# Wellness Core Ocean Formula and Other Questions



## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

Hey guys,

Well raw is pretty much vetoed by the SO and quite frankly this just isn't the best time to make the switch. Living in an apartment means you get one small freezer and well, anyway, it's just probably not going to happen. Soooo, I'm kind of back to the drawing board. The catalyst for thinking about raw was noticing all the canned food that seems to keep going on recall so I am still considering eliminating canned from his diet. So the first question is: What are the pros and cons of canned food in y'alls experience?

The next thing is that someone mentioned that the NB has a low fat content and I was surfing around the dog food rating website and noticed that it was a four star food so I thought maybe if I'm not going to go raw I should up the ante quality-wise. Max's coat has been doing well on a fish-based food so I thought I'd try another fish-based, grain-free formula and bought a small bag of Wellness Core Ocean flavor. So has anyone fed this before? How did your dog do on it? Did I miss any really good options? It turns out max doesn't really have food allergies so I could ostensibly feed something non-fishy, but I'm thinking the fish oils are a good thing.

Thanks for reading! I appreciate any advice or comments you may have.


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## kims_ark (Feb 29, 2008)

Hi Max,

The Wellness Core is still somewhat new to the market so I'm not sure how many people you'll find that have tried it. I will tell you that until just recently I was feeding our dogs the Wellness Super Mix Senior and they were doing great on it.

The reason for the switch to something else is because we brought home a puppy that started having seizures within 24 hours of brining her home. It seemed that she would seize within an hour of being fed the Wellness Puppy food so in the process of ruling out what might be causing the seizures we changed the food. I'm almost thinking that she may have a food allergy to something in the food because all the tests that were run either came back normal or negative and she hasn't seized since removing all the Wellness from the house.

I did a lot of research on different foods before choosing the one that I did. The food that we have switched to is Canidae All Life Stages, which is also a highly rated food. The best thing is that it's actually less expensive than the Wellness (something worth considering when you have 5 dogs). It's not fish based but it does have fish in it and it's grain free as well. She's doing great on it and hasn't had a seizure in a month.

Hope this helps some.

Kim


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## TomN (Jul 1, 2007)

Kim,

While Canidae is a great feed and I myself feed it to my senior dog, it is not grain free. It contains both brown rice and white rice, both quality grains but grains non the less.


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## kims_ark (Feb 29, 2008)

Hi Max,

I stand corrected, you're right it does. I double checked to make sure. I guess I was trying to say that it's corn free (unlike Science Diet and some of the other so called "good" foods).

It's good to hear of other people who are using the Canidae though. I was a bit leary of it even though I did my research because I don't know of anyone who does feed it to their dogs.

Thanks for the info.

Kim


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

I have been looking for Wellness Core Ocean since it came out and have had no luck. I'd really like to try it out; please keep us updated on how he does on it. 

Teddie's on NB Fish & Potato; not really what I wanted. I was looking for a lower protien food and the Ocean formula is 34%. Just a bit higher than what I was looking for.


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## kims_ark (Feb 29, 2008)

Hi Teddy,

The fact that it's manufactured by a small company in Massachusetts may have something to do with why you're having a hard time finding it. I know it can be purchased online though. I switched to Wellness when all the recalls were going on. The fact that it was manufactured locally was a big plus for me.

Kim


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

When I was looking for it before they didn't even have it online. But I have since found it and will hopefully be changing him on our next food rotation. That's in a few months though so we'll see. I'm pretty happy with the NB, he's doing very well. Shipping is the only thing holding me back, so hopefully they will start to sell it in more places around the world. I'd really hate to pay 10-15.00 for shipping, but I'll figure that out whent he time comes. 

Thank you Kim.  And welcome to DF.


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## Absolutediamond (Mar 4, 2008)

TeddieXRuxpin said:


> I have been looking for Wellness Core Ocean since it came out and have had no luck. I'd really like to try it out; please keep us updated on how he does on it.
> 
> Teddie's on NB Fish & Potato; not really what I wanted. I was looking for a lower protien food and the Ocean formula is 34%. Just a bit higher than what I was looking for.



Im pretty sure smartpak carries it!

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.html

there is their website. they do offer a page where you can find retailers near you too!


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

Absolutediamond said:


> Im pretty sure smartpak carries it!
> 
> http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.html
> 
> there is their website. they do offer a page where you can find retailers near you too!


I've checked a few of the stores listed here and they only sell the wellness; not the core. Which stinks because that's what I really want.


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## Absolutediamond (Mar 4, 2008)

TeddieXRuxpin said:


> I've checked a few of the stores listed here and they only sell the wellness; not the core. Which stinks because that's what I really want.


I tried  Did you check smartpak?


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## Max'sHuman (Oct 6, 2007)

I'll keep you guys updated for sure. Tonite was the first night he got a significant amount mixed in with his NB. After all my worries in the beginning that he was a picky eater or had allergies, he's really a big old piggie and will eat just about anything. I'm hoping that the higher quality ingredients and larger variety of protein sources, and really the slightly higher protein count will be good for him. I thought he was doing pretty well on NB to tell you the truth though, so it will be interesting to see if he really shows any improvement. I'm thinking though that I really like the ingredients on the Wellness Core foods in general so I may rotate him through some of the flavors. 

Also, even though I was switching because of all the canned drama, well the NB canned food is WAY cheaper than almost any other brand of canned that our store carries so I guess I'm sticking with NB canned afterall. If I decide to stay with canned at all. I still haven't really come up with a pros and cons list of continuing with the canned. For the time being my SO thinks we should keep giving him canned because, well, Max likes it. 

As far as finding Wellness and other premium brands, I don't have any experience ordering online. I am just crazy lucky because there is this store in town that is just the absolute best. It carries top of the line everything in terms of pet supplies and yet is cheaper than even Petco or Petsmart (e.g. turns out NB is a dollar cheaper at my store than at Petco). So I feel really lucky to have this nice store literally 2 miles down the road. They also donate a lot to local shelters so I love shopping there even more.


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## ticman (Feb 3, 2008)

Teddie,

If you want to go grain free I would recommend Orijen (although it is 42% protein); I also rotate with Taste of the Wild (32% protein). My dog is doing great on both. 

I use Bravo raw or Steve's real food frozen raw in addition to the kibble with supplementations of yogurt in PM and solid gold seameal in AM. About 3 times a week Shadow gets raw chicken necks. I like the necks for bones to keep teeth clean.

With a 10 lb dog I can afford the more expensive kibble as she only gets 1/2 cup daily.

I tried reg Wellness awhile back. My dog wouldn't eat it. go figure

Mike


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## championlab1 (Jun 21, 2009)

Hi,
In reference to core ocean formula, thumbs up... youll find your dog will have no problems on it, and the protien levels are not out of line for a grain free product. If your dog is still a pup, - less then say 15 months, I would feed the Orijen puppy formula, or large breed puppy depending on the breed of your dog. Now, honestly I feel Orijen is the best on the market, and I have done hundreds of hours of research on this topic..and tried many of the 5 star grain free products... the down side, expense, and availability.. youll find yourself spending 70$ + shipping, and although some of the online companies offer shipping discounts theres always a eventual price increase.. I got so tired of the shipping- price increases from various suppliers I switched to the core ocean formula. If you can afford it, and price is no issue stick with the Orijen. Your state might have orijen local distributors..calif, illin.. ny.. have varied locations you can purchase. The 42% protien diet is a plus for your dog, you will find your dog eatting less...considerably..25% or so..and it offers you the advantage to feed your dog as many treats, snack, table left overs as you like, with no worry.. I do the same with the ocean formula core..
In any case, if you looking for a great source of information google.. The Dog Food Project... this site is a anayliss of canine diet needs, myths, and dog food anayliss.. more importantly, the woman whom did the research is independent of any dog food company, and a qualified college grad with, upteen numbers of degrees in various fields, incompassing every aspect of research she performed. ....like a rhodes scholar of dog food..lolol.. point being., you can't find a more qualified person, whom has publicly listed her findings. Go to the site, you won't be disapointed.. and you won't be disapointed with the Core ocean formula either.. Also, consider this, the omega fish nutrients provided in the ocean formula, can easily be supplimented,..and I myself am considering purchasing the regular core formula, and purchasing fish omega's seperately.. there cheap.. compared to the price increase of the ocean formula.. There are a couple ways to get the core ocean reasonably.. 1- is being an amazon prime member.., of course that involves a yearly membership of so 70$, though it lowers the shipping cost considerably. 2- smartpak.com...70$ .. 7.95$ shipping.. good luck, hope this helps, ..also, when you check the site i suggested..DFP.. theres a list of foods, both dry and wet, check them all out.. I also tried the EVO red bites no grain product... inferior in my opinion to the two above mentioned products, although, readily available everywhere... .. side snacks for your dog.. try apple slices, nectarine slices etc.. they love them... and 1 last note, as so many people are uniformed, dry food should be served wet..almost completely moist, by filling the bowl with water.. best done an hour before feeding, and.....FYI....... chocolate..of any kind, is toxic to canines.... 
Bruce


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## trumpetjock (Dec 14, 2007)

Wellness core ocean is our go to food when we can't feed raw. Fantastic food. Tastewise, both dogs would probably choose this over a bowl of raw chicken.


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## philovance (Jan 7, 2009)

Max'sHuman said:


> Also, even though I was switching because of all the canned drama, well the NB canned food is WAY cheaper than almost any other brand of canned that our store carries so I guess I'm sticking with NB canned afterall. If I decide to stay with canned at all. I still haven't really come up with a pros and cons list of continuing with the canned. For the time being my SO thinks we should keep giving him canned because, well, Max likes it.


OK, I have always had smaller dogs (<25lbs) so I have always fed wet food with any meal that includes kibble. And I am always aware of the total calories being fed so I have no worries there.

The regimen I like best is not my wife's favorite so we have abandoned it for Benji. We fed our cocker about a 1/4 cup of lower fat kibble in a meal, such as Solid Gold Holistique Blendz or Canidae Platinum. Then a couple of ozs. of fresh ground meat such as beef, turkey or lamb with appropriate calcium and vitamin supplements. My wife is uncomfortable feeding this now for hygienic reasons so I have been supplementing with canned and homemade.

Pros for canned:

Very palatable

Less need for carbs

Potentially higher meat quotient

Provides moisture and hence requires less drinking water; could be helpful in housetraining

Larger variety of protein sources than dry

For dogs with a healthy gi, rotating canned food daily seems not to upset

Some almost completely meat canned foods can be fed intermittently to both cats and dogs. Can be convenient and cost effective.

The latest canned foods are "stews" with identifiable "meat" and "vegetable" chunks in the food. Merrick seems to have pioneered this, with its retro pretensions to the next best thing to homecooked. It's very Chef Boyardee for those who remember that brand. But I think it's probably better than Alpo Chop House recipe. Which I think is probably better than most supermarket dry foods, albeit anything but human quality. 

When I feed canned food I like to think of Dinty Moore and Hormel, two brands I'm glad I don't have to eat all the time but I don't mind feeding it to the dog. Once a can of dog food approached $2 anything was possible.

Kibble, even Orijen, lacks romance.  Space food. Canned is like the beans you eat on the lake after you clean the fish.

There are cons to canned but I'm too in love to note them in this post.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

What about cooking the meat? Fresh chicken, pork and beef are so much cheaper than canned dog food. And smell ever so much better! Sassy's cooked food weighs about 16-20 ounces a day and she would need 2 or 3 cans of dog food to match the 750-850 calories she needs. If she got 100% meat that would cost less than 2-3 cans of dog food, wouldn't it?


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## gilbequick (Jun 21, 2009)

In quality, how does the Wellness brand compare to Eagle Pack Holistic?


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## championlab1 (Jun 21, 2009)

in my opinion, the wellness "core" products are superior.. being grain free, the holistic brand you mentioned is not.. the standard wellness products are also not grain free.. so.. take it from there... and holistic products don't neccesarily mean better health for your canine companion.. and many so called holistic products on the market, skate around the real criteria of being a true holistic product by out sourcing there ingredients.. thus theres no gareentee your getting true holistic products.... be careful, do your homework, and for an understanding of how holistic products should be manufactured, to be true holistic, google The Dog Food Project..there u will find a wealth of information on, canine diet, myths, and dog food anaylisis...


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

@gilbequick I'd say Wellness Core is much higher in quality compared to Eagle Pack Holistic Select.


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## gilbequick (Jun 21, 2009)

Thanks for the comparison. The store that I buy the Eagle Pack also carries the Wellness brand. I'm not sure how the prices compare but I'll check it out next time I go. 

Our Mastiff has been on Eagle Pack Holistic Giant Breed Puppy and we just transitioned to the Eagle Pack Holistic Giant Breed Adult on the last bag. He's almost through the 50/50 mix of Puppy/Adult and then there's a half bag of the Adult left. Should I mix the other half of the Adult 50/50 with the Wellness Core or finish off the Eagle Pack first?


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

kims_ark said:


> Hi Teddy,
> 
> The fact that it's manufactured by a small company in Massachusetts may have something to do with why you're having a hard time finding it. I know it can be purchased online though. I switched to Wellness when all the recalls were going on. The fact that it was manufactured locally was a big plus for me.
> 
> Kim


I live in NH and I can't even find it here, right next to MA!
For the OP, one thing to keep in mind, how is your dogs weight? Some of the grainfree's are low carbs, other moderate carbs. On another forum, I asked once about what is more important for a dog who needs to lose weight and I was told lower carbs are better than lower fat. 
I feed the Core reduced fat, my dog(s) on it are doing great!


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

I feed my two Wellness Reduced Fat the Ocean Formula is tad high for my two. I also rotate with EP Holistic Fish. If you want to find out where to buy the food at here is where you can go Wellness: Where to buy & Eagle Pack Holistic Select: Where to buy

How about Nature's Variety I've heard great success about this brand the frozen dried Raw http://www.naturesvariety.com/raw_products

Other remade raw foods
Honest Kitchen http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/index.shtml

Primal Pet Food http://www.primalpetfoods.com/

Northwest Naturals Dog Food http://www.nw-naturals.com/


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## championlab1 (Jun 21, 2009)

It is standard practice to slowly mix new foods into your dogs diet to prevent rejection of new food, thats not to say your pup wont adjust in 1 bowl full, just that in theory the transition is easier on them.. and again.. if you have a giant breed..feed puppy formula till 15-18 months to assure proper bone developemnt.. most large breed foods offer lower calcium and ash level, 2 things you want to limit for slow bone growth... again.. you can find 100 qualified nutritionists to disagree with the next 100.. lolol.. so lighten up on yourself, be sensible.. and do the best you can.. thats all any canine owner can do.


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## tefobuch (Jun 7, 2009)

Another high protein, grain free you may want to consider is Solid Gold Barking at the Moon. It's chicken-free too.

My guy has done the rounds of grain free from Orijen to GO! to Instinct Rabbit (which he refused to eat) to, to, to ... I can't remember all of them, lol.

He absolutely loves Barking at the Moon to the point where I haven't switched for a very long time (I'm a believer in switching every so often). We're nearing the end of the bag and I was set on trying Innova, but after reading this post, I'm going to take a closer look at Core.

(PS - I'm one of the fortunate ones who can drive for not even 10 mins to a petstore with nothing but the best, and a HUGE variety.)



> The latest canned foods are "stews" with identifiable "meat" and "vegetable" chunks in the food. Merrick seems to have pioneered this, with its retro pretensions to the next best thing to homecooked. It's very Chef Boyardee for those who remember that brand. But I think it's probably better than Alpo Chop House recipe. Which I think is probably better than most supermarket dry foods, albeit anything but human quality.


Hmmmm ... Although I know what you're saying about Merrick and all the fluff around their packaging and marketing, I actually believe they make an excellent product. I had my pup on their puppy food first off. All their ingredients are top quality, they manufacture everything at their own plant which I REALLY like the sound of, and i liked the fact that they're family owned. 

I dunno, take away their beautiful packaging and marketing, what's not to like??? (Oh and c'mon, you have to admit their packaging actually is pretty darn nice! ... no? lol)


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## championlab1 (Jun 21, 2009)

I was just online looking at barking at the moon.. just as you wrote your note.. im going to try it as a third part of rotation for my pup... its right up there with the others, ingredients, etc.. and like orijen, control all there ingredients....ps: youll love the Core, ocean formula...lolol..if you can afford it..lol.. im straying away from orijen for that very reason.. its not for sale in my state, thus, shipping expense, and everytime i think i have a reasonable source, they up the price... got tired of being ..... around... thanks for your info on the sg..barking @ moon


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## tefobuch (Jun 7, 2009)

Hi, I just wanted to add Acana Pacifica to this list. ie grain-free, EXCELLENT list of ingredients, fish based. Not as high in protein as Orijen or SG Barking/Moon. I think it's 33%.

It's made by Champion Foods, same co. as Orijen. Which could be a problem for those of you who don't have close access to all these brands.

And best of all ... my pooch just LOVES it. (A little too much, 'm thinking,  ... all he wants to do is eat now, and he's typically a picky little guy.


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## danoxlifex (Jun 10, 2009)

Hi,

I have a 4 month old Toy Fox Terrier/ Chihuahua. I have a couple of questions-- hopefully someone can help.

1. For those that have a 'food rotation,' do you try a new food at the end of a bag? Or rotate back and forth between foods every few days?

2. I'm new to feeding wet food. Should I combine wet food and kibble? Or do you feed wet one day and dry the next? She's a teeny thing-- barely 5 lbs-- so even most small cans of wet food are big for her.

3. I've read a few things about supplementing with yogurt and cottage cheese. Do you just put a spoonful on top of the kibble daily?

I got Nala from the city pound where she ate lots of ground corn. She's susceptible to ear problems; she came to the pound with serious, reoccurring ear mites and has had numerous ear infections. Vet medication hasn't worked well. Natural remedies are better but not 100%. Thus, strengthening her immune system, catching her up nutritionally, and finding a food she loves are extremely important.

I'm going to Cali for the 4th and will grab Orijen while there. Back in Utah, EVO retails minutes from home and a product called Taste of the Wild is close and looks decent (anyone tried this?). Thanks for any help!


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

I've used both the Original and Ocean forumals. I've liked them both a lot. My dogs seem to do very well on them. 



gilbequick said:


> Thanks for the comparison. The store that I buy the Eagle Pack also carries the Wellness brand. I'm not sure how the prices compare but I'll check it out next time I go.
> 
> Our Mastiff has been on Eagle Pack Holistic Giant Breed Puppy and we just transitioned to the Eagle Pack Holistic Giant Breed Adult on the last bag. He's almost through the 50/50 mix of Puppy/Adult and then there's a half bag of the Adult left. Should I mix the other half of the Adult 50/50 with the Wellness Core or finish off the Eagle Pack first?


While they are made by the same company I'm certain that you will find the Core higher priced. At least in most locations. The grain free foods are usually more expensive.


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## tefobuch (Jun 7, 2009)

Hey Danox, maybe I can help with some of your questions.

Firstly, I'm glad to hear your new baby sounds like she's now in good hands. Sounds like she's been thru a lot for a 4mth old, poor thing.



> 1. For those that have a 'food rotation,' do you try a new food at the end of a bag? Or rotate back and forth between foods every few days?


I normally rotate every 3-4 mths or so, and definitely as he's nearing the end of the bag. Make sure you have enough of the old food left so you can start weaning her on the new food very slowly. Try and do it over a period of a week or more ... gradually adding a little more of the new food mixed in with the old ... that's the best way to totally avoid any stomach upset. 

I've never really thought about rotating back and forth every few days, but I personally wouldn't recommend it. Also, you'll have two bags open at the same time, and with her being such a tiny thing and not eating much, your open bags obviously won't stay that fresh if you have them sitting around for a long period.



> 2. I'm new to feeding wet food. Should I combine wet food and kibble? Or do you feed wet one day and dry the next? She's a teeny thing-- barely 5 lbs-- so even most small cans of wet food are big for her.


I'd combine the wet and dry. If you feed wet for too long, you also stand the chance that she'll prefer it over dry, become more picky and refuse the dry. But if you're open to her only eating wet (which is definitely an option) then there's no harm in this. I fed my last dog a mix of Merrick wet/dry. Added some warm water and it formed a gravy. He LOVED it. My new pup doesn't like his dry watered down tho, 



> 3. I've read a few things about supplementing with yogurt and cottage cheese. Do you just put a spoonful on top of the kibble daily?


I give him the yogurt and cottage cheese totally separately ... like a treat thing. A good trick is also to put yoghurt in a kong and then freeze it. I did this a lot when he was a pup and teething. He loved it and it kept him busy for a while. (I just used plain yoghurt btw).



> I'm going to Cali for the 4th and will grab Orijen while there. Back in Utah, EVO retails minutes from home and a product called Taste of the Wild is close and looks decent (anyone tried this?). Thanks for any help!


All 3 of these foods are excellent!!! My advice tho, would be to start her off on a puppy kibble until she's a year or so.

I hope this helps, just yell if you have more questions. And again, I'm sooo glad to hear Nala is now in such good hands. And particularly glad home remedies are working better for her, rather than pumping her with meds when she's so tiny.

Good luck and enjoy your new baby


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