Merrick Dog Food Review

Merrick Pet Care began as a family-owned company in 1988 in Hereford, Texas. The family established it as a natural and organic pet food company. Nestle Purina bought Merrick in 2015. Merrick also owns Zuke’s and Whole Earth Farms. It also owns Castor & Pollux, its organic pet food line. 

Merrick has 3 manufacturing facilities. This includes its original plant in Hereford. This was the world’s first organic certified pet food plant. They make dry and canned pet foods. This is under the USDA National Organic Program. They also have facilities in Amarillo, Texas and Evanston, Illinois.

For our Merrick dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.

IS MERRICK A GOOD DOG FOOD?

Merrick has 11 lines of dry and canned foods with 100 recipes. Merrick dry dog foods all score as high risk by our criteria. The wet dog foods are moderate risk by our criteria.

This is disappointing. Merrick manufactures an organic line of dog food. (Castor & Pollux Organix is reviewed separately.) Organic ingredients aren’t used in other Merrick lines. The foods have significant ingredient safety concerns. They can minimize concerns with organic ingredients. There are several high pesticide/herbicide ingredients. There are GMO ingredients like potatoes in most of the 100 recipes. Sprays and fertilizers pose a significant health risk. This affects plants, animals and soils. There are limited safety studies on GMO and Roundup Ready crops. They lack nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils. This increases the risk of pesticide or herbicide residues. They may be involved in bee die-off.

The company sources most of its ingredients in the US. They source some overseas. Lamb and venison come from New Zealand. Duck and rabbit are from France. Their vitamin and minerals premix is from Germany and Canada. 

The dry dog foods have high carbohydrate content. They have low levels of protein. The grain free and limited ingredient foods have starches. These are carbohydrates. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrate. But dry dog foods require starch for the extrusion process. Foods high in carbohydrate can raise insulin. They can cause obesity and changes to the gut bacteria.

These are ultra processed dry dog foods. They’re heated several times during processing. This causes a loss of enzymes, vitamins and minerals. They also lose amino acids and phytonutrients. As a result, they add vitamins and minerals. Five or more added vitamins or minerals indicates a lower quality food. It’s lacking nutrients from whole food sources. 

On the positive side, very few recipes have added amino acids. These nutrients are from the ingredients. All the dry dog foods have added probiotics. But they don’t guarantee the amount. Merrick’s Limited Ingredient Dry Limited Edition doesn’t have probiotics. It has 5 to 8 key ingredients followed by a lengthy list of added nutrients. It’s puzzling why this line wouldn’t include probiotics. 

The Limited Ingredient dry and wet dog foods have the highest level of carbohydrates. They also have the lowest level of protein among all Merrick lines. 

There are ingredient safety concerns. Natural flavor is often used. It’s often made from low quality ingredients. Rice is in most foods. It’s a concern because of potential arsenic contamination. This is linked to chronic health issues. Some recipes contain menadione. It’s a synthetic form of vitamin K. It’s not required in dog food. It’s linked to:

• immune system dysfunction

• oxidative damage to cells
• liver toxicity
• allergic reactions.

Wet dog foods have ingredient safety and quality concerns. Most have lower carbohydrates than the dry dog foods. Lil Plates, Grain Free and Limited Ingredient lines are higher. This is higher than we’d like to see in canned food. 

Canned dog foods are less processed than kibble. Canned dog foods are heated several times. This causes losses in enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Most recipes contain a list of added vitamins and minerals. The Limited Ingredient line also has added amino acids.

Merrick doesn’t specify whether fish is wild-caught. It has a better nutrient value than farmed fish. Merrick doesn’t state the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their recipes. This is true of most companies. It’s a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation.

Let’s look at each line in a little more detail.

Ingredient List For Healthy Grains Raw-Coated Kibble With Salmon And Whitefish Recipe: Deboned Salmon, Salmon Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Whitefish Meal, Pork Meal, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Whole Hake, Whole Herring, Quinoa, Flaxseed, Salt, Organic Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Citric Acid for freshness, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product.

This is a high risk dog food by our criteria. Six recipes have average protein of 32%. Average carbohydrates are 30% as calculated. This line has high carbohydrates. They have added vitamins and minerals. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. The line also uses inflammatory seed oil. These foods are ultra-processed. This lowers safety and nutrient content. Other concerns are high pesticide foods and GMO ingredients. There is rice, which can contain arsenic. Natural flavors can use low-quality ingredients.

Full Source Benefits

• Made in house
• Contains probiotics (not guaranteed)
• Contains organic alfalfa

Full Source Concerns

• High carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains seed oil
• Ultra processed
• High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
• GMOs in top 5 ingredients
• Contains rice
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

Ingredient List For Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Turkey Meal, Peas, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Sunflower Oil, Organic Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Choline Chloride, L-Carnitine, Apples, Blueberries, Salmon Oil, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols for Freshness, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Citric Acid for Freshness, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product.

This is a high risk dog food by our criteria. Twelve recipes have average protein of 32%. Average carbohydrates are 30% as calculated. These are grain-free foods. But they have high starch ingredients. These high carbohydrates affect the score. They have added vitamins and minerals. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. The line loses points for using plant protein. They also have inflammatory seed oil. On the safety side, these foods are ultra-processed. This lowers nutrient content. Other concerns are high pesticide foods. There are GMO ingredients and natural flavor.  

Grain Free Benefits

• Made in house
• Contains probiotics
• Contains organic alfalfa

Grain Free Concerns

• High carbohydrates
• Excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains seed oil
• Contains plant protein
• Ultra processed
• High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
• GMOs in top 5 ingredients
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
• Uses ingredient splitting
• Uses glam ingredients

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

Ingredient List For Raw Infused – Hero’s Banquet Recipe: Deboned Beef, Pork Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Potato Protein, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat, Pea Protein, Natural Flavor, Turkey, Lamb, Sunflower Oil, Beef LIver, Salt, Organic Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Apples, Blueberries, 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 Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Citric Acid for freshness, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product.

This is a high risk dog food by our criteria. Ten recipes have average protein of 35%. Average carbohydrates are 27% as calculated. This line has high carbohydrates that affect the score. They have added vitamins and minerals. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. The line loses points for using plant protein. They also have inflammatory seed oil. On the safety side, these foods are ultra-processed. This lowers nutrient content. Other concerns are high pesticide foods. There are GMO ingredients and natural flavor. Recipes have rice that can contain arsenic.

Back Country Benefits

• Made in-house
• Contains probiotics (not guaranteed)
• Contains organic alfalfa

Back Country Concerns

• High carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains seed oil
• Contains plant protein
• Ultra processed
• High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
• GMOs in top 5 ingredients
• Contains rice
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
• Uses ingredient splitting
• Uses glam ingredients

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

Ingredient List For Grain-Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potatoes Recipe: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Chicken Fat, Whitefish Meal, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Chicory Root (source of Inulin), Sunflower Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Organic Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Choline Chloride, Apples, Blueberries, Salmon Oil, 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 Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Niacin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Citric Acid for freshness, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product.

This is a high risk dog food by our criteria. Eight recipes have average protein of 32%. Average carbohydrates are 32% as calculated. Some of these recipes are grain-free. However, they contain other starchy carbohydrates. High carbohydrates cost ingredient quality points. They have added vitamins and minerals. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. The line loses points for using plant protein. They also have inflammatory seed oil. On the safety side, these foods are ultra-processed. This lowers nutrient content. Other concerns are high pesticide foods. There are GMO ingredients and natural flavor. Recipes have rice that can contain arsenic. Recipes have menadione. It’s a synthetic form of Vitamin K. It may be linked to immune system dysfunction. It can also cause oxidative damage to cells, liver toxicity. There have been allergic reactions.

Lil Plates Benefits

• Made in-house
• Probiotics (not guaranteed)
• Contains organic alfalfa

Lil Plates Concerns

• High carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains seed oil
• Contains plant protein
• Ultra processed
• High pesticide/herbicide foods
• GMOs in top 5 ingredients
• Contains rice
• Contains natural flavor
• Contains menadione
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
• Uses ingredient splitting
• Uses glam ingredients

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

Ingredient List For Real Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe: Deboned Salmon, Salmon Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Sweet Potatoes, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Salt, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Calcium Iodate), DL- Methionine, Taurine, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, d- Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Citric Acid for freshness.

This is a high risk dog food by our criteria. Five recipes have average protein of 23%. Average carbohydrates are 41% as calculated. This is an excessive high level of carbohydrates. High carbohydrates cost ingredient quality points. These are limited ingredient recipes. There are 5 or 6 whole food ingredients. They are followed by a list of additives. These include added vitamins and minerals. There are added amino acids. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. The line loses points for using plant protein. They also have inflammatory seed oil. On the safety side, these foods are ultra-processed. This lowers nutrient content. Other concerns are high pesticide foods. There are GMO ingredients and natural flavor. Recipes have rice that can contain arsenic. Recipes have menadione. It’s a synthetic form of Vitamin K. It may be linked to immune system dysfunction. It can also cause oxidative damage to cells, liver toxicity. There have been allergic reactions.

Limited Ingredient Benefits

• Made in house

Limited Ingredient Concerns

• High in carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains added amino acids
• Contains seed oil
• Contains plant protein
• Ultra processed
• High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
• GMOs in top 5 ingredients
• Contains rice
• Contains menadione
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
• Uses ingredient splitting

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

Ingredient List For Small Breed Recipe: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Turkey Meal, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat, Quinoa, Salmon Meal, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Organic Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Carrots, Apples, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Taurine, Chia Seed, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Citric Acid for freshness, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product.

This is a high risk dog food by our criteria. Thirteen recipes have average protein of 27%. There are excessive carbohydrates of 37% as calculated. They have added vitamins and minerals. There are added amino acids. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. The line loses points for using plant protein. They also have inflammatory seed oil. One recipe has fish oil which is an unnamed animal ingredient. On the safety side, these foods are ultra-processed. This lowers nutrient content. Other concerns are high pesticide foods. There are GMO ingredients and natural flavor. Recipes have rice that can contain arsenic. Recipes have menadione. It’s a synthetic form of Vitamin K. It may be linked to immune system dysfunction. It can also cause oxidative damage to cells, liver toxicity. There have been allergic reactions.

Healthy Grains Benefits

• Made in-house
• Contains probiotics (not guaranteed)
• No known GMOs

Healthy Grains Concerns

• High in carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains added amino acids
• Contains seed oil
• Unnamed animal ingredient (fish oil in 1 recipe)
• Ultra processed
• High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
• Contains rice
• Contains menadione
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
• Uses glam ingredients

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

Ingredient List For Real Lamb & Venison Stew With Healthy Grains Recipe: Deboned Lamb, Beef Bone Broth, Chicken Bone Broth, Lamb Liver, Deboned Venison, Dried Egg Product, Chicken Cartilage, Oatmeal, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed Oil, Brown Rice, Beef Liver, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Gum Ghatti, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodate, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Cassia Gum, Cumin, Cinnamon, Agar-Agar, Ground Flaxseed, Locust Bean Gum, Taurine.

This is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. Four recipes have average protein of 47%. There are carbohydrates of 14% as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is a good level for canned dog food. They lose points for added vitamins and minerals. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. Canned foods are highly processed. This lowers nutrient content. Ingredients carry high pesticide or herbicide residues. Recipes also have GMO ingredients. There is rice that can contain arsenic, and natural flavor. 

Full Source Wet Benefits

• Made in-house

Full Source Wet Concerns

• Moderate carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Highly processed
• High pesticide/herbicide ingredients
• Contains known GMO ingredients
• Contains rice
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

This is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. It’s Merrick’s highest scoring wet dog food. Eight recipes have average protein of 50%. There are carbohydrates of 11% as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is a good level for a canned dog food. They lose points for added vitamins and minerals. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. Canned foods are highly processed. This lowers nutrient content. There are 2 recipes with high pesticide foods. They have GMO ingredients. These both cost ingredient safety points. All recipes lose points for having natural flavor. This is often in the first 5 ingredients.

Back Country Wet Benefits

• Made in-house

Back Country Wet Concerns

• Moderate carbohydrates in some foods
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains seed oil
• Highly processed
• High pesticide/herbicide ingredients
• GMO ingredients
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

Ingredient List For Grain-Free Petite Pot Pie Recipe: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey Broth, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Whites, Potato Starch, Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, Apples, Guar Gum, Sunflower Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide), Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Xanthan Gum.

This is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. Eight recipes have average protein of 45%. There are carbohydrates of 20% as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is quite high for a canned dog food. They lose points for added vitamins and minerals. They also have inflammatory seed oils. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. These are moderately processed foods in cups. They lose some nutrient content. Ingredients carry high pesticide or herbicide residues. Recipes also have GMO ingredients, and natural flavor. 

Lil Plates Wet Benefits

• Made in-house

Lil Plates Wet Concerns

• High in carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains seed oil
• Moderately processed
• High pesticide/herbicide ingredients
• Contains GMOs
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
• Uses ingredient splitting

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

This is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. Four recipes have average protein of 36%. There are carbohydrates of 26% as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is quite high for a canned dog food. These are limited ingredient foods. However, there are only 2 whole foods amid a list of additives. They lose points for added vitamins and minerals. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. They also have inflammatory seed oils. They have plant proteins. On the safety side, these foods are highly processed. This lowers nutrient content. Other concerns are high pesticide foods. There is rice that contain arsenic, and natural flavor. 

Limited Ingredient Canned Benefits

• Made in-house
• No known GMOs

Limited Ingredient Canned Concerns

• High in carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains seed oil
• Contains plant protein
• Highly processed
• High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
• Contains rice
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
• Uses ingredient splitting

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

Ingredient List For Wilderness Blend In Gravy Recipe: Deboned Duck, Beef Broth, Vegetable Broth, Deboned Venison, Deboned Buffalo, Peas, Dried Egg Product, Potatoes, Carrots, Apples, Natural Flavor, Potato Starch, Cassia Gum, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Guar Gum, Caramel Color, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodate, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Yucca Schidigera Extract.

This is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. There are 24 recipes with average protein of 44%. There are carbohydrates of 20% as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is quite high for a canned dog food. Some recipes have low carbohydrate levels of 4% to 15% while others are as high as 30%. They lose points for higher carbohydrates. They lose points for added vitamins and minerals. This reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. They also have inflammatory seed oils. They have plant proteins. On the safety side, these foods are highly processed. This lowers nutrient content. There are GMO and high pesticide crops in the top 5 ingredients. There is rice that can contain arsenic, and natural flavor.  

Grain Free Canned Benefits

• Made in-house

Grain Free Canned Concerns

• High in carbohydrates
• Contains excessive added vitamins and minerals
• Contains seed oil
• Contains plant protein
• Contains sugar
• Highly processed
• High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
• GMOs in top 5 ingredients
• Contains natural flavor
• Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
• Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
• Uses ingredient splitting

View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews

MERRICK DOG FOOD RECALLS

Merrick has experienced the following dog food recalls.

05/23/2018 – Castor & Pollux Good Buddy Prime Patties and Sausage Cuts; Merrick Real Beef Jerky, Real Beef Sausage and Real Steak Patties – potential elevated beef thyroid hormone

08/08/2011 – Doggie Wishbone pet treats – potential salmonella contamination

01/30/2011 – Junior Texas Taffy pet treats – potential salmonella contamination

01/15/2010 – Beef Fillet Squares – potential salmonella contamination

07/06/2010 – Beef Fillet Squares and Texas Hold ‘em pet treats – potential salmonella contamination

08/4/2010 – expanded recall for 07/06/2010 recall

08/16/2010 – expanded recall for 07/06/2010 recall

Evaluation Criteria

We evaluate and score dog foods based on two criteria:

Are the Ingredients High Quality?

Here are some common low-quality ingredients or markers we look for:

• Is there excessive carbohydrate content, which can cause gut imbalances?
• Does the food contain unnamed proteins, which are low quality?
• Does the food use cellulose (wood pulp) as a source of fiber instead of real food?
• Are there excessive vitamins and minerals added in place of real food nutrition?
• Are there excessive added amino acids or plant proteins instead of expensive meat protein?
• Does the food contain inflammatory processed seed oils?

How Safe Are the Ingredients?

Many ingredients come from unhealthy, inflammatory sources or are full of pesticides so we look for:

• How processed is the food?
• Does the food contain known genetically modified foods?
• Does the food contain ingredients known to be high in pesticides?
• Does the food contain natural flavor, which are often MSG or animal digest?
• Does the food contain rice, which is high in arsenic?

Each food is objectively evaluated by these criteria and a score is assigned using the average of ingredient quality and safety. This is NOT a paid list and there are no affiliate links. Dogs Naturally has partnered with DogFoodReviews.com to make sure dog owners have unbiased, objective criteria to help them choose the best dog food on the market. You can view the full Evaluation Criteria at DogFoodReviews.com.