Wellness Core Hearty Cuts Beef & Venison Wet Dog Food
Wet food in 12.5 oz cans, complete and balanced for adult dogs. With the water taken out it is 50% protein and 17% fat, and each can carries 338 kcal.
- Complete & balanced for adult dogs (AAFCO, on the label)
- Chunks
- 12.5 oz can
- 82% water
*For a 45 lb adult dog on this food alone. Set your own dog.
Ingredient Wiki
Beef
The clean flesh of cattle, used fresh. Like all fresh meats it is mostly water before cooking.
Beef Broth
The liquid produced by simmering beef, used to add moisture and flavor.
Venison Broth
The liquid produced by simmering venison.
Beef Liver
The liver of cattle, an organ meat.
Venison
The clean flesh of deer, used fresh.
Our read The ingredients
Genuinely high protein, with the produce as garnish
Signature feature
High-protein nutrition
Proven high-protein nutrition. Optimal energy. Healthy digestion.
What it is Beef, beef liver and venison, plus broths from both, fill the first five spots. Dried egg product adds more protein at ninth.
Our grade
- Marketing
- Modest
- Meaningful
Protein makes up half the dry matter, against 42% for the average wet food we list, and the carb estimate rounds to zero. Your dog gets meat calories, not starch. Proven here means formulated, not trial-fed.
Meaningful A real difference for the dog eating it.
Blueberries, kale and spinach sit just above the salt in a food that's 82% water. Treat them as color, not a vegetable serving.
- 14 Blueberries
- 16 Kale
- 18 Spinach
- 19 Salt
What’s in the can
- First meat
- Beef, first on the list. Named meats near the top: Beef, Beef Liver and Venison.
- Thickeners and binders
- Potato Starch and Guar Gum. They give the food its texture and hold pieces together. Normal in wet food; starches and flours also add carbohydrate.
- Added color
- None listed.
- Flagged additives
- None from our list.
Guaranteed
Analysis
As printed on the can, measured “as fed”
- Calories
- 954 kcal/kg
- Crude Protein (min.)
- 9.0%
- Crude Fat (min.)
- 3.0%
- Crude Fiber (max.)
- 1.0%
- Moisture (max.)
- 82.0%
338 kcal per 12.5 oz can.
Does something here not match the can? Report a problem
Full Ingredient
Declaration
Exactly as the can prints it, heaviest first
Beef, Beef Broth, Venison Broth, Beef Liver, Venison, Natural Flavor, Potato Starch, Sweet Potatoes, Dried Egg Product, Green Beans, Guar Gum, Carrots, Apples, Blueberries, Broccoli, Kale, Parsley, Spinach, Salt*The Salt Divider. Ingredients are listed heaviest first, and a dog food needs very little salt, so everything after this point is present in an even smaller amount., Sodium Phosphate, Ground Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Canola Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Chicory Root, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid
Ingredients are listed heaviest first, and a dog food needs very little salt, so everything after the divider is present in an even smaller amount.
Wet food is mostly water, so the label’s percentages look small next to kibble. Taking the water out is the only fair way to compare it with other foods.
| NUTRIENT | ON THE LABEL | WATER OUT | WET FOOD MEDIAN |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROTEIN | 9.0% | 50.0% | 43.2% |
| FAT | 3.0% | 16.7% | 22.2% |
| FIBER | 1.0% | 5.6% | - |
| CARBS (EST.) | - | 16.7% | - |
Carbohydrate is not on any label: it is what is left after protein, fat, fiber, water and an assumed 2% ash.
Our read The label
Meat-heavy calories with almost no starch behind them
55%
-
How was it proven?
Formulated
Built on paper to AAFCO levels for all life stages, except growth of large dogs that reach 70 lb or more as adults.
-
Is it a meal?
Yes, or a topper
It's complete on its own. Wellness also gives mixing directions: cut dry food by 1/2 cup for every 6 oz of this.
- Feed it to
- Adults and small or medium puppies that do well on beef, and owners who want a meat-first wet food or kibble topper.
- Skip it for
- Large-breed puppies, dogs allergic to beef or egg, and dogs on a vet-prescribed protein or phosphorus limit for kidney disease.
What a can costs
| SIZE | LOWEST PRICE | PER LB | WHERE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 oz | $4.39LIVE | $5.85 | PetSmart |
| 12.8 oz | $4.39 | $5.49 | PetSmart |
Prices marked LIVE were read from the store on Oct 25. Others are from our check on Oct 15. Prices change often; the store’s price at checkout is the one that counts. We may earn a commission on some links.
Daily portion calculator
Calculated from the resting energy formula vets use and this food’s actual calorie density (954 kcal per kg, 338 kcal per can). A starting point to adjust from, not a prescription.
2 FDA Recalls On Record
Beef Topper for Dogs Matched by brand. The notice lists the exact products and lots.
Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy dry dog food (made by Diamond) Matched by brand. The notice lists the exact products and lots.
None in the last three years. Older events stay on the record. See the recall log
Other Flavors
Protein with the water taken out, read the same way.
Similar recipes from other brands
Other wet food recipes with the closest protein, fat and moisture as fed, the way the label prints them. Prescription diets are left out.
Lower-priced alternative
$2.14/lb vs $5.49/lb for this recipe. A similar protein, fat and moisture profile for less per pound, from the lowest price per pound we have saved for each. Prices change; check before you buy.
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