Wellness Dog Food Review
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Wellness Dog Food makes several highly popular dog foods, along with meal toppers and treats for dogs. They make foods with and without grains, dry and wet foods, and limited-ingredient formulas.
Before you buy, find out if Wellness Dog Food has a food that’s right for your dog by reading our unbiased review.
Wellness Dog Food: Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Protein | kcal/Cup |
| Wellness Complete Health Adult | Dry | 24% | 434 kcal/cup |
| Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal Recipe | Dry | 34% | 421 kcal/cup |
| Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Salmon & Potato Formula | Dry | 25% | 446 kcal/cup |
About Wellness Dog Food
The Wellness dry pet food line was launched in 1997. In 2000, the Holistic Select dry dog food and cat food lines were started. Between 2000 and 2003, the company expanded their cat food offerings.
By 2004, Wellness was the number one leading natural pet food in the independent pet specialty sales market. In 2006, Wellness added Simple Food Solutions for dogs with allergies.
In 2007, the Berwind Corporation bought Eagle Pack pet food. This was followed in 2008 with the purchase of Wellness and Old Mother Hubbard (a much older company specializing in making dog cookies) for $400 million.
Together with Holistic Select (which had been part of Eagle Pack in the past), these companies were merged into one company, Wellpet LLC. Wellpet is now headquartered near Boston, in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.
Today, Wellness is known for making bestselling dog and cat foods. According to the Wellness website, their philosophy is based on using simple, natural ingredients without fluff or fillers.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Wellness, a company that claims to be “proudly made in the USA,” has faced a lawsuit for allegedly sourcing vitamin pre-mixes from China. Despite the company’s packaging stating “Proudly Made in the USA,” the company’s ingredients are not explicitly stated.
Wellness’ dry recipes are made at their Indiana facility, while their wet foods are mostly made in the U.S. However, some items, such as the Divine duos, signature selects, and pouches, are made in Thailand.
The company’s sourcing information is not always clear, and the company’s response to customer inquiries is limited.
Recall History
Wellness has had several recalls over the years. In February and March 2017, the company had recalls for both dog food and cat food.
Wellness 95% Beef Topper for Dogs was recalled because of elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone; a number of cat foods were recalled because of the potential for foreign material.
In May 2012, Wellness recalled the Wellness Complete Health Super 5 Mix Large Breed Puppy because of the potential for Salmonella.
In October 2012, the company announced (via Facebook) a recall of Wellness Small Breed Adult Health Dry Dog Food because of possible moisture contamination.
Wellness had a canned cat food FDA recall in February 2011 because of inadequate levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1).
Check for current dog food recalls
What Kinds of Dog Food Does Wellness Offer?
Wellness makes both kibbles and wet foods, as well as treats, snacks, and toppers for meals. Many of their products have recipes for puppies as well as adult dogs. They also make some foods for senior dogs.
In addition, they make foods, especially for small and large breeds.
Here are the major product lines for wellness:
- Complete Health is available in formulas with and without grains, in kibbles and cans, and in limited ingredient recipes. Complete Health includes Grained, Grain-Free, Complete Health Pate Wet, Pate Mixers and Toppers, Complete Health Limited Ingredient, Complete Health Limited Ingredient Wet, Complete Health Limited Ingredient Mixers and Toppers (wet), Stews, Wellness Ninety-Five Percent, Petite Entrees, and several treats and snacks.
- Wellness CORE grain-free natural dog foods, treats, and toppers that emphasize animal protein. Includes kibbles, wet, and freeze-dried foods. This line includes CORE Six, RawRev, CORE 100% Freeze-Dried, CORE Simply Shreds, CORE Dry, CORE Tender Bites, CORE Pate, CORE Hearty Cuts, CORE 95%, CORE Small Breed Mini Meals, and CORE Puppy Bites, along with several treats and toppers.
- Simple limited-ingredient dog foods with a single source of protein and easily digestible carbohydrates. No fillers or additives. Formulated for dogs with food sensitivities. Available in kibbles and wet foods. Kibbles are made with oatmeal or are grain-free. Simple includes Simple Dry, Simple Grain-Free Dry, Simple Pate, and Simple Pate Mixers and Toppers.
As you can see, their product lines offer many choices for all kinds of dogs. You can easily find food for your dog, whether you have a tiny dog or a large one.
You can find grain-free foods or foods with grains, kibbles or canned foods, and foods for puppies and senior dogs.
Wellness Dog Food: Top Three Recipes Reviewed
We’re taking a look at three of the top-selling wellness dog foods as found on Chewy.com.
WELLNESS COMPLETE HEALTH ADULT DRY DEBONED CHICKEN & OATMEAL RECIPE DOG FOOD
Product Info
- Protein: 24% Min
- Fat: 12% Min
- Fiber: 4% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
Ingredients:
Wellness Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food is one of Wellness’s bestselling dog foods. This formula is considered to be a grain formula but it contains no corn, wheat, or soy.Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Peas, Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Fat, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Tomatoes, Carrots, Natural Chicken Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Spinach, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols Added to Preserve Freshness, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Chicory Root Extract, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Garlic Powder, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, 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.
As you can see, deboned chicken and chicken meal are the first ingredients. Chicken meal is chicken that has had most of the water removed before cooking. This means that is has several times as much protein as the deboned chicken (which still contains moisture). The addition of oatmeal, barley, and brown rice make this a food with healthy grains.
Peas are the fifth ingredient which could be a concern, especially if you are worried about DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy). The FDA has suggested that dog owners avoid dog foods that contain large amounts of peas, legumes, and lentils.
That has been interpreted to mean various things ranging from all of the ingredients before the vitamins and minerals to the ingredients before the fat in the food.
One of the researchers involved in investigating nutritional DCM has suggested that people should avoid dog foods that have these ingredients as one of the first five ingredients in the food.
Otherwise we don’t see any ingredients here that raise concerns. If you are wondering about the vitamins/mineral pre-mixes from China referred to in the lawsuit mentioned above, many dog food companies use these pre-mixes because some of these vitamins/minerals are hard to obtain elsewhere.
We wouldn’t hold that against Wellness, though many people do try to avoid dog foods that use other ingredients from China out of fears about safety.
Per the guaranteed analysis, this food has 24 percent crude protein, 12 percent crude fat, 4 percent crude fiber, 10 percent moisture, and 434 kcal/cup.
This is a good food for most pets that aren’t overly active. We would give this food a score of 4 out of 5, lowering it due to concerns about the peas being so prominent in the ingredients.
WELLNESS CORE GRAIN-FREE ORIGINAL DEBONED TURKEY, TURKEY MEAL & CHICKEN MEAL RECIPE DRY DOG FOOD
Product Info
- Protein: 34% Min
- Fat: 16% Min
- Fiber: 4% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
Ingredients:
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal Recipe Dry Dog Food is another bestseller for Wellness. This is a grain-free, gluten-free formula with no corn, wheat, or soy. The formula is high in protein and contains no meat by-products, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Potatoes, Dried Ground Potatoes, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato Pomace, Chicken Liver, Natural Chicken Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Salmon Oil, Spinach, Vitamin E Supplement, Broccoli, Carrots, Choline Chloride, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols Added to Preserve Freshness, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, 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.
This formula features deboned turkey, turkey meal, and chicken meal as the sources of meat protein, with some chicken liver appearing later in the list. These are all good sources of protein. As mentioned earlier, these named meat meals have had the water removed before cooking so they contain several times more protein than the deboned turkey. This provides your dog with lots of meat protein.
We have highlighted the peas, potatoes, and dried ground potatoes because these ingredients have been linked to nutritional dilated cardiomyopathy, at least with reported cases.
The link with the potatoes (and dried ground potatoes) is more debatable than the link to peas and other legumes (See the section on the FDA page: “Diet Information from Reported Cases.”)
The FDA has not come up with any final answers about DCM and dog foods so dog owners and dog food companies are more or less left trying to figure out what to do right now.
According to the guaranteed analysis, this food has 34 percent crude protein, 16 percent crude fat, 4 percent crude fiber, and 10 percent moisture. It has 421 kcal/cup.
Because of the peas and potatoes in the food, and possible issues with DCM, we have to lower the rating to 4 out of 5.
WELLNESS SIMPLE LIMITED INGREDIENT DIET GRAIN-FREE SALMON & POTATO FORMULA DRY DOG FOOD
Product Info
- Protein: 25% Min
- Fat: 12% Min
- Fiber: 5% Max
- Moisture: 11% Max
Ingredients:
Like other Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient formulas, Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Salmon & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food is made for dogs with food sensitivities. It’s easily digestible and supports your dog’s skin and coat health.This formula is grain-free, gluten-free, made for sensitive digestion, with a limited ingredient diet; and it has no corn, wheat, or soy. It has a single source of protein with carbohydrates that are easy to digest. And, it has no extra additives or fillers. As with other Wellness recipes, it has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Salmon, Salmon Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Dried Ground Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dicalcium Phosphate, Natural Fish Flavor, Chicory Root Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols Added to Preserve Freshness, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, 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. Salmon and salmon meal are the first ingredients. Salmon is a good source of protein for dogs. It’s also a source of coldwater omega fatty acids that are good for your dog’s skin and coat.
Unlike the omega-3 fatty acid that comes from flaxseed, which dogs can’t really use very effectively, omega-3 from fish is great for dogs.
As with the other Wellness foods we have looked at, Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Salmon & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food uses peas and potatoes.
In this case, potatoes are the third ingredient, peas are the fourth ingredient, and dried ground potatoes are the fifth ingredient.
We have the same concerns with these ingredients in this food that we mentioned before. If these ingredients appeared lower in the ingredient list they probably wouldn’t be a problem.
But since they all appear within the first five ingredients of the food it means that they likely make up a large percentage of the food’s contents.
This food has a guaranteed analysis of 25 percent crude protein, 12 percent crude fat, 5 percent crude fiber, 11 percent moisture, and 446 kcal/cup.
Most of the ingredients in the food look fine but the presence of the peas and potatoes in the top five ingredients is a concern. Our rating for this food is 3.5/5.
How Much Does Wellness Dog Food Cost?
Wellness is considered to be a premium dog food brand. The prices for their foods are expensive, though not the most expensive foods in the market.
The Wellness Core line is generally their most expensive product line since it contains higher protein percentages.
What Do Customers Think of Wellness Dog Food?
Most customers have positive things to say about Wellness Dog Foods. If you read comments on the Wellness website, long-time customers are more likely to comment about the packaging than the contents of the food. Most see improvements in their dog’s coat and appearance.
Overall, is Wellness Dog Food a Good Choice?
Overall, we do think Wellness dog foods are good foods. We do recommend that you look at the ingredients, especially if you are concerned about DCM or if your dog has DCM.
Not every Wellness food uses peas and potatoes, or uses them in large amounts, though these bestsellers we looked at do.
Where is Wellness Dog Food Sold?
You can buy Wellness Dog Food online from retailers like Chewy.com and from some pet food stores.
