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Our Verdict
Wellness Petite Entrées Casserole product range is made up of two recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 3 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 Petite Entrees Casserole with Roasted Lamb, Peas and White Sweet Potatoes | 3 | M |
| Wellness Petite Entrees Casserole with Tender Chicken, Green Beans, and Carrots | 3 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Wellness Petite Entrees Casserole with Tender Chicken, Green Beans, & Carrots was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Wellness Petite Entrees Casserole with Tender Chicken, Green Beans & Carrots
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, green beans, carrots, tapioca starch, natural flavor, tricalcium phosphate, guar gum, potassium chloride, salt, carrageenan, magnesium sulfate, minerals [ferrous glycine complex, zinc glycine complex, manganese glycine complex, copper glycine complex, sodium selenite, potassium iodide], vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin), thiamine mononitrate, zinc oxide
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 6% | 5% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 23% | 42% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 22% | 44% | 34% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common addition component in many canned products.
The third ingredient is chicken liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The next ingredient includes green beans, a healthy vegetable notable for its vitamin, mineral and natural fiber content.
The fifth ingredient lists carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth item is tapioca starch, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.
After the natural flavor, we find tricalcium phosphate, a beneficial source of calcium and phosphorus. In addition, this additive is used in canned foods as an emulsifier — an agent designed to disperse a food’s fats more evenly in water.
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 three notable exceptions…
First, carrageenan is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there appears to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety.
The article, The Carrageenan Controversy, published in Scientific American, does a good job of addressing this topic.
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.
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 Petite Entrees Casserole Dog Food looks like an above-average wet product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27%, a fat level of 23% and estimated carbohydrates of about 42%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 23%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 42% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 83%.
Which means this Wellness product line contains…
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing a moderate amount of meat.
However, with 44% of the total calories in our example coming from fat versus just 22% from protein, some recipes may not be suitable for animals on a low fat diet.
Wellness Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Wellness through November 2024.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Wellness Petite Entrées Casserole Grain-Free Dog Food
Wellness Petite Entrees Casserole is a grain-free wet dog food using a moderate amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus receiving 3 stars.
Compare Wellness Petite Entrées Casserole Dog Food
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A Final Word
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