Wellness Core Grain-Free Turkey & Duck Formula Review

I made this review of Wellness Core Grain-free Turkey & Duck cat food because I have been feeding my cat Sophie with chicken-free formulas lately to prevent food allergies in her. The first chicken-free food I tried for her was Wild Calling Turkey but now it’s discontinued. Then I tried Petcurean Go Sensitivities Limited Ingredients (this one has chicken fat, though is not a chicken allergen) for about a couple of months so I wanted to try a different chicken-free formula for her to experience a different flavor since she got bored with the previous food.

Note: For a balanced chicken-free diet for my cat, I researched wet foods that are free of chicken, eggs, or seafood as well and I found a very good one, Instinct Original Grain-Free Real Duck Pate cat food that is healthy and with a good amount of gravy.

Why Did I Decide to Try Wellness Core Grain-free for my cat?

I decided to start feeding my cat a chicken-free diet because I have been feeding her for a long time with Petcurean Go Chicken & Turkey and mixing it with other cat food formulas like Castor & Pollux Organix (discontinued now) so I needed to switch to chicken-free foods to give her a break from chicken.

In order to accomplish this chicken-free diet, I had to change her dry and wet food and eliminate her favorite treats as well. I researched for chicken-free dry cat food formulas and I found Wellness Core Grain-free Turkey & Duck. It was a tough task since there are not very many chicken-free healthy cat formulas out there. But I found this one and I analyzed the ingredients so I wanted to share what I discovered with you with this review.

Nutritional Features

• 100% grain-free adult recipe (No corn, rice, soy, wheat, etc.)
• Free of artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.
• Three animal proteins in the top 5 ingredients.
• Free of chicken, eggs, or fish, which are the main food-allergy-causing ingredients.
• Excellent formula for cats with food allergies or for a rotational diet to prevent allergies.
• Packaged with vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, and antioxidants.
• Provides healthy fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 for healthy skin and shiny coat.
• With Acticoat probiotic for a healthy digestion

The formula includes the following meats variety:

⇒ Turkey: Deboned meat, meal, natural flavor.
⇒ Pork: Meal.
⇒ Duck: Meat.

Wellness Core Turkey & Duck Formula Ingredients:

Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Pork Meal, Canola Oil, Duck, Ground Flaxseed, Tomato Pomace, Potatoes, Natural Turkey Flavor, Chicory Root Extract, Choline Chloride, Cranberries, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols (added to preserve freshness), Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Maganese Proteinate, Maganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Panthothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.

Guaranteed Analysis Wellness Core Grain-free Formula

Crude Protein 38.0% min – Crude fat 8.0% min – Crude fiber 4.0% max – Moisture 10.0% max – Calcium 2.30% max – Phosphorus 1.70% max – Vitamin A 25,000 IU/kg min – Vitamin 200 IU/kg min – Taurine 0.10% min – Omega-6 fatty acids 5.25% min – Omega-3 fatty acids 1.75% min.

Analysis of First 5 Ingredients of Wellness Core Turkey & Duck

Deboned Turkey: 3 stars. It weighs heavier before being cooked due to the water content in the meat. It weighs less once it’s cooked. 3 stars.
Turkey Meal: 4 stars. Good, concentrated source of protein since water has been extracted in the cooking process.
Peas: 5 stars. Low-glycemic source of protein, carbs, and fiber.
Pea protein: 4 stars. A good alternative to animal protein.
Pork Meal: 5 stars. High-concentrated source of animal protein. Adds great flavor.

What are the Pros and Cons of Wellness Core Grain-free Turkey & Duck Recipe?

To learn the good and the bad of a cat formula is the first step to making a good decision when feeding your cat:

PROS

• A grain-free formula that prevents your cat from developing obesity and diabetes.
• A formula free of artificial ingredients poses less risk for your cat to develop cancer.
• The formula is friendly for cats with allergies or if you want to prevent food allergies in your cat (Chicken, eggs, and fish are the most food-allergy-causing ingredients in cat food formulas).
• Pea is a low glycemic carbohydrate, which helps to control sugar in the cat’s blood.
• Being rich in flavor makes it easy for picky eaters to adopt this food.
• Phosphorus content as a max of 1.7% is a good number.
• Supports the cat’s digestion with probiotics and cranberries.
• Formula made in the USA

CONS

• Duck meat could be the third ingredient instead of Peas. It’s better to have animal proteins closer to the first ingredients on the list.
• The formula doesn’t contain fish oil or chicken fat, essential sources of Omega-3 and Omega-6 for cats.
• Tomato pomace could be harsh for cats with stomach sensitivities.

See my cat eating Wellness Core Turkey & Duck

My Conclusion (update 2024)

My cat Sophie initially enjoyed this cat food, but I noticed that her coat started to lose its shine and luster over time. Despite containing sources of Omega-3 fatty acids like Canola oil, it’s important to note that this formula provides Alpha-linolenic acid, which cats struggle to convert into EPA and DHA. While my main intention was to provide Sophie with a high-protein diet and a break from chicken, eggs, and fish, I realized that this formula might not be the best fit for her.

This formula could be a good option for cats with fish allergies, as it doesn’t contain any fish ingredients. However, if your cat doesn’t have a fish allergy, I would recommend exploring other options.

Among the cat food reviews I’ve conducted, this is the only one completely free of chicken-derived ingredients (excluding Wild Calling, which is now discontinued). Sophie found it palatable, but I observed a decline in her coat quality and energy levels over time, likely due to the absence of fish oil fatty acids.