Formulated To Help Keep Your Senior Dog Healthy
Protein and CarbohydratesReal meat plus wholesome brown rice provide your senior dog with the energy he needs to stay active. |
High-Quality Protein SourcesReal meat is the first ingredient to provide your dog with the protein he needs to help maintain healthy muscles. |
Glucosamine and ChondroitinSupplemented just for older dogs, this formula helps promote joint and hip health to support overall mobility. |
Purina Pro Plan Adult Dog Food
Rating:
Adult Shredded Blend Chicken and Rice is one of 19 dry recipes included in our review of the Purina Pro Plan product line.
- First 5 ingredients: Chicken, rice, whole grain wheat, poultry by-product meal, soybean meal
- AAFCO: All Life Stages
- Options:See all available recipes
Pro Plan Adult Shredded Blend combines a hard kibble with tender, pieces of real, shredded chicken for enhanced flavor and texture.
A classic, grain-inclusive kibble that derives the majority of its animal protein from fresh chicken and poultry by-product meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 30% protein, 18% fat and 44% estimated carbs delivering a fat-to-protein ratio of about 62%.
Key Facts |
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Live probiotics to support healthy digestion |
Omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat |
Highly digestible recipe for optimal nutrient delivery |
No artificial colors or flavors |
This Purina Pro recipe is recommended by 96% of actual buyers on Chewy.com and is a top pick for large breed adult dogs.
- Options:See all available recipes
Merrick Grain-Free Large Breed recipe is a high-protein formula with sweet potatoes, peas, apples and blueberries. These fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants to help fight disease resistance while the significant protein is included to help larger breed dogs retain lean muscles.
Key Facts |
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Grain-free. No corn, wheat or soy |
60% protein and healthy fats |
No by-product meals |
- Options:See all available recipes
- Options:See all available recipes
Tip: Save Time With Petplate
Want to make life a little easier? PetPlates here to help. Our vet nutritionist, Dr. Renee Streeter, has been with us since day one, crafting each of our recipes to ensure theyre both highly palatable and perfectly balanced.
With four recipes to choose fromall made with high-quality, human-grade, and whole-food ingredientsyoure bound to find one that your dog loves. Plus, meals are delivered right to your door and on your schedule. Youll have more time to spend with your furry family members, backed with the peace of mind that youre serving them the best.
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Wellness Dog Food Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
Product Name | |
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Original Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal Recipe | Dry |
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Salmon & Potato Formula | Dry |
- The company makes their dry foods and most wet foods at their own facilities in North America
- Customers give the company and its foods high marks
- Wellness is moderately priced compared to some premium dog foods
- Wellness does not provide clear cut answers about the sources for their ingredients
- Many Wellness foods use peas in the first several ingredients
- The company makes their dry foods and most wet foods at their own facilities in North America
- Customers give the company and its foods high marks
- Wellness is moderately priced compared to some premium dog foods
- Wellness does not provide clear cut answers about the sources for their ingredients
- Many Wellness foods use peas in the first several ingredients
Our reviews are based on extensive research and years of professional knowledge of dog food brands. In order to remain objective, we do not accept gifts of free products or write sponsored posts on this site.
Weve looked at Wellness closely and graded it according to the PupJunkies.com standard. Our criteria include ingredients, quality, customer experience, recall history, working with veterinary nutritionists to formulate the food, nutritional standards, research, and price.
Are You Feedinga Puppy Or An Adult
Large breeds puppies dont reach adulthood until 12 to 18 months.
Yet giant breeds can weigh over 100 pounds and take up to 24 months before theyre considered adults.
If youre feeding a large breed puppy
Be sure to visit our Best Large Breed Puppy Food page for our most recent recommendations.
The list below is recommended for large breed adults.
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Is Blue Buffalo A Healthy Option For Senior Dogs
Blue Buffalo markets 5 wet and 7 dry dog foods, each designed to be suitable for older animals. Each product contains above-average protein and below-average fat and calories levels. Recipes meet AAFCO nutrient guidelines for adult maintenance which makes each a healthy option for senior dogs. View The Dog Food Advisors best senior dog foods here.
Nutritional Profile Of Wellness Core Grain
Wellness CORE® is a family of high-protein, natural dog food, treats, and toppers available in grain-free and wholesome grains options. CORE is big on flavor and rooted in the belief that dogs love and thrive on hearty animal proteins.
Your love for your dogs means you want them to enjoy a meal thats both tasty and healthy. And with ingredients like beef and salmon, CORE is truly a protein-packed dog food. At the heart of every tasty CORE bite is a careful balance of natural, quality ingredients. The result is a wonderfully nutrient-dense meal your pets can sink their teeth into.
Dog Food Care chose the Wellness CORE Original Formula to represent the 12 recipes in the Wellness CORE grain-free range.
Below is information about the ingredients and nutritional profile of the Wellness CORE Original Formula
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Analyzing the first 10 ingredients in dog food is a great way to understand the overall nutrient content of the dog food because AAFCO requires all dog food ingredients to be listed in orderof predominance by their weight. The first ingredient in this dog food is turkey, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, all 9 essential amino acids, and without overdoing the fats because turkey meat is lean.
Lentils are number six on the ingredients list, a legume that provides carbs, fiber, protein and numerous nutrients like folate, vitamin B6, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.
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Cost Of Small Breed Dog Food
Once you have sorted through the various dog food brands and found one that you and your vet think will best benefit your dog, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend. A good rule of thumb to follow for commercial dog food diets is to stay away from the cheapest option. Your dogs food is a vital part of his preventative healthcare, and so you want to invest in it as much as possible. When it comes to dog food, you usually get what you pay for.
On the other hand, an expensive dog food is not a guarantee of quality, either. By talking with your veterinarian and comparing brands of dog food in a variety of price ranges, you should be able to find the best dog food for small dogs that also matches your budget.
Wellness Pet Food History
It might seem a stretch that a popular dog food would end up under the ownership of a mining company. But that is the story of Wellness.
The Wellness label was the 1997 brainchild of food scientists and animal nutritionists who collaborated on the recipe.
Wellness, with its now-familiar celestial sun and star logo, was said to be the first pet food brand to offer grain-free recipes. It would go on to become a flagship product that, much like a celestial body, collected other pet food companies due to gravity.
A parent company, WellPet LLC, was incorporated around the success of Wellness. In 2004, L Catterton Partners, an equity firm, acquired WellPet for $45 million. Catterton decided that WellPet was both a defensible and extensible product line. In other words, it was a good product with a lot of potential for growth.
A Coal Company Diversifies
In 2008, the Wellness brand and its sister company, Mother Hubbard Inc., were acquired by Berwind Corp., a private investment management company, in a $400 million deal. Berwind had acquired another WellPet brand, Eagle Pack, a few months earlier, in October 2007.
Berwind was, at its inception, a coal mining operation. In operation since the 19th century, the company was hit by the decline of coal and the rise of oil and gas as favored heat fuels. Its acquisition of WellPet was part of an overall diversification of Berwinds portfolio that began in the 1960s.
Constantly Evolving
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Who Makes Blue Buffalo And Where Is It Made
Blue Buffalo is owned by U.S. food company, General Mills. All of the brands dog food products are produced in the United States.
Blue Buffalo owns and operates 2 manufacturing facilities. One is located in Joplin, Missouri and the other in Richmond, Indiana. The company also outsources a number of its other products to co-packers that are also located in America.
Why You Should Trust Me
Whether youre experienced in dog and other pet topics or not, Im sure youre in the right place. I do my best to provide the best and most reliable information possible to my readers.My name is Peter Laskay, and I have been a pet lover since I was a child. One of the most important places in my life is to gain as much knowledge as possible about pet care. And I want to pass this knowledge on to my blog visitors.Should you have any questions at any time, feel free to contact me using the contact information on the website.
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The Farmers Dog Fresh
Rating:
Turkey Recipe is one of 4 fresh-made foods included in our review of The Farmers Dog product line.
- First 5 ingredients: USDA Turkey, chickpeas, carrot, broccoli, parsnips
- Type: Grain-free
- Life stage: All life stages
- Best for:Puppies and adults, all breed sizes
- Price: $$$
This specific poultry formula derives most of its meat protein from fresh USDA turkey. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 19% fat and 40% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
All Farmers Dog recipes are human-grade. Theyre each designed by a board certified veterinary nutritionist . A rare and unusual finding.
The company designs a customized feeding plan thats based on your dogs ideal weight, age, breed type and activity level and then pre-packages each meal into an appropriate portion size, according to the number of calories needed to maintain your dog at ideal weight.
The food is delivered to your door on a flexible schedule. Once in your home, store the food in your freezer and thaw each package in your refrigerator.
An exceptional, fresh, grain-free option ideal for those who want to feed a scientifically balanced meal thats as close to homemade as you can get. Minus all the hard work.
Affordable. But not cheap. Enthusiastically recommended for small dogs of all ages especially puppies.
How To Make Homemade Dog Food:
Making homemade dog food is a cinch! Heres a quick rundown of the process:
- Brown the turkey. Heat a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add in the coconut oil and turkey and sauté until it is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Add the veggies. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the zucchini, spinach, carrots and turmeric. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Mix in the egg. Turn off the heat and and crack in the egg. Let the egg cook in the hot food, mix it around to ensure it mixed through and cooked through.
- Stir in the rice. Add the rice and stir it in with the other ingredients until everything is well combined. Cool and serve!
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Feeding Tips For Large Breed Puppies And Dogs
Now that you have a better understanding of what your large-breed dogs actual nutritional needs are, you have a foundation to start from when shopping for dog food.
You now know that large-breed dogs need a lot of protein in their diet to help maintain lean muscle mass but they shouldnt get too much fat in their diet because it could lead to excess calories and unhealthy weight gain.
To make your job of choosing a dog food easier, it is best to select a product that is specially formulated for large-breed dogs. A high-quality formula designed for large-breed dogs will be protein-rich with moderate fat content and limited carbohydrates. This is the best way to meet your larger dogs protein needs without going overboard on calories.
When your large-breed dog is young, you should seriously consider feeding him a large-breed puppy recipe. Large-breed puppies need a lot of protein to fuel their healthy growth and development, but you need to make sure that they dont grow too fast.
Slow and sustained growth is best for large-breed puppies because if they puppy grows too fast, it could put excess strain on his developing bones and joints which could increase his risk for developing musculoskeletal issues as an adult.
This is why most large-breed puppy recipes have limited fat content because excess calories can lead to excess growth which could predispose your puppy to health problems as an adult.
Recommended Serving Size For Homemade Dog Food:
The amount of homemade dog food that your dog will require is dependent upon how much your dog weighs and how active he or she is. This amount varies from dog to dog. I suggest talking to your vet and getting their advice on a good starting point.
You can also monitor your dog to make sure they are maintaining their weight and staying happy and active.
This recipe makes about six cups of food, which is three days worth of food for Charlie who is about forty-five pounds. You can easily adjust this amount based on the weight of your dog. Also, feel free to scale this recipe up and double or even triple it, if you wanted to cook less often.
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Wellness Complete Health Grain
Like the Wellness Complete Health Wholesome Grains recipes, the six grain-free recipes are formulated for dogs of all ages, breeds, and sizes. Knowing that you can feed your furry friends, from the littlest to the most senior, with the same Wellness Complete Health kibble makes it easier for multi-dog families to keep them all healthy and happy.
Wellness Complete Health grain-free recipes that feature real meat as the first ingredient to offer moderate levels of high-quality animal protein. Other whole food ingredients like veggies and fruits provide a concentrated natural source of vitamins and minerals. Additional fortification and antioxidants ensure that these recipes provide balanced nutritional profiles that support optimal health.
These delicious recipes are formulated with a balanced blend of proteins, grain-free carbs and select fats, providing the energy your dog needs to thrive. Unique animal proteins used in this dog foods different flavors include chicken, whitefish, turkey, and lamb, all excellent sources of high-quality protein and fatty acids. Because they have high moisture content, the proteins lost in the cooking process are replaced with meals of the particular first ingredient.
Below is a list of the 6 recipes in the Wellness Complete Health Grain-Free range
Available in 4-lb, 12-lb, and 24-lb bags at an average price of $3.04 per pound
The 10 Best Small Breed Dog Foods
A healthy food for small dogs will provide for your dogs basic nutritional needs and be formulated according to his breed size. Dog food for small breeds tends to be higher in calories and fat than traditional kibble, and the kibbles themselves should be smaller. As long as your dogs nutritional needs are met, you have a wide variety of options to choose from.
Heres our top pick for the best dog food for small breeds:
Our 2022 Picks: Best Foods for Small Breed Dogs |
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Transitioning To Homemade Dog Food
Most dogs dont have a problem making the switch to homemade food. If yours is prone to digestive issues, start slowly by mixing a little bit of the homemade food with the commercial food.
Over the course of a week or two, gradually increase the amount of homemade food while decreasing the commercial food.
If your dog vomits or has diarrhea, try introducing only a couple of new ingredients at a time until their systems are well adjusted to the fresh diet.
For dogs with health issues, please consult with a veterinarian if you arent sure what kind of supplements are needed. Use your best judgment, the way you would when feeding yourself or your family.
Best Large Breed Dog Foodsaugust 2022
Here are The Dog Food Advisors 15 top-rated large breed dry dog foods for August 2022.
- First 5 ingredients: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, lentils, peas
- AAFCO: Maintenance
- Options:See all available recipes
Wellness Core Large Breed formula is a grain-free, high protein recipe with substantial kibble size to promote proper chewing time in larger mouths. Increased amounts of glucosamine and chondroitin also supports bone and joint health in these larger sized dogs.
This recipe contains the perfect amount of fat and calories to help maintain a healthy weight for a dog of this size. A higher quality food with an abundance of animal protein and nutrient-rich vegetables like spinach, kale and broccoli.
Key Facts |
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No meat by-products or fillers |
Grain-free. Absolutely no corn, wheat or soy |
High protein recipe for strong muscles |
No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives |
Wellness Core Grain-Free Large Breed is recommended by 94% of actual buyers on Chewy.com and is highly recommended for large breed adult dogs.
- Options:See all available recipes
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Large Breed Chicken is a great option for those looking for higher protein and an optimal blend of calcium, phosphorus and essential vitamins to help keep bones strong.
Key Facts |
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Glucosamine and chondroitin for healthy joints |
Antioxidants to boost dogs immune system |
100% Grain-free |
- Options:See all available recipes
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