Common Sense Dog · Food database · Blue Buffalo
18Low Quality
Blue Buffalo
BLUE Wilderness™ Salmon with Wholesome Grains Recipe
Kibble
Why this score
Base score+60
High synthetic vitamin/mineral load (1 added) — over-fortified formula-6
Legumes in top 3 ingredients (1) — DCM link-15
Est. ~40% carbohydrate — a carb is the #1 ingredient-16
🔴 Poor omega ratio (est. ~10:1 — kibble fats offset fish oil)-10
Whole food fruits & vegetables (1)+2
Anti-inflammatory ingredients (1) — turmeric, fish oil, kelp, etc.+3
Ingredients to watch (1)
Salmon
Chicken Meal
Dried Chicken
Oatmeal
Barley
Pea Protein
Peas
Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)
Natural Flavor
Dried Tomato Pomace
Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids)
Dried Yeast
Potatoes
Dried Egg Product
Fish Oil (source of ARA-Arachidonic Acid and DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid)
Brown Rice
Salt
Calcium Carbonate
Direct Dehydrated Alfalfa Pellets
Dicalcium Phosphate
DL-Methionine
L-Threonine
Potassium Citrate
Dried Chicory Root
Choline Chloride
Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate
Vitamin E Supplement
preserved with Mixed Tocopherols
Dried Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Zinc Amino Acid Chelate
Zinc Sulfate
Vegetable Juice for color
Ferrous Sulfate
Taurine
Iron Amino Acid Chelate
Blueberries
Cranberries
Barley Grass
Parsley
Turmeric
Dried Kelp
Yucca Schidigera Extract
Copper Sulfate
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5)
L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C)
L-Lysine
Biotin (Vitamin B7)
Vitamin A Supplement
Copper Amino Acid Chelate
Manganese Sulfate
Manganese Amino Acid Chelate
Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Vitamin D3 Supplement
Vitamin B12 Supplement
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6)
Calcium Iodate
Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product
Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract
Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract
Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract
Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)
Sodium Selenite
Oil of Rosemary mild
⚠️ Read this one carefully, because it is flagged for the OPPOSITE reason to every other mineral here. As a form, sulfate is the acceptable middle — chelates absorb best, sulfates adequately, oxides barely at all. Copper sulfate is not a poor form. The concern is TOTAL COPPER LOAD: copper accumulates in the liver, dogs have no good way to dump the excess, and AAFCO deleted the copper maximum in 2007 and still has none. So 'meets AAFCO' tells you nothing about the ceiling. Matters most in copper-predisposed breeds — Bedlington Terrier, West Highland White, Doberman, Labrador, Dalmatian — where the target is under ~1.2mg per 1,000 kcal. Liver enzymes are NOT sensitive early, so normal bloodwork does not rule it out. Demoted from severe to mild on 2026-08-23: the form itself is fine, and scoring it as severe punished a mid-tier food for using an adequate mineral.
What it does well
🥦 Salmon
Chicken Meal
Dried Chicken
Oatmeal
Barley
Pea Protein
Peas
Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)
Natural Flavor
Dried Tomato Pomace
Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids)
Dried Yeast
Potatoes
Dried Egg Product
Fish Oil (source of ARA-Arachidonic Acid and DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid)
Brown Rice
Salt
Calcium Carbonate
Direct Dehydrated Alfalfa Pellets
Dicalcium Phosphate
DL-Methionine
L-Threonine
Potassium Citrate
Dried Chicory Root
Choline Chloride
Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate
Vitamin E Supplement
preserved with Mixed Tocopherols
Dried Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Zinc Amino Acid Chelate
Zinc Sulfate
Vegetable Juice for color
Ferrous Sulfate
Taurine
Iron Amino Acid Chelate
Blueberries
Cranberries
Barley Grass
Parsley
Turmeric
Dried Kelp
Yucca Schidigera Extract
Copper Sulfate
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5)
L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C)
L-Lysine
Biotin (Vitamin B7)
Vitamin A Supplement
Copper Amino Acid Chelate
Manganese Sulfate
Manganese Amino Acid Chelate
Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Vitamin D3 Supplement
Vitamin B12 Supplement
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6)
Calcium Iodate
Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product
Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract
Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract
Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract
Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)
Sodium Selenite
Oil of Rosemary
Full ingredient list
1. Salmon
Chicken Meal
Dried Chicken
Oatmeal
Barley
Pea Protein
Peas
Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)
Natural Flavor
Dried Tomato Pomace
Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids)
Dried Yeast
Potatoes
Dried Egg Product
Fish Oil (source of ARA-Arachidonic Acid and DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid)
Brown Rice
Salt
Calcium Carbonate
Direct Dehydrated Alfalfa Pellets
Dicalcium Phosphate
DL-Methionine
L-Threonine
Potassium Citrate
Dried Chicory Root
Choline Chloride
Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate
Vitamin E Supplement
preserved with Mixed Tocopherols
Dried Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Zinc Amino Acid Chelate
Zinc Sulfate
Vegetable Juice for color
Ferrous Sulfate
Taurine
Iron Amino Acid Chelate
Blueberries
Cranberries
Barley Grass
Parsley
Turmeric
Dried Kelp
Yucca Schidigera Extract
Copper Sulfate
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5)
L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C)
L-Lysine
Biotin (Vitamin B7)
Vitamin A Supplement
Copper Amino Acid Chelate
Manganese Sulfate
Manganese Amino Acid Chelate
Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Vitamin D3 Supplement
Vitamin B12 Supplement
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6)
Calcium Iodate
Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product
Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract
Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract
Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract
Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)
Sodium Selenite
Oil of Rosemary
More from Blue Buffalo
For informational and educational purposes only. This score reflects general and holistic pet-nutrition research applied to the published ingredient list. It does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition, is not veterinary advice, and creates no veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Ingredient lists change without notice — always check the bag. Always consult a licensed veterinarian before changing your dog's diet.