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Wellness CORE+ with Freeze-Dried Pieces Adult Grain-Free High-Protein Natural Wild Game Dry Dog Food, 18-lb bag
Wellness

CORE+ with Freeze-Dried Pieces Adult Grain-Free High-Protein Natural Wild Game Dry Dog Food, 18-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
freeze dried $4.55/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Wellness CORE+ with Freeze-Dried Pieces Adult Grain-Free High-Protein Natural Wild Game Dry Dog Food is a dry food with freeze-dried pieces, featuring duck, lamb, and chicken for adult dogs.

This food has a strong protein profile, with duck as the first ingredient, which means good bioavailability. It also includes premium micronutrient forms like chelated minerals. The formula is designed for adult maintenance, suggesting it meets AAFCO standards.

There is some legume stacking, with peas, chickpeas, and lentils appearing in the top ingredients. This is a pattern the FDA has noted in its DCM investigation, though it's partially mitigated here by lamb hearts in the top 10.

Good fit for adult dogs who thrive on a high-protein diet. Less ideal if your dog has a sensitivity to legumes or a heart condition.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Frenchies have notoriously sensitive GI tracts plus a tendency toward obesity given their low activity needs. Limited-ingredient formulas with moderate calorie density tend to fit them well. Good fit for adult French Bulldogs navigating a sensitive stomach. Duck leads at position 1, with dried plain beet pulp (prebiotic fiber) at position 9 on the deck. What to watch: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers).

Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs or French Bulldogs with a sensitive stomach ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.

Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.

Research informing this analysis

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

At 69/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 21.5 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with duck as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Where it lost ground: controversial-ingredient penalty, costing 2 points. Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10. The path to A-tier is about 6 points; controversial-ingredient penalty is the structural lever.

What lifted the score

Strong protein profile with duck as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.

ACF

Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.

MNI
What pulled it down

Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..

CIP
What sets this apart
  • Bottom 1% for carb quality in Wellness's lineup (8/16)
  • Top 10% for crude fiber in grain-free freeze-dried foods (6.7% DMB)
  • Bottom quartile for caloric density in Wellness's lineup (389 kcal/cup)

Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.

Similar dog foods worth considering

Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Wellness CORE+ with Freeze-Dried Pieces Adult Wholesome Grains High-Protein Natural Turkey & Chicken Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Wellness

Wellness CORE+ with Freeze-Dried Pieces Adult Wholesome Grains High-Protein Natural Turkey & Chicken Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag

82

Scores 13 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Merrick Healthy Grains Raw-Coated Kibble Real Chicken + Brown Rice Recipe Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Merrick

Merrick Healthy Grains Raw-Coated Kibble Real Chicken + Brown Rice Recipe Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag

74

$3.64/lb vs your seed's $4.55/lb (20% less) at a comparable score.

Worth a look
Different brand, different protein
Merrick Healthy Grains Raw-Coated Kibble Real Salmon + Brown Rice Recipe Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Merrick

Merrick Healthy Grains Raw-Coated Kibble Real Salmon + Brown Rice Recipe Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag

79

Salmon instead of duck, 10 points higher, different brand.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 39% ⓘ
Protein
35%
min (as fed)
Fat
15%
min (as fed)
Fiber
6%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

55 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    duck

    Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    lamb meal

    Lamb cooked down to a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh lamb. See why →

    Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.

  3. 3
    chicken meal

    Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →

    Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  4. 4
    peas

    Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

    Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.

  5. 5
    chickpeas

    Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

    Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.

  6. 6
    lentils

    Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →

    Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  7. 7
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

    Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  8. 8
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →

    Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  9. 9
    dried plain beet pulp

    Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →

    Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.

  10. 10
    lamb hearts

    Position 10. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.

  11. 11
    pork

    Real meat. Dense protein and fat, though less common in dog food than chicken or beef.

    Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  12. 12
    rabbit

    Real meat, very lean. A common novel protein for elimination diets.

    Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  13. 13
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

    Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  14. 14
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  15. 15
    dried chicory root

    Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.

    Position 15: trace fiber inclusion.

  16. 16
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  17. 17
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  18. 18
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  19. 19
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  20. 20
    spinach

    Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.

  21. 21
    broccoli

    Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.

  22. 22
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  23. 23
    parsley

    Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.

  24. 24
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  25. 25
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

Showing first 25 of 55. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.