Merrick Dog Food: Review

Merrick was founded in 1988 by Garth Merrick right out of his small Texas family kitchen. After Merrick had success with their first dog treat, they continued to create all-natural pet food that was high in protein and formulated with wholesome and nutritional ingredients to support the health of dogs and cats. 

As of today, they have more than 200 wet and dry pet food recipes. In 2015, Merrick was acquired by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. But the brand has remained true to its local roots, still using the same test kitchen and original plant in Hereford, Texas. All of their facilities adhere to strict FDA guidelines while their kitchen is a Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 3 facility.

Merrick is rooted in the belief that pets deserve the best food, and this starts with making a conscious effort to use the ingredients around them. That’s why deboned animal nutrition is the main ingredient, followed by wholesome ingredients sourced from local farms and credible suppliers. And all of their recipes are grain-free, making them ideal for dogs with sensitive stomachs or allergies. 

If you want to support sustainable local farming, and ensure that your pup is getting all-natural nutrition, then Merrick’s dog food might be exactly what you’re looking for! 

Now that you know more about Merrick, it’s time to look at their products more closely. To help you decide, we’ve reviewed their highest-rated dry and wet dog food below.

Merrick’s top dry dog food encompasses what this company stands for: sustainable local ingredients and great nutrition. This freeze-dried raw food has deboned lamb as its main ingredient, followed by chicken and turkey meals. This meat concentration means that the recipe has 38% protein, over 10% higher than the dry food industry average. It also features high levels of omega fatty acids, which are necessary for brain/heart/skin/coat health. It is a great food to give all breeds, they will maintain their lean muscle mass and have lots of energy to play. 

The inclusion of wild boar and venison is the cherry on top of this amazing recipe! Don’t hesitate to try it out.

Customer reviews:

“My dog really enjoys the meaty morsels in this food, I think it was a nice surprise for him because I believe he was getting bored with his other food.”

“My Pyrenees wouldn’t eat other foods and the vet had recommended that he have food containing lamb but he wouldn’t eat others so I tried this one and he loves it!”

Guaranteed analysis:

• Protein (min): 38.0%
• Fat (min): 17.0%
• Fiber (max): 3.5%
• Moisture (max): 11.0%

Nutritional Info
Ingredients: Deboned Lamb, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Potato Protein, Pea Protein, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavor, Wild Boar, Venison, Beef, Sunflower Oil, Beef Liver, Flaxseed, Salt, Apples, Blueberries, 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, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Proteinate, Cobalt Carbonate), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Yucca Schidigera Extract, 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.

Caloric Content
3,754 kcal/kg, 398 kcal/cup

Fiber, fiber, fiber! This wet food recipe by Merrick has well above the industry average for fiber. It has a whopping 3.5% compared to the 1.5% industry average. Meaning that this is a great dog food for digestion. It has deboned beef as its first ingredient, and it’s combined with whole vegetables, making it easy on stomachs. 

It has enough protein (8%) to keep dog’s muscles growing, whilst maintaining a nice level of energy in them. It has been formulated to feed to all breeds, at any life stage. We recommend mixing this with kibble for medium to large-sized breeds (need more nutritional content), and you can feed this to smaller/toy breeds by itself, or mix in kibble.

Customer reviews:

“Shadow the dog really likes Merrick can food. He will jump up and down to get his meal. Shadow just turned 5 this December and has been eating Merrick Dog food dry and wet that long. Good stuff Thanks. Shadow is a Golden Retriever.”

“All 5 rescue dogs of different breeds and ages love this. Food is packed tightly in cans to top so you get your money’s worth.”

Guaranteed analysis: 

• Protein (min): 8.0%
• Fat (min): 3.0%
• Fiber (max): 2.5%
• Moisture (max): 81.0%

Nutritional Info
Ingredients: Deboned Beef, Beef Broth, Turkey Broth, Green Beans, Carrots, Deboned Lamb, Dried Egg Product, Dried Peas, Beef Liver, Potato Starch, Natural Flavor, Dried Potatoes, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodate, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), 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), Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Guar Gum, Gelatin, Cinnamon, Caramel Color, Xanthan Gum, Yucca Schidigera Extract.

Caloric Content

795 kcal/kg, 286 kcal per 12.7 oz can

Merrick has been involved in a few recalls over the years. But that’s expected for a company that has been in the industry for a long time. Recalls are a good thing to be aware of, but they can happen for a variety of reasons.

Here’s a brief snapshot of the brand’s recall history, starting with the most recent:

2018

Merrick initiated a voluntary recall for some of their beef dog treat varieties due to the potential of elevated levels of a naturally-occurring beef thyroid hormone. 

2011

Merrick was involved with a couple of recalls this year. Some of their dog treat varieties were recalled when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted routine testing and found salmonella in some Merrick pet treats. However, no illnesses were reported at the time. 

2010

Merrick recalled several varieties of their dog treats due to the possibility of contamination with salmonella bacteria.