Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Blue Buffalo Wilderness with Grains product range consists of three recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 3.5 stars.
Each of these recipes uses meat or fish as the first ingredient and is fortified with vitamins and minerals.
Pros
- Formulated with veterinarians and animal nutritionists
- No corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or preservatives
- Real meat as the first ingredient
Cons
- Not budget-friendly
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| BLUE Wilderness Beef and Chicken with Grains | 3.5 | M |
| BLUE Wilderness Turkey and Chicken with Grains | 3.5 | M |
| BLUE Wilderness Chicken and Salmon Grill with Grains | 3.5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
BLUE Wilderness Chicken and Salmon Grill with Grains was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
BLUE Wilderness Chicken and Salmon Grill with Grains
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, fish broth, chicken liver, salmon, oats, barley, natural flavor, flaxseed, carrageenan, cassia gum, guar gum, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, vitamin E supplement, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, 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)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 10% | 8% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 46% | 36% | 10% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 32% | 61% | 7% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is fish broth. Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food they are a common addition component in many canned products.
The third ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The fourth ingredient is salmon. Salmon is an oily marine and freshwater fish not only high in protein but also omega-3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.
The fifth ingredient is oats. Oats are rich in B-vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
After natural 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.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The ninth ingredient is carrageenan. Carrageenan is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long-term biological safety.
The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.
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 the product.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, BLUE Wilderness Chicken and Salmon Grill with Grains looks like an average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 44.2%, a fat level of 34.6% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 9.6%.
As a group, the brand features a protein content of 44.2% and a mean fat level of 37.2%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 7.1% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 84%.
This means this Blue Buffalo Wilderness product range contains near-average protein, below-average carbohydrates, and above-average fat compared to typical wet dog food.
Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Blue Buffalo through December 2025.
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall Event Number 2 of March 2017 (March 18, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of March 2017 (March 3, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of February 2017 (February 14, 2017)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of May 2016 (May 31, 2016)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Chews Recall of November 2015 (November 25, 2015)
- Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall (October 8, 2010)
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Blue Buffalo Wilderness with Grains Dog Food
Blue Buffalo Wilderness is a grain-inclusive canned dog food using a significant amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.
About
Blue Buffalo was officially launched in 2003 by Bill Bishop, who became frustrated with the lack of transparency and poor ingredient quality in commercial dog food at the time. His inspiration came after his beloved Airedale Terrier, Blue, was diagnosed with cancer. Determined to create a better recipe for his dog, Bishop developed his own formula, and thus Blue Buffalo was born.
In 2018, the brand was sold to General Mills Corporation for $8 billion.
Compare Blue Buffalo Wilderness with Grains Dog Food
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A Final Word
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