Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food – Detailed Review

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food is one of Blue Buffalo’s many canned food recipes. Blue Buffalo is a pet brand that sees to the creation of foods and food recipes for dogs and cats alike.

We recommend that you go check out this comprehensive article on canned dog food to know what you ought to be looking for. Now, let’s get right into the article.

 

Who Is The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food For?

From the name of this product, it is pretty obvious that it was formulated for senior dogs. If you check out this article on senior dog foods, one of the things you’ll come to understand is that as dogs get older, their diets will have to be adjusted. And that is the basic idea of this senior dog meal.

Nonetheless, if your dog isn’t a senior yet, don’t leave. Towards the end of this article, we make suggestions for dogs in other life stages that could be it for you. Furthermore, this is one of those meals that is high in protein (the clue being the ‘wilderness’ in the name) and has no grain content. So, if this is what you want for your dog, you’re welcome to read through.

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Ingredients Of Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food

Turkey

We like that the first ingredient we see is turkey. It is a well-known fact that turkey is animal protein and that animal protein is a better protein source for dogs than plant protein.

This is not necessarily because animal protein provides more protein content. Because actually, animal protein have more water content than anything else.

So any animal from poultry to beef and even fish, you are looking at between 60 and 70% water content. Which leaves the remaining 40 to 30% to be shared among a number of different nutrients, the highest being protein.

However, the reason animal protein is regarded as the better protein source is because it contains all the amino acids that dogs need as against plant protein. If a dog is eating a plant-based meal, it will have to be augmented with animal protein if they are to get all the protein components that they need.

That said, animal-based meals also have to be augmented by other animal protein sources. Remember we said animal protein sources have a high water content. As a result, your dog will need a lot of it to get all the protein he needs.

 

Chicken Broth

Chicken broth is one of those ingredients that do not exactly have a nutritional value. This one is basically just added to meal for its water and to make the meal more palatable.

One of the key components of wet food is the moisture/water. However, instead of just dumping a gallon or so of water into the mixture, dog food makers have decided to kill two birds with one stone by adding chicken broth which will get the meal soupy and at the same time make it soupy.

 

Chicken

That we are seeing chicken after seeing turkey is a good sign. The fact that the chicken appears high up in the list is another good sign.

Chicken is definitely a good backup for the turkey as regards having a high protein diet. However, whether or not the turkey and chicken content are enough to get this meal to that high protein point is highly debatable.

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Chicken Liver

This is another good one. Chicken liver is rich in protein, fat and a number of different vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A & B and choline and manganese.

So, while the chicken liver is an excellent backup for the turkey and chicken, it also contributes to all those vitamins and minerals that your dog definitely needs.

There have been some arguments as to whether or not dogs should be fed raw chicken liver. Some have argued that raw anything is as close to their original diet and so is the right thing to serve them. While some others argue that raw foods are contaminated and shouldn’t be served to dogs.

However, because this is processed food, you best believe that it has been cooked somehow.

 

Potatoes

Most times, potatoes are found in dog foods that are grain-free. That is, potatoes are used as a substitute for the grains because the former is a good source of carbs which your senior will definitely need to do a little moving around.

Potatoes are also rich in vitamin C and potassium. However, probably the more important reason manufacturers have decided to use potatoes as a replacement for grains is because they are a pretty affordable carbohydrate source.

 

Pea Fiber

Basically, pea fiber is used as a filler to bind the different ingredients in a meal together. That said, pea fiber is a source of the insoluble kind of fiber that might not be right for your dog.

Pea fiber is tasteless and so doesn’t affect the taste of the meal either way. However, it doesn’t provide much as regards nutritional value.

 

Carrageenan

If you thought pea fiber was controversial, you probably haven’t heard of carrageenan. In fact, it is a wonder that brands like Blue Buffalo still deem it fit to add this ingredient to their meals.

Carrageenan is another natural thickener that is added to soups, broths, and wet dog foods so that it won’t be runny. Now, carrageenan doesn’t have any nutritional value and on top of that, it has a number of negative effects.

Carrageenan has been known to cause gastrointestinal issues and cancer for both humans and dogs. Dog food manufacturers have said that the trick is in how much is added. However, there have been no studies or reports to validate that.

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Cassia Gum

Another additive that you’ll find in this senior canned food is cassia gum. Cassia gum is a natural additive that neither has any nutritional value nor particularly has any negative side effects.

Basically, cassia gum is added to wet food to serve as a thickener and an emulsifier. In fact, some have said that it doesn’t exactly have a track record of degenerating. And even if it does degenerate, it becomes sugar which is not bad for dogs.

 

Guar Gum

Guar gum is another thickener and emulsifier. Yup, apparently a good quantity is needed to make the soup thick enough for your dog to eat without a spoon.

Anyway, guar gum is kinda like, unlike the other two additives we already mentioned. It is a natural additive like both the cassia gum and the carrageenan. However, it happens to have some nutritional value.

Cassia gum contains dietary fiber which is better than the insoluble kind both because it can be digested by dogs but also because it helps with proper digestion and bowel movement. It could also help to reduce cholesterol levels and increase tolerance to glucose.

 

Potassium Chloride

While potassium chloride can be gotten from a lot of different foods and ingredients, dog food manufacturers usually add potassium chloride as a supplement. The basic idea behind adding potassium chloride supplements is to help with nerve and muscle functions.

 

Flaxseed

Finally, we look at flaxseed. Flaxseed is a plant protein source that is usually added to dog food to augment the animal-based protein. Any dog food that has flaxseed as a major ingredient (or any other plant-based protein) is probably best avoided.

Flaxseed is popular for its omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acid content. Dogs cannot produce either of these fatty acids. So, it is sure a good thing that flaxseed is in this food. Furthermore, flaxseed has a decent amount of fiber which should help with digestion and bowel movement.

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Pros Of The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food

i.  First off, we like that this meal has a considerable amount of animal-based protein. So, one can be sure that one’s dog will be getting all the amino acids they need.

ii. We also like that the animal-based protein in this meal appears really high up the list. It means that they were used in more quantity than the others.

iii. The fact that there wasn’t any artificial used is something else that we like about this meal.

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Cons Of The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food

i  This food contains carrageenan and we are yet to find any good thing about it. It is added to food to serve as a thickener but there are definitely other additives that can do the work without posing any health threat to the eater.

 

 

Alternative Options To The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food

For Puppies

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Puppy Canned Dog Food

Your puppy definitely shouldn’t be eating senior dog food. So, you could try this one out if you have a puppy. It contains basically the same ingredients as our featured products.

However, there is a little bit of difference between how much of what ingredient was used. Plus, the chunks are small enough for a puppy to be able to fit them in their mouth without choking.

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Alternative Recipe

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

Just like with the puppy food variety, the adult food contains basically the same ingredients as the featured product.

Of course, the quantities of what ingredient was used differ with a decent emphasis on the energy giving foods seeing as adult dogs are really active. However, we should point out that this one does not have as high an animal-protein content as our featured product.

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Kibble Option

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

With this dry food variant, there is a heavy reliance on animal-based protein. And as you probably already know, dry food could also be used as a treat if need be. It is good to know that if you want to use it as a treat you’d be feeding your dog healthy treats.

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Quick Comparison Table

	Featured	Puppy Food Option	Senior Food Option	Dry Food Option
Product	Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food Click here to get it on Amazon!	Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Puppy Canned Dog Food Click here to get it on Amazon!	Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Canned Dog Food Click here to get it on Amazon!	Blue Buffalo Wilderness Senior Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Click here to get it on Amazon!
Ingredients	Turkey, chicken broth, chicken, chicken liver, potatoes, pea fiber, carrageenan, cassia gum, cassia gum, potassium chloride, flaxseed.	Turkey, chicken broth, chicken, chicken liver, potatoes, pea protein, flaxseed, fish oil, dicalcium phosphate, carrageenan, cassia gum.	Turkey, chicken broth, chicken, potato protein, potatoes, flaxseed, carrageenan, guar gum, cassia gum, potassium chloride, salt.	Deboned chicken, chicken meal, peas, pea protein, pea starch, tapioca starch, manhedan fish meal, pea fiber, natural flavor, flaxseed, chicken fat.
Kibble / Canned	Canned	Canned	Canned	Kibble
Sizes Available	12.5 ounces, case of 12.	12.5 ounces, case of 12.	12.5 ounces, case of 12.	4.5 pound bag, 11 pound bag and 24 pound bag.
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 Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food

A good number of parents whose dogs have eaten this dog food seem to be excited about it.

Because this is a senior dog food, it is usually used as a transition meal for dogs who are beginning to age. And because this is canned dog food, it is usually used as a transition meal for those dogs who have digestion issues and cannot properly digest dry food.

One dog parent mentioned that their dog who had an allergy was able to eat this meal without any issues. That said, be sure that your vet approves of this if your dog has any kind of allergy.

A number of dog parents have also commented on the price of the food. Apparently, the meal is pretty affordable.

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Our Verdict

We are also excited about this meal. Its first ingredient is turkey which is an animal-based protein. That first ingredient is augmented by two other animal-based protein sources and a number of other plant-based sources.

So in our opinion, the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Turkey & Chicken Grill Grain-Free Senior Canned Dog Food, lives up to its claim of being a high-protein meal.

However, the carrageenan in this meal has put us off slightly. There are a number of other thickeners and emulsifiers that could have done the same thing as carrageenan. So, we are not happy with the fact that Blue Buffalo used this with all its attendant negative effects.

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