, chicken liver, is a natural flavor enhancer with many benefits. It is protein-rich, and full of iron. This helps in the formation of red blood cells.
Carrots & Peas
Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A. This helps keep the eyes, skin and nerves healthy and in working order.
One of the main sources of fiber are peas. They are also a vegetable which have a very high protein content; something to consider when working out how much protein comes from meat sources.
Fiber helps support the gastrointestinal system, by ensuring the water balance between the guts and the rest of the body is optimal. This aids in preventing both diarrhea (too much water in the guts) and constipation (too little water in the guts).
Other Ingredients
Other Ingredients
Wholesome wholegrains, such as brown rice, barley and oatmeal, are large sources of carbohydrate in this formula. Wholegrains are high-quality complex ingredients, which provides fiber, vitamin B, energy, and plenty of minerals.
In high volumes, however, these can be considered bulking ingredients, where meat should be the bulk of the recipe.
Sweet potatoes, like carrots, are also full of vitamin A. They also contain plenty of potassium which is essential to keep the heart beating in rhythm, and nerves conducting signals to the brain.
Three thickening and gelling agents are used; carrageenan, cassia gum and guar gum. All have approval to use in dog food, however, carrageenan, which is extracted from seaweed, has some questions over its biological safety if ingested long-term.
Flaxseed is full of omega-3 and -6 which help keep the skin and coat healthy.
When omega-3 and -6 are in the right ratio, the produce anti-inflammatory effects; ideal for dogs with joint pain or skin allergies, as they reduce the inflammation [3].
It is also high in protein, at about 19%.
Cranberries and blueberries have been added to the recipe as they are high in vitamins A and C, and antioxidants. All of these will boost the immune system and also aid in preventing cancers.
In addition to all these delicious ingredients, many additional minerals and ingredients have been added to ensure a healthy, balanced diet.
Listed ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Peas, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Carrageenan, Cassia Gum, Salt, Flaxseed, Cranberries, Blueberries, Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Niacin Supplement (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9).
The product information on this page is based on data collected from the manufacturer's website on 2019. If something changed please let us know
Note: That some nutritional percentages reported are only estimated values, and are indicated as such as (est). Each dog food manufacturer is required by law to publish a Guaranteed Analysis, which defines each product’s maximum values of fiber, moisture and ash in addition to the minimum values of protein and fat contained within. Exact nutritional percentages are not available and hence all calculated values (including carbohydrate percentages and calorie amounts) are determined using these minimum and maximum published values and therefore may differ from actual values.
Guaranteed Analysis
ⓘ Nutritional information as published by the dog food manufacturer.
- Protein 7.5% (minimum)
- Fat 4.5% (minimum)
- Fiber 2% (maximum)
- Carbs 0% (estimate)
- Ash 0% (estimate)
- Moisture 78% (maximum)
Dry Matter Analysis
ⓘ The manufacturer's published guaranteed analysis values normalized for moisture content.
- Protein 34.1% (minimum)
- Fat 20.5% (minimum)
- Fiber 9.1% (maximum)
- Carbs 0% (estimate)
- Ash 0% (estimate)
- Calories 5086/100g (estimate)
Calorie breakdown
- Protein
- Fat
- Carbs
Using the calculations provided by the AAFCO, Blue Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables for Senior dogs has approximately 111.9 calories per 100g (31.7 calories/ounce) or 415 kcals/cup. The percentages of proteins, carbohydrates and fats are not disclosed by Blue Buffalo.
Vitamins, Minerals & Other
To ensure the diet is balanced, healthy and optimal to promote a healthy immune system, vitamins and minerals are carefully added in perfect concentrations. The following displays whether the nutrients are present (Y) or not (N) in the recipe.
Vitamins & Others
- Biotin
- Choline
- Folic-Acid
- Niacin
- Pantothenic-Acid
- Pyridoxine
- Riboflavin
- Taurine
- Thiamine
- Vitamin-A
- Vitamin-B12
- Vitamin-D
- Vitamin-E
- Vitamin-K
Micro Minerals
- Biotin
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
Macro Minerals
- Chromium
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Fluorine
- Iodine
- Iron
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Selenium
- Silicon
- Sulfur
- Zinc
Customer Sentiment
What do the customers say about Blue Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables for Senior dogs Canned formula?
In general, comments are very positive about this food. The majority of 5-star reviewers claim that their extremely picky eating dogs wolf down this food like it’s the best thing they have ever tasted.
Also, several owners mentioned how they had been struggling to get weight off their old, inactive dogs, but with this recipe they were able to get them down to a healthy, lean weight.
There are very limited negative comments about the food. Most are not directly about the food, but about how the cans dent easily in the shipping process. A few purchasers also commented that the food is thicker and stickier than expected, however that did not put off their dogs.
As they say, the older the wiser, and the older dogs have had their fair share of food pass through their bellies. Meaning they know what’s good! This could have something to do with the popularity of this recipe, or it could be the added glucosamine and chondroitin to help relieve joint pain.
Maybe it’s because the can is filled with lean chicken delivering the right amount of protein and keeping the fat at bay while providing essential amino acids along the way. We still like to believe the older dogs are wiser and know what’s good. 
After taking a closer look at the Homestyle Recipes from Blue Buffalo and the Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables dry dog food for adult dogs recipe specifically, we highly recommend this product line for owners looking to introduce their mature dogs to a nutritious and delicious wholesome wet food.
Meal frequency: Feed 1/2 to 1 can for every 10 lbs. of body weight per day, and be sure to refrigerate after opening.
Joint support: Delivers 200 mg/kg of glucosamine and a minimum of 200 mg/lg of chondroitin sulfate to help relieve joint pain.
In a few words: This wholesome formula provides nutrition necessary for generating energy your aging pet needs to get back out there and have some fun!
Whether you serve it on it’s own or use it as a dry food topper, this is a sound substitute to less accommodating raw diets. Ones that can often require additional supplementation to even be nutritionally complete.