Rating: 
Wellness Simple Food Solutions Dry Dog Food earns the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
Currently, the Wellness Simple Food Solutions product line includes three kibbles… each designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.
Wellness claims the products are targeted to “dogs suffering from food allergies and intolerances”.1
- Wellness Simple Food Solutions Rice and Duck
- Wellness Simple Food Solutions Rice and Lamb
- Wellness Simple Food Solutions Rice and Salmon
Wellness Dog Food Simple Food Solutions Rice and Duck formula was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Wellness Simple Food Solutions Rice and Duck Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Ground rice, duck, rice protein concentrate, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of vitamin E), tomato pomace, natural duck flavor, potassium choloride, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, beta-carotene, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin, vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, proteinate, zinc sulfate, iron proteinate, ferrous sulfate, cooper sulfate, cooper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganese sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), choline chloride, taurine
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first item in this dog food is ground rice. Provided it is made from whole grain, rice can be a quality hypoallergenic ingredient.
The second item lists duck. Raw duck contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
To reflect its lighter mass, this item should more accurately occupy a lower position on the list.
The third ingredient includes rice protein concentrate… made by removing the starchy part of the grain and leaving the protein.
Compared to meat, protein concentrates are inferior grain-based components low in many of the essential amino acids dogs need to sustain life.
This less expensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
Now, in fairness to Wellness, we note the other two products in this line use meat meals (instead of rice protein) to boost protein.
The fourth item is canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a more vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.2
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 a cheap pet food filler laden with pesticides found on the skin of the tomato before processing.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
We also note 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.
However, we find no evidence of probiotics… friendly bacteria added back to the mix after processing.
Wellness Simple Food Solutions Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Wellness Dog Food Simple Food Solutions can be better defined by what it’s not (rather than what it is)… making it suitable for dogs with certain allergy and digestive problems.
There are no dairy products, no corn, no wheat, no soy, no eggs, no artificial preservatives, no colors and no flavors.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 23%, a fat level of 14% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 56%.
All three products reveal the same nutrient percentages as our example product.
Below-average protein. Low fat. And above-average carbohydrates (when compared to a typical dry dog food).
Yet when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the rice protein concentrate, this is the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.
Although we commend Wellness for its simple design, we would prefer to have seen the company include more meat in all three products.
Bottom line?
Wellness Simple Food Solutions is essentially a rice-based kibble using only a limited amount of meat as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand an acceptable three-star rating.
Recommended.
Those looking for a comparable wet food from the same company may want to read our review of Wellness Simple Food Solutions Canned Dog Food.
We Welcome Your Comments
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.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself?
Please feel free to share your comments below.
11/21/2009 Original review
04/18/2010 Review updated
- Wellness Pet Food, 4/18/2010 ↩
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005) ↩
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
My 5-year-old rescue Boston Terrier was being given Hill’s ID when I got him. I began to gradually change his diet to dry Wellness Simple Solutions – lamb and rice. He tolerates this very well. However, he seems to constantly have foul-smelling flatulence. I am wondering it changing to the duck and rice recipe would help with that. Any opinions?
Thanks!
Hi Laura… like with humans, reactions to certain foods are specific to each individual pet. It’s really difficult to say with any certainty why your dog may be having more gas with this new food. But gas is usually more frequently related to the type of “fermentable” carbohydrates (especially fiber) present in the food… rather than the meat. Gut bacteria “ferment” the carbs… and produce gas. Hope this helps you solve your “mystery”.
My 1 1/2 year old terrier has constant bouts with diarrhea. My vet prescribed Hills w/d which helped, but all my dog friends said no, no, no, can’t feed her that. Wellness Simple formula was suggested and she did fine with that for a while, and now the diareah is back. Any suppliments to recomend to help this situation?
Hi Margie… Your vet had the right idea. High fiber can help with intestinal issues. But (like your friends) I’m not a fan of that particular Hill’s product. Why not check the fiber content (located at the bottom of the yellow “dashboard” box on every review I write). Look only at my 3, 4, or 5 star dog foods and find one with a higher fiber content. Then check with your vet to see if he (or she) agrees with your choice. Hope this helps.
I just found out that our chocolate lab mix is allergic to just about everything found outside….. trees, grass, fungus. He is also allergic to dust mites found inside. With food, he is allergic to chicken, dairy, peanuts, barley, alflafa, white potatoes. It seems like everything is the cause of his allergy problems. This food came recommended, and I hope that it does the trick. I know that other foods are better, but he is very limited in his choices. We have been struggling and guessing for almost 2 years now.
Hi Elizabeth… yes, when it comes to canine allergies, “simple” makes good sense. Simplicity allows you to eliminate the potential allergens… in a controlled and scientific fashion… for better results. We’re planning to write a “how to” article on choosing dog food for allergy-prone dogs… probably sometime later this year. As soon as we catch up on all these reviews. Whew!
In that report, we’ll show you what to look for when choosing hypoallergenic foods… and we’ll let you “in” our favorite picks for quality anti-allergy dog foods. So, be sure to stay tuned.
Thanks Mike,
I certainly will look forward to that review and the insights. It seems that more and more dogs are developing allergies. The topic is quite timely.
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Help!
My 10 yr old westie has the “westie curse” skin disorder, the vet calls it. His says he has a food allergy, but finding out what he is allergic to is very difficult. Please recommend a simple, nutritional dog food. No fillers, chicken, wheat gluten or corn. Is there such a food out there? Dry or Can…He has suffered terribly with ear infections and now skin breakouts. He has been on medications since Oct. 2009. Please help him!
Hi Gail… Penny, our adopted terrier mix was afflicted with similar issues. Your dog may be suffering from a condition known as atopic dermatitis. This disease is commonly associated with mite infestations. Although (carpet) mites can be found in many homes, the mites I’m referring to may come from the cheaper cereal grains used to make so many dog foods.
Your dog may not be allergic to the grains themselves… but rather what may be IN the grains.
Of course, as your vet mentioned, your dog could be allergic to most anything. It may NOT even be a food allergy at all. To learn if what I’m talking about here might be the cause of your dog’s problem, please read my article… “Dangerous Canine Diseases Linked to Grains in Dog Food“. If you believe this is a possibility for your little Westie, why not try one of our 4 or 5-star grain-free dog foods.
I’m planning to write an article that lists these special dog foods by name. Until then, you may have to dig your way through a few of our recommended foods until you find a grain-free product you like.
In the meantime, be sure not to “shock” your dog’s GI system by introducing one of these better products too quickly. Start with just a small amount of the new food and “dovetail” it very GRADUALLY into your dog’s older food. Take two weeks to work up to a full meal with the new food.
And be sure to give the food time to work. It can take a while to get a chronic problem under control… that is, if this is the cause.
Hope this helps.