Rating: 
Wellness Core Canned Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of five stars.
Currently, the Wellness Core Canned brand includes two different products… each designed to be exceptionally high in protein.
The two “Core” flavors listed here should not be confused with the company’s other two canned product lines… Wellness Canned Formula and Wellness 95%…
- Wellness Core Canned Turkey, Chicken Liver & Turkey Liver
- Wellness Core Canned Salmon, Whitefish & Herring
After comparing products, Wellness Core Canned Turkey, Chicken Liver and Turkey Liver was selected to represent both flavors in the line for this review.
Wellness Core Turkey, Chicken Liver & Turkey Liver
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: chicken, turkey, chicken liver, chicken broth, chicken meal, turkey liver, sweet potatoes, carrageenan, guar gum, carrots, apples, spinach, parsley, blueberries, broccoli, kale, ground flaxseed, salmon oil, salt, chicory root extract, yucca schidigera extract, potassium chloride, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, riboflavin supplement, sodium selenite, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B-12 supplement, potassium iodide, biotin, vitamin D-3 supplement.
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
Five Premium Meats… Off to a Good Start
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is defined by AAFCO1 as “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”. Chicken is a quality ingredient.
The second item is turkey. Turkey follows the same AAFCO2 definition as chicken. Another quality meat ingredient.
The third ingredient is chicken liver… another nutritious meat.
The fourth item is chicken broth… which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Nutritionally, broths are mostly worthless.
The fifth ingredient is chicken meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, chicken meal contains significantly more protein than fresh chicken itself.
Ingredient number six is turkey liver… another quality meat protein.
I think it’s important to note this dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them up to ten times more easily absorbed than non-chelated minerals.
Another clue Wellness Core Canned is a top-drawer product.
Bottom Line
The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of a whopping 55%, a fat level of 36% and an estimated carbohydrate content of just 1%.
Due to my overestimate of residual ash content, the carb reading should probably be a little closer to five percent (still an unusually low level).
The nutrient gauges suggest we’re looking at an exceptional dog food here… closely mimicking a dog’s natural ancestral diet.
And the listed ingredients (plus the lack of Red Flag items) certainly seem to support that finding.
Both products appear to be 100% grain-free and the company proudly proclaims all five meats come from human-grade sources.
Sweet.
With first-class ingredients like these… and our highest five-star rating… this product is truly worthy of your consideration.
Enthusiastically recommended.
A Note of Caution… and an Invitation
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
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