Blue Wilderness Dog Food Review: Best Ancestral Diet?

Blue Wilderness dog food brand is inspired by the ancient roots and history of dogs. Canines were once ferocious meat eaters who thrived on a high protein and grain free diet but over time dog food manufacturers have replaced these ingredients with corn, wheat, and other fillers because they are cheaper and easier to source.

Blue Wilderness prides themselves on creating food that is 100% grain free and uses only the finest all-natural ingredients with real meat taking center stage in everything they serve.

Every food from Blue Wilderness contains real meat as the first ingredient and no by-products, artificial preservatives, corn, or soy.

• Parent Company: Blue Pet Products, Inc. – a subsidiary of General Mills, Inc.
• Founded in: 2002
• Made in: Wilton, Connecticut
• Made by: A variety of manufacturers, CJ Foods, Ainsworth, ProPet, Triple T, and more.
• Available at: Chewy, Amazon, Petsmart, Target
• Types of Food: Dry, wet, treats
• Real Meat in First 5 Ingredients? : Yes
• Recalled in Past? : Yes

Behind the Brand

The story of Blue Wilderness starts with the Bishop family and their dog Blue. While Blue was struggling with cancer, the family started to research dog food and the ingredients that most manufacturers include in their formula.

They discovered that so many of the ingredients included in dog food are harmful to our pet’s and they vowed to put a stop to it.

This discovery set the Bishop family on a mission to create a pet food brand that is not afraid to take on the pressing issues. They produced food that appeals to each type of dog with a wide variety of unique needs; they created Blue Buffalo.

Working alongside holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists, the Bishop family designed a formula with real meat and vegetables as the main ingredients. Blue Buffalo sets the standard for pet health across the country, and today they pilot the best-selling pet food brand in the United States.

 

Blue Wilderness Dog Food Review

In this section, we’re breaking down three of the most popular offerings from Blue Wilderness to help you make the best buying decision for your canine.

1. Wilderness Chicken Recipe

This dog food is their most popular offering, and it’s most likely because it is one of the most standard proteins in a dog’s diet.

While Blue Wilderness prides themselves on creating food that is high in protein, we were somewhat relieved to see that the food balances out in terms of nutrients.

This high protein dog food contains 34% protein, 15% fat, and 6% fiber. We find this balance to be essential for your dog because they need this protein to maintain healthy energy and muscle development.

This is packed with chicken, duck, salmon, apples, spinach, blueberries and pumpkin, everything their body needs to sustain a healthy development.

It also contains “life-source-bits” that consist of vitamins and minerals that support healthy muscle development, strong bones and teeth and a healthy coat.

High-quality protein promotes strong muscles and high-energy while calcium, phosphorus, and essential vitamins ensure your dog’s teeth and bones remain healthy for the extent of their life.

That said, if your dog is not highly active and lives in small quarters, they might not be able to handle this amount of protein, so you want to make sure you get a professional opinion.

The food balances out well though with calcium, phosphorous, and other essential vitamins to help bones, teeth, and joint function.

There are no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors anywhere in this food, but we can’t get past the LifeSource bits issue with this food. Blue should do something to disguise them better because they seem to be almost inedible by many of the critical reviews.

96% of reviewers online say they love this dog food and would recommend Blue Wilderness Chicken Recipe.

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2. Wilderness Salmon Recipe

This is a grain-free meal formulated for the nutritional needs of adult dogs of all breeds and sizes. Inspired by the diet of wild wolves, this recipe is packed with real animal proteins that dogs instinctively crave.

The most plentiful ingredient in this recipe is real deboned salmon. Salmon is naturally rich in omega 3 fatty acids. It is also rich in flavor and is easy to digest. If your dog is a fan of fish, this recipe could be the one for him.

While it is called a salmon recipe, it actually has chicken meal and menhaden fish meal. These animal proteins make up most of the 34% protein content of this recipe. Chicken meal is a highly concentrated protein source that also provides glucosamine which supports joint health. Menhaden fish meal is also a source of omega 3 fatty acids.

This grain-free recipe features healthier sources of carbohydrates such as peas, tapioca starch, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. It also has plant-based ingredients that are high in fiber such as flaxseed and dried tomato pomace. Fiber helps move food along the digestive tract.

It has superfoods that are rich in antioxidants, such as cranberries, blueberries, barley grass, and turmeric. Antioxidants help support cellular and immune health.

This salmon recipe has Blue Buffalo’s exclusive LifeSource Bits. LifeSource Bits has a blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support the immune system, life stage requirements, and healthy oxidative balance. These bits are cold-formed to ensure the retention of nutrients.

Like all Blue Buffalo formulas, this salmon recipe contains no artificial enhancers such as flavors, colors, or preservatives. It has no by-product meat meals or unnamed meats. It contains no corn, soy, or wheat.

Numerous dogs love the intense fish flavors of this kibble. This high protein meal packs a lot of flavor from salmon, chicken meal, chicken fat, and menhaden fish meal.

Some pet owners find the smell a bit too strong. Others take this as an indicator of the high animal protein content of the kibbles. Overall, this is highly recommended if your dog likes fish. It is packed with multiple nutrients and health benefits.

However, if you are looking for chicken-free dog food, this is not the one for you. Some buyers were confused as the label says “no chicken/ poultry by-product meals”. This means that it does not have chicken by-product meals or poultry by-product meals. It does contain chicken meal and chicken fat. Both are high quality animal ingredients.

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3. Wilderness Premier Blend Chicken & Tender meaty Cuts

Another tasty kibble for adult dogs of all breeds and sizes. This multi-protein recipe is inspired by the best that wilderness has to offer. Made with only high-quality poultry and fish, this recipe will help your dog maintain a leaner muscle mass.

Deboned chicken is the most plentiful ingredient, followed by chicken meal, which also serves as a natural source of glucosamine. The succeeding animal protein sources are dried chicken, salmon meal, and dried egg product.

All of these protein sources are high-quality animal proteins that also give this meal a lot of flavor. Palatability is very important in dog food. It can have all the nutrients you can put in kibbles, but if your dog doesn’t like it, he will not get any of the health benefits.

It has chicken fat and salmon meal that make this meal even tastier. Both are rich in omega fatty acids that help support heart, skin, and coat health.

Made with highly digestible carb sources, this recipe has brown rice, oatmeal, and barley. It has flaxseed that provides fiber to help aid digestion.

Naturally nutritious fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, cranberries, sweet potatoes, carrots, kelp, and dried chicory root among others are included in this recipe. This chicken recipe is also fortified with vitamins and minerals to ensure a complete and balanced meal with every serving.

It also contains the cold-formed LifeSource Bits. These bits provide a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists to support immune system health, life stage requirements, and healthy oxidative balance.

This recipe is free from artificial enhancers such as colors, flavors, or preservatives. It has no unnamed meats or by-product meals. No corn, wheat, or soy are included in this recipe.

According to feedback from pet parents, dogs seem to love the meat-rich formula. They enjoy the rich and savory flavors this meal has to offer.

Dog owners also purchase this formula for the high quality of the ingredients that go into each bag. They are confident that with it they are feeding their dogs only healthy and natural food.

Overall, this meal is a great option for dogs who crave intense, poultry-forward flavors in their meals. It is packed with nutrients and has no questionable ingredients that could trigger common allergies in dogs.

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4. Wilderness Snake River Grill

Inspired by the hunting ground of wolves, this Snake River recipe has the rich flavors of fish and game in every crunchy kibble.

The most plentiful ingredient is chicken. It is rich in protein and omega fatty acids. It is also quite easy to digest. Aside from deboned venison and rabbit, it has trout and chicken liver. These are both high quality, concentrated sources of protein.

All of these fish, game, and chicken ingredients give this exotic meal a meaty and savory flavor that dogs instinctively crave.

This grain-free recipe has only nutritious vegetables and fruits as sources of carbohydrates and fiber. It has peas, tapioca starch, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots among others. It has flaxseed and dried tomato pomace that are high in fiber for better digestion.

Superfoods such as turmeric, dried kelp, alfalfa and barley grass give this canned food nutrients that help promote overall good health and a strong immune system.

This formula for adult dogs has omega fatty acids that promote heart, skin, and coat health. It has glucosamine from chicken meal that supports joint health.

It has calcium and phosphorus that help promote strong bones and teeth in pups. This wet recipe is fortified with vitamins and minerals to ensure complete and balanced nutrition with every meal.

This fish and game recipe has the exclusive LifeSource Bits. LifeSource Bits has a blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support the immune system, life stage requirements, and healthy oxidative balance. These bits are cold-formed to ensure the retention of nutrients.

Like all Wilderness recipes, this does not have any of the common allergy triggers such as wheat, corn or soy. It contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

This is another hit among dogs. Aside from enjoying their meals, sensitive dogs are doing quite well on this recipe. Many owners of dogs suffering from allergies have noticed significant improvement in their dogs’ skin condition since replacing their old food with this recipe. The dogs seem to be thriving on this high protein grain-free recipe.

However, some buyers decided to switch brands due to the strong odor of this food. The high percentage of fish and game in the formula has given it a very strong odor.

If you have a sensitive dog who suffers from allergies (except chicken allergy), we highly recommend that you try the this formula. It is packed with flavor, nutrients and multiple health benefits.

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5. Wilderness Beef & Chicken Grill

This zero grain wet food is formulated for the needs of adult dogs of all breeds and sizes. This canned food is for dogs who love the smooth, easy to chew texture of pates.

Made of real beef and chicken, this pate is packed with loads of meaty flavors. Chicken liver gives this recipe an even richer taste and texture.

It has chicken broth which makes this pate a flavorful way to add more hydration to your dog’s diet. As it is enriched with vitamins and minerals, it can be served on its own as a meal or with kibble as a meal enhancer.

This grain-free loaf has potatoes as its source of carbohydrates. Potatoes also add more texture to this meaty recipe. They are easily digestible carbohydrates that have vitamins B & C, potassium, iron and magnesium.

This beef and chicken recipe also has flaxseed. Flaxseed is a rich source of essential omega 3 fatty acids that promotes healthy skin and coat. It is also a great source of fiber that aids digestion by helping food move along the digestive tract.

While the