Wellness 95 Percent (Canned)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★☆

Wellness 95 Percent line of canned dog food gets the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.

This product should not be confused with the company’s two other canned lines… Wellness Core and Wellness Canned Dog Food.

The Wellness 95 Percent product line lists 5 canned dog foods, each intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.

  • Wellness 95 Percent Beef
  • Wellness 95 Percent Lamb
  • Wellness 95 Percent Turkey
  • Wellness 95 Percent Salmon
  • Wellness 95 Percent Chicken

Wellness 95 Percent Chicken Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Wellness 95% Chicken Formula

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 36% | Fat = 27% | Carbs = 28%

Ingredients: Chicken, Water Sufficient for Processing, Natural Flavors, Cassia Gum, Carrageenan

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.5%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis8%6%NA
Dry Matter Basis36%27%28%
Calorie Weighted Basis28%51%22%

The first ingredient in this dog food includes 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 water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.

After the natural flavor, we find cassia gum. Cassia gum is a plant extract used here as a gelling agent providing no nutritional value to this food.

The fifth ingredient is carrageenan, a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Although carrageenan has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years, there does appear to be some recent controversy regarding its long term biological safety.

We find no added vitamins or minerals on the ingredients list.

Wellness 95 Percent
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Wellness 95 Percent looks like an above-average canned dog food.

But being 100% meat, the product was never intended to be fed as a complete and balanced canine diet.

Wellness 95 Percent is strictly a supplement.

Because they probably lack some essential nutrients, supplements must not be fed continuously as the sole item in a dog’s diet.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 27% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 28%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 35% and an average fat level of 32%. Together, these figures suggest an overall carbohydrate content of 25% for the full product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 91%.

With not enough carbohydrate ingredients present to account for the carb reading on the dashboard, one must assume the protein or fat content has been significantly understated on the label.

With no sign of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a canned dog food containing an abundance of meat.

However, with 51% of the total calories in this food coming from fat as compared to just 28% from protein, it would be inappropriate to award this product a higher rating.

Bottom line?

Wellness 95 Percent is a meat-based canned dog food using a plentiful amount of poultry, beef, lamb or salmon as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars stars.

Highly recommended for supplemental feeding only.

However, those desiring a lower fat content for their pet’s diet may wish to look elsewhere for a another product.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food brand? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

11/20/2009 Original review
04/18/2012 Rating downgraded due to high fat content
04/18/2012 Last Update

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • Hillary

    My Chihuahua Peanut is a very picky eater, I have to mix his Wellness small breed kibble with wet canned food or he will not eat it. Ever since I started mixing it with the 95% Chicken he eats ALL his food. My question is, he gets this mixed in with every meal. Is it okay for him to eat it for all his meals as long as I always have his dry food in it too?
    Thanks!

  • Janice D. McCollam

    @Leenah, since you fed your dog salmon before, it could be something else in the can food that she’s allergic to. I don’t know anything about the Party Animal brand, but I do know that Wellness 95% does have carageenan in it and maybe a few other things (Idk?). It could be that she is reacting to something like that in the food. Remember I am not an expert. I hope you get it figured out!

  • Leenah

    Hi Jon and Mike!

    Oh yes, I’m completely aware that Wellness 95 is considered a supplementary feeding and should be used as a mixer :-)
    So it was homecooked meal with that. Her kibbles were finished up 3 days back, and she was on Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream. I’m aware that kibbles are very deficient in moisture, so I bought a can of Wellness 95 Salmon and Party Animal Jammin’ Salmon yesterday.

    Yesterday, I fed her homecooked meal with a few tablespoons of Wellness 95 Salmon. Today, I fed her Wellness 95 Salmon & Party Animal Jammin’ Salmon. A few hours later, that’s when the scratching starts to kick in.

    I’m doubtful of whether both of the canned food which i bought caused her to itch, caused she was fine when I fed her salmon. Hmm…

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Leenah… It is quite possible your dog could be allergic to salmon. However, Jonathan is right on to remind you Wellness is not a “complete and balanced” product. And that it should not be fed as the sole food in your dog’s diet.

    If this is the only food your pet’s been eating, you may want to consider she’s showing signs of malnutrition (although itching is more likely related to an allergy). Also, feeding the same food repeatedly is considered by many to be an important contributor to the development of food allergies and intolerances.

    In any case, if things don’t clear up rapidly with an immediate dietary change, you may wish to contact your vet. Wish I could be more help.

  • Jonathan

    Are you feeding her anything else? or is the 95% Salmon her only food? If so, that is not a complete food! There are no added vitamins or minerals and she could be suffering from malnutrition! Wellness 95% is for supplementing extra meat on kibble. If you want to do all canned food, look at Wellness Core which is complete and balanced… but if you are mixing with a kibble, what kibble is it?

  • Leenah

    Hi! Firstly I would like to say thank you to Mike, and other people who made this website so valuable :-)
    I fed my dog Wellness 95 Salmon. Would it be uncommon for a dog to be allergic to salmon or other fishes? She has been scratching her body non-stop, and big patches of rashes are developing everywhere on her body.

    She’s a lovely mix of Thai Ridgeback and GR.
    Pls advice? Thanks :)

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Manny… As long as your dog is an adult, you’re probably OK to feed Wellness 95% as a topper. However, since it’s only a supplement and because Core kibble is recommended for adult maintenance, I might be a bit more inclined to choose a product rated as “complete and balanced” for every day use. Hope this helps.

  • Gordon

    Of course you can manny! Canned is generally better than kibble anyway. So to add this high quality one to the Wellness Core kibble would be a bonus for your dog!

  • manny

    Can I use this as an everyday topper with Wellness core?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Michael… I would tend to agree with your assessment, too. The carbohydrate figures are estimated by us and are based upon the government-regulated Guaranteed Analysis published on the Wellness website. And yes, it’s certainly possible the company may have misreported these figures. If you have any questions, you may wish to contact Wellness Customer Service.

  • Michael

    Looking at the ingredients and the protein-fat-carb ratings for each, I am sure persuaded to think the P-F-C data between Wellness Core and Wellness 95% were mixed up. It was said that the carrageenan and guar gum provided the huge amounts of carbs, yet CORE, which has more sweet potato in it than does carrageenan and guar gum yet only has 1 carb vs this product’s 28 carbs. CORE also has carrots, apples, spinach, parsley, blueberries, broccoli, kale, ground flaxseed, and salmon oil. That’s a lot of carb containing foods, yet with all that, it has only 1 carb and this has 28?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kristi… The average fiber content of a dry dog food is about 4.5% (dry matter). The 1% figure you’re looking for is unusually restrictive. Is that what your vet really wants? Please be sure to visit my library and read both of my articles on dog food fiber (Part 1 and Part 2).

  • Kristi Davies Turngren

    Thanks Mike. So, if I understand correctly, I can use Wellness canned Simple and Wellness canned lamb/swt potato as a base. Then, perhaps every 3rd day, use Wellness Core. For treats, I’m using Wellness jerky and Wellness Simple dry food. All this is portioned out to meet caloric requirements. Romeo’s weight is good, but I can see where the calories could add up pretty quickly with the higher quality of food. It would be so much simpler if I didn’t have to keep his fiber intake restricted. Most kibble is way over 1% so I can’t use it. Wellness Simple is 3% – I can use it for treats, but not his food. Make sense?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kristi… Again, a cautionary warning. Pure meat (like Wellness Core and store-bought canned salmon) are considered OK for occasional or supplemental feeding only. Feeding these foods exclusively without adding other vital nutrients can have serious long term consequences for your pet.

  • Kristi Davies Turngren

    I’m certainly impressed by the wonderful wealth of information on this website – I’d love to do raw feeding – but not yet knowledgeable enough. Will be studying up. In the meantime, I’m switching my little 14 year old Mini Schnauzer from his combo Hill’s i/d + homemade rice/chicken/pumpkin mix to canned Wellness CORE, Simple, & canned salmon. He has a problem with elimination due to compressed discs in his lower spine, plus he has the usual digestive issues common to his breed, so . . . I’ve maintained a rice/chicken/lamb/veggie diet up until the vet restricted his fiber intake to no more than 1% fiber. I have lots to learn and lots to “unlearn” – afraid I thought I knew more than I really do. Your website is a wonderful resource – even when the posters get on their respective “soapboxes” – it’s all worthwhile reading. Thanks!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kristi… In the case of Wellness 95% canned dog food, I see no scientific or nutritional reason why you couldn’t substitute a quality canned salmon or other fresh meat as a topper. However, long term, it’s still important for your dog to receive a nutritionally complete and balanced diet. Foods like this will likely be lacking in various trace minerals and vitamins. Even in the wild, dogs would eat a variety of food sources (yes, even berries and raw vegetables). Not just meat.

    My recommendation… your dog should primarily eat a well-balanced natural raw diet or a commercial diet that meets AAFCO nutritional profiles for your animal’s stage of life.

  • Kristi Davies Turngren

    I am thankful for the information I have found through your website. I am in the process of choosing a better diet for my Mini Schnauzer (he’s been on low-residue Hill’s i/d). I am now beginning to use Wellness and am putting together an order right now (I live in a very rural area & need to order many supplies online). Question: is there any digestive/nutritional reason why I should use Wellness 95% canned meat versus simply purchasing canned salmon, canned white chicken? Is it simply a cost factor (meaning price per ounce is cheaper buying Wellness salmon/fish rather than canned salmon at the grocery store)?

  • Meagan

    Alright so thanks to Mike P I have gotten quite a few coupons for different 5 star canned foods! Going to add them as toppings rotation.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Nancy… Yes, it’s possible that some of your dog’s dental problem can be related to consuming a soft diet. But it’s unlikely to be the primary cause. Dry food only removes soft deposits (plaque). Yet not from the all-important gumline area.

    Daily brushing is (hands down) the single best way to prevent dental disease. But with most dogs, it’s nearly impossible for most owners to do. The hard deposits (calculus) must be cleaned away by your vet (about once or twice a year).

    And many of our regular contributors swear by giving a dog raw (not cooked) meaty bones. For more information, you may wish to visit my article, “Dry Dog Food and the Myth of Cleaner Teeth“.

  • Nancy

    Please, someone, give me your opinion on this. After the IAMS scare, I switched my cairn to all canned Wellness (previously the IAMS given was half dry and half canned). Within three months he had three abscessed teeth. Can the dental problem have ANYthing to do with being on all canned food? My vet says yes.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Peggy… Topping is almost always a great idea. To me, any time a food item is closer to “real” I don’t see how it could do anything but improve the quality of a meal. In any case, since each dog responds to a particular food in its own way and because there are so many varying amounts possible with the topper, it would be impossible for me to assure you specific results.

  • Peggy

    Mike thank you for this site. So much great info!! I have an female 1yr old Amer. Blldg/Pit mix who’s 2genes from albino, pink skin/white coat & a male 3mos Mini. Schnauzer. I’ve just transitioned her from Wellness Super5 Whitefish/Sweet Potato to BB Wilderness Salmon. After 2mos of unpredictable poop, from firm to soft serve any given day, it was time for a change. Plus we’ve been battling demodex for some time and I’ve read on a few holistic sites that the mites feed on yeast, so grain free we go. I’ve also added an immune booster supplement to her diet. The puppy is on Wellness Super5 Puppy mix. I top his kibble w/their canned puppy Super5. Can I top both of them with the 95% or will that be much protein/fat for either of them? I top at every meal & plan on rotating flavors of canned.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Mike P… As long as your dog does not have a problem with grains, I see no problem here. The whole point of topping is to make the food more palatable (tasty) to your dog. I’ll be some 3-star canned foods will taste pretty good to your dog.

  • Mike P

    Sorry , I only use !/4 can topping per serving ,so I don’t know if that would be a biggie , if I go to a lower rated canned food …

  • Mike P

    Mike , the wife is starting to get a little tee’d at what i’m spending on food . Doing the topping thing with wellness 95% at $2.50 a can . I want to go grain free . Would cheaper 3 star brand toppers with grain, really screw up the grain free kibble? What to do ???

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Mike… As long as you feed the Wellness 95% as a supplement and not the sole food in your dog’s diet, you’re probably OK.

  • Mike P

    Ok, so now I’m confused again. Can I use the 95% every day as a topper ? Or should I use regular canned instead ? I’ve been using 1/4 can ,95% mixed in with her kibble .

  • Mike P

    Hi Mike I took your advice on the topping method. I added 1/4 can of wellness 95 % beef to her Merrick BG buffalo and WOW@… I had to pick up the bowl half way through as she was eating like a maniac… She licked the bowl for 5 minutes after she was done eating !! Thanks Mike for your wonderful site and I will always be checking in …

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Carolyn… The answer to your question can be found on our FAQ page and in our article library.

  • Carolyn Leavitt

    My 2 oldster beagles love the 95 percent meats/toppers. I am trying to change their kibble to a ethoxyquin free variety and am in luck because their are many to choose from. I don’t see ethoxyquin mentioned in the 95% canned meats. Does this mean because there a moist food they don’t have this ingredient?

  • Isabel

    Thank you for the response. I will continue to do research on these topics.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Isabel… High protein is a concern for many and can be the subject of controversy. Protein issues tend to focus on two questions: (1) Does high protein cause kidney problems in older dogs? And (2) does high protein cause hip dysplasia in larger breed puppies?

    First, to those who worry over kidney problems in senior dogs, recent studies find high protein not to be a contributing factor. That is, unless a dog is already suffering from advanced stages of renal failure. As a matter of fact, it has now been shown that a low protein diet is actually not healthy for most older pets. For a more detailed explanation, be sure to read my article about “Low Protein Dog Foods“.

    And lastly, although there are many who still believe high protein can be a health problem for puppies, more recent studies have confirmed the rapid growth which causes skeletal disorders in large breed dogs is now more specifically linked to the practice of overfeeding. In other words, feeding too many calories (rather than too much protein) is the leading cause of hip dysplasia. You can read more (including references and footnotes) about this timely topic in my recently updated article, “Best Puppy Foods“.

    Allergies are a direct function of your pet’s unique immune system and not usually a problem with the quality of the product itself. In other words, if your dog happens to be allergic to any of the ingredients in any particular food, he will likely develop an unfavorable reaction.

    And because food is only the third leading cause of canine allergies, your dog’s allergies may not even be related to diet in the first place.

    Since certain recipes have been intentionally designed to help you control or isolate these problems, you may wish to read my recent post, “Suggested Hypoallergenic Dog Foods“. This article contains some of my best suggestions based upon information currently available.

    Regarding carrageenan…

    Carrageenan has been safely used as a food additive for hundreds of years. And so far, I’ve never found any scientific studies linking this common food thickening agent to serious health issues. So, we do not consider it a controversial ingredient.

    Hope this helps.

  • Isabel

    Hi, our story in a short version…
    Our dog tends to have allergies, and yeast issues. We have him on Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Sweet Potato & Fish formula. He seems to be doing well so far, and I’m happy with the true limited ingredients in the food. There are so many hypoallergenic foods out there that still contain grains and an extensive ingredient list. Since we’re trying to narrow down, this has been fine so far. I did notice, however, that this brand is not in your top choices because of the lack of high meat protein. Which I feel isn’t necessarily a reason to shoot it down to a three star. It’s ingredients are not in the red zone really. I then figured, I’d research more. It’s quite confusing what you’ll find, since some claim a high protein diet maybe doesn’t case health issues, but is just not ideal if your dog isn’t a working dog/highly active. (Which our dogs aren’t) It’s still a bit blurry to me personally… Now I thought, what if I try adding a solid meat source to the kibble? I considered Wellness 95% Salmon… And now I’m faced with yet another dilemma!: Carrageenan
    I had no idea what it was until I researched it. Why is it not under your controversial ingredients? Many claim this has proven to cause cancer, intestinal inflammation, and pain. Others claim it’s safe and been used for hundreds of years. Yet it is said to be inappropriate for human consumption. Which in my book, means it’s not good for our dogs.
    Opinions? Facts? Thanks.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Bernie… Unfortunately, we don’t have the capability to track the calorie content of the thousands of dog foods in our database. Supplemental use means the products are lacking certain nutrients needed to make them “complete and balanced”. For that reason, supplemental foods must never be fed continuously. Hope this helps.

  • bernie b

    Mike,

    How many calories per cup is the wellness 95% chicken? and
    why is this for a supplemental use only?

    Thanks

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Susan… A dog’s taste preference is much like our own. What one may like the other turns his nose up at. With all the many choices recipes, there’s no way I (or anyone) can assure you a particular food will satisfy the tastes of any particular dog. Sorry I can’t be more help.

  • susan

    have 2 bassetts , need info on what food ,that is not only good tasting dry more than canned , they are so picky and turn up there noise at everything , they are girl 2 and a boy3.i was feeling them blue buffalo but they would only eat the cannoed and no dry.

  • Jonathan

    Ahh. I gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. And thanks for telling people about good quality foods. I battle people’s misplaced trust in “major” dogfood manufacturers every day at the pet store. It’s nice to be able to jot down your website’s name as well as dogfoodanalysis.com for people so they can see for themselves. keep up the good work!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jonathan… There are a number of factors at play here.

    1. The company reports 8% protein using the “as fed” standard known as Guaranteed Analysis. This is the minimum amount of protein Wellness is willing to guarantee to be in every can. Wellness has been very conservative in its protein guarantee. If they had reported a higher (and truer) picture of the protein contents, the carb content would have been much lower.

    2. Although Wellness promises the food contains 95% meat, meat contains 70-80% water. In order to compare foods with different moisture contents, we routinely use math to remove that water.

    3. The thickener carrageenan contains 72% carbohydrates (mostly fiber) and guar gum includes about 85%. So, even though it is used only as a gelling agent, its carbohydrate must be accounted for in the final analysis.

    We use a simple proven process for estimating carbohydrate content of food. You can read about how we do it in our article, “How to Estimate the Hidden Carbohydrate in Any Dog Food“.

    In any case, you’ve been very observant. The amount of carbs are probably much lower in this case. But in our defense, we must use the only number the company is willing to share on its label with consumers. Hope this helps.

  • jonathan

    How does this food contain 28% carbs? I understand the math, but it’s 95% chicken. Chicken doesn’t contain carbs, now does it? so is there a flaw in your math? or am i completely off? Shouldn’t this have no carbs at all given the exclusion of grains all together?

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