Review of Wellness CORE Original Adult Dog Food

After reading the excellent reviews online about Wellness CORE brand dog food, and a need for a dog food change, I decided to give it a try for my 1 year old German Shepherd.

DIRECTIONS

Wellness CORE is meant for dogs over 1 year of age. Dogs under 1 year should only be fed a puppy formula. You must slowly transition your dog from his/her old food to Wellness CORE, to prevent digestive problems. This should be done over a 7 day period, using more Wellness CORE each day until you are feeding 100% of the new food on day 7.

The amount fed will depend on your dog's weight. For example, my German Shepherd weighs approximately 90 lbs, so according to the bag directions, he should eat between 3 ¼ - 3 ¾ cups per day, which is usually about 1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups per feeding, twice a day. Be sure to read the back of the bag for your dog's weight and feeding amount. And as always, make sure there is clean, fresh water available for drinking at all times.

INGREDIENTS

Wellness Core is a premium, natural, protein-focused food, with no grains added. Dogs, by nature, are only programmed to eat meats and vegetables or fruits. There is no dietary need for grains. Many dog food companies add grains, such as corn, rice and wheat gluten, to act as fillers, and many of those grain ingredients are near the top of the list, meaning there is a good amount of the grain added.

The first few ingredients of Wellness CORE original dog food include: deboned turkey, deboned chicken, turkey meal, chicken meal. The rest of the list includes fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, apples and blueberries, as well as vitamins and minerals, like glucosamine and chondroitin, which promotes healthy hips and joints. This is especially important for a German Shepherd or any large breed adult dog.

Since Wellness CORE is a protein-only food, this means that there is a higher level of protein in the food. What this also means is your dog may quickly devour the food, since it tastes so good.

One of the good things about Wellness CORE is there is nothing artificial added. No artificial coloring, preservatives or flavors. What you get is an all-natural, wholesome and nutritious food for your dog.

PRICE & AVAILABILTY

Wellness CORE is not a cheap dog food, but when you are looking to feed your dog a good dog food, you are going to spend more regardless. Other premium brands such as Nutro, Blue Buffalo, Innova and Solid Gold all have hefty price tags, but also good ingredients. Though the $10 price for a 40 lb bag of grocery store brand dog food may look like a great deal, the ingredients make it a very lousy choice.

At my local pet store, Burton's Total Pet, I would pay about $30 for a 12 lb bag, or $58 for a 26 lb bag. Wellness CORE is also available at PetCo stores and online. The price is comparable to other high-end premium dog foods.

VARIETIES

Wellness CORE makes 3 different types of dry dog foods and 2 types of canned. The dry foods include Original formula, Reduced-Fat formula and Ocean formula. My dog is fed the Original formula, though he has tried both types of canned. He definitely did not like the ocean formula canned dog food, and I don't blame him either. The food smelled very fishy, like cat food would.

The Wellness company also makes many other varieties of regular, grain included dog food and treats. They even make cat food. Visit their website for more information www.wellnesspetfood.com

THE CONS

The only con I experienced with Wellness CORE is that my dog developed a nasty habit of coprophagy, or in other words, he started eating his stool. This may happen because the protein-rich food makes the stool taste good to dogs. There are a few options if this happens to your dog. Either find a supplement that you would give your dog to make his stool taste bad, or switch the food to a less-protein rich variety.

Overall, I would recommend Wellness CORE to any dog owner who wants to feed their best friend a great dog food. For more information, please visit www.wellnesspetfood.com