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In The Kibble
My dogs
BRAND

Merrick

Owned by Nestlé Purina PetCareSince 1988Hereford, Texas

RECIPES REVIEWED
107
AVG PROTEIN, DM, KIBBLE
34.1%
AVG STARCH, KIBBLE
32%
FDA RECALLS
1
LINES
Grain Free 31 Backcountry 21 Lil' Plates 20 Kitchen Comforts 14 Limited Ingredient Diet 8 Full Source 6 Backcountry Raw Infused 1
THE LINES

Merrick Lines, Reviewed

7 lines

Merrick sorts its dog food into seven lines. Grain Free (31 recipes), Backcountry (21) and Lil' Plates (20) each pair kibble with wet food; Lil' Plates is sold for small dogs, Backcountry adds freeze-dried raw toppers and Grain Free adds bone broth toppers. Kitchen Comforts (14) contains grain in every recipe, Full Source (6) is kibble only, and Limited Ingredient Diet (8) uses one named animal protein per recipe. Backcountry Raw Infused is a single fish kibble.

Among kibbles, Backcountry averages the most protein, 33.8%, and the least estimated starch, 29.2% as fed, against catalog averages of 26.9% and 37.4%. Full Source, Grain Free and Lil' Plates average 30.7% to 31.7% protein. Kitchen Comforts averages 26.3% and Limited Ingredient Diet 23.8%, with 40.5% estimated starch. Kitchen Comforts kibbles skip peas, lentils and potato, while Grain Free kibbles use sweet potatoes, potatoes and peas in place of grain.

Grain Free

14 kibble · 14 wet food · 3 toppers
Protein
31.3%
Fat
15.1%
Starch
32.8%
Kcal / cup
406

Average kibble, as fed

Merrick Grain Free is the brand's grain free line, with 14 kibbles, 14 wet foods and 3 bone broth toppers. None of the 31 recipes contains grain. The kibbles average 31.3% protein and use sweet potatoes, potatoes and peas in place of grain.

A good fit for: Owners wanting grain free kibble above the catalog protein average; Dogs needing lower fat kibble, through Healthy Weight at 10% fat

Read the Grain Free review

Backcountry

13 kibble · 4 wet food · 4 toppers
Protein
33.8%
Fat
16.5%
Starch
29.2%
Kcal / cup
434

Average kibble, as fed

Backcountry is Merrick's mostly grain-free line of raw infused kibble, wet food and freeze-dried raw toppers, with a deboned meat listed first in every recipe. Its kibbles average 33.8% protein and 29.2% estimated starch as fed, against catalog kibble averages of 26.9% and 37.4%.

A good fit for: Owners seeking kibble protein above the 26.9% catalog average; Households avoiding grain, with 10 of 13 kibbles grain free

Read the Backcountry review

Lil' Plates

9 kibble · 11 wet food
Protein
30.7%
Fat
15.3%
Starch
33.3%
Kcal / cup
444

Average kibble, as fed

Lil' Plates is Merrick's line sold for small dogs, with 9 kibbles and 11 wet foods in pates, tubs and trays. Its kibbles average 30.7% protein as fed, above the 26.9% catalog kibble average, and nearly every recipe is grain free.

A good fit for: Small dog owners who want kibble with protein above the catalog average; Owners seeking grain free food with chicken, beef, turkey, lamb or fish

Read the Lil' Plates review

Kitchen Comforts

10 kibble · 4 wet food
Protein
26.3%
Fat
15%
Starch
30.4%
Kcal / cup
414

Average kibble, as fed

Kitchen Comforts is Merrick's grain-inclusive line of 10 kibbles and 4 wet foods, built on chicken, brown rice, barley and oat meal. Its kibbles skip peas, lentils and potato and average 30.4% estimated starch, below the 37.4% catalog kibble average.

A good fit for: Owners wanting grain-inclusive kibble without peas, lentils or potato; Small breed owners wanting a calorie-dense kibble at 467 kcal per cup

Read the Kitchen Comforts review

Limited Ingredient Diet

5 kibble · 3 wet food
Protein
23.8%
Fat
14%
Starch
40.5%
Kcal / cup
427

Average kibble, as fed

Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet is a line of 8 adult recipes, 5 kibbles and 3 wet foods, each built on a single named animal protein: salmon, chicken, lamb or turkey. It is sold as a limited ingredient line and mixes grain-inclusive and grain-free recipes.

A good fit for: Owners who want one named animal protein per recipe; Owners choosing between grain-free and brown rice kibbles

Read the Limited Ingredient Diet review

Full Source

6 kibble
Protein
31.7%
Fat
16.3%
Starch
31.5%
Kcal / cup
386

Average kibble, as fed

Merrick Full Source is a six-recipe line of raw-coated dry kibble, with four grain-inclusive recipes, two grain-free recipes and no peas or lentils. Its protein averages 31.7%, above the 26.9% kibble catalog average, and its estimated starch averages 31.5%.

A good fit for: Owners wanting kibble with more protein than the catalog average; Owners avoiding peas and lentils in dry food

Read the Full Source review
WHICH LINE FITS

Choosing Between The Merrick Lines

  • Higher protein, lower starch kibble plus freeze-dried raw toppers: Backcountry
  • Grain-free kibble, wet food and bone broth from one line: Grain Free
  • A grain-inclusive kibble without peas, lentils or potato: Kitchen Comforts
  • Raw-coated kibble with grain-inclusive and grain-free options: Full Source
  • Kibble and wet food sold for small dogs: Lil' Plates
  • One named animal protein per recipe: Limited Ingredient Diet

All recipes

107 foods matched · newest first
DEEP DIVE

Inside The Merrick Range

Across 107 recipes we review

Protein runs higher than the average kibble we review (34.1% vs 30.1% on a dry matter basis).

Starch is lower than average, at 32% of the food as fed.

100% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).

73% of recipes are grain-free.

NUTRITION

How The Range Measures Up

this range, lowest to highest its average average of all 3,205 foods we review

Protein, dry matter 34% 26% to 43%
15%site avg 30%50%
Fat, dry matter 17% 10% to 20%
5%site avg 18%30%
Starch, as fed 32% 25% to 42%
10%site avg 37%60%
Kcal per cup 420 352 to 522
250site avg 395600

Starch is our estimate from the guaranteed analysis, since no manufacturer prints it. How we work it out

INGREDIENTS

What Goes In The Bowl

Chicken 58% 56%
Egg 44% 31%
Fish 36% 34%
Beef 34% 20%
Turkey 34% 20%
Lamb 22% 14%
Pork 9% 11%

Share of recipes that list each animal protein as an ingredient, not counting oils, fats or flavorings. Useful if your dog has a food sensitivity.

Ingredients Some Owners Avoid

By-products 0% 13%
Artificial colors 0% 1%
Chemical preservatives 32% 9%
Corn 0% 15%
Wheat 0% 13%
Soy 0% 10%

These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.

LIFE STAGE
  • Adult82
  • Puppy10
  • All Life Stages5
  • Senior3
BREED SIZE
  • All Breeds98
  • Small Breed18
  • Large Breed2
SPECIAL DIETS
  • Grain-free (no wheat, corn, rice, barley or oats)78
  • Limited Ingredient5
Merrick Grain-Free Real Turkey + Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food MOST PROTEIN Merrick Grain-Free Real Turkey + Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food 42.7% dry matter Merrick Kitchen Comforts Real Beef & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food LEAST STARCH Merrick Kitchen Comforts Real Beef & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food 25% as fed Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Recipe Dry Dog Food FEWEST CALORIES Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Recipe Dry Dog Food 352 kcal per cup
THE COMPANY

About Merrick

Owner
Nestlé Purina PetCare
Ownership
Subsidiary of a public company
Founded
1988
Headquarters
Hereford, Texas

Who Makes It

Merrick is a dog and cat food brand that is part of the Nestlé Purina family of brands. It sells dry food, wet food and treats under lines such as Backcountry, Healthy Grains, Grain Free, Limited Ingredient Diet, Full Source and Lil' Plates. The company says its recipes use real, whole-food ingredients and no artificial preservatives, and that its dry dog recipes contain omega fatty acids plus glucosamine and chondroitin. 1, 2, 3

Where It Is Made

Merrick says its dog food and treats are made in facilities in the USA and Iceland. The company says it still develops and tests recipes in the founder's original kitchen in Hereford, Texas. AllAmerican.org reports that Merrick makes its dog food in its own kitchens in Hereford and at other sites in Texas and Illinois. 2, 1, 4

History

Garth Merrick started the company in 1988 in his family kitchen in Hereford, Texas, cooking food for his own dog. Nestlé Purina PetCare bought Merrick Pet Care in 2015 and said at the time that it planned no changes to Merrick's management or operations. 1, 5, 6

Worth Knowing

Merrick's recalls have all involved dog treats, not dog food. In 2010 the company expanded a recall of its Beef Filet Squares and Texas Hold'ems treats to all lots because of possible Salmonella contamination. In 2018 it voluntarily recalled some Backcountry beef treats because they might contain elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone. 7, 8

  1. merrickpetcare.com/about
  2. merrickpetcare.com/faqs/dogs
  3. petsmart.com/featured-brands/merrick
  4. allamerican.org/investigation/merrick
  5. dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-news/nestle-purina-merrick-buyout
  6. newscenter.purina.com/Merrick
  7. petfoodindustry.com/news-newsletters/pet-food-news/article/15453971/merrick-pet-care-expands-dog-treat-recall-to-include-all-lots
  8. dogster.com/dog-nutrition/merrick-dog-food-review

Researched from the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

RECALL HISTORY // MERRICK

1 FDA Recall On Record

MAY 23, 2018
INGREDIENT LEVEL

‎Beef dog treat varieties

See the recall log

NO LONGER SOLD

17 Discontinued Recipes

We keep reviews of discontinued recipes online, each with suggested replacements, because bags stay on shelves and in pantries for months.

HEAD TO HEAD

Merrick Compared With Other Brands

Merrick vs Blue Buffalo Merrick vs Wellness Merrick vs Taste of the Wild Canidae vs Merrick Merrick vs Fromm
LINE VS LINE

Merrick Lines Compared

Merrick Backcountry vs Merrick Grain Free Merrick Backcountry vs Merrick Lil' Plates Merrick Backcountry vs Merrick Kitchen Comforts Merrick Grain Free vs Merrick Lil' Plates Merrick Grain Free vs Merrick Kitchen Comforts Merrick Lil' Plates vs Merrick Kitchen Comforts

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