Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains Dog Food Review (Dry)
Highly Recommended
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Which Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains Dry Recipes Get Our Best Ratings?
Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.
The Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains product line includes the 4 dry dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Core Puppy with Wholesome Grains | 5 | G |
| Core Ocean with Wholesome Grains | 5 | M |
| Core Original with Wholesome Grains | 5 | M |
| Core Small Breed with Wholesome Grains | 5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Wellness Core Original with Wholesome Grains was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.
Wellness Core Original with Wholesome Grains
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned turkey, chicken meal (source of chondroitin sulfate), turkey meal (source of glucosamine), oatmeal, barley, chicken fat, tomato pomace, ground flaxseed, quinoa, natural turkey flavor, chicory root extract, salmon oil, potassium chloride, choline chloride, taurine, vitamin E supplement, spinach, broccoli, carrots, parsley, apples, blueberries, kale, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness, zinc sulfate, calcium carbonate, niacin, iron proteinate, ferrous sulfate, Yucca schidigera extract, vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganese sulfate, d-calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement, calcium iodate, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, rosemary extract, green tea extract, spearmint extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 34% | 16% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 38% | 18% | 36% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 32% | 37% | 31% |
Ingredient Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is turkey. Although it is a quality item, raw turkey contains up to 73% 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.
The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is turkey meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.
The next ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.
The fifth inclusion is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The sixth ingredient is chicken fat. This item 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.
The next ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining 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 eighth ingredient is 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 also rich in soluble fiber.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The ninth ingredient is quinoa. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not a true cereal grain but a plant prized for its gluten-free seeds.
Compared to most other grain-type ingredients, it is high in protein (about 12-18%), dietary fiber and other healthy nutrients.
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 Wellness product.
With 4 notable exceptions…
First, chicory root is rich in 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.
Next, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
In addition, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
And lastly, 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.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains looks like an above-average dry dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 38%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 36%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 39% and a mean fat level of 18%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 36% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 45%.
Which means this Wellness product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed and quinoa, this still looks like the profile of a kibble containing a generous amount of meat.
Our Rating of Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains Dog Food
Wellness Core with Wholesome Grains is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a liberal amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Wellness Core Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Wellness through April.
- Wellness Dog Food Recall of March 2017 (3/18/2017)
- Wellness Dog Food Recall October 2012 (10/30/2012)
- Wellness Dog Food Recall May 2012 (5/5/2012)
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
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More Wellness Brand Reviews
The following Wellness dog food reviews are also posted on this website:
- Eagle Pack Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Wellness Complete Health Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Wellness Complete Health Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Wellness Complete Health Grain Free Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Wellness Core 95 Percent Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Wellness Core Digestive Health Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Wellness Core Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Wellness Core Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Wellness Core Hearty Cuts Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Wellness Core RawRev Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Wellness Core Reduced Fat Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Wellness Petite Entrees Casserole Dog Food Review (Cups)
- Wellness Petite Entrees Grain Free Shredded Medley Dog Food Review (Cups)
- Wellness Petite Entrees Mini Filets Dog Food Review (Cups)
- Wellness Simple Dog Food Review (Canned)
- Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Dog Food Review (Dry)
- Wellness Stews Dog Food Review (Canned)
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