Dry dog food: Royal Canin wins
Royal Canin's Size Health Nutrition Small Adult scores 82 to 70. The biggest difference is nutrition standards, where Royal Canin leads by 9.2 points.
| Blue Buffalo | Royal Canin | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Life Protection Formula Adult Chicken & Brown Rice | Size Health Nutrition Small Adult |
| Grade | C (70/100) | B (82/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 23/30 | 29.8/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 15.8/25 | 25/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.7★ (29,400) | 4.7★ (4,696) |
| Value | $1.37 per 1,000 kcal | $2.53 per 1,000 kcal |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 4 | 1 |
| Made by | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) | Mars Petcare |
Wet dog food: Royal Canin wins
Royal Canin's Canine Health Nutrition Adult In Gel scores 82 to 60. The biggest difference is safety and recall record, where Royal Canin leads by 9.7 points.
| Blue Buffalo | Royal Canin | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner | Canine Health Nutrition Adult In Gel |
| Grade | D (60/100) | B (82/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 20.1/30 | 29.8/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 15.8/25 | 25/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.5★ (2,712) | 4.7★ (1,104) |
| Value | $0.24 per oz | $0.29 per oz |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 4 | 1 |
| Made by | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) | Mars Petcare |
Dry cat food: Royal Canin wins
Royal Canin's Feline Health Nutrition Indoor Adult scores 82 to 66. The biggest difference is nutrition standards, where Royal Canin leads by 9.2 points.
| Blue Buffalo | Royal Canin | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Tastefuls Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice | Feline Health Nutrition Indoor Adult |
| Grade | C (66/100) | B (82/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 25.5/30 | 29.4/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 15.8/25 | 25/25 |
| Owner rating | 4.6★ (4,255) | 4.7★ (3,502) |
| Value | $3.01 per 1,000 kcal | $2.83 per 1,000 kcal |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 4 | 1 |
| Made by | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) | Mars Petcare |
Wet cat food: Royal Canin wins
Royal Canin's Feline Health Nutrition Adult Instinctive Thin Slices in Gravy scores 76 to 58. The biggest difference is owner ratings, where Royal Canin leads by 10.1 points.
| Blue Buffalo | Royal Canin | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Tastefuls Pâté Variety Pack | Feline Health Nutrition Adult Instinctive Thin Slices in Gravy |
| Grade | D (58/100) | B (76/100) |
| Safety and recalls | 25.5/30 | 29.7/30 |
| Nutrition standards (WSAVA) | 15.8/25 | 25/25 |
| Owner rating | 4★ (1,364) | 4.5★ (240) |
| Value | $0.26 per oz | $0.58 per oz |
| Brand-line recalls since 2016 | 4 | 1 |
| Made by | Blue Buffalo (General Mills) | Mars Petcare |
Questions
Is Blue Buffalo better than Royal Canin?
Royal Canin comes out ahead, winning 4 of 4 categories in our grades. Dry dog foods: Blue Buffalo 70, Royal Canin 82. Wet dog foods: Blue Buffalo 60, Royal Canin 82. Dry cat foods: Blue Buffalo 66, Royal Canin 82. Wet cat foods: Blue Buffalo 58, Royal Canin 76. Scores are out of 100.
Which is cheaper, Blue Buffalo or Royal Canin?
For dry dog foods, Blue Buffalo costs less ($1.37 per 1,000 kcal vs $2.53 per 1,000 kcal). For wet dog foods, Blue Buffalo costs less ($0.24 per oz vs $0.29 per oz). For dry cat foods, Royal Canin costs less ($3.01 per 1,000 kcal vs $2.83 per 1,000 kcal). For wet cat foods, Blue Buffalo costs less ($0.26 per oz vs $0.58 per oz).
Have Blue Buffalo or Royal Canin had recalls?
Since 2016 we found 4 recalls for Blue Buffalo brand lines and 1 for Royal Canin. Each brand page lists them with sources.
Prices, ratings and recalls checked October 2026. We compare each brand's top-selling product in each category. How we grade.