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35% OFF
Primal &
Wellness
First Auto-Ship
20% OFF
Primal &
Wellness
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Primal &
Wellness
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Primal vs. Wellness
In this comparison article for Primal vs Wellness, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Primal and Wellness, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.
Throughout this Wellness vs Primal comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Primal Review Page or Wellness Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Wellness vs. Primal
According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.
All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.
Primal Dog Food vs. Wellness Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Primal | Wellness |
| Crude Protein | 48.0% | 34.6% |
| Crude Fat | 26.7% | 15.8% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Primal | Wellness |
| Crude Protein | 49.5% | 41.8% |
| Crude Fat | 28.4% | 24.1% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.3% | 4.9% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.
The comparison table above shows that Primal dry dog foods provide significantly more protein than Wellness. More specifically, Primal guarantees at least 13.34% more protein. For wet dog foods, Primal provides more protein (about 7.68% more).
Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food
Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.
Primal dry dog foods clearly provides more fat than Wellness. In fact, the difference between the fat content is roughly 10.94%, which is a significant amount. For wet dog foods, Primal provides more fat (about 4.31% more).
There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Primal and Wellness also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Primal Cat Food vs. Wellness Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Primal | Wellness |
| Crude Protein | 50.1% | 42.0% |
| Crude Fat | 24.0% | 16.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Primal | Wellness |
| Crude Protein | 54.6% | 45.0% |
| Crude Fat | 25.4% | 24.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.1% | 5.6% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.
On average, Primal dry cat food recipes contain 8.19% more protein than Wellness recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the protein content of Wellness and Primal. Similarly, Primal wet cat foods provide significantly more protein than Wellness wet foods.
Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food
There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):
- Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
- Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
- Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.
When you look at the average percentages of crude fat for dry cat food, it's clear that Primal provides significantly more fat. On average, Primal guarantees about 8.03% more protein than Wellness. For wet cat foods, Primal and Wellness provide roughly the same amount of fat.
Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, Wellness and Primal also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Primal Pet Food Ingredients vs. Wellness Pet Food Ingredients
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Wellness.
We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.
Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Wellness.
Product Safety: Recall History of Primal & Wellness?
Primal has been recalled 2 times.
- March 13, 2015: low thiamine level
- Dec. 22, 2017: incorrect bone grind size
Wellness has been recalled 5 times.
- March 18, 2017: elevated beef throid hormone
- Feb. 10, 2017: foreign material
- Oct. 30, 2012: High Moisture
- May 4, 2012: Salmonella
- Feb. 28, 2011: Low Levels of Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Primal | Wellness |
| Per Pound | $45.57 | $3.61 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0227 | $0.0022 |
| Dry Cat Food | Primal | Wellness |
| Per Pound | $45.93 | $3.90 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0230 | $0.0023 |
The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.
If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Primal or Wellness, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.
Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Primal or Wellness will depend on your shopping habits.
Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Primal and Wellness. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- 20% Off First Auto-Ship @ PetFlow (Use Code PAWDIET20)
- 35% Off First Auto-Ship @ Chewy (No Code Required)
- 15% Off The Entire Site @ OnlyNaturalPet (Use Code AFPAWDIET)
Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!
Where To Buy Primal Pet Foods
You can purchase Primal pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Wellness Pet Foods
You can purchase Wellness pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Primal | Wellness |
| Dry Dog Food | None | 59 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | None | 53 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | 6 Treats | 25 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | None | 19 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | None | 74 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | 5 Treats |
Top Rated Primal Recipes
Top Rated Wellness Recipes
