Wellness Super 5 Mix Dog Food (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★☆

Wellness Super 5 Mix dry dog food receives the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.

The Wellness Super 5 Mix product line lists 11 dry dog foods… three designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages, three for growth (puppy formulas) and five for adult maintenance (weight and senior formulas).

  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Just for Puppy
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Chicken Recipe
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Small Breed Just for Puppy
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Small Breed Adult Health
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Large Breed Adult Health
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Healthy Weight (3 stars)
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Just for Seniors (3 stars)
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Large Breed Puppy Health
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Whitefish and Sweet Potato
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Lamb, Barley and Salmon Meal
  • Wellness Super 5 Mix Small Breed Healthy Weight (3 stars)

Wellness Super 5 Mix Chicken Recipe Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Wellness Super 5 Mix Chicken Recipe

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 25% | Fat = 14% | Carbs = 54%

Ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, oatmeal, ground barley, ground brown rice, tomato pomace, rye flour, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomatoes, rice bran, whitefish, natural chicken flavor, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, apples, blueberries, ground flaxseed, ground millet, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, vitamins [beta-carotene, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin A supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin D-3 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B-12 supplement], minerals [zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, ferrous sulfate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite], choline chloride, mixed tocopherols (added to preserve freshness), taurine, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, chicory root extract, garlic powder, Yucca schidigera extract, green tea extract, dried Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation products, rosemary extract

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.5%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient is this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken 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.

Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.

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

The third ingredient is oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in fiber, B-vitamins and is (unlike many other grains) mostly gluten-free.

The fourth ingredient lists barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.

The fifth item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.

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.

The seventh item lists rye flour. Rye is a cereal grain nutritionally similar to barley.

The eighth ingredient lists canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a 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.1

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 four notable exceptions…

First, garlic can be a controversial item. Although the majority of experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.2

However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic… especially in small amounts (as it is here).

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

Thirdly, chicory root is naturally rich in a substance called inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.

And lastly, 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 Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Based upon the quality of the ingredients alone, Wellness Dry Dog Food looks like a very good kibble.

Yet ingredient quality alone rarely paints the whole picture. We still need to estimate the amount of meat in the product before we determine a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 25%, a fat level of 14% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 54%.

Due to their apparently limited meat content, we have elected to downgrade the ratings of both the Just for Seniors and Healthy Weight products to our next lower category.

Excluding the two lower-rated formulas just mentioned, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and an average fat level of 15%.

Together, these figures suggest an overall carbohydrate content of 49% for the full product line.

Moderate protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.

With no sign of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

In any case, it’s hard to ignore the relative lack of any critical Red Flag items in these products.

Bottom line?

Wellness Dry Dog Food is a grain-based kibble using a fair amount of species-specific meats and meat meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Those looking for a comparable wet food from the same company may want to check out our review of Wellness 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

11/19/2009 Original review
06/20/2010 Review updated
06/03/2011 Review updated (added 2 new products)

  1. Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005) ↩
  2. Yamato et al, Heinz Body hemolytic anemia with eccentrocytosis from ingestion of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and garlic (Allium sativum) in a dog, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 41:68-73 (2005) ↩
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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  • Bob K

    Skidoogranny – How was your dog doing on Eucankuba? Why the change?  Which formula?  Maybe you can find a similar 4 or 5 star dog food with ingredients that are similar to the one he has done well on previously.  Remember to slowly transition to a new dog food, you don’t just switch to a new food. 

  • Skidoogranny

    I switched my Shepherd from Eucankuba to Wellness Core and he was starving so I switched to Wellness 5 star blend and he is getting gas from it.

  • HotDogMama

    I bought the Wellness Super 5 Chicken (dry) and it’s giving my dachshund such bad gas from both ends that I’m taking it back to PetSmart for a refund tomorrow.  I’m not kidding, I’ve had to bring an extra fan downstairs just to deal with the smell.

  • Pabarry

    My vet told me that Wellness causes urinary tract infections. I have the Wellness Small Breed.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Cheryl… Yes, a number of studies in the professional literature documenting the positive benefit brewers yeast may have in the control of diabetes. However, most (but not all) of the studies I’ve seen appear to be related to human diabetes.

    The diabetic benefits are apparently due to the production of the trace chromium, chromium, by the yeast. So, there are numerous studies that also suggest supplementation with chromium in the diet. However, I would not recommend doing this as all minerals can create toxic to living things (like dogs) if these levels become excessive.

    In addition, some of the studies are focused on the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, a version of diabetes common in humans yet almost never seen in dogs.

    Here’s an article about brewers yeast and diabetes on human subjects published in the Journal of the American Diabetes Association. Be sure to read the references below the publication for more related information. You may wish to consider feeding just the brewers yeast (in moderation).

    In any case, since I’m not a veterinarian and due to the serious nature of diabetes, it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific health advice or product recommendations. So, be sure to run this idea by your dog’s doctor before you follow any suggestions (like mine) here on the Net. And be sure to check back for a possible response from one of our other readers.

    Hope this helps.

  • Cheryl

    HI Mike

    I have 11 yr old poodle with diabetes and I was told that if I add brewers yeast to his food that will help stable his glocuse have you heard this before and to add garlic with the yeast?

  • Jeremy

    Very helpful review….and my beagle seems to love the stuff as he clearly hated his last brand of food I was serving him. Thanks again.

  • Susan

    Thanks for your advice!

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja Dog Food Ninja

    Susan, it doesn’t have to be TOO confusing. Just remember… no chemical additives, no cereal grains, and more protein from good meat sources. That’s what’s most important!

  • Susan

    Thanks for your thoughts. Last night I went to pet value and exchanges wellness to blue buffalo large puppy. I don’t know what to think anymore. The more you read on dog foods the more confused I get. We all try to give our pet the best food, but unfortunately this is not always the case.

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