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Is Merrick a good dog food?
In this review… The Dog Food Advisor takes a candid look at Merrick Dog Food… and its most important sub-brands.
We’ll also cover…
- Is Merrick made in the United States?
- Has Merrick been recalled?
- Which flavors and recipes get our top ratings?
But first…
Which Merrick Sub-Brand Is Right for You?
Here are Merrick’s 6 most popular sub-brands. Below, we’ll share what makes each one different. So you can choose the food that best suits your dog.
Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Dry
Merrick’s Healthy Grains dry range balance protein, fruits, vegetables, and a healthy blend of whole grains—including ancient grains, brown rice, and oats
- Grain Inclusive
- 15 recipes (ratings vary)
- Contain Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids
Merrick Grain-Free Dry
Merrick Grain-Free is ideal for those seeking a dry food that’s made without grain.
- Merrick’s most popular sub-brand
- Contains no corn, wheat or rice
- 14 recipes (ratings vary)
Merrick Grain-Free Cans
This sub-brand includes Merrick’s best-selling, grain-free wet recipes. Some are available in certain seasons.
- No corn, wheat, barley or rice
- Chunky or fine-ground options
- 14 recipes (ratings vary)
Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Grain-Free
Backcountry recipes start with freeze-dried, raw-coated kibble. Then blend in pieces of real, freeze-dried raw meat, fish, or poultry.
- Grain-free. Contains sweet potato
- Includes novel protein, like rabbit, venison, or duck
- 12 recipes (ratings vary)
Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet
Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet is a kibble that can be helpful for dogs with food sensitivities or allergies.
- Only 9 key ingredients for easier digestion
- Contains fiber-rich sweet potato
- 4 recipes (ratings vary)
Merrick Lil' Plates Wet Dog Food
Lil’ Plates is Merrick’s grain-free wet sub-brand designed especially for small dogs.
- Contains no corn, soy or grain
- Uses prebiotics and probiotics for healthy digestion
- 8 recipes (ratings vary)
Review of Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Dry Dog Food
Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Dry product range is made up of 15 recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 4.5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 4.5 stars.
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Merrick Healthy Grains Real Chicken + Brown Rice Recipe with Ancient Grains | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Real Beef + Brown Rice Recipe With Ancient Grains Dog Food | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Real Lamb + Brown Rice Recipe With Ancient Grains | 4 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Small Breed With Ancient Grains Dog Food | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Dry Puppy Food | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Freeze-dried Raw-coated Kibble Real Beef + Brown Rice Recipe | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Freeze-dried Raw-coated Kibble Real Chicken + Brown Rice Recipe | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Freeze-dried Raw-coated Kibble Puppy Recipe | 4.5 | A |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Freeze-dried Raw-coated Kibble Real Salmon + Brown Rice Recipe | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Healthy Weight Recipe | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Large Breed Recipe | 4 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Real Salmon And Brown Rice Recipe | 4 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Senior Recipe | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Immune Health Real Chicken + Brown Rice Recipe | 4.5 | M |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Gut Health Real Chicken + Brown Rice Recipe | 4.5 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Merrick Healthy Grains Real Beef + Brown Rice Recipe With Ancient Grains Dog Food was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Merrick Healthy Grains Real Beef + Brown Rice Recipe With Ancient Grains Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned beef, brown rice, oat meal, pork and bone meal, barley, natural flavor, salmon meal, pork fat, potato protein, quinoa, flaxseed, dried yeast, miscanthus grass, potassium chloride, salt, sunflower oil, alfalfa meal, choline chloride, apples, carrots, minerals [iron amino acid complex, zinc amino acid complex, zinc sulfate, sodium selenite, manganese amino acid complex, copper amino acid complex, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, cobalt glucoheptonate, cobalt carbonate], taurine, mixed tocopherols for freshness, salmon oil, yucca schidigera extract, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, vitamin B-12 supplement, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), folic acid (vitamin B-9), riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K), niacin (vitamin B-3), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), biotin (vitamin B-7), vitamin D-3 supplement], dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product.
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 15% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 17% | 46% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 35% | 40% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Although it’s a quality item, raw beef contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The third ingredient is oat meal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.
The next ingredient is pork meal. Pork meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh pork.
The fifth ingredient is bone meal. Although it’s considered a quality source of calcium, magnesium and essential trace minerals, even human-grade bone meal supplements can contain higher levels of mercury, lead and other metals.1
The sixth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
Next, after natural flavor we have salmon meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.2Commonly known as lard, pork fat can add significant flavor to any dog food. And it can be high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life.
The ninth ingredient is pork fat, a product from rendering pig meat.
Commonly known as lard, pork fat can add significant flavor to a dog food. And it can be high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life.
Although it may not sound very appetizing, pork fat (in moderate amounts) is actually an acceptable pet food ingredient.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With eight notable exceptions…
First, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
Next, although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feed.
In addition, sunflower oil is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3’s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.
Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.
There are several different types of sunflower oil, some better than others. Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.
We also note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
Additionally, this recipe includes dried fermentation products. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
This recipe also has sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
We find menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Since vitamin K isn’t required by AAFCO in its nutrient profiles, we question the use of this item in any canine recipe.
And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Merrick Healthy Grains Real Beef + Brown Rice Recipe With Ancient Grains appears to be an above-average dry dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29.2%, a fat level of 16.9% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45.9%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30.1% and a mean fat level of 16.8%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 45.1% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
Which means this Merrick product line contains…
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.
Merrick Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Merrick through December 2024.
- Merrick Recalls Multiple Dog Treats (May 23, 2018)
- Merrick Recalls Dog Treats (August 9, 2011)
- Merrick Pet Treats Recall 2011 (January 30, 2011)
- Merrick Expands Dog Treats Recall (August 16, 2010)
- Merrick Expands Recall of Dog Treats (August 4, 2010)
- Merrick Dog Treats Recall (July 6, 2010)
- Merrick Dog Treats Recall 2010 (January 15, 2010)
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Merrick Grain Inclusive Dog Food
The Dog Food Advisor finds Merrick to be an above-average, grain-inclusive kibble. The Classic recipe appears to use a significant amount of named meat meal as its dominant source of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.
Unfortunately, the company chose to include the controversial form of vitamin K in its recipes. Otherwise, we would have been compelled to award this product a higher rating.
About
All Merrick dog foods are produced in the United States. Most of the brand’s dry and wet recipes are manufactured at one of its 3 company-owned facilities in Hereford, Texas. Unlike most pet food brands, Merrick owns its own cannery.
Merrick also owns Castor and Pollux Natural Petworks (a quality brand known for its certified organic dog and cat foods)… and produces Whole Earth Farms pet foods, too.
Merrick was sold to Nestle Purina PetCare in 2015.
Compare Merrick Dog Food
How does Merrick compare with The Dog Food Advisor's most recommended brands?
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A Final Word
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