# Blue Wilderness for small breed dog?



## rileysmommy (Jan 4, 2010)

Is Blue Buffalo Wilderness suitable for small breed dogs? I know it is only recommended for ADULT dogs but just wanted to know since my five month old puppy is already on Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice and was planning on switching him to this once he gets older.

He is expected to be about 10-11 lbs full grown. I know Blue Buff has an adult small breed formula but that wasn't rated as highly as Blue Wilderness so...

Anyway, do you think it would be ok?


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

Actually, Blue Buffalo Wilderness is rated as an All Life Stages food, so it's ok for puppies, especially if your pup is a small breed. He'll do fine on it. High protein/calorie foods are only not recommended for large breeds, so you're in the clear.

My pup loved the canned version of Blue Wilderness. I think it's a really good food, so I'd recommend it. It's just a bit on the high-end, pricewise. You could get a same quality food for cheaper. Try looking into Orijen, EVO, TOTW, just to name a few. Wellness Core is another great food, but it's for adults only.


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## Jordan S (Nov 21, 2009)

Well actually, I looked at the guarenteed analysis for Wilderness, and it's suitable for pups, even large breed pups, as the calcium is a perfect 1%. 1.9-2.0 is the absolute max for large breed pups as too much calcium causes growth issues.


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## HersheyPup (May 22, 2008)

I always wondered how they managed to keep the calcium and phosphorous levels so low in Blue Wilderness, specially considering that it is supposedly a meat based food and has such high protein. Anyone have any ideas on that?

Most other high protein foods have at least 2.0% calcium, some even 3.0% like Evo.


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

rileysmommy said:


> Is Blue Buffalo Wilderness suitable for small breed dogs? I know it is only recommended for ADULT dogs but just wanted to know since my five month old puppy is already on Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice and was planning on switching him to this once he gets older.
> 
> He is expected to be about 10-11 lbs full grown. I know Blue Buff has an adult small breed formula but that wasn't rated as highly as Blue Wilderness so...
> 
> Anyway, do you think it would be ok?


I personally think it's way Blue Wilderness is to high for your dog! Check out here 
Crude Protein 42.0% min
Crude Fat 16.0% min

If you want him to be on Blue when your pup is off of the puppy food, I recommend Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe, Fish & Sweet Potato Recipe & Weight Control Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe


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## BooLette (Jul 11, 2009)

MoonStr80 said:


> *I personally think it's way Blue Wilderness is to high for your dog! *Check out here
> Crude Protein 42.0% min
> Crude Fat 16.0% min
> 
> If you want him to be on Blue when your pup is off of the puppy food, I recommend Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe, Fish & Sweet Potato Recipe & Weight Control Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe




I have a 15 lb dog that does excellent on this food. Actually she has done the BEST on Blue Wilderness out of anything. Root is only 4.4lbs and he will be on it sooner or later. I do agreee that it is pretty expensive. You could get a food that is just as good of quality for less money, but I like Blue.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

MoonStr80 said:


> I personally think it's way Blue Wilderness is to high for your dog! Check out here
> Crude Protein 42.0% min
> Crude Fat 16.0% min
> 
> If you want him to be on Blue when your pup is off of the puppy food, I recommend Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe, Fish & Sweet Potato Recipe & Weight Control Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe


Actually, I think the OP stated that she's switching to Blue Wilderness because it's an all-round better food than the regular Blue line. Also, it's almost completely grain free.

My pup does perfectly on EVO, and it's 40% protein and around 20% fat, from what I remember.


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

Considerly that's why dogs are obesity is over-feeding & the fat content in kibbles! If you do a research on about it, you'll see that your little dog doesn't need that much compare to a 70-100lb breed etc

Maltese & Pap are probably around same pound
10- 15lb maltese
8-10lb pap not eactly the same. But you see most companies tell you to feed more not less, looking at my dog's ideal weight where I want him to be I go by how much amount he should be getting not what bag tells me to feed him. I don't want him to be obese I'm sorry but that's truth matter is. 

Quote from the Dog Owner's Guide; 
Protein
"Proteins are chemicals made up of other chemicals known as amino acids. Dogs can manufacture some amino acids in their bodies and must be supplied others in their food. Proteins from animal sources -- meat and meat byproducts -- are more complete and easier to extract and digest than proteins from plant sources. Proteins form the enzymes that metabolize food into energy as well as the hormones that guide various body functions. They themselves can also be metabolized to provide energy. High protein feeds are recommended for puppies and working dogs, but too much protein can cause renal (kidney) disease and has been implicated in some temperament problems."

Fats
"Fats are probably the most misunderstood of the nutrients, for they are popularly considered the cause of obesity. It's true that a food high in fat will cause obesity in a dog that has a low expenditure of energy, for fats are higher in calorie than either protein or carbohydrates. However, fats are essential for good health, particularly of the skin. Today's homes are well-heated and have dry air that can exacerbate dry skin conditions; the addition of Omega fatty acids to dog diets either in the formula or as a supplement, can help keep skin pliable and healthy."

Fats increase the palatability of food, provide a media for fat-soluble vitamins, and affect food storage. They also are essential for healthy coat and skin, reproductive efficiency, and kidney function."


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

Well, my dog is a puppy, so he's still growing.

And obviously, when feeding a high calorie food, we DO feed LESS! When my pup was on Eukanuba, he was eating 1 cup per day. Now that he's on EVO, he's only at 1/2 cup per day.. and he's still on the skinny side. In fact, everyone comments on how skinny he is when they see him.

That's the good thing about quality foods that are calorie-dense! It's more expensive, but you feed less, so in the long run, it may even be cheaper.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I've been feeding high protein to Nia since she was about 8 months old. She does the best on it. Blue Wilderness will be perfectly fine for your dog!

Also obesity hasn't been a problem for me since mine is always underweight. Just make sure you don't feed too much because that can cause loose stool and weight gain.

I feed 1/2 cup of Orijen a day but some days she'll only eat a few nibbles or 1/4 cup. 

when I fed some other foods like Royal Canin, I gave her more but she ate about the same amount 1/4 cup and couldn't keep weight on at all!

For my case, the high fat/protein works well.


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## rileysmommy (Jan 4, 2010)

lucidity said:


> Well, my dog is a puppy, so he's still growing.
> 
> And obviously, when feeding a high calorie food, we DO feed LESS! When my pup was on Eukanuba, he was eating 1 cup per day. Now that he's on EVO, he's only at 1/2 cup per day.. and he's still on the skinny side. In fact, everyone comments on how skinny he is when they see him.
> 
> That's the good thing about quality foods that are calorie-dense! It's more expensive, but you feed less, so in the long run, it may even be cheaper.


I agree. I'm currently feeding 7 lb Riley 1/2 cup per day (divided out in two meals) of Blue Buff Chicken and Brown Rice formula and I'm not planning on feeding him more than that if I ever switch to Blue Wilderness. Hopefully this will keep him from being overweight even on a high calorie diet.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Calcium is always a supplement in kibble, well unless the kibble contains an unnamed meat and bone meal garbage. Meat is low in calcium. I think the manufacturer over supplements as so many dogs eat much less than recommended on the bag.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

rileysmommy said:


> I agree. I'm currently feeding 7 lb Riley 1/2 cup per day (divided out in two meals) of Blue Buff Chicken and Brown Rice formula and I'm not planning on feeding him more than that if I ever switch to Blue Wilderness. Hopefully this will keep him from being overweight even on a high calorie diet.


Definitely. Actually, I think that he'll probably end up eating even less than 1/2 cup when you change him to Blue Wilderness. When you do try it out, let me know how it goes! I've got Blue Wilderness on my kibble rotation list, but haven't gotten there yet.


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