Wellness Core Dog Food (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★★

Wellness Core dry dog food receives the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.

The Wellness Core product line includes 3 kibbles… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.

Wellness Core Original Formula Dry Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Wellness Core Original Formula

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 38% | Fat = 18% | Carbs = 36%

Ingredients: Deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, peas, potatoes, dried ground potatoes, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, chicken liver, natural chicken flavor, flaxseed, salmon oil, carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, broccoli, spinach, parsley, apples, blueberries, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, beta-carotene, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), biotin, folic acid], minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, iron proteinate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], choline chloride, mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, taurine, chicory root extract, Yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, rosemary extract

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis34%16%NA
Dry Matter Basis38%18%36%
Calorie Weighted Basis32%37%31%

The first ingredient in this dog food lists turkey. Although it is a quality item, raw turkey contains about 80% 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.

Which brings us to turkey meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this recipe.

Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.

The third ingredient is chicken meal… like chicken meal, another high protein meat concentrate.

The fourth ingredient mentions peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein… a factor that must be considered when evaluating the total protein reported in this food.

The fifth ingredient lists potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

The sixth ingredient is dried potato… a dehydrated product made from potatoes and retaining most of the tuber’s healthy nutrients.

The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat 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.

Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

The ninth ingredient includes chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.

After the natural chicken flavor, we find 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 rich in soluble fiber.

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 product.

With three notable exceptions…

First, salmon oil is naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids… essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.

Next, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.

this food also 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.

Wellness Core Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Based upon the quality of its ingredients, Wellness Core Dry Dog Food looks like an above-average kibble.

But ingredient quality alone cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 38%, a fat level of 18% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 36%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 38% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 38% for the overall product line.

Above-average protein. Average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a generous amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Wellness Core dry dog food is a grain-free kibble using a generous amount of named poultry or fish meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Those looking for a wet grain-free product from the same company may want to read our review of Wellness Core Canned Dog Food.

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

11/18/2009 Original review
06/15/2010 Review updated
07/07/2010 Review updated
06/07/2011 Review updated (minor recipe change)
06/07/2011 Last Update

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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  • sandy

    Lana,

    There’s Amicus Senior/Weight Management, Blue Buffalo Wildernss Small Breed or Instinct. These are very small kibbles and grain free.

  • Lana

    Help! I have a 12 year old Yorkie that is obese. She has gone from 5.5 lbs to 11.3 in her old age. The vet told me to put her on 200 kcal/day. What do you recommend for small breed, senior, overweight. The small kibbles are her favorite. It’s hard to find dog food that offers all of the above concerns.

  • Lauren

    My dog is only 3 now, and since he was a puppy, he was always too calm for my liking. Not that I don’t like a calm dog, but didn’t seem normal for a young, small dog – he wanted to just lie around and sleep a lot. A few months ago, he began vomiting. Was hospitalized, he couldn’t keep food in, was very sick. They did exploratory surgery and there was no blockage, but they said his insides were very angry. Through much research, especially on this site, I decided to change his food from Pro Plan to Wellness Core Reduced Fat. Mike et al – you helped to change my dog’s life. Sorry for sounding cheesy, but he is a different dog completely and I have to thank you for your help. He is thriving like never before. He is energetic and active and hasn’t been sick to his stomach since I switched his food. I would highly recommend Wellness Core and am so grateful for this site. I don’t know if things would be different with my pooch if I hadn’t come across all of this information… Be well.

  • Heather

    I had been feeding Wellness CORE for 2 years, to a pomeranian, GSD X, and 3 cats. But with the food change, the GSD immediately started getting hot spots, and has blown out every hair he had. The pom’s coat also seemed dryer and not as healthy. I have switched them to Orijen, and the scratching, hotspots, have disappeared. I really liked the food, and I’m surprised such a small change had such a major difference, but I can already see a difference in their coats on the new food.

  • Richard J breard

    No taurine in Pinnacle Peak.

  • Geoffrey

    Wellness Core Original dry kibble changed formula and although they say that there’s no difference my dogs don’t like it anymore and it smells like the cheap brands now. Used to smell so good I would say I’d eat it. They just lost a customer.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Danny… Please see the comments in this thread dated about 6/16/11 through 6/19/2011. Hope this helps.

  • Danny

    “06/07/2011 Review updated (minor recipe change)”

    What exactly changed? I got a small letter in the bag as well.

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  • sandy

    Lisa,

    Honest Kitchen Zeal is also just fish and grain free, no chicken fat.

  • sandy

    Lisa,

    Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream, Natures Variety Instinct Salmon, Instinct Duck & Turkey (and Salmon meal) could fit your bill also. I feed all these to my small indoor dogs. They have several foods in their rotations. The Pacific Stream has the lowest protein at 25%, The others are over 30%.

  • Lisa

    I notice a lot of the better foods are higher in protein. I have a small 16 pound beagle who is not very active, and I was told by the Vet not to use a food that is to high in protein. However all the higher protein foods are rated best. I haven’t tried the Core yet, I have another beagle who is 1 and active and has a list of allergies. She does well on fish based, grain free foods that do not contain chicken fat, so I thought about trying the Core Ocean fish as a rotation.

  • Gordon

    kevo – True. Almost everything comes from China. Bit of a stretch, but you get the picture. Even down under, what ever can come from China at a cheaper price, it will. China, has everyone wrapped out its finger, figuratively speaking.

  • kevo

    Barbara, you shouls probably come to terms with the fact that the taurine in your dogs food comes from china. Chances are a lot of the things you consume on a daily basis come from china. Especially if you eat out. Yea you love your dog, we all do, but ignorant statements like that is what makes “CRAZY DOG PEOPLE”. I’m sure the taurine in my energy drink is from china as is the chinese farm raised fish in that fish sandwich I had. Guess what? I ain’t worried about it. Heck even baby formula has ingredients sourced from china. Half of your local pet store contains products with some connection to china. Truth is I’ve heard more recalls on tainted human food than I have on dog food the past few years. Lets be real, if you’d like to feed your dog the best feed him a homemade raw diet or let him munch on hunted deer from american soil. Otherwise keep feeding him the 5 star highly processed organic chinese garbage.

  • sandy

    Antonio,

    The 1 part grain inclusive food mixed in with the high protein food kept his poops solid and he wouldn’t vomit. But he’s been on this mixture for a year now so when this bag of Prairie runs out, I was not going to replace it. When I first started increasing his protein, I pretty much walked around the yard and sprayed down all the poops with the hose.

  • http://www.whosyourvet.com Sandi

    “there is not enough room on the label especially some of the smaller bags but they still do guarantee exthoxyquin free”

    Do you believe that explanation? I don’t. I found it interesting there was no mention on their website stating the formula was changed. See my post Sandi June 19, 2011 at 2:20 pm.

    When I went to The Doggy Store, Richard showed me a bag of Great Life since we were discussing that brand. He noticed they changed the formula and has “freeze dried” ingredients. Apparently, Great Life didn’t notify the retailer, which is not uncommon. My other retailer friend wasn’t notified by Wellness of the new formula. When Orijen had a problem with bone separation, they never pulled the bags from the retailer I bought it from. If I didn’t go back to return it, those bad lots would still be sitting on their shelf.

    From now on, I’m taking a copy of the present formula & compare before I pay for it. I think that’s going to be our only guarantee for all brands. Luckily, I had the old formula of Wellness and was able to do a comparison chart.

    If I can’t trust a pet food mfgr. and see red flags, there are many other brands to choose from.

  • Debbie

    Hi just more info on the changes in the wellness core line. I feed the wellness core ocean formula because they have always guaranteed exthoxyquin free both on the package and verbally. The new package no longer states that so I called them and they state the reason is there is not enough room on the label especially some of the smaller bags but they still do guarantee exthoxyquin free. The other interesting note was when I asked about the taurine, I was told it was always there but they are now required to list it.
    There was not as many changes to the ocean line except like someone else already mentioned was the availability of the whitefish is harder to come by now because so many pet foods now use it so they had to adjust some of the types of fish meal they had used and added peas. The carb content is now slightly higher but so is the protein and fat.
    Its so hard to keep up with these companies becasue they surely dont advertise all of their changes do they.

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Michelle – You write “You could go raw, but then you still need to add vitamin / mineral complex to that also.”
    Not always. In fact, some of the raw pre-made commercial dog foods are made from Whole Foods whereby the REAL FOOD ingredients supply all needed nutrients without needing to add anything manmade into the mix.
    Similar to humans who eat nutrient packed whole foods and thus have no need to take synthetic vitamin/mineral supplements – like me!

    K9 Natural raw dog food is an example of complete nutrients provided by the raw diet. Another is Nature’s Logic.
    Here is information from the Nature’s Logic website, stating the formula is “without the addition of man-made synthetic nutrients.”
    http://www.natureslogic.com/
    Nature’s Logic has formulated truly natural pet foods substantiated for all the life stages of dogs and cats. Whole foods provide pets with an abundance of naturally occurring nutrients: Proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber, probiotics, enzymes, antioxidants, co-factors, phytonutrients, and more. The natural synergies and increased bioavailability of these extra nutrients ensure the best possible nutrition for your pet.
    Our formulas provide all the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals listed in the AAFCO* Nutrient Profile for Dogs and Cats, and do so without the addition of man-made synthetic nutrients. Pets of all ages will benefit from the superior nutrition and safety of Nature’s Logic foods.#

  • Michelle

    Barbara & Sandi, good luck trying to find a commercial dog food that is 100% U. S. sourced….. I don’t think that one exsists. All vitamin / mineral / taurine and such comes from China. You could go raw, but then you still need to add vitamin / mineral complex to that also.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sandi… You never have to worry about being caught in the filter again. Your post was automatically withheld for moderation by WordPress because the number of links it contained exceeded the pre-set limit of 5.

  • http://www.whosyourvet.com Sandi

    Mike S. – Please look in your “filter” for my post re: raw milk & repost it. It’s important for anyone using raw milk. Thanks!

  • http://www.whosyourvet.com Sandi

    “That was not enough to make me feel safe using the product. I can’t believe they would take a chance and add something from CHINA ! I will NOT be using Wellness. My search continues…Buyer be ware!!”

    Barbara, I’m in the process of switching from Wellness to Earthborn Primitive and not because taurine comes from china. I’m certainly not happy about that either. It’s because they removed deboned chicken and added peas in it’s place. I also don’t like paying $30 for a 12 lb. bag, esp. since they reformulated their brand.

    I use to work for a #1 supplement mfgr. When I called one pet food mfgr. (I think it was Solid Gold) and found out their taurine comes from China, I started making calls to find out who in the U.S. has taurine. No one! Taurine comes from China, it’s cheaper for the mfgrs. If you are taking supplements yourself, call the company and find out where they source their “raw ingredients” from. Even though the supplement is made in the U.S., the “raw ingredients” isn’t always from the U.S. Money is the bottom line!

  • Lucky

    I’m just going to stick to salmon a la veg.

    Seems like a good food.

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Barbara – When, or if, you find any brand of commercial dog food that includes supplemental vitamins/minerals that aren’t primarily sourced from China, please post a comment with that information. Thank you.

  • Barbara

    I was looking for a lower fat dog food and came across Wellness Core Low Fat. I am currently feed Acana Wild Prarie. As a looked through the list I saw taurine as an ingredient and remembered reading that Wellness got their taurine from China. I actually called the company to verify and spoke to someone that confirmed it comes from CHINA! They just re-formulated some varieties and added it! She told me that they have an independent company that over sees the quality and someone in-house as well. That was not enough to make me feel safe using the product. I can’t believe they would take a chance and add something from CHINA ! I will NOT be using Wellness. My search continues…
    Buyer be ware!!

  • Michelle

    Antonio, If I were you I would try the grain free exclusively, and see how that works for your boy.

  • melissa

    Antonio-

    I used to think “all or nothing ” as well, but have to say right now, with a 1/4 of the diet including grain, I seem to have found a happy compromise that all the dogs can eat and look good on.

    Adam Clive- I think the NZ currency conversion rate is like .709 for NZ dollars to US, so that would make your Orijen around $99.20 a bag for the larger size. Not all that much more than some people pay here for it in the states with shipping and what not. I of course would not pay that amount for a bag of dog food when so many others are available here for less(and same apparent quality)

  • Antonio

    Hey Sandy, I did think about mixing grain free w/ some grain inclusive kibbles in the past, but I figured that would defeat the purpose of using a grain free diet. I think I’ll use a longer transition time this go around and give it a fair chance.

  • Adam Clive

    You yanks whinge about prices all the time. you think thats expensive. you should see how things cost in New Zealand bfore whinging so much. I only feed my dogs raw food & neva anything else. but we do get some of your products here in NZ. we pay double what yous pay for your kibles like orijen. orijen in NZ costs like $140 for a 13.5 kg bag, 85 for 7kg & 40 for a 2.5kg bag. dont think we have wellness here. but i dont buy kible anyways. yous should wanna help your countrys economy & be happy to pay little more for little better products.

  • Lucky

    Mike I just checked online, it seems to be 76 dollars.

    That is riduclous.

    Im not buying beef frittata.

  • Lucky

    Mike, the beef fritatta is only 50$ for 26 lbs?

    I didn’t know that. Are you sure?

  • Mike P

    Lucky why switch between fish formula’s ? Why not try Fromms beef frittata ? It’s 10 bucks cheaper than the surf and turf . You would be getting 2 new animal proteins for your pooch ….

  • Lucky

    Well right now they are on Fromm Grain Free Surf & Turf but the place I get it from, its 60$ for 26 lbs, and I can get Fromm salmon a la veg and Wellness core for 50$. I want them to have a great food but paying 60$ each time vs 50$ can really add up.
    In this economy not everybody has money to pay 60$ for dog food. But I think instead I should just stick to the salmon a la veg and then only SOMETIMES buy them the surf and turf. Because fromm made it clear on their website that its safe to switch from their different 4 star flavors without problems.

  • Mike P

    Melissa , I have used fromms with great results . Sandy I use 2 to 3 diff brands of grain free but lots of brands of wet food as toppers . Working great for us . I am dabbling into the raw meaty bones as well . Jubilee really loves the raw bones . She loves that more then anything I feed her . I gave her some chicken wings and she went crazy for them . I am going to give the raw stuff a little more . Raw will be my day off thing and used as a special treat dinner . I will always use kibble and wet for the nutrients that she wouldn’t get from just raw .

  • sandy

    My mixture/rotation:

    I have a container that will hold almost 10 pounds of food. I have one dog that did better with some grain so I always have that in the mix just for him. Maybe Antonio with the Dobie??? should do a mix with some grain?? I have 4 dogs now. Started with one. But it’s been over a year now so I’m going to try and take it (Prairie) out. So right now, the container has 1 part Prairie Chicken (for the grain), 1 part Epigen Fish, and 1 part Amicus. When that runs out, I will fill it back up with 1 part Prairie Chicken (until it’s gone, I was rotating this one with Prairie Salmon), 1 part Epigen Original (chicken), and 1 part Brothers Fish. So basically Food A can be rotated for different proteins. Food B can be rotated with different proteins and Food C can be rotated with different proteins. But they don’t transition into one particular bag of food because it’s all together. The “stock” bags of food run out at different times. So when Brothers Fish run out, I might get Instinct Rabbit or other protein to put in the mix. I’ve used Core/Core Ocean, Blue Buffalo Wilderness, Orijen, Merrick, Prairie, Instinct, Epigen, Brothers, and Amicus, TOTW.

    They get raw food every 3rd meal. The raw is beef, chicken, or duck or quail or whatever different flavors I have. Right now it’s Primal Duck and NV beef and rabbit and S&C duck duck goose. Oh wait, I finished that one. I just bought my first bag of turkey necks. They’re thawing right now.

    Then, on my days off, I like to treat them with toppers on their kibble. I’ve got Weruva chicken, tuna and salmon flavors, Addiction duck, eel, rabbit, and brushtail flavors.

    And don’t forget the occasional table food – Mexican, Chinese, Pringles, banana, cheese stick, etc.

    Nobody itches, vomits, or has diarrhea or stinky ears or body odor. i just couldn’t say that one food was the best for them and to feed the same thing over and over, so I was trying out all these different ones and just kept on with it…2 years ago I was feeding Beneful.

    I keep their carbs at 30 or less. Since it’s been pretty recent with the change from Beneful, I have just been trying out all the different foods. One big bag of food could last a while so it’s taken this long to see which ones I prefer or they prefer. I just buy the 15 lb bags now. I haven’t tried Fromm or Earthborn and a bunch of others yet…

  • melissa

    MIke P-

    I don’t think you need to stay away from fish based foods(unless a medical reason to) but just be cautious about what is in that fish bag ; )
    My “game plan” right now is to rotate through 4 bags of Acana Wild Praire and then 3 bags of Pacifica until the Grasslands and Ranchlands are available-then do two bags of each to cycle through the protein sources. I will probably stay with this food for a good 6-8 mths before looking for another to ad in(different brand for a break from one food) Fromm looks very good for my next choice-and I see you mention it-have you fed it before and what were the results?

  • Mike P

    Sandy , could you detail how you rotate ? I rotate when a bag starts to run out . Right now I have about 5 lbs of Before Grain Chicken left and am going to pick up a 26lb bag of Fromms beef frittata to transition to . When that gets low I’ll get a bag of Before Grain Buffalo . I think I’m going to stay away from fish formula foods . There are alot of weird stories on this site about where the fish comes from and so on . I do mix in some wellness core ocean every now and then as a topper . Just curious on how you and others rotate as well . Thanks

  • sandy

    Lucky,

    Why not serve both or rotate between the two for variety. Food rotation may (or may not) help to avoid developing food intolerance. I’ve been rotating and mixing foods for over a year now. My dogs can eat chicken, turkey, red meats, fish, rabbit, eel, duck, pheasant without issues or transitioning. And I use different brands of food as well not just a different flavor from the same brand.

  • Michelle

    Lucky- my dogs like both Fromm’s and Wellness. Maybe try sample packs.

  • Bob K

    Lucky – What are you currently feeding your dogs? Why the need to change? Have your dogs previously eaten a Salmon or Turkey based food? Are they all going to eat the same kibble? If your budget and dog food availability is not an issue its hard to go wrong with any 5 star food. Remember to transition to a new food slowly. Sometimes the larger dogs like the larger kibble and smaller dogs like the smaller kibble.

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