The Blue Buffalo Company, LTD

Review: Blue Buffalo started selling a new type of cat litter about a year or so ago. Having once trusted the company, no longer, I purchased several large bags needing much litter for several kitties.The advertised claim on the commercials and the bag itself states there is "virtually no dust". This claim is very false. There is a whole lot of dust and the dust travels everywhere even into my cats lungs, furniture, entire rooms and even clogged a window air conditioner to the point that I had to trash it. After reluctantly using up the open bags, I returned the unopened bags to Petsmart where I purchased them. I called Blue Buffalo 2 times to complain but nothing has changed. I quit using the litter after having to trash a $250 air conditioner.Desired Settlement: Removal of the lie that the litter has 'virtually no dust' and some sort of compensation for the inconvenience and loss. I do NOT use ANY Blue Buffalo products any longer because of this issue and that the company was sold to an inferior one lacking moral standards.

Business

Response:

We

will gladly reimburse the cost of any unused litter, and one partial bag.

Please contact [redacted] at Customer Service to arrange the return and reimbursement. ###-###-####.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Sincerely,

Review: After recently switching to blue buffalo my cat got violently sick and almost died.After weaning the cat off the food he slowly came back but is not out of the woods yet. Our vet bill was $1000. Just spoke with a friend who lives in Phoenix. the exact same thing happened to her otherwise very health schnauzer. Blue was the cause!! Their is a bad batch being sold. A lot of Internet post of recent pet illnesses due to Blue. Please please make this information public knowledge lots of animals are getting sick and dieing. I have reason to wish any safe product from being sold and do not money!!!

Product_Or_Service: Blue buffalo company pet food

Order_Number: N/a

Account_Number: N/a

Desired Settlement: Please stop the distribution animals can't speak for themselves and this took us an expensive vet bill and almost took our loveable Moses an 18 lb. healthy orange tabby away from us.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/10) */

The customer contacted Blue Buffalo on May 8, 2013, regarding her ill cat. Our customer service team e-mailed her back on May 9, 2013. Our team informed the customer that they had not received any other similar claims and forwarded her a claim form to fill out and return to us. We suggest that she attach to the claim form all information, notes and bills from her Vet. Our team will review this information as soon as we receive it and write a formal reponse back to the pet parent.

Review: About a month ago, my 2 1/2 year old dog who has been eating Blue Wilderness Chicken flavored dog food become extremely ill. She presented with excessive thirst, vomiting, lethargy and later diahrrea. I immediately took her to an emergency vet and they felt as though it was digestive upset. The following day, she was seen by our regular veterinarian and he did an x-ray to determine if she had eaten something she shouldn't have. Nothing abnormal showed up. She was running a fever and it was recommended to have her on a boiled chicken and rice diet for the next couple days. She continued to vomit and required another visit to an emergency vet and they recommended doing an ultrasound. Ultrasound came back normal for no foreign objects in her body. It did show unusual liver damage and smaller than average Adrendal glands. She was dehydrated and very lethargic so they wanted to admit her in the hospital to run blood work and to administer IV fluids. She was fed [redacted] at the hospital but had little appetite and was refusing water by the next day. She required a two night stay in the hospital. When I picked her up and brought her home, she was still very lethargic and not acting herself. She was on several different medications and they discharged her with gastrointestinal upset. We continued with [redacted] food at home and within 8 hours of being discharged from the hospital, severe diahrrea started. I spoke with our vet and he prescribed another medication to control the diahrrea. She began to improve several days later and we began re-introducing the Blue Buffalo food to her and she started to vomit again. We removed the Blue Buffalo food and went back to [redacted] only and she was fine. A week later, we introduced Blue buffalo again and sure enough, she began to vomit again. My vet discovered a recall on this food and feels strongly that her digestive upset issue are directly correlated to the Blue Buffalo dog and urged me to report this.Desired Settlement: After this entire ordeal, I am grateful to know what has caused my dog to be sick for the past month. However, I feel that I should be reimbursed for the faulty 24 lb. bag of Blue Buffalo food, for the the emergency and regular veterinarian bills, fees, tests, diagnostic studies and services she needed (all of which I have receipts for) and for the prescription food she required. I am hopeful that a satisfactory resolution will be reached or I will pursue other avenues of recourse.

Business

Response:

Blue Buffalo takes all consumer complaints very seriously. We have a specific process in place that includes a review of all medical notes by our Staff Veterinarian and Legal Team. This process begins when a pet parent contacts our customer service department directly and provides us with specific information including medical notes and product codes. I encourage this pet parent to reach out to our customer service team directly at ###-###-####.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

I need to submit a claim form and I am hopeful they will determine that the food was making my dog very sick. This process is not over as I hope to be reimbursed medical, diagnostic and food expenses. I will update you with the outcome of this case.

Sincerely,

Review: I purchased Blue Buffalo Basics Dog food and my dog choked on the diamond shaped chunks of dog food. I had to rush the dog to the emergency vet hospital. We were able to get the chuck of food out of the back of the dogs throat at the hospital. I asked Blue Buffalo to reimburse me for the $200 Hospital cost and I have supplied them will all of the information including pictures of the bag of dog food with all the labels and codes from the bag. Copies of the Vet bills that I was given and the [redacted] store information where I purchased the food. Everything they had asked me to supply. Instead of payment they just continue to ask for additional information. I have sent them everything I have including all the pictures from the product. I am only asking to be paid for my out of pocket cost due to their product.Desired Settlement: Refund of the cost suffered due to the product $200.00

Business

Response:

This pet parent has been in contact with our customer service department and has returned to us his claim form and his veterinary bill. However, we still require his veterinary medical notes so that we can do a complete investigation.

Review: I Bought 86.26 worth of cat food made by this company after I Was Guarantee by one of their representatives that it is what my cats needed . I Told her I Needed a food for weight control she told me the blues product would help on weight , hairballs and many other benifits for my cats or my money back . My cats started having Diarrhea , not eating and I Saw no benifits after trying this product for the month they advised me to give it a try . I Then contacted the company that told me to return to the store for a refund , I Done that and was refused my refund by the store manager he informed me that this company had lied to me by telling me I Could get a refund without having the bags that the food came in . I Then contacted this company again and informed them what the store manager had said and I Am still waiting on a answer and my refund . I Was told by this company The bags and reciept was not needed because It was on my store card with Pet Smart . I Was able to find 1 Reciept but the manager of the store would not even look at this because I Had no product bags .

Desired Settlement: I Would like a full refund and I Don't like the run around im getting on a product that made my cats worse and had no benifits to my cats . They claim 100% Guarantee but I Cant seem to get a answer or refund even after doing What they told me to do .

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/06/03) */

The customer contacted Blue Buffalo at the end of May looking to be reimbursed for her purchase of 3 bags of Blue Buffalo cat food. All returns and/or exchanges are done at the retail level. Our team advised her to go back to the [redacted] that she purchased the food from for a full refund. It is [redacted]'s policy that without the bags and without a receipt they will only accept a return/exchange if you have at least 50% of the food left. It is our understanding after contacting [redacted], that the pet parent did not have 50% of the food left for the return. Presumably the consumer fed to her cats all of the contents of 2 bags, and all but a very small amount of the third bag. It also appears that the Consumer is not claiming a defect in the product. Under these circumstances, a refund is not warranted. Nevertheless, we will refund the cost of the last bag purchased, if the consumer will accept that as full and final settlement.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/06/05) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

This is not true my email to them stated 4 bags . the store refused a refund without bags stated the lady that I Talked to at blue had lied to me. My daughter was with me and heard the manager state no bag no refund . I Was told by this company to try the food a month to get my pets use to it . They have lied about their products , they have lied in their statement here . And my emails prove that . which will be posted since they don't stand by their product as they stated to me in the store the day I Bought this Garbage that made my pets sick .

Review: We bought Blue dog food which was tainted with mold/charcoal like substance . We incurred $900 in vet bills which we tried to recoup but were denied

[redacted], our Akita began throwing up 11/9/12 with constant belching and growing lethargy. She was unable to keep food down and appeared to be losing weight. We took her to the vet on 11/12 where a series of x-rays and medication was provided. The vet confirmed weight loss. With no improvement, we returned to the vet on 11/15 where she was checked for a possible blockage. None was found, but she continued to vomit a black charcoal like substance all the while losing a couple more pounds while continuing the prescribed medications. Some improvement was noted with the medication, prescribed wet food and feeding 4 x's a day. As we slowly began adding her regular dry dog food, her belching and burping began again. On 12/5 a large amount of "black charcoal like chunks" were discovered at the bottom of the food bag which were foreign in nature. We returned the bag to PetSmart who kept the bag and said it looked to be moldy. Immediately switching to a new bag of food, all symptoms disappeared. We filed a claim with Blue Buffalo along with our vet bills. The tainted sample of food was given to a Petsmart employee at store #174 to be turned over to Blue Buffalo for testing. On March 13th, the Blue Buffalo staff vet denied our claim saying there was insufficient medical evidence that [redacted]'s gastritis was caused by their food. There was no mention of the testing done on the sample of food. We have since resubmitted our claim asking for reconsideration. Desired Settlement: Vet bills totaling $934.41

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2013/05/15) */

Blue Buffalo received a claim form from this pet parent regarding their ill dog, [redacted] Our staff Veterinarian reviewed all of the medical notes provided and no definitive diagnosis as to the etiology of [redacted]'s gastritis was identified in the medical notes. After reviewing [redacted]'s medical history, we have found no medical evidence demonstrating, or even suggesting, that [redacted]'s gastritis was caused by the Blue Freedom diet that she consumed. We therefore denied this claim.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2013/05/17) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

We do not accept Blue Buffalo's response. We believe Blue Buffalo is responsible for [redacted] ailment and vet bills, based on the veterinarian who treated [redacted]. See her letter below.

May 10, 2013

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Company

Dear Dr. [redacted],

This letter is in response to your request of [redacted] and [redacted] for additional medical evidence concerning their dog "[redacted]'s" gastrointestinal issues in the fall of 2012. As I stated in my letter of December 21, 2012, I think the tainted Blue Buffalo dog food is a highly likely source of the dog's gastrointestinal upset. I believe this for several reasons. The first one is the nature of the food which was found at the bottom of the bag: it is covered in a black substance which appears to be mold or bacteria. The second is that we ruled out many other etiologies as the cause of [redacted]'s issues as documented in her medical record. Most importantly, she continued to have intermittent vomiting until the suspect food was stopped. The dog was maintained on anti-vomiting medications to treat this but still had on-going issues at home until the dog food was stopped. [redacted] has had no other gastrointestinal problems since this time. In my mind, this makes the food highly suspect as the cause of the problem. Also in retrospect, the "charcoal like substance" in their back yard was probably some undigested food because it appears much like the tainted food: black-grey chunks of material.

In many cases of canine gastroenteritis we never can definitely diagnose the inciting etiology, but in this situation, I think the questionable food has to be on the top of the differential list. These owners are very caring and credible and follow through with recommended courses of action for all of their pets' care. They only seek to be fairly treated and make sure other dogs don't have to go through what [redacted] endured. In light of the many current dog food recalls and issues with bacterial and other toxins in foods, I think this claim should be re-opened. Also after discussing the case with a colleague and the owners, we think it is appropriate for the owners to report the food in question to the FDA Animal Veterinary Safety website.

In conclusion, I have many clients who are very happy with their choice of Blue Buffalo food, so I tend to believe that this may be an isolated incident. I think it is important for you to be aware and fairly address these issues with the [redacted] family. Caring pet owners are the basis of your huge following. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me at address below.

Thanks,

Dr. [redacted] D [redacted] DVM

E mail: [redacted]@hotmail.com

Thank You,

[redacted] and [redacted]

Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2013/05/23) */

This claim was reviewed once and denied based on the available vet records. The claimant has now submitted a new letter from their vet and we have re-opened the case and are reviewing it again. A formal response [redacted] be mailed to the pet parent as soon as as possible.

Consumer Response /* (4200, 14, 2013/06/02) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

I won't be able to address this until I hear from Blue Buffalo which took three months to respond to our initial claim. They have requested the same pet records from our vet for the second time leaving me to question their quality oversight.

Thank You,

Business Response /* (4000, 16, 2013/06/07) */

We believe that this matter has been resolved to the consumer's satisfaction.

I used Blue Buffalo Lamb/Rice puppy food for my first Chihuahua puppy. However, her sibling, born later, I found a "small breed" puppy food chicken and oatmeal. I had to sit with the pup and actually eat it with him. Once he got ahold of the adults food, he wouldn't eat what he ate from birth, again. From birth he hated it. (it took a little getting used to for the mother and the puppy to eat the Lamb/Rice, but they learned to like it. The Oatmeal/Chicken, both mother and pup hated it, even being the pup's first food ever. And it smells badly and gave them diarrhea, even a 2nd bag, which I have half of, sitting in my garage, and another full bag I don't even want to donate to a pet store as I don't want to harm a puppy. Chihuahuas and possibly other small dogs, at the least, can't digest this and it may have some issue that makes it spoil even before opening. I just realized this spot is for reviewing a "business" so my complaint, is it's very hard to find an easy way to contact this company and let the know there is a problem with one of their formulas, especially, a formula for "small breed puppies" that is a concern. It was also advertised that they love the taste, which is not true. I'm stuck with one full bag that I wouldn't even take back, as I don't want another puppy to eat this.

Review: In December 2014 I took blue buffalo's comparison test regarding dog foods and then was asked if I wanted free coupons for $5 off dog food and other coupons. On Jan.30th I finally received the coupons and saw that the expiration date on each was Jan.31st. I called customer service dept. and they apologized and told me that they would send me another batch of coupons that were not expired. They even sent me an e-mail on Feb.1st. apologizing again and stating that I should expect them in 5-7 business days. It is now March 13th and after several phone calls and messages, and e-mails, I still have not received anything from them. I have had separate issues regarding their dry dog food in the past and was never satisfied with the explanation that I got from those complaints either. They continue to send me advertisements in my e-mail and regular mail but do not seem to want to honor their commitment they promised me.Desired Settlement: I expect my UNEXPIRED COUPONS to arrive immediately and I want them to cease sending me advertisements. I also want them to understand that I intend to educate the public about their business practices and that they are not a friendly,family run business that provides a quality product any better than others as they advertise. And they do not care about their customers or their customers pets, as I have found hundred of complaints regarding pets getting violently ill from their food and many, many complaints about their business practices.

Business

Response:

Blue Buffalo takes all consumer complaints very seriously. Mr. [redacted] has been in contact with our customer service department on several occasions. We apologized for an error that occurred when he received coupons that were very close to expiration. We have since mailed him new coupons which he has received. (We have confirmed the tracking on the overnight envelope that we mailed.) I believe this should resolve all of Mr. [redacted] concerns but encourage him to contact us again directly if he has any further questions.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:I was told that [redacted](director of customer service) would call me regarding my problems with the company. She never called even after repeated calls from me when she did not contact me. I even spoke with someone from Blue Buffalo's headquarters who told me that they would escalate the complaint and request her to contact me personally. Also, I was contacted by someone from a third party company which supposedly handles the coupon s for Blue Buffalo, and he got very sarcastic, rude ,and even yelled at me before hanging up on me. (after telling me that it was costing his company over $100 dollars to send me a coupon_-which is absurd). I deserve better treatment than this from a company that tells everyone that they care so much, and take customer complaints seriously. I also had other issues concerning problems with their food that I had in the past, which no one has ever addressed with me. I want the entire pet parent community, and everyone who buys Blue Buffalo products to know exactly what kind of company they really are.

Sincerely,

Review: Blue Buffalo Dog food, I sent a letter and an e-mail to this company that I wanted a refund for the dog food I had purchased . [redacted] sued them for the ingredients on the labeling of the ingredients was not correct. That it had by products in the food.

The founder denied all claims of this until this past May that there supplier did not tell them the truth. When I called today the customer service rep told me that there was not a scientific way for them to tell that the food had by products in it.

How did [redacted] company do it if they had it tested so there again incorrect information so NO I don't believe them on the ingredients to date...

SO they have filed a law suite to include this supplier but in the mean time since the founder denied all claims until may of this year. So how do I know the food that I gave my puppy has no by products in it that he has been been eating since January 2015.

I asked for $219.68 back on all the dog food I bought from [redacted].

They also advertise a "True Blue Promise" which means nothing but a gimmick to think they rally stand behind there product.Desired Settlement: I am unemployed and made a lot of consession in order to buy this food for my puppy because it was suppose to be the best.

I want my refund of 219.68

Business

Response:

This is currently a matter of ongoing litigation and cannot be addressed on an individual basis on the Revdex.com.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: On going or not I am not asking for Blue to admit the wrong doing

because it is apparent from past dealing Blue Buffalo will not ever take responsibility. Again, I am still wanting a refund of my money on the dog food. They have a statement on the web site that they have the "True Blue Promise" So if they actually stand behind this Promise refund my money $219.00

Sincerely,

Review: I have 3 dogs that I feed “Blue Buffalo” canned dog food to and have for years. About 2 months ago I went to open one of the cans and noticed the end of the can was bulging out. I just touched the tab and the lid BLEW off spraying HORRIBLE smelling dog food all over the kitchen! I contacted Blue and [redacted], where I purchased the food. Both apologized and offered to replace the product. As I told them, I’m not interested in the money but want this problem FIXED which they assured me they would.

Last night, the same thing happened again! Obviously, nobody did a thing! I am worried about some [redacted] feeding this to their dog or bacteria being in the food that is not smelling. Can you or your organization help me or should I go to another agency? If so, who and where. I’m mad and will not let it go this time. Blue must do something to fix this potentially dangerous problem. Makes me wonder how clean their facility is?

I still have the can from last night and will keep it until this matter is solvedDesired Settlement: I want a full investigation of their facilities by a government agency, Revdex.com, and/or anyone that can investigate and correct the safety of their products! Someone's animal is either going to get very sick or die from their neglect!

Business

Response:

We encourage this pet parent to continue to work with our customer service team if they were unable to get refunded for this product at the store level. As with any canned item, damages can occur if the product is dropped or dented post production. If a can is damaged, spoilage can occur. All Blue Buffalo products have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so our customer service team would be happy to help facilitate a full reimbursement for these cans.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: I have purchased numerous bags of Blue Buffalo Dog Food. My last bag purchased had clumps of food and Mold in the bag. I was livid! I contacted Blue Buffalo. I wrote a letter to Blue Buffalo President and CEO [redacted]. He was not professional enough to respond. I did receive a basically generic letter from Customer Service. I called Customer Service. The lady I spoke with was extremely rude , unprofessional, and condescending! Very rude. She argued with me and basically called me a liar. I have never, ever encountered such rude, horrible, and unprofessional service. I told her I would file a complaint with the Revdex.com. She did not care. They have a F rating. I now see why. [redacted] never replied to the letter I sent him. I threw the food away as I will not feed bad and moldy food to my dogs.Desired Settlement: They can either send a refund check or replace the bag of food I purchased that was molded and clumpy. They should replace the bag or refund the money!

Business

Response:

All Blue Buffalo products come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee and can be returned at the store level for a full refund or exchange with a receipt. We encourage this pet parent to continue to work with our customer service team if they were unable to get refunded for this product at the store level for any reason.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:The Business response is ridiculous! I wrote the President and CEO. I received no response from him! [redacted] was not professional enough to respond. I did talk to their customer Service. They were also very rude and unprofessional. I sent the UPC, Code information and receipt to [redacted] in a letter. They admit getting the letter and UPC, but do not admit receiving the receipt and Codes off bag. The Lady I spoke with basically called me a liar. She was very rude. When I said I will file with the Revdex.com she laughed and said go for it! I understand why they have a F rating with the Revdex.com. They should do the right thing and refund the money. I will never buy Blue again. I have gone on a social media campaign warning people to avoid Blue. These people are dishonest. Their service is pathetic. I tried to work with their customer service. Petsmart told me to contact Blue. I did. The food was not quality. It was in clumps and molded. It was thrown away after getting the UPC and bag information. Blue should do the right thing and stand behind their product and refund the money. The case would be closed and I would be satisfied. Work with their customer service? I did!!! They were rude and blew me off. I wrote the President and CEO of the company! Refund the money and lets close this case!

Sincerely,

Review: I have been feeding my dog (havenese) for about a year and four months. I purchased a new bag on may 17 2013 and opened it Saturday the 18 and that night he began getting violently ill, puking and diarrhea. After two days in the ER and the next three hospitalized during the day for IV treatment, and he still is throwing up had to bring him back to vet today may 28. I also am fostering a cat and bought her BB wet food and she has thrown up and has had diarrhea. I have vet bills and ER bills both whom did blood work and that has come up clear.

Product_Or_Service: Blue Buffalo Basics dry food and Blue Buffalo spa

Desired Settlement: I would like a refund on the food and my vet bills which have now exceeded $3000!!!! I would also like them to review the plant where food is made and fix the problem.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/05/30) */

Blue Buffalo has no reported complaints and/or issues regarding this diet. However, we do encourage this pet parent to contact our customer service department directly, X-XXX-XXX-XXXX, so that they can provide further details and information and we can do a complete investigation.

Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2013/06/03) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT ACCEPT the response from the business.)

I do not find the time frame quick enough. The company wants me to allow them up to eight weeks to get results. I also do not agree with the fact that THEY test the food; I feel that is a conflict of interest! I will make a formal complaint with the FDA.

Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2013/06/07) */

We encourage the consumer to fill out a claim form so that we can further investigate. Without a completed claim form we are unable to review the details of this claim and therefore cannot respond.

Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2013/06/10) */

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

As I wrote prior I feel it is a conflict of interest for Blue Buffalo to test the food by their laboratory. I am having both foods tested by an independent company.

Review: I purchase BB cat food in late May. Both of my previously healthy cats( Both fully immunized) became immediately and violently ill with vomiting, severe foul-smelling diarrhea, intense scratching and twitching. After Many vet visits and approximately 4,000.00 later, it was determined it was not parasitic, but looked more like a toxicity. At first no vet suspected the food, and I didn't either. Six weeks later I switched them to a prescription diet- they had been on steroids, antibiotics, vitamin injections, dewormer, probiotics, and high fiber food but the damage was already done. They eventually stopped eating everything and my cat [redacted] stopped urinating. They were so uncomfortable-constantly scratching, etc- they began to fight! At other times they were so lethargic and their hair was falling out. I finally had to put them to sleep on Sept 14th, 2015. I contacted BB, sent in my complaint, vet records the first week of October and was informed it would take 3 months to review the case, and I am still waiting for some response. I also sent the cat food bag to NYS Dept of AG/feed in Albany and they are investigating. On-line there are over 1300 complaints in this time period- all with the exact same symptoms. Some animals died. I wonder if the manufacturing plant or a particular supplier was tainted- could it be the food, the bag, an insecticide, etc ??? I just want to know if something was tainted, because I am scared to death to get another animal, when both of my cats were raised together as kittens, and lived healthy lives until June 1st of this year. I can not find anything in my house they got into, and [redacted] only went out sporadically with me on a leash. Esther never went out, except once when she was sick. She ran out of the house and was voraciously eating grass. This cat hated to go outside!

Please investigate their plant, suppliers or whatever you can do. I dearly miss my cats and would have reported this to you sooner if I knew to where to contact you sooner. Blue Buffalo has barely responded. I am so shocked this has happened.

Thank you for whatever you can do to assist me.Desired Settlement: Investigation of their products, production, food sources and recall if any tainted product is in the pet food supply.

Review: I purchased a [redacted] case of [redacted] set to expire on August 2017. I purchased the kitten food in January of 2015, and opened the cans on April 4, 2015, so the cans' contents should have still been in good condition. I opened all 24 cans in the case and discovered that every single can in the case had mold growing on it. I contact the company and requested a refund, and a representative told me if I wasn't satisfied with the product, I could return the unused portion to the retailer with my receipt. I bought the case in January, so it's too late for me to return the product through them, and all the cans are opened. Am I actually supposed to returned 24 opened, moldy cans of cat food 3 months after I purchased them? I find their response to my situation unacceptable.Desired Settlement: I would just like to receive a refund.

Business

Response:

Ms. [redacted] contacted our customer service department on 4/6/2015 with the below complaint. Our customer service representative asked her for some follow up information including the formula, the retailer, and the "use by" date on the bottom of the can. Typically all exchanges and refunds are done at the retailer level, but we would be willing to help Ms. [redacted] with a refund of her product if she responds with the information we requested and proof of purchase.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: My indoor male cat had been eating a diet comprised solely of blue buffalo [redacted] formula (dry and canned). He is in a controlled environment and had developed a bacterial urinary tract infection. Blue buffalo would be the source of infection. Numerous complaints of the same issue have been brought to their attention but they still do nothing. The use any excuse not to be held responsible.Desired Settlement: I would like my vet bills refunded $670.00

Business

Response:

We encourage this pet parent to continue to work with our customer service department to complete a claim form so that we can fully investigate this matter. At this time there has been no evidence to suggest that the feeding of BLUE, a complete and balanced diet, is correlated to disease processes such as those described by this pet parent. However, we will do a full review when we have the completed claim form and contact this pet parent directly. Thank you.

Review: On September 23, 2013 I purchased a large bag of Blue BuffaloLife Protection Formula With Life Source Bits Small Breed Healthy Weight Natural Chicken With Brown Rice. I slowly introduced the food as per normal; however, a week after my dogs were strictly on this food my first dog started having diarrhea. It wasn't concerned because she had just been fixed and I was told to expect that, but after 5 days the vomiting and bloody stools started. She was given antibiotics and put on a bland wet food diet. No sooner had I done that my 2nd dog started having diarrhea. The next day, she too, started having bloody stool. Because I had to work the next day I started her on the bland food and made an appointment that day. When I came home my bathroom looked like a murder scene, there was no trace of diarrhea it was straight blood on the floor, the wall, and the cabinet. I rushed her to the vet for which they gave her the same treatment. When I picked her up my vet asked what food I was feeding them because he had 5 cases identical to my two dogs. The common Denominator, we were all feeding our dogs The Blue Buffalo brand food. I slowly started to introduce them to the food my vet recommended, that night my 3rd dog started having bloody stools. I again had to take my dog to the vet. $194.56 of vet bills and medicine later and new food, my dogs are finally back to normal, though it has been a slow process. The consumer reports website is full of 400 comments, 73% of which rated them the lowest score possible with similar complaints, one of which lost their dog, others the dogs had seizures. Many have contacted the company with no response. I returned this product to [redacted] who refunded me, was horrified at the reason I was returning it, but said they were unable to remove the product from their shelves without a recall...even with their in store vet stating he has now had 8 cases of health issues with this food. After doing research I have also seen that this company's dry cat food is having similar issuesDesired Settlement: Not only would I like to be refunded for my vet bills for the prescription food and medicine for all 3 dogs, but I want this company to recall their products before any more animals suffer because of their food.

Business

Response:

All BLUE Dog Formulas are formulated to meet

the appropriate [redacted] nutrient profiles. Blue Buffalo has no reported similar

complaints or issues. However, we do encourage this pet parent to contact our

customer service department directly, ###-###-####, so that she can provide

further details and information and we can do a complete investigation.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

I find it very hard to believe this is the first that this company is hearing of this complaint when consumer reports are full of the exact same complaints as well as other sites, as well knowing friends who have attempted to contacting this organization with either no response or getting the generic response of not all food agrees with each pet. I have had dogs my whole life, I have had dogs not agree with food....NEVER has it caused bloody stools to the point of it no longer being stool but straight blood....puddles and puddles of blood, all of which started a week after feeding them this food. As soon as I took them off this food, they started to recover! I am including a letter from my veterinarian as well as all visit notations for all 3 dogs.

Sincerely,

Review: My dog stopped eating - had diarrhea and no energy. I took her to the vet and she was examined. Blood work was taken and general questions were asked. When I told the vet she was eating Blue Buffalo, he asked that I stop and change her food. He said it is not a coincidence, but every dog coming through the door now a days with stomach issues is eating Blue Buffalo. Once taken off, they get better. This is what I did. I took her off of Blue Buffalo and she has been fine ever since. I contacted Blue Buffalo and told them my situation. They had me fill out a claim form (July 22, 2015). I am just hearing back now that my claim has been denied and they will not be reimbursing me my vet bills. My vet has kept me posted throughout this episode and told me he was never contacted. The girls in the office were spoken to and the dogs records were faxed over. The vet wanted to speak directly to Blue Buffalo to tell them this is not a coincidence. There are too many dogs with stomach issues on Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo never contacted him. Instead, made a decision with medical records stating "changing food." The records did not mention the history with Blue Buffalo. The vet was willing to speak with Blue Buffalo but Blue Buffalo instead dodged the bullet and said DENIED!!Desired Settlement: I was told if Blue Buffalo was able to see that the dog became sick while eating their product, vet bills would be reimbursed. I want to be reimbursed for vet visits (2) and medicine.

Business

Response:

Blue Buffalo responded directly to Ms. [redacted] after reviewing her claim. We could not honor her claim because her pet's medical notes indicated she was suffering from an infection and was prescribed a course of antibiotics as a treatment. There is no indication that her pet's illness was in any way a result of the diet she had been fed. If she would like to submit further information, we would be happy to take another look at her claim.

Consumer

Response:

I had my vet write a letter in regards to seeing a number of dogs with GI issues that have resolved after changing away from Blue Buffalo Food. It can't be more black and white that there is a problem with the food.

Review: my dog became very ill after eating a bone from blue buffalo wilderness wild chew cub bone king size. He got [redacted] I was told the I should be reimbursed and yet three months later I get a letter stating that they will not pay. My dog almost died and there was no change in his diet except for the bone. I also kept the bone because I am sure that it caused his illness I am asking for the medical bills to be paid or I will take more action because this needs to be taken off the shelves. I would like what they promised and I didn't get an apology either. I would like kim j[redacted] director of customer service to really look at this and I would like proof that this has been investigated. I believe they owe an apology and my medical expenses like they said. The vet said it was the bone and I currently have it still so why don't we test the bone?Desired Settlement: would like a number of things a refund payment of medical expenses copies of all test done a test done on the bone my dog ate an apology and to take off the market before dogs die

Review: I got a blue buffalo [redacted] which I still have and I gave it to my dog [redacted]. I bought this item from [redacted] at the [redacted] store I gave him the bone and then with in a day or two I had to take him to the emergency room because he got bacteria from the bone it cost me about four hundred dollars and I was totally scared and thought my dog was going to die. I complained to [redacted] and they made copies of the vet bill and all the info needed and gave it to blue buffalo and then blue buffalo said they would take care of my bill and I said I believe they also need to take this item off the market it can kill dogs I have been waiting since march of 2015 for a resolution and still haven't gotten one they said they needed more time I am tired of waiting the vet believes it was the bone I still the remains and I know know nothing else made him sick he has never been sick ever has the same diet he always had and I never want to see that bone in stores it can kill and I almost lost a member of my family my kids were crying I was crying there was [redacted] and [redacted] everywhere my dog suffered because of their bone and I want action they said they would take care of my bill wheres that and where is the apology and why is that bone still on the marketDesired Settlement: I want my bills paid for my dog like they promised and I would like to see that they secure this problem or take their item off the market because it has health issues which can kill mans best friend why is it taking so long for a resolution?

Review: I purchased a case of Blue Buffalo [redacted] Canned Dog Food and the bottom of more than half the case started to leak. Clearly there was a sealing issue with the cans and now I wonder what kind of tainted food I have feed my beloved dog until it was obvious that there was an issue with the canning process! I have contacted the supplier (to no avail) and I would request a replacement but think it may be poorly processed food as well.Desired Settlement: I spent $32.99 on that case of food and I want a refund.

Business

Response:

Blue Buffalo takes all consumer complaints very seriously. We have a specific process in place that includes a review of all information provided. This process begins when a pet parent contacts our customer service department directly and provides us with details including product codes. We encourage you to contact our customer service team directly at ###-###-####.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because Blue Buffalo can contact me.Let us resolve this here and now.

Sincerely,