Blue Buffalo Wilderness (Canned)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★★

Blue Buffalo Wilderness canned dog food gets the Advisor’s top rating of five stars.

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness product line lists three canned dog foods… each designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.

  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck and Chicken Grill
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey and Chicken Grill
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon and Chicken Grill

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey and Chicken Grill Dog Food was selected to represent the others for this review.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey and Chicken Grill

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 46% | Fat = 41% | Carbs = 6%

Ingredients: Turkey, chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, potato flour, guar gum, dicalcium phosphate, flaxseed meal (natural source of omega 3 fatty acids), salt, carageenan, cassia, potassium chloride, trace minerals: zinc amino acid complex (source of chelated zinc), iron amino acid complex (source of chelated iron), copper amino acid complex (source of chelated copper, manganese amino acid complex (source of chelated manganese), sodium selenite, calcium iodate, vitamins: vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin supplement (vitamin B3), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), biotin supplement (vitamin B7), folic acid supplement (vitamin B9), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, choline chloride

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first two ingredients in this food include turkey and chicken. Both meats are defined by AAFCO1 as “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses” of the animals.

Turkey and chicken are naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The third item is chicken broth. Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many wet products.

The fourth item lists chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.

The fifth ingredient lists potato flour… frequently confused with potato starch. Potato flour is made from the whole potato (even the skins). Potato starch is made solely from the starch.

Potato flour actually tastes and nourishes like potatoes. Potato starch is a flavorless powder used mainly as a thickener.

The sixth item is guar gum… a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.

The seventh ingredient is dicalcium phosphate… used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

The eighth ingredient is flaxseed meal… one of the best vegetable sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax meal is naturally rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With one notable exception…

We also note this food contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredient quality alone, Blue Buffalo Wilderness looks to be an above-average canned dog food.

However, ingredient quality alone does not a great dog food make. It’s still important to estimate the amount of meat present in this product… before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 46%, a fat level of 41% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 6%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 46% and a mean fat level of 36%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 10% for the overall product line.

Above-average protein. High fat. And low carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing a notable amount of meat.

For those looking to mimic a dog’s natural ancestral diet, the Blue Buffalo Wilderness canned product line makes a reasonable choice.

Bottom line?

Blue Buffalo Wilderness is a meat-based canned dog food using a significant amount of poultry or salmon as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Those seeking a quality dry product from the same company may wish to visit our review of Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry dog food.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

11/29/2009 Original review
05/23/2010 Review updated
12/23/2010 Review updated

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • Lynne

    Bryan, I am very very sorry to hear about your dog’s diagnosis. If it is not too painful for you to talk about, I would be grateful if you could let me know what symptoms your dog was exhibiting and how the diagnosis was made. My 13 year old is experiencing some bladder problems right now and cancer is, of course, always a possibility since stones have been ruled out. 

    God bless you and your dog.

  • Sew

    I have a question for shawna. I read in one of your earlier posts that you have a “kidney dog”. Just wondering what brand/type of diet you are feeding him/her. Thanks.

  • Marie

    John,

    Why not? Heck, a five star food should have a five star label! :) It is pretty cool looking too…

  • John

    I know I should not say this, but the label is really cool ! A blue eyed wolf !I hope this works for Christo.

  • John

    At least I hope so .

  • John

    I just started christo, on BB wilderness. No more one beyond . He seems to really like it. Im bewildered no more .

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Bryan… I’m so sorry to hear about your dog’s diagnosis. Since like so many older dogs your little guy has compromised dental health, so feeding him a wet diet (closer to “real” food) is almost always a good idea. Crunchy, dry kibble can be painful for a dog when only few teeth remain functional.

    When your vet recommended a high protein, high fat and low carb diet for your pet, he was most likely talking about a quality, meat based dog food. That said, most of our 4 and 5-star rated dog foods are almost always high in meat content. So, a 4 or 5-star canned dog food should deliver what it seems you’re looking for. Hope this helps.

  • sandy

    My dogs really enjoy Weruva Human Style and Wellness Stews and Blue Stews and Merrick has several varieties. Instinct cans would also work.

  • Bryan

    -Mike-
    I enjoy this website and visit every few weeks to make sure I’m up to date. We have a 13 year old pooch who has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. It’s quite advanced. They gave us a year or so…I’m trying to move in the right direction with nutrition because I understand how important this can be especially in this situation. I know you’re not a vet and I know you can’t suggest products and that is understandable. I would just like to know if I’m doing what anyone else here would do. The little guy doesn’t have many teeth left so our vet said canned is going to be easiest because he can lick it up. He can’t really grab things anymore. She (our vet) also pointed us toward high protein/high fat/low carbs foods. We can afford just about anything out there so it’s not an issue really. She just said no raw with his compromised immune system. I’ve been keeping him on Wellness Core’s Chicken formula and giving him all of the Blue Wilderness formulas for a rotation so he doesn’t get burned out on a particular meat. He really likes the duck. He won’t eat fish no matter what I do so I’ve been giving him flaxseed and cottage cheese. He’s doing great and is being treated with oral medications for the cancer and any pain that may occur. None has so far thank goodness. We are just trying to enjoy what time we have left at the moment. I just want to know if these foods have the protein/fat/carb numbers I’m looking for? If not would someone here please point me toward the right food. I’m super sad and way too out of it to think much more on the subject of food anymore right now.

  • melissa

    Christine-

    As Shawna said, magnesium is very necessary to a dog’s well-webing. However, the SD, if I recall is magnesium restricted, so not sure that the food is doing what it “supposed” to in your dogs case-I would not be comfortable feeding it long term.

    Has your vet done a culture and sensitvity on the urine? It would seem likely to me that the antibiotic prescribed is not knocking out the infection, and perhaps its time to consider another.

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