Wellness Core

Wellness Core Adult Large Breed review

Name: Wellness Core Adult Large Breed
Brand: Wellness Core

72.8/100Excellent

DryAdult

A grain-free chicken kibble for big dogs that puts more of its bulk into meat than most, and it sits in our Excellent band. The chicken is split into five named forms, so you can see what makes up the 57%. The joint pair is dosed at a level that means something.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Large-breed adults, the one size this label speaks to
Dogs whose joints need real support: glucosamine at 400 mg/kg and chondroitin at 300 mg/kg
Keeping a big dog trim, with L-carnitine declared and fat held to 13.0%
Dogs kept away from grain
Dogs that thrive on chicken, the only land animal in the recipe

Worth watching

Salmon oil rules it out as a fish-free or single-protein elimination diet
Chicken is nearly all the animal content, so not for a dog that reacts to it
No moisture figure, so the dry matter readings rest on the standard 8% assumption

Written by our editorial team. Independent guidance, not veterinary advice.

How this scores

How we score

72.8/100Excellent

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceExcellent

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueExcellent

The details

Dog fit

Listed for large adults. The label asks 330 grams at 30kg and 485 grams at 50kg, so portion to the frame you have and only one bag size is sold.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult

Breed size

Large

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Wellness Core Adult Large Breed 72.8

All one Excellent. Typical dry food: Good.

Construction gets this one ahead of the middle of the shelf: a fully itemised meat share and a low ash reading.

What's in it

Chicken: fresh, dehydrated, dried protein, gravy, fat57% (25%, 18%, 5%, 5%, 4%)Fresh chicken is mostly water; the dehydrated chicken and dried protein carry the finished kibble.
Peas, dried potatoesThe starch, with no grain anywhere.
Linseed3%Plant omega 3.
Beet pulp3%Fermentable fibre.
Salmon oil2%Marine omega 3, and the reason this cannot rule fish in or out.
Carrots, apples0.5% each
Dried chicory root, yeast extract0.5% eachThe prebiotic pair.
Glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulphate400 mg/kg, 300 mg/kgMeaningful amounts for a dog that may carry 40kg or more.
Broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, cranberries, blueberriesdown to 0.01%Decoration, not nutrition.
Yucca, mixed herbsThe herbs are the natural preservative system.

Vitamins A, D3 and E, taurine at 1500 mg for heart muscle and L-carnitine at 150 mg for fat handling, with trace minerals as sulphates.

Named ingredients

Chicken 57% (Fresh Chicken 25%, Dehydrated Chicken 18%, Dried Chicken Protein 5%, Chicken Gravy 5%, Chicken Fat 4%), Peas, Dried Potatoes, Linseed 3%, Beet Pulp 3%, Salmon Oil 2%, Carrots 0.5%, Apples 0.5%, Dried Chicory Root (source of Fructo-oligo-saccharides and Inulin) 0.5%, Yeast Extract (source of mannan-oligosaccharides) 0.5%, D-Glucosamine Hydrochloride 400 mg/kg, Chondroitin Sulphate 300 mg/kg, Broccoli, Spinach, Tomatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries 0.01%, Yucca Schidigera, Mixed Herbs (Dried Rosemary, Dried Turmeric, Dried Citrus, Dried Eugenia).

Against the range

One grain-free recipe for large adults. Chicken is declared at 57% and split into five entries, peas and dried potatoes carry the starch, and salmon oil and linseed supply the omega 3. Glucosamine, chondroitin, taurine and L-carnitine all carry printed figures.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

364.4 kcal/100g

Protein

33%

Fat

13%

Fibre

3.5%

Ash

Dry weight

Protein

35.9%

Fat

14.1%

Fibre

3.8%

Ash

6.5%

Carbs

39.7%

As-fed composition

Estimated breakdown of the finished product by ingredient category, from the declared ingredient list and ingoing weights. These are estimates, not measurements.

Meat

52%

Added water

Carbs

27%

Veg

4.7%

Oils

Other

9.3%

Pricing & size