Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Wellness Complete Health dry product range is made up of 16 recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 5 stars.
The Complete Health dry dog food range provides a nutritious and balanced diet for dogs of all ages and sizes. Formulated by nutritionists and veterinarians, it contains no meat by-products, fillers, or artificial preservatives.
Pros
- High-quality ingredients
- Transparency in ingredient sourcing, manufacturing processes, and quality control measures
- Variety of recipes for lifestages and breed size
Cons
- Some controversial ingredients
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.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Wellness Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken and Oatmeal was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Wellness Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken and OatmeaL
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned chicken, chicken meal, oatmeal, barley, brown rice, peas, dried plain beet pulp, chicken fat, flaxseed, natural flavor, dried chicory root, potassium chloride, choline chloride, taurine, spinach, broccoli, vitamin E supplement, carrots, parsley, apples, blueberries, kale, mixed tocopherols, niacin, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, vitamin A supplement, iron proteinate, ascorbic acid, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, riboflavin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement, yucca schidigera extract, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, calcium iodate, 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%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 11% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 12% | 53% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 24% | 27% | 49% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken 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 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 next 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 fifth ingredient is ground brown rice, another name for rice flour. Ground rice is made from either white or brown rice and is considered a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.
The sixth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
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 dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The next 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 eighth item 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 10 notable exceptions…
First, broccoli. Broccoli is a healthy green vegetable and a member of the kale family. It’s notably rich in vitamin C and fiber and numerous other nutrients.
Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is believed to provide anti-cancer benefits.
Next kale. Kale is a type of cabbage in which the central leaves do not form a head. This dark green vegetable is especially rich in beta-carotene, vitamins C, vitamin K and calcium.
And like broccoli, kale contains sulforaphane, a natural chemical believed to possess potent anti-cancer properties.
The next two notable exceptions are spinach and parsley. Due to their exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach and parsley exhibit a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score1 of 91.
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.
We note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
Next, 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.
We also find sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium in this recipe. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
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 Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken and Oatmeal looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27.7%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 47%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29.4% and a mean fat level of 14.5%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 43.2% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.
Which means this Wellness product line contains…
Near-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 peas and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.
Wellness Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Wellness through March 2025.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Wellness Complete Health Grain-Inclusive Dog Food
Wellness Complete Health is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus receiving 5 stars.
About
Wellness was founded in 1997. Both dog and cat food are manufactured by Wellness Pet Company, and are produced in the USA, specifically at facilities in Minnesota and Indiana.
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