[Diana_Carter]

Is anyone else experiencing problems with CORE Reduced Fat?

We have used Wellness Core Reduced Fat dogfood for 2.5 years. Our dog always ate well and has been very healthy, with good, consistent stools. Then all of a sudden our dog starting refusing to eat his food. He seems fine and normal in all other respects, but he just did not want to eat his food. He even acts hungry, but would only take the CORE if we doctored it up (which is not the norm with him). I noticed a lot of “fines” in the bag, and they really looked like insect frass to me – although I saw no actual bugs. The food had a strong disagreeable odor. The bag had had a small tear in it, so we assumed it may have gone bad. I ordered a second large bag. Our dog still refused it. Both bags are from the same batch, dated 06May2011.

I thought that perhaps he may have just tired of it, so I decided to try him out on new brands. Meanwhile, I decided to feed the CORE to our wild foxes. They are refusing to eat it!

Has anyone else had a similar experience? I called the company’s customer service line and they told me they have had no other complaints. I find this hard to believe. I would love to hear from anyone else who may have noticed problems.

 

[Linda2]

I have a 6 year old Boxer who has a sensitive stomach and is a finicky eater and I read that boxers do better on a no-grain diet so I decided to give the Wellness Core (reduced fat) a try. Over a 7 day period I introduced it into her regular food. By the 7th day, when none of her old food was in the bowl, she refused to eat. I had noticed she was shedding a lot, but my son came over to groom her that day and was amazed at the amount of hair she was shedding. Not only that but her hair had gone from shiny to dull in a weeks time and her skin must have felt sensitive because she recoiled when he was trying to brush her. Normally she loves to be brushed. We decided to take her off of Wellness Core right then and went back to her old diet. She's doing much better now and her coat is shiny again. I didn't see any bugs or anything of that nature and I threw the bag away so can't tell you what batch it came from (it was the smallest bag, 5 lbs I think and I just bought it in April) but I will never try this food again.

 

[Kelley_King]

Wow, this makes me nervous as I was considering this food for my boxer mix. I am at a loss anymore, what to feed. Everything seems to have problems, one way or another.

What food are your boxers on now, Linda?

 

[Carole3]

Our dogs LOVE Wellness Core, both the reduced fat and the original. Have had no 'bad' smells in the bags. Wellness DID change their formula slightly in mid-2011, but the dogs still gobble it up. We have one inside dog and one outside dog. You can NOT smell 'dog' in our house due to the grain free formulas. Also, the dogs are a herding breed so the added glucosamine and chondroitin is an added plus for hips/joints.

Would not buy any other dog food than the Wellness Core products.

 

[Judy_Conley]

I just euthanized my Jack Russell Terrier. She was diabetic, so I was using Wellness Core - Protein Focused Nutrition, just for treats. I also purchased two weeks ago Wellness Square Peanut Treats. I couldn't wait for her to try them. One treat and by morning, she had vomited several times. Not thinking, I assumed she just had a upset stomach. Two days before I euthanized her I gave her two Wellness Peanut Dog Treats. By morning she was very ill, vomiting, soft yellow stools. Took her immediately to the vet and we decided to euthanize her because of her age (15) and diabetes. I question Wellness Core also. Both JR's, in the past month have refused to eat it, even as a treat. I have for many months been making my own dog food, brown rice, chicken, hard boiled eggs, vegetables (cooked) fresh fruits. I will never buy a Wellness product again. They deal with Diamond Products.

 

[Vicky1]

My pomeranian shih tzu cross eats Wellness Core reduced fat every day. When we got her from the shelter two years ago, she had a bad bout of pancreatitis and needed to be put on a reduced fat diet. I had tried many premium brands, but she just did not like them... until I decided to give Wellness Core reduced fat a try. She gobbled it up right away, and had no adverse reactions at all. I was initially worried about the high protein content for her, since she already had such a sensitive gut, but my worries soon melted away.

The Wellness brand is great. I've fed my cat on Wellness, and both my cat and dog occasionally get some Wellness canned food as a treat. I have not tried Wellness treats though -- but I'm very particular about which treats to give to my pets, and I've not really liked the Wellness ones based on the list of ingredients. However, I do highly recommend their dry formulas and their canned food.