The scores
Wellness CORE Original Grain-Free: A (90/100) — Excellent. Deboned chicken + chicken meal + turkey meal open the formula, with peas and potatoes filling the carb slots. WellPet’s flagship grain-free line.
Nulo Freestyle Adult Salmon & Peas: A (90/100) — Excellent. Deboned salmon + salmon meal + whole dried egg + turkey meal + menhaden fish meal pack the top five with five named animal-protein sources. Nulo’s marine-first flagship.
How the ingredients compare
The top five ingredients:
Wellness CORE: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Potatoes
Nulo Freestyle: Deboned Salmon, Salmon Meal, Whole Dried Egg, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal
Wellness CORE runs a classic premium poultry triple stack — a fresh meat plus two meals in positions one through three — then moves to grain-free carbs (peas, potatoes). Nulo stacks five named animal proteins in the top five with zero carbohydrates, pushing peas and chickpeas into positions six and seven. Two different answers to the same question: how many ingredient-list slots should go to animal protein versus carbohydrate base?
Further down, Wellness CORE fills the formula with an unusually deep produce mix — tomato pomace, flaxseed, salmon oil, spinach, broccoli, carrots, parsley, apples, blueberries, kale, and sweet potatoes. That’s nine named fruits and vegetables, broader than almost any competitor at this price point. Nulo takes a different approach: chickpeas, pea starch, lentils, chicken fat, flaxseed, natural flavor, dried chicory root, blueberries, then functional additions — taurine, L-carnitine, and Bacillus coagulans probiotic. Nulo pays for functional ingredients (cardiac support, fat metabolism, gut health) where Wellness CORE pays for produce diversity.
On the DCM conversation: both are grain-free and both stack legumes (peas in Wellness CORE; peas + chickpeas + lentils + pea starch in Nulo). Nulo’s taurine addition directly addresses the taurine-synthesis concern raised in the FDA 2018–2022 grain-free investigation — it’s one of the few brands that supplements taurine rather than relying on dietary precursors alone. For at-risk breeds (Golden Retrievers, Dobermans, Great Danes, Cocker Spaniels), that’s a meaningful distinction.
Where Wellness CORE pulls ahead
Produce diversity. Eleven named fruits and vegetables run through the formula — spinach, broccoli, carrots, parsley, apples, blueberries, kale, sweet potatoes, tomato pomace, plus standard inclusions. For owners who want whole-food micronutrient diversity rather than a synthetic vitamin premix doing the work, Wellness CORE is the richer formula.
Manufacturing scale and recall history. WellPet is a mid-size independent US manufacturer with a strong recall track record. The company owns its production and has had a quieter recall history than many grain-free competitors. Nulo is also well-regarded, but WellPet’s operational infrastructure is deeper.
Poultry-lead for chicken-tolerant dogs. If your dog does well on chicken and turkey, Wellness CORE’s poultry-heavy profile delivers protein density at a more accessible price point. Nulo’s salmon lead is excellent but commands a premium and introduces fish odor some owners find hard to live with. Shop on Amazon →
Where Nulo holds its own
Five named animal proteins in the top five. Deboned salmon + salmon meal + whole dried egg + turkey meal + menhaden fish meal — the entire opening run is animal-sourced. Wellness CORE has three named animal proteins in the top five. For owners who believe dogs do best on maximum animal protein density, Nulo’s ingredient-list math is hard to beat.
Supplemented taurine and L-carnitine. Nulo is one of the few grain-free brands that explicitly supplements taurine (the amino acid at the center of the FDA DCM investigation) and L-carnitine (which supports fat metabolism and cardiac function). At-risk breeds benefit from supplemented taurine rather than relying on the dog’s synthesis capacity.
Novel-protein lead. Deboned salmon at position one is rarer than chicken-lead formulas at this tier. For dogs with mild poultry sensitivities or owners rotating protein sources, Nulo offers a marine-first profile that’s harder to find in the A-tier grain-free category. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
If you want the broadest whole-food micronutrient profile and trust WellPet’s manufacturing operation, Wellness CORE is the better pick — eleven named fruits and vegetables and a poultry-lead profile that lands in the A tier at a more accessible price. If you prioritize maximum animal-protein density, supplemented taurine for DCM-conscious feeding, and a marine-protein lead, Nulo Freestyle is the stronger match. Both are legitimate A/90 picks — the choice is about what you want your ingredient budget spent on. See our best grain-free dog food guide for more A-tier options.