In this article, we review the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food. From the name of the product, it is easy to ascertain that this is a product of the Blue Buffalo brand.
Very quickly, we’ll say a thing or two about the brand. Blue Buffalo is a pet brand that specifically manufactures food for both dogs and cats. It has a pretty impressive range of products that come in certain categories.
Blue Buffalo pet foods are generally pretty affordable as we would put them in the mid-range as regards price.
That said, the purpose of this article is to help point out to you what ingredients were used in making this food. We went a step further to explain what purpose the ingredients serve in the meal to help you understand exactly what you’re getting.
One more thing. You probably already know this but there is a trick to finding out which ingredient was used the most and all that. Just pay attention to the order in which they appear.
The ingredients are usually arranged in descending order of how much of what was used. What that means is the ingredient that appears first was used the most and the one that appears last was used the least.
Now, that we’ve got all that settled, let’s get on with the rest of the article.
Table of Contents
Who Is The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food For?
The product in review is specially formulated for all adult dog breeds; that is, it isn’t a good idea for puppies and senior dogs. However, if your dog is either a puppy or a senior, there is no need running off because towards the end of this article, we offer some alternatives that your dog could try out.
That said, the basic idea of the entire wilderness line of Blue Buffalo dog foods is high protein. What that means is that this Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe is both grain-free and high protein. Is this something your dog can have? Then stick with us to find out what’s really in this.
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Ingredients Of Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Deboned Beef
Deboned beef is basically beef that has had its bones removed. Some people say that the reason deboned beef (or meat in general) is used in dry dog food is because by the time the bones go through the heating process that dry food does, they lose their nutrient value. So, it’s best to just do without them.
That said, deboned beef is the same as raw beef in that they have the same water content which is quite high. So, while deboned chicken is the first ingredient on the list, it isn’t a guarantee that your dog will be getting his highest helping of protein from it.
This is why you’ll have to be sure that whatever food you choose for your dog has more than one protein source, preferably the animal-based kind.
Chicken Meal
Basically, chicken meal is chicken that has been dried through a cooking process referred to as rendering. The basic idea of rendering chicken is to drastically reduce its water content.
So, while regular chicken has about 60% water content, chicken meal has about 10%. So, in the same quantity, chicken meal will actually offer a higher protein content than regular chicken. Which is why we like that it is included in this meal and appears as the second ingredient.
One thing though. Checking the ingredients in a dog food, specificity is very important. You want to be careful of foods with ingredients like ‘poultry’, ‘fish’ or ‘meat meal’. Check to be sure that the kind of meat used is clearly specified like what we’ve seen so far.
That said, Blue Buffalo lists chicken meal as a source of glucosamine. Glucosamine is something that your dog naturally produces that helps them to maintain healthy muscles, joints and bones.
However, the older a dog gets, the less glucosamine they can produce. So, adult dogs and senior dogs will definitely appreciate the glucosamine that chicken meal offers.
Peas
Peas are usually used in grain-free dog foods as an alternative to the grains. It is safe to say that peas are a high quality ingredient because they pack quite a lot of nutrients in them.
For one, peas are a good source of carbohydrates which, as we know, is an energy source. Peas also contain considerable amounts of dietary fiber, protein and vitamins including Vitamin K.
Pea Protein
Adding pea protein to dog food is an affordable way of increasing the protein count in dog food. This is why a good number of mid-range dog foods contain pea protein. But then again, peas are really high in protein so, it isn’t difficult to see why the protein extract is used in dog foods.
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Tapioca Starch
Tapioca starch is another ingredient that is used to replace grains in dog food. It contains basically starch in a decent quantity to help provide the energy your dog needs to do their running around.
However, it is important you know that tapioca starch is known to increase insulin levels in both humans and animals. So, you want to be careful with how much tapioca starch you allow your dog eat. As for this meal, we would have been more comfortable if tapioca starch appeared lower on the list.
Pea Starch
If you are wondering whether there is too much pea in this meal, you are not alone. We’ve already seen peas and pea protein as part of the ingredients in this food so, seeing pea starch again doesn’t exactly spark joy.
The reason we are not excited about this is because of a technique called ingredient splitting. Ingredient splitting is basically about using different components of a single ingredient in one meal.
This way, the individual components (like pea protein, pea starch, pea flour) can appear lower on the list. Consumers are now blinded to the fact that if combined together, the components will make up one single ingredient which should appear really high up the list.
Anyway, in addition to the starch it brings, pea starch is used as a thickener to ensure that the kibble lasts longer.
Menhaden Fish Meal
We’ve already talked about what a ‘meal is. And we know that this is ‘safe’ because the kind of fish used was specified. Any unspecified meat usually means that the manufacturers have something to hide.
Anyway, menhaden fish is a kind of oily fish that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for a healthy coat and skin. However, dogs are not able to produce this kind of fatty acids themselves so, that they can get it from the menhaden fish is definitely a good thing.
Also, the fact that this is menhaden fish meal means that it will have a higher concentration of the fatty acids you are looking for than water.
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Chicken Fat (Preserve With Mixed Tocopherols)
Chicken fat is basically the fatty acids that have been removed from a chicken. The idea of chicken fat is, in addition to the fatty acids it brings, to beef up the protein content of the meal. Especially seeing as chicken fat (or basically anima fat) is relatively inexpensive.
That said, the chicken fat used is preserved with mixed tocopherols in order to elongate its shelf life and, by extension, the shelf life of the entire meal.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is a plant-based protein source. And in fact, it is pretty impressive as it packs a lot of nutrients in just one small serve. We say nutrients because protein is not all your dog can get from flaxseed. Other nutrients to be got from it include dietary fiber, omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acid.
Pea Fiber
We really are tired of all the peas we’ve been seeing in this meal. Especially seeing as whole peas is number three on the list. Put together all these pea derivatives and the actual peas in the meal and there is probably too much of it.
Anyway, pea fiber has a high content of insoluble fiber but that’s basically all the nutritional value it has.
Natural Flavor
Finally, we look at natural flavor. Natural flavor is added to dry dog food to make it a bit more palatable. However, the fact that it says natural does not exactly mean that all is well.
Certain governing bodies including the Association of American Feed Control Officials and the United States Food And Drug Administration do not define what natural flavor is and do not expect that dog food manufacturers explain what it is.
As a result, dog food manufacturers could put in any kind of flavor (safe or not) provided it isn’t manmade. All one can do is find a brand that one trusts to offer one safe natural flavor and stick to it.
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Pros Of The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
i. First off, we like that the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food doesn’t have any artificial ingredients or additives.
ii. We also think that there is a decent amount of protein in this meal with a good reliance on the animal-based kind.
Like this Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe?
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Cons Of The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
i. If you’ve followed from the beginning of this article, you’d know that we are not excited about all the pea derivatives in this meal. Putting together all the derivatives and adding that to the already existing pea content, there is probably too many peas in here.
ii Also, we do not like that there is no way for us to ascertain what kind of natural flavor was used in here. One will have to go along based on blind faith.
Alternative Options To The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Is Something You Could Try If Your Dog Is A Puppy
If our featured product is something you want your dog to try, you’d like this one. This is because this product and our featured product kinda have the same ingredients. However, the ingredients are in different quantities and this puppy recipe is specially formulated for puppies.
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On The Other Hand, If Your Dog Is Already A Senior, You Could Try The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Senior Dry Dog Food
This one also contains the same ingredients as our featured product. However, just like the puppy recipe was specially formulated for puppies, this one was specially formulated to be easily digested by senior dogs.
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Finally, You Could Try The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Canned Dog Food
This one is kinda the canned dog food variant of our featured product. There are a number of similar ingredients but there are some other ingredients that you’ll only find in wet dog food. If your dog hasn’t been eating, wet food could help spark his appetite.
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Quick Comparison Table
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Featured |
Puppy Food Option |
Senior Food Option |
Canned Food Option |
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Product |
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Click here to get it on Amazon!
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Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Click here to get it on Amazon!
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Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Senior Dry Dog Food
Click here to get it on Amazon!
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Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Canned Dog Food
Click here to get it on Amazon!
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Ingredients |
Deboned beef, chicken meal, peas, pea protein, tapioca starch, pea starch menhaden fish meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, pea fiber, natural flavor. |
Deboned beef, chicken meal, pea protein, peas, tapioca starch, menhaden fish meal, pea starch, dried egg product, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, natural flavor. |
Deboned beef, chicken meal, peas, tapioca starch, pea starch, pea protein, pea fiber, natural flavor, flaxseed, menhaden fish meal, potatoes. |
Beef, turkey, beef broth, lamb, potatoes, pea protein, flaxseed, carrageenan, cassia gum, guar gum, potassium chloride. |
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Kibble / Canned |
Dry |
Dry |
Dry |
Canned |
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Sizes Available |
10 pound bag and 22 pound bag. |
4 pound bag and 22 pound bag. |
4 pound bag and 22 pound bag. |
12.5 ounces, case of 12. |
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Best For |
All kinds of adult dog breeds. |
All kinds of puppy dog breeds. |
All kinds of senior dog breeds. |
All kinds of adult dog breeds. |
What Customers Are Saying About The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe With Red Meat Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
A good number of people have nothing but praise for this meal. Many customers have said that their dogs really loved the meal and all. One customer even said that their puppy usually steals bites from the older dog’s plate. So, it must really taste nice. It also looks like customers are alright with the price.
Our Verdict
In our opinion, this meal is pretty average; that is, there are a number of good things and bad things with the meal and we are not exactly sure which outweighs which.
The fact that Blue Buffalo used different derivatives of animal based protein is certainly a good thing, including the fact that nothing artificial was used.
However, the amount of peas and pea derivatives used in this meal is really sneaky. Why is there so much? Anyway, we always make sure to advise that your dog’s vet be in the know of whatever meal your dog is eating; especially if you are making a change to your dog’s diet.
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