Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains product range is made up of four recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 5 stars.
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness Core Ocean with Wholesome Grains | 5 | M |
| Wellness Core Original with Wholesome Grains | 5 | M |
| Wellness Core Puppy with Wholesome Grains | 5 | G |
| Wellness Core Small Breed with Wholesome Grains | 5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Wellness Core Original with Wholesome Grains was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Wellness Core Original with Wholesome Grains
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned turkey, chicken meal (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), oatmeal, turkey meal, barley, chicken fat, dried plain beet pulp, flaxseed, turkey liver, turkey hearts, natural flavor, dried chicory root, salmon oil, taurine, choline chloride, potassium chloride, vitamin e supplement, spinach, broccoli, carrots, parsley, apples, blueberries, kale, mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness, vitamin B3 (niacin), zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, iron proteinate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate), d-calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement, yucca schidigera extract, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, calcium iodate, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried bacillus licheniformis fermentation product, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation product, rosemary extract, green tea extract, spearmint extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 35% | 16% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 39% | 18% | 35% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 33% | 37% | 30% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is turkey. Although it is a quality item, raw turkey 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 chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is turkey meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.
The next 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 inclusion 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 chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most cat foods is entirely acceptable.
The eighth ingredient is flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
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 Wellness product.
With four notable exceptions…
First, chicory root is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
Next, 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.
In addition, 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.
And lastly, 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.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains looks like an above-average dry dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 38.9%, a fat level of 17.8% and estimated carbohydrates of about 35.3%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 39.2% and a mean fat level of 17.2%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 35.6% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 44%.
Which means this Wellness product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed and quinoa, this still looks like the profile of a kibble containing a generous amount of meat.
Wellness Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Wellness through December 2024.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains Dog Food
Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a liberal amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
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A Final Word
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