Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4.5 stars.

The Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe product line includes the 7 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Adult Red Meat with Wholesome Grains was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

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Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Although it’s a quality item, raw beef contains up to 73% 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 account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is beef meal. Beef meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh beef.

The third ingredient is dried chicken. Dried chicken is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The fourth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.

The fifth 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.

The sixth ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The seventh ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The eighth ingredient is tomato pomace, which is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining 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.

The ninth ingredient is salmon meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

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 Blue Buffalo product.

With 6 notable exceptions…

First, we find dehydrated alfalfa pellets. Although alfalfa is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.

We also find an item called alfalfa nutrient concentrate, a vitamin and mineral-rich extract made from alfalfa.

Even though it contains over 50% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

In addition, 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.

Next, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

Additionally, this recipe lists dried yeast, which can be a controversial item. Dried yeast contains about 45% protein and is rich in other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

What’s more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, we feel yeast should be considered a nutritious addition.

And lastly, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 42%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 33% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 44% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 46%.

Which means this Blue Buffalo product line contains…

Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, alfalfa products and dried yeast, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

Our Rating of Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe is a dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meal as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.

Highly recommended.

Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Blue Buffalo through December.

• Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall Event Number 2 of March 2017 (3/18/2017)
• Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of March 2017 (3/3/2017)
• Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of February 2017 (2/14/2017)
• Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall of May 2016 (5/31/2016)
• Blue Buffalo Dog Chews Recall of November 2015 (11/25/2015)
• Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recall (10/8/2010)

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More Blue Buffalo Brand Reviews

The following Blue Buffalo dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

• Blue Buffalo Basics Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Blue Buffalo Basics Grain Free Dog Food Review (Canned)
• Blue Buffalo Basics Grain Free Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Blue Buffalo Blue’s Stew Dog Food Review (Canned)
• Blue Buffalo Devine Delights Dog Food Review (Cups)
• Blue Buffalo Dog Food Review
• Blue Buffalo Family Favorites Dog Food Review (Canned)
• Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Dog Food Review (Canned)
• Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipes Dog Food Review (Wet)
• Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Dog Food Review (Canned)
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Nature’s Evolutionary Diet Dog Food Review (Dry)
• Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Dog Food Review (Canned)