Wellness Pet Company has announced findings from a series of feeding studies supporting the effectiveness of its Wellness CORE Healthy Weight, Wellness CORE Small Breed Healthy Weight and Wellness CORE+ Healthy Weight dry dog food recipes.
The studies evaluated weight management outcomes, body composition and palatability. Wellness CORE Healthy Weight and Wellness CORE Small Breed Healthy Weight were each evaluated in 16-week feeding studies that assessed weight loss over 10 weeks and weight maintenance over six weeks, with the Small Breed recipe tested in a panel of small-breed adult dogs to confirm its effectiveness for breed-size-specific weight management.
The studies enrolled adult dogs with elevated body fat and body condition scores, including males and females ages 2 to 8, and used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans to evaluate changes in body composition throughout the study period.
Across both studies, more than 80% of dogs lost weight in 10 weeks or less while maintaining lean mass. The DEXA scans confirmed significant fat mass reduction and improved fat-to-lean ratios. When each diet was fed as a maintenance diet following the weight loss phase, no dogs regained weight during the maintenance period.
The company also evaluated palatability. In separate testing, Wellness CORE+ Healthy Weight, which features freeze-dried turkey hearts and liver pieces, was preferred over select leading weight management dry dog food diets.
"Mealtime is more than a bowl of food," said Greg Kean, global senior vice president of innovation and nutrition at Wellness Pet. "It's the foundation for a long and healthy life. But we also know that weight management only works if dogs love what's in their bowl and pet parents can feel confident feeding it every day.
"Too often, diets meant to help dogs slim down fall short on taste and consistency," continued Kean. "That's why we've focused on delivering a solution that supports both wellbeing and mealtime joy. In a palatability study, our CORE+ Healthy Weight recipe was even preferred over a leading science-based weight management diet — helping drive strong feeding compliance and better outcomes over time. With turkey as the No. 1 ingredient, our CORE Healthy Weight recipes deliver high-protein, nutrient-dense nutrition that supports lean muscle, healthy metabolism and sustained energy."
More information on the recipes and the research is available at Scientifically Proven | Wellness Pet Food.
