# Wellness Core dog food



## Trish1 (Nov 16, 2008)

The bad part of Core is the price. $56 for 26 lbs is exorbitant, but it works great- got rid of a gassy problem which was welcomed relief. Requires less volume, too, so the cost almost balances out. However, why did my food go up $9 a bag in a month? Wellness??


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

I agree it's a little pricey (I used to get the medium-sized bags 12 lbs for $30), but so worth it if your dog is having issues with regular foods. It has a lot of meat in it, which is always good in a carnivore diet AND I like that it's grain-free without having the super high protein content that usually scares people off. I would recommend this food.


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## CatInHiding (Feb 9, 2009)

I was at a Pet Store and the woman there ADVISED I feed ALL my dogs this, including my 8 week old puppy! I was very upset to read that it is NOT for dogs under a year old. I hope this has hurt the pup. He was on it for a week. Makes me a bit angry that these idiots tell people it is for any age from 0 - 16 yr of age or until the animal passes on.


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## CatInHiding (Feb 9, 2009)

Oh - I meant, I hope this HASN'T hurt the pup....retract that last phrase. Anyway, I'm going back to that store and giving that gal a piece of my mind. What a total waste of money and time spent listening to her rattle on about something she obviously didn't know much about.


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## Megan1 (Apr 15, 2009)

At first my dog was on Wellness Fish and Potatoe, which she hated. She wouldn't eat it and actually lost a lot of weight due to that.
Then I went on Wellness Core and she devours this food, but I noticed that she drinks a whole lot more water than she ever used to. 
After having her kidneys checked, the doctor said that I should switch her food and mix it with some wet food, as they showed a level that she was a bit dehydrated.
This may not have anything to do with the food, and I wish I could keep her on it, as she likes it, but the fact that she is drinking so much water with it has me concerned.


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## Cindi (Apr 21, 2009)

I agree with Megan - I switched my 4 weimaraner's to Wellness Core and all of a sudden one of my females would not stop drinking water. I realized the only change in their environment was the food and even though I switched them gradually from their previous brand, Natural Balance, I knew something wasn't right. I switched her back and she's fine now but anyone else out there using this or any food with such a high protein count needs to keep an eye on the water intake and evaluate if increasing the protein is worth the increase in the dogs need for fluid.


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## Barb1 (May 6, 2009)

I feed Wellness to my french bulldogs. I am going to breed my champion girl in the next week or two, and I have read that CORE is not suitalbe for puppies or dogs in whelp. She has done beautifully on Wellness after I found out by accident that she might have a grain allergy...I think corn is the culperate. I'm afraid to change her...but would like to know WHY it's not suitalbe for pregnancy.
Thank you for your tme in advance


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## Bev (Jul 12, 2009)

I have a 2 year old chihuahua, was thinking about trying the core wet food, mixed into her dry food, would this core, be ok for her, she runs around the house getting her excercise, when she isn't outside, for her walks around the yard.


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## Rich1 (Aug 1, 2009)

I tried various premium kibbles and Wellness Core is the only one my Beagle will eat consistently--the others he wouldn't eat at all or would stop after a week. He's had no issues at all and his bowl movements have been small and firm. My only concern is the price for a 26lb bag. Considering this food isnt just sold in specialty shops should allow them to offer it cheaper since its mass produced for big box stores. I'm going to try Orijen and Evo as those are the only two I havent tried yet of the higher quality grain free foods with Evo being almost $10 cheaper for a 28lb bag. The use of canola oil, the price, and the fact they sell to big box stores are the only things putting me off of this food.


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## Stephen_Miller (Mar 1, 2009)

I also feed Wellness Core to my French Bulldogs with wonderful results. They have great looking coats and skin with no allergies. I brought the list of ingredients and nutritional breakdown to my vet and she said it is perfectly fine to feed to puppies. I have raised two litters on the Core with no problems what so ever. The protien level is a bit high which is the only reason one may want to watch using it with puppies, however, puppies do need protein to grow properly.


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## San_Diego (Oct 2, 2009)

Wellness CORE is great for my dog. He is a 3 year old male Corgi. I play with him outside on a regular basis but he is not a super active dog (does not go running with me). Wellness is now sold at Petco, not just the speciality shops, last week their price was $30 for 12 pound bag


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## Alice_Davis (Oct 7, 2009)

what turned me off from buying wellness was that it contains potatoes. i don't even eat white starches. i am not going to feed it to my dogs.

when did grains become the enemy.....yes on corn and wheat....i'm a firm believer they aren't that great for humans, either...but barley and oats and brown rice? those are starches i can and will eat and my dogs eat them too....

their coats are shiny and while i don't buy the cheapest food, the cost doesn't necessarily make it better.


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## Jessica1 (Oct 20, 2009)

I say pay now or pay later!! maybe wellness core isn't for every dog, but the wellness brand is awesome! i'm a vet tech and i see dogs and cats with soo many problems and when we ask what they're feeding it's always beneful for dogs and friskies for cats.. 

also if you have animals that are prone to cancer (i have labs, and boxers are notorious for tumors) then a grain free diet low in carbs is what you need (cancer loves carbs). i always add merrick wet to their food to help ease their digestion (also good for dogs prone to bloat like labs  )


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## dhughes (Nov 29, 2010)

blue wilderness is better than wellness core by far


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## John_DVM (Jan 9, 2010)

Wellness CORE is one of the BEST foods you can buy. Others include EVO and Orijen. These are the top tier foods in all respects.

Keep in mind: all puppies should avoid low carb higher protein foods--of ANY brand.

BTW, Blue Wilderness is okay, but no where near as good as CORE.

Please check out the DogFoodAnalysis website for more details.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

DogFoodAnalysis is not the Gospel. There is more to it than just ingredients and nutrient breakdowns. Sure a dog food can have 40% protein...but where is that 40% coming from exactly? You have to keep your calcium and phosphorus levels in check as well. And don't forget about your ash levels that most companies don't publish. DogFoodAnalysis even claims this on there website in their FAQ section, that they are only grading based on available information on dog food bags and websites and nothing else. And how do foods like Taste Of The Wild get a 6 star yet foods like Acana Grain Free (3) and Before Grain foods not make the 6 star? I agree that DogFoodAnalysis is a good reference site to learn all about ingredients at one site, but lets face it...there are 3 catagories.....group 1: Garbage, group 2: quality food with grains, group3: quality foods without grains. Be real, if it doesn't fit in group 2 or 3, then it's garbage. DogFoodAnalysis is also on the other side of the fence about beet pulp. Whole Dog Journal and The Dog Food Project, just to reference two sources but I've found tons more, render beet pulp to be effective and not problematic. Read for yourself. Taking that into consideration would put a food like Canine Caviar in the 5 or 6 catagory. Like I said, DogFoodAnalysis is a nice site, but it's not 100%


How about where the food is made? Did you know that Wellness has food produced in the same place that Diamond produces food? Or the guy that said Blue Wilderness is better than Core yet Blue Buff has food made in the same factory that produces Dad's. Are you certain that what's in the bag is true?

There are only a few companies that I can think of that actually manufacturer there own food.....Orijen/Acana (I don't know anyone that takes it more seriously)...Merrick...Natura (Evo, Innova, Karma, California Natural)...Fromm. These are the only ones that come to mind. I still hold Wellness in high regard but there food is made in six different factories across the U.S. But then again, the only thing I like from Wellness is their Pure dog treats, Core Original, Core Ocean, Super5 Just For Puppy, Super5 Large Breed Puppy, and Super5 Large Breed Adult.

Every dog is different and every dog will act and perform differently on each food. I'm so glad to see so many people becoming more and more aware of what is actually in commercial pet food. But when selecting a true premium food like Core, Orijen, or Evo, read the full nutrient breakdown, figure out where the food is made, and make a long transistion into the food.



On a side note to someone elses previous post.....If your dog doesn't drink very much, that's a bad thing and you better ad more moisture to his/her food. Adding a can of wet should do the trick. The high protein diet will most likely cause your pet to drink more....GOOD! Have plenty of fresh clean water for them


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

i still feed my dog canidae but ve heard that its not asd good anymore due to the formula changes?? i like canidae because it has never been recalled and it seems to have the best ingredients of any brand. it is all human grade,has good grains like brown rice,and has a variety of meats...it even has herrings!

inova has been recalled and im pretty sure wellness has also..not recently but in the past. if its been recalled in the past that reflects my view of the companies. anyways is canidae still a premium food? i was thinking of switching to something better? my dog has farts at times. i dont want to switch to core and have him eat less meat and be dehydrated.


heres a vid of my dog shane.its hard to believe hes turning 7 isnt he gorgeous.?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vpv_9vD8DjQ


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## Peter_Ronaldson (Mar 21, 2011)

I agree with eric, Core and Evo are superior products. I feed my dog Core Fish and Chicken and complement it with the Evo red Meat. BEST RESULTS EVER.


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## Peter_Ronaldson (Mar 21, 2011)

David INNOVA and WELNESS were never recalled. I Guarantee it. You can still go on the food recall list and see it for yourself


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## suzanne_hunt (May 11, 2010)

I love this food, and was prepared to change my dogs over to it, since my dogs seem to prefer the taste over some of the other higher-end grain-free kibbles. However, I have great difficulty finding places to purchase the product, as the locations which stock the better dog foods say they will not be stocking Wellness products any longer because the product is being sent to them stale-dated, and Wellness will not stand by their product and take returns on stale-dated product like the other companies do. I was prepared to purchase a large bag, and went to do so, but ... yes, the product was out-dated!!!!!!!! The store-owner said he just rec'd the shipment this week!!! 
I suggested that perhaps they need better reps - I thought maybe that's a job I might enjoy taking on, as I hate to see the product lost to this area. However I was informed that most of the Canadian reps have been fired, and the stores are not receiving communications from the Wellness company as to what is going on. So help us out here, Wellness .... what IS going on!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

david do not make false statements here. Innova or any of the other products produced by Naturapet have never been recalled NEVER.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/Products/AnimalFoodFeeds/PetFood/UCM2006475


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

It too have seen Core outdated in pet food stores. I've NEVER seen the reduced fat version in date YET! Core Ocean and Core I have seen outdated and most of the time will expire within weeks.

Wellness isn't what it used to be.

Question: if you live in Canada, can I ask why you are not purchasing Orijen, Acana or Now?


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## Larry_Hawley (Apr 29, 2010)

I called Wellness today because I had heard that they were using by-products. Their answer was "That is not so." Then I went to the feed store where I get my Wellness Core and checked the ingredient's list right off the bag and saw no by-products. So, I wish Wellness would put out a statement and say that what's in the ingredient's list is what's in the bag. So many people on these sites make false statements and don't really know the truth. They get others wondering. My doggie day care has changed from Core to Halo because of it and I don't think that's a good choice. My golden will stay on Core until someone PROVES something different to me. And, by the way, Dazie has a bowl of water next to her food dish and drinks during and after her meal. She's in great health. If I could find something as good, but cheaper I might change, but I haven't yet.


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## DrJimmy (Aug 19, 2010)

We rescued a 13 month old boxer 2 months ago. Really underweight, her coat was like hay, kennel cough, slow etc.... 2 months of Wellness Core mixed with Merrick wet and chunks of boiled chicken breast.... She has gone form 35 lbs to 42 lbs, all her old dead hair fell out, replaced with a shiny brown coat, her teeth are now white...she plays with my kids and his the happiest dog i know. And the poops....3 a day....nice and solid....
Thanks Wellness..


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## Dr._Laura_Moss (Sep 8, 2010)

Alice Davis; you cannot compare what YOU would eat, to what your DOG should eat, unless you are in fact canine. Dogs are very, VERY different from humans. Potatoes are something they would actually dig up and eat in the wild, grains however, are NOT. Dogs are not designed to digest grains, at all. Grains may not be your enemy, but they are your dogs. 

I think people forget that dogs are not children, or human. They are animals, they are incredibly different from us, and should not eat what we do. Just because something is healthy for us, doesn't mean it's healthy for them.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

@ Dr. Laura Moss, I am by no means a expert on canine nutrition. But I was fortunate to have been raised in a fairly rural environment that has wild dogs (coyotes). And to my knowledge we NEVER had a problem with a coyote out digging potatoes in the gardens we planted growing up. Come to think of it I've never saw a Wolf documentary either that shows a Starving wolf eating a raw potato. I'm not trying to cause ruckus or doubt your credentials but the statement about dogs digging up raw potatoes lack credibility from what I've witnessed.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Potatoes are not bad for dogs, but they certainly add nothing to a dogs diet. They have very few nutrients to add to any animals diet to include humans. In fact Alice Davis, brown rice and sweet potatoes have a little something to add to any animals diet. I am not sure when potatoes were introduced to America but they have not been here that long, maybe 3-4 hundred years. Now coyotes and wolfs have been here for thousands of years, which should tell you something.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

I agree 200% w/ Jess


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## Bill_Marshall (Oct 24, 2010)

I have just made the switch to Wellness Core. I WAS feeding my 3 yr old Golden Retriever RoyalCanine Weight Care for the past year and he was still gaining weight. RoyalCanine was recommended by our Vet, but after seeing the reviews on it(it's a 2 star), I wanted a higher quality food for my best friend. I almost bought Innova EVO until I discovered to my amazement that they are owned by Proctor and Gamble. The same owners that distroyed the IAMS brand and the 
Eukanuba brand. They also STILL do a LOT of animal testing. Its only a matter of time before P+G destroys the Innova product. I like the Orijen, but the protien level is too high for my liking. My dog loves the Wellness. Its a 6 star rated food. Good enough for ME to eat if I wanted. Thats what my pet deserves. He will only be here a short time with us. Why not give him the best!! His coat is now gorgeous, his stool reduced and less smelly, he drools for his food at eating time.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Good choice Bill Marshall, you have just become a great dog owner by feeding one of the best dog foods out there. I have Wellness Core rated as the 5th best dog foods made today. And if you would like to do a little reading this lady is awesome

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients


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## Bill_Marshall (Oct 24, 2010)

You know, I dont understand Vets. I was talking with a friend today about dog food and his Vet recomended Beniful(sp) for his 130lb Chocolate Lab. Mine recommended the Royal Canin. Why to they push such crap on unsuspecting people who follow the Vets advice and feed their pets this junk??


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Money talks and don't think for one second that Vets are not being paid off. Just like our government, why do you think that illegals are here taking decent paying jobs from Americans and putting US citizens on the unemployment roles?? PAYOFFS, IT's EVERYWHERE IN OUR SYSTEM....Look at the drugs like oxycotton, HUGE PAYOFFS...And don't think for a second that the drugs coming into this country aren't being brought in by our government,, PAYOFFS!!


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## greenhaven (Nov 20, 2010)

@Bill Marshall...you've probably figured our by now that Vets are given "incentives" for pushing certain dog food brands. You've probably seen the Hills Science Diet ads that state..."Vet's #1 Choice for their own pets". Hills has the budget to send reps out to visit vets in the field in order to persuade them to recommend their product(s). Vets receive "incentives" in return. It's all a marketing ploy. A regular person like you or I hear a vet recommend something, we automatically think it's legit. Not so. 
Products like Orijen, Solid Gold, Evo (If P&G doesn't destroy it) and other premium brands that don't waste money on marketing hype are trustworthy sources of good nutrition for our dogs.
It's kinda like gardening products. I was always dumb enough to believe everything I read or saw about Scotts brand garden products. I always wondered why the soil underneath my lawn and garden was always dead looking, even though the grass and plants looked healthy. I discovered true organic lawn and garden products and saw my soil gradually return to a rich and healthy condition. The grass and plants now thrive in a healthy environment. 
Previously, my plants and lawn were nothing more than "drug addicts", dependent on the chemicals to survive and thrive.
Same with dog food....the big names that advertise on tv and pay off vets are using nothing more than junk and chemicals in their "dog foods".


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## Netto (Nov 11, 2010)

As for food companys being owned by large conglomerates ("EVO" Proctor and Gamble) Wellness is also owned by a large conglomerate... (Berwind Corporation(


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Thanks for the heads up. Wellness Core just dropped 2 spots because of this.


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## speeddts (Sep 3, 2010)

I agree with Jess also. 

Wellness Core Adult ingrediants and analysis look very good, I just bought a 4lb bag to mix with my pups Orijen Puppy and Nature's Variety Instinct Rabbit formula

He already consumes Wells Canned Puppy Food and loves it.

I have emailed Wellness a couple of times and signed up for their mailers, they are very happy to respond, assist with returns/replacements (dog didnt like wellness core fish) and have been very happy to earn our business.

Best,


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## Laina (Dec 27, 2010)

I have a lhasa/maltese mix i switched from nutro lamb and rice formula because it was 90% rice and 10% lamb. Cotton loves wellness core i pay 35 dollars for a 12 lb bag but she only eats 1 cup a day so it lasts me a while. When i first got her, she was eating pedigree because i didnt know any better, then switched to nutro, and now wellness. She used to never eat pedigree and even with nutro she was really picky her bowl would be half full by the end of the night. Now with wellness her bowl is always empty by the end of the night. I love wellness and will be feeding it to her for the rest of her life. We feed original formula


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## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

I have 5 dogs who eat this food, they range in age from 1.5 yrs. to 10 yrs. We had problems starting to occur with a brand of dog food we had been feeding for quite some time, all of a sudden three of our dogs were developing skin allergies. Our terrier, who is 10 yrs, had it the worst and was losing most of his fur along his back and underbelly. Our two youngest labs, both 1.5 yrs, were also losing spots of hair. After trying lots of different medications we weren't sure what would fix this or even what was causing it. The vet told us the problem was a flea allergy, however none of our dogs had fleas or even flea dirt. I was a little floored our vet wouldn't budge on their diagnosis. Needless to say, the condition of their skin and coats did not improve until I bought Wellness Core. I originally bought Core because of my high-energy, picky eating, agility dog who I noticed wasn't doing well digesting the Kirkland(Costco brand) dog food we had been buying for her since she was a pup. Well, as soon as I switched her over to all Core, her digestive issues stopped and her energy level increased as well. I decided if the food worked so well for her, then I should try it with the other four dogs, including our little terrier. Everyone is eating Core now and everyone has perfect health. Within a week and a half the patches of coat which had been missing on our youngest labs and terrier began to grow back and the itching ceased. I'm very, very pleased with this product and wouldn't think of switching their food again (unless Wellness decides switching ingredients, I hope they don't!)


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## AmeliaPond (Mar 25, 2011)

I'm thinking about switching my dog to Wellness Core and came across this site. When we adopted her, she was on nasty food so we slowly transitioned to regular Wellness but it didn't seem to sit well with her stomach (or it may have just been the stress of a new environment since it was her first month here.) Then we switched to Natural Balance Ultra which she was on for almost two years. She developed some weird skin issues so we tried Natural Balance Sweet Potato and fish but saw no improvement. Now we are considering a very gradual switch to Wellness Core. The above info says it's not good for inactive dogs. Well, our dog is a 4 year old Carolina Dog mix who gets a daily walk and runs around the yard briefly each day. But that's about it. If I feed her a high protein food, like Wellness Core, is that bad? If so, why?


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## Holly4 (Jun 6, 2011)

We used Wellness Core Oceana wet along with the Wellness dry whitefish and Sweet Potato and had horrible results as soon as we added the Core. We have two Pits and our youngest began to refuse to eat...went from 85 to 60 pounds within months and was diagnosed with diabetes insipidus. After spending a fortune at the vet, we spent months trying to get her appetite back and finally achieved it with BB. Now BB is not the end all be all either...she sheds horribly and her stools are usually not solid, but her coat is as soft as cotton and she loves to eat again. Unfortunately we are stuck with the diabetes insipidus which costs us $100 a month for eye drops. Look at some other websites for reviews because I wasn't the only one who had this issue but because it's hard to find a vet that will contribute anything to the food Wellness didn't believe us.


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## S (Jul 21, 2011)

I have a year old pomeranian, he is around 4-5lbs, runs a round the house a lot but I’m not sure if that is acount as “active” or not. He is currently eating Wellness CORE Ocean Formula; I read some reviews about it being high on protein and therefore should be fed to inactive dogs. Should I switch to the Poutry formula instead? Thanks in advance for the advice.


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## Jizelle (Feb 9, 2012)

I have had my 2.5 year old lhasapoo on Wellness Core dry food and Wellness 95% Turkey canned food, for almost a year now. I switched him to this after he started to get some food allergies. After trying a couple different other brands that are considered 6 star as well, Wellness Core has been the best for him! The itching has stopped and he is doing so well on this food!! I highly recommend Wellness.


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## kaliberknl (May 9, 2012)

On paper, I like Wellness products but find my dogs lose interest in them even though they normally have great appetites.


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## Roger3 (May 8, 2012)

Is wellness core have any affiliation with Diamond?? If they do, certainly will cease for purchasing any more of their dog food


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## Lolita's_Mom (May 26, 2012)

I've been feeding Wellness Core Reduced Fat Dry to my little Chiweenie for 2 years along with Merrick 5-Star Canned Food as a topper...she is VERY healthy and everyone (including the vet) compliments her on her soft and shiny coat and bright eyes....she has no digestive or urinary problems whatsoever and her breath is so sweet, never stinky ...I think this is the BEST food combination one can give their dogs.


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