Blue Buffalo Wilderness (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★★

Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry dog food receives the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness product line includes seven dry dog foods… six designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance and one for growth (Puppy).

  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck Recipe
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy Recipe
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon Recipe
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken Recipe
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed Chicken Recipe
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Chicken Recipe
  • Blue Buffalo Wilderness Healthy Weight Chicken Recipe

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Duck Recipe

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 38% | Fat = 17% | Carbs = 38%

Ingredients: Deboned duck, chicken meal, potato starch, turkey meal, peas, chicken fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols and citric acid), potatoes, tomato pomace (natural source of lycopene), natural chicken flavor, flaxseed (natural source of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids), alfalfa meal, whole carrots, whole sweet potatoes, blueberries, cranberries, barley grass, dried parsley, dried kelp, taurine, yucca shidigera extract, l-carnitine, l-lysine, turmeric, oil of rosemary, beta carotene, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), d-calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), biotin (vitamin B7), folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin B12 supplement, calcium ascorbate (source of vitamin C), vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, choline chloride, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, salt, caramel, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 7.2%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this dog food lists duck. Although it is a quality item, raw duck contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.

The second and fourth items are chicken meal and turkey meal. Since both are considered meat concentrates, they contain almost 300% more protein than fresh poultry.

The third ingredient lists potato starch. Potato starch is a quality gluten-free carbohydrate… both digestible and hypoallergenic.

The fifth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

The sixth ingredient includes chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The seventh ingredient includes potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

After the chicken flavor, we find flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble 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 two notable exceptions…

First, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.

And lastly, 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 Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

The ingredients used to make Blue Buffalo Wilderness look a lot like what you’d expect for a quality kibble.

But it’s still important to estimate the amount of meat here before determining a final rating.

The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 38%, a fat level of 17% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 38%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 38% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 38% for the overall product line.

High protein. Average fat. And below-average carbohydrates when compared to a typical dry dog food.

With no plant-based protein-boosters and no vital Red Flag items, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a generous amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Food is a grain-free kibble using an abundance of poultry or salmon as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Those looking for a wet food made by the same company may wish to visit our review of Blue Buffalo Wilderness Canned 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 a specific health benefit 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 brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

11/28/2009 Original review publication date
03/21/2010 Review updated (new recipe)
08/19/2010 Review updated (flax meal)
10/12/2010 Recall Alert Added
10/21/2010 Review updated
04/25/2011 Recall alert removed
05/08/2011 Review updated (added 4 new recipes)

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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  • Ray

    I have been feeding my seven pound, 3 year old mixed breed this kibble with various 4 and 5 star canned foods as toppers, mostly the Blue Wilderness canned.  Every morning she licks the bowl. and every evening she begs for more so I give her a small handful of just kibble which she devours instantly.  She’s very healthy, very active, and has a beautiful coat of hair. 

  • sandy

    Maybe give Brothers Complete Allergy formula a try.  It has fewer ingredients than the regular Brothers Complete.  You can get samples.

    http://www.brotherscomplete.com

  • sandy

    Chicken feet

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  • Karen

    I am looking for a quality food for my 8 mon, 3lb. Yorkie.
    Any opinions on this food for her?

  • Christy

    I’m wondering how this food would do on a 5 lb Maltese who’s having troubles with IBS right now. We were on SD Natures Best Chicken & Brown Rice Small Bites for the past 3 years but it got where it tore his little stomach up, he’d be constipated, he’d have gas, etc. We put him on SD ID canned, that lasted about 2 weeks before he finally had enough & turned his nose up to it for good. He’s an EXTREMELY finicky eater. We’re on Royal Canin Special 30 right now, he liked it at first but it seems to hurt his stomach too by giving him gas. Dinner time means hurting afterwords, so back to the battle of wills in the eating department with him.

    I was told by someone to seek out a good grain free food and see how he did on that. He needs to put some weight back on. His refusing to eat has caused him to lose some of his muscle mass, so I’d like to get his little body filled back out too. I’ve been reading the internet about the many different foods out there and the Wilderness Small Breed Chicken Recipe & the canned Chicken & Turkey Grill looks like something worth trying. I don’t care how much the food costs, I just want him eating normally again & digesting his food easily. My vet is really not much help, he wants to keep him on the SD ID canned, but he won’t eat it.. He doesn’t seem to have a grasp on that fact.. I’m not going to let my dog starve to death. 

    Has anyone had a dog with digestive issues on this food with good results? At this point I’m open to any and all suggestions. If the Wilderness is something I should shy away from, what would you recommend? I’ve done home cooking, you name it, I’ve probably tried it. Thanks in advance for any help!!!

  • Beau K

    Alright the vet clinic doesn’t sell it anymore. I went to a holistic herb place for pets/humans. They only had nupro for small dogs. I ended up buying something called. Halo VitaGlo hip and joint supplement. If anyone knows anything about this. Or if they can offer an opinion it would be appreciated. Im always open to suggestions

  • Beau K

    Yes searching around glycoflex and nupro are two products I’ve considered buying.

    A vet in town carries glycoflex so im actually about to ride out there

    One thing I’ve come across is the constant warnings on all natural supplements saying. Safe use for pregnant or animals intended for breeding not proven

    I plan on breeding my buddy as long as he passes health checks. Should I be worried about using glyco flex you think?

  • John

    Guest…….

    I have my Lab on Blue Wilderness. I dont feed purina any more. It made my dog sick. Nor would I feed Euk.
    I’m trying to get him to eat the rest of the blue and then I’m putting him on Brothers Complete. Blue is a hundred times better than purina, but has a heavy amount of white potato. I’m no expert or any thing, but i’ve been reading up on this stuff, and the palio diet makes the most sense to me. read the Brothers Document, on their web site. wwwBrothersComplete.com

  • Rpbragb

    We switched back to EVO and his water consumption went back down, I am thinking maybe the increased amount of fiber makes him drink more water.  We are now trying Wellness Core food that has about the same amount of fiber as the Blue Buffalo brand, so we will see if there is a change. He needs the fiber to bulk up the bowel movements to excrete his anal glands on his own.  This is why we cannot stay with EVO there is not enough fiber for him.

  • sandy

    How about Pinnacle Peak Protein?

  • guest

    could the drinking more water be from too much protein? i know of dogs who have been on a high protein diet and if they didnt get enough exercise they would have kidney or bladder infections. i have a lab who went from euk 30/20 to purina pro plan and he is scratching all the time now, thinking about trying blue buffalo but need a perfomance blend. any suggestion??

  • sandy
  • sandy
  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Beau-Kloppenburg/100002914739105 Beau Kloppenburg

    Hey Sandy, always being informative and helpful as usual! Hope you and your dogs are doing good.

    Ever since I switched Thor (my 5 month 1 week 53 lb American Bulldog)

    Back onto Blue Wilderness puppy formula hes been great.

    I remember we had the discussion of me introducing more glucosamine and chondroitin into his diet since hes a large breed.

    And you suggested raw chicken wings and I was worried about splintering since theyd be small to him.

    I guess BB added two new lines to Wilderness for small breed and large breed respectively.

    I would much rather feed him a raw source like you suggested to supplement the kibble.

    I dont have the time or money to do a full on raw diet but any other suggestions as to maybe a supplemental feeding 3 times a week?

    I know things containing bone and cartilage are the best way to go . I just cant stop the feeling of paranoia as to anything getting stuck in his digestive tract

  • sandy

    Taste of the Wild has a couple “less meat intensive” foods.

  • melissa

    What variety are you feeding? I dumped a  24 lb bag into our bin three days ago of the Duck and have had no problems as of now, but will keep an eye out for increased thirst. They had not had the BB Duck before and no wilderness in eons, and no runs or anything.

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