Friday, April 26, 2024

Review Of Merrick Dog Food

Merrick Limited Ingredient Grain

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Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet is a grain-free kibble that can be helpful for dogs with food sensitivities or allergies.

  • Only 9 key ingredients for easier digestion
  • Contains fiber-rich sweet potato

Lil Plates is Merricks grain-free wet sub-brand designed especially for small dogs.

  • Contains no corn, soy or grain
  • Uses prebiotics and probiotics for healthy digestion

Merrick Dog Food Review 2021

For an independently-owned company, Merrick is dedicated to producing high-quality, delicious, and nutritious kibble and canned food for dogs and cats alike. The company relies on high-protein, calorie-dense formulas to keep your pooch in perfect health, full of energy and mischief. To help you make sense of an impressive array of formulas, Ive put weeks into research and experimentation to come up with an in-depth Merrick dog food review.

Enjoy!

Merrick Full Source Dog Food

Merrick Full Source recipes use the entire animal source of meat-based ingredients. This whole-prey approach is a sustainable method for producing a high-protein and nutrient-rich formula.

85-90% of the protein in Full Source dog foods comes from meat content. These sources also include cartilage and organ meats that act as concentrated sources of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.

Grain-free Full Source recipes use sweet potatoes as an alternative source of digestible carbohydrates, And Full Source Healthy Grains options contain oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice for extra fiber.

Like Merricks Backcountry range, this product line also features freeze-dried raw-coated kibble. This addition combines the benefits of raw infused meat with the safety of a commercially available recipe.

Your dogs ancestors ate the entire body of their prey to consume natural sources of concentrated vitamins and minerals. These formulas need less fortification thanks to the comprehensive nutrient content of full source animal protein.

This product line is available exclusively at Pet Supplies Plus, Petco, and independent retailers.

Read Also: Fit And Trim Dog Food

The Hypoallergenic Merricks Dog Food Review

Hypoallergenic dog food formulas contain fewer unique ingredients than standard dog food recipes. By keeping the ingredient list simple and cutting out common allergens, hypoallergenic foods are much less likely to cause an allergic reaction in your pup. But dont construe the short ingredient list to mean less nutritional value in fact, Merricks Hypoallergenic Dog Food is packed with important vitamins, nutrients, and Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

Merricks Limited Ingredient lineup comes in a variety of savory flavors, including:

  • Merrick Limited Ingredient Duck and Chickpeas
  • Merrick Limited Ingredient Turkey and Chickpeas
  • Merrick Limited Ingredient Chicken Recipe
  • Merrick Limited Ingredient Lamb and Chickpeas
  • Merrick Limited Ingredient Salmon and Chickpeas

The Food Uses A Wide Array Of Meats To Give Your Dog Balanced Nutrition

Merrick Grain Free Wilderness Blend Wet Dog Food, 12.7 oz., Case of 12 ...

The first ingredient most people focus on is, well, the first ingredient. While this is important, its very difficult for your pup to get all the nutrition he needs from a single cut of meat.

Merrick Grain-Free uses all sorts of meat in their recipes, including animal meals, organ meats, and various fats. This gives your dog nutrients he cant get from lean cuts of meat alone.

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Merrick Full Source Dry Dog Food Product Line Review

To make a conclusion about the whole product line, we will consider all recipes and their average nutrition ratio.

Recipes Average Compares to Ideal Level

In the total of 6 recipes, the group has an average of 36& percnt protein, 18& percnt fat and 33& percnt carbohydrate.

Protein and Fat: Prefer HigherCarbs: Prefer Lower

  • Protein is 6 higher than ideal
  • Fat is 3 higher than ideal
  • Carbs is 5 higher than ideal
What does it mean?

Is Merrick Dog Food Good

After reading about some of the options available for your pooch its understandable to want to know more about the company that makes the food and whether or not theyre reliable and trustworthy. Read on the find out more about the dog food brand including company history, recall history, and more.

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Merrick Lil Plates Grain

This Lil Plates recipe is designed especially for toy and small breed dogs. I think it is a good choice for active toy or small breed dogs, such as Yorkshire Terriers or Beagles. The high protein and fat contents make it unsuitable for inactive or typically active dogs.

The omega fatty acids are reasonably high so it will be suitable for long-coated dogs. It also contains high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin . So, for dogs already suffering from joint problems, this food can help relieve pain and repair cartilage damage.

Merrick also includes a strain of probiotic bacteria called Bacillus coagulans, which can help little dogs with digestive problems like diarrhea, as well as prevent conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

Merrick Backcountry Dry Food

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About: While the vast majority of dogs digest cooked grains without issue, a handful of puppers do need a grain-free option. If your dog falls into this camp, you may want to try this freeze-dried-and-kibble food from Merrick.

A high-protein food comprised of traditional kibble and freeze-dried meat bits, this food is certain to tempt your doggos palate, and it features glucosamine and chondroitin to help ease your pups joint issues.

Features:

  • Really picky dogs may only eat the freeze-dried bits and ignore the kibble
  • This food is relatively expensive
  • Grain-free foods have been correlated with dilated cardiomyopathy

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Nutro Ultra Adult Dry Dog Food Review

Key Features

Nutro Ultra is a good option to consider for those wondering what is the best dry dog food that wont completely blow the budget.

While made with a lower protein content than the previous Orijen dry dog food, Nutro Ultra uses a range of protein, whole grains, seeds, fruit and vegetables to provide a nutritional and satisfying meal for your pets.

The number one ingredient used in Nutro Ultra is chicken, with other protein sources coming from lamb and salmon.

All other ingredients are of high quality and no chicken by-products, corn, soy, wheat, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives are used.

Rather superfoods such as coconut, chia, kale, blueberries, and other quality ingredients are used to provide a healthy balanced meal to your pets.

Nutro have tailored kibble for seniors and large breeds if your dog is super active and if your vizsla is just a pup, they also have a puppy option see it here.

Pros

  • Chicken is the top ingredient
  • No poor quality fillers used
  • Good range of options available

Cons

  • Lower protein content than some others options in our review
  • Rice is one of the main ingredients

The Nutro Ultra dry dog food is a premium kibble for adult dogs and a great option for pet owners who want to provide top dry dog foods for their vizsla.

Who Makes Merrick Dog Food And Where Is It Made

Garth Merrick founded Merrick Pet Care, Inc. back in 1988, in Amarillo, Texas. Up until recently, it was still a family owned and run business.

However, in 2015, Merrick was bought out by Nestle-Purina.Despite this, Merrick has promised to keep production the same as before, and continue making their foods in Hereford, Texas.

At the time of writing, there seem to be some reports that the formulas have changed slightly since the takeover. Either way, some people who were looking for an alternative to buying from pet food giants are disappointed and have switched to a different brand.

Recommended Reading: Is Primal Raw Dog Food Safe

What Supplements Should I Add To My Dogs Kibble

Whilst a high quality, nutritionally balanced kibble will provide all the protein and vitamins your vizsla needs day to day, it is a good idea to supplement it occasionally with different foods to keep their meals interesting.

Popular food toppers for vizslas include raw eggs, sardines, broccoli, plain yoghurt and grated carrot.

Wellness Large Breed Dry Food

Merrick Classic Real Beef &  Green Peas Recipe with Ancient Grains Dry ...

A glucosamine-rich dog food designed to meet the unique needs of large breed dogs.

About: Because they must haul around big bodies, large-breed dogs are often very susceptible to joint problems. In fact, large-breed owners default to glucosamine-rich foods, whether or not their dog is currently suffering from joint problems.

So, if you have a big best buddy at home, youll certainly want to consider a large breed dog food, and this option Wellness is a fine pick! Made in the USA and packed with omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and nutritious proteins, this is a great dog food for German Shepherds or any other hip-dysplasia-prone large dog breed in need of some extra joint support.

Features:

Also Check: Can Grain Free Dog Food Cause Itching

Merrick Dog Food Review & Our Verdict

In this article wevd done a detailed Merrick dog food review which will help you with your buying decisions.

Is Merrick dog food good? You must be on the look for an honest and informative Merrick dog food review. Well, Youve landed on the correct page. Here, you will get a detailed analysis of the brand on different parameters.

This is not a promoted review so the analysis and review is going to be 100% neutral.

Lets find out whether the product stands firm on our expectations or just falls down from our bars.

Acana Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food

I just love the Acana dog food because it is full of high quality ingredients, and while premium priced, is more affordable than other premium dog foods.

This gluten free formula is free of legumes and potatoes and has enough protein to support a vizslas active lifestyle. Plus it is perfect for vizslas of all ages.

Recommended Reading: Dr Harvey’s Dog Food

What Nutrients Does A Pitbull Puppy Need

Protein is an essential nutrient for pitbulls. When buying dog food, make sure that the food is made up of at least 22% protein. The amount of protein needed does go down when they reach adulthood, but it is still important to their diet.

You should avoid a high-grain diet for your puppy, because it can cause obesity in some dogs. Even though pitbulls are not as tall as other breeds, they would do best with large breed puppy food that is packed with the nutrients they need.

Week Old Pitbull Puppy

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If you have a 2 week old Pitbull puppy, your puppy will have opened his eyes and begun teetering around slightly. Puppies at this age do not get very far. At this age, the puppy will be completely reliant on his mothers milk.

The mother should never be too far from the puppies and she herself will also need a large amount of calories to make up for all of the milk that she is making and sharing with her puppies. If your Pitbull pup is looking small or even smaller than his littermates, talk to your vet about supplementing formula.

Read Also: How Long Does Dry Dog Food Stay Fresh Once Opened

Ingredients Found In Merrick Dog Food

Merricks Grain Free Real Duck and Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food features these ingredients:

  • potatoes and sweet potatoes
  • apples, blueberries

This product also contains other beneficial ingredients as well in the form of organic alfalfa, which is rich in proteins and fiber along with deboned chicken, giving it an above-average protein content.If your dog has joint problems or is prone to joint conditions, there are a range of dog food products to choose from. Of these, Merrick Grain-Free Real Buffalo + Sweet Potato Recipe contains these ingredients:

  • Deboned buffalo
  • High quality fats such as flaxseed and salmon oils
  • High amount of Vitamin D3, glucosamine and chondroitin

Merrick dog foods have earned maximum five star ratings from thousands of customers as highlighted in Consumer Affairs. Expert ratings of A+ and extensive range of high-quality products are compelling reasons for you to stock up on Merricks range of dog food products!

How Much Water Should A Pitbull Puppy Drink

Pitbull puppies need more water than adult pitbulls, especially when they have recently weaned off of their mothers milk. A younger puppy will need about one-half cup of water every two hours.

Once a puppy is grown larger, he might reduce the amount of water than he drinks, but it still needs to be available during the day. You might want to remove access to water at night as your puppy housetrains. In general, your puppy needs about an ounce of water per pound of body weight every day.

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Which Types Of Dogs Is Merrick Dog Food Best Suited For

Merrick is a high-end dog food thats filled with organic ingredients as much as possible. Each recipe is high in protein, with a mixture of plant and animal sources.

As a result, most dogs should do well on it. Its especially good for active pups.

However, given its reliance on premium ingredients, its a pricey food, and may be too expensive for some owners to justify feeding to their dogs.

What Do Others Say About Merrick

Merrick Grain

As of the time of this update

Chewy customers rate Merrick Grain-Free 4.6 out of 5 stars and 93% say they would recommend it to others.

Heres an actual user review

Sample buyer reviewIm one to constantly look for the best to feed my dogs. I believe in researching ingredients and paying attention to the order in which they are listed on the product itself. Im even ultra-particular when it comes to the water that they drink. All of this combined is leading to long lives for my two Corgis. I switched from another famous natural brand to Merrick chicken and sweet potato based on what I read from other people, the ingredient list and the history of the Merrick product. Theres no question that dogs, like people, do better with quality foods as opposed to foods lacking in certain proteins, vitamins and minerals. Merrick is a premium food of which, my dogs will benefit highly. I recommend this completely.

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Creating A Consistent Feeding Schedule

It is important to create a consistent feeding schedule for your Pitbull puppyand maintain one throughout the entirety of his life. This is the best way to maintain a healthy weight and keep his digestive system on track.

You can easily monitor how much your dog is eating if you know how much he should be eating and how often he is eating. You can adjust his food as needed if his weight is looking off or if his energy level has been decreasing. He will also not be demanding food as often if he knows when to expect meals.

Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet

The Merrick Limited Ingredient dog food lineup focuses on canines with food sensitivities and provides well-balanced nutrition with recipes of ten ingredients or less. The products come Grain-free or with Healthy Grains, so you’re sure to find the perfect formula for your pooch on the list of kibble and canned food options:

  • Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free – Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe
  • Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free – Real Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe
  • Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free – Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe
  • Limited Ingredient Diet Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
  • Limited Ingredient Diet Real Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe
  • Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Real Beef Recipe
  • Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Real Duck Recipe
  • Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Real Lamb Recipe
  • Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Real Turkey Recipe
  • Limited Ingredient Diet Healthy Grains – Real Chicken Recipe
  • Limited Ingredient Diet Healthy Grains – Real Turkey Recipe

While most Merrick Limited Ingredient dog food reviews are positive, you should consult the vet before choosing new food for your pup to avoid digestive issues and allergic reactions.

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Merrick Backcountry Alpine Rabbit Stew

Rating: 5/5First 5 ingredients: Deboned Rabbit, Turkey Broth, Chicken Broth, Deboned Turkey, Turkey Liver

Merrick Backcountry Alpine Rabbit Stew is a grain-free diet thats packed with big pieces of meat and fresh-cut veggies in a hearty gravy. Its designed to build healthy muscles and high energy levels in adult dogs of all breed sizes.

This has undergone a slight recipe change. It now features an extra broth aside from turkey broth , and the potatoes and carrots from the previous recipe were removed. It also contains more turkey liver now than peas and a higher crude protein content .

Real deboned rabbit is the first ingredient. Rabbit is rarely used in dog food and as such, is considered a novel protein. If your pet is sensitive to meats other than chicken and turkey , this formula might be a good alternative.

Rabbit is low in sodium, calories , and cholesterol , but it has a generous proportion of protein. In fact, rabbit protein is higher than the protein content of chicken, pork, duck, turkey, or fish. Its also abundant in vitamin B12, phosphorus, and selenium.

To take the moisture content to its present high of 82%, two types of broth were included. Chicken and turkey broth help keep dogs hydrated and filled with the nutrients that come from the two animal broth sources. To think that broths are just flavored water would be a mistake. These contain lots of nutrition, and they also make the wet food more enticing to dogs.

Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight Recipe Dry Dog Food

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WHY YOU SHOULD BUY

Restore your pups lean and powerful frame with this low-fat beef-first formula rich in animal-based protein and fiber for healthy, issue-free digestion.

If your pooch needs to lose a couple of extra pounds, Merrick Healthy Weight dog food can help him become lean and strong again without sacrificing the flavor. This beef-based formula is packed with protein and fiber to ensure healthy digestion. And its easier on the tummy than any grain-based recipe. Besides, you dont have to worry about skin or joint issues, as the formula includes Omega 3 and 6 along with glucosamine and chondroitin for a shiny coat and strong bones and joints.

Despite all the positives of this formula, reviews on Merrick dog food arent all glowing. Many buyers complain about the recent switch to smaller bags without reducing the price tag. Besides, some canines do not lose weight even months after switching to this kibble. If you dont see any changes, consult the vet and look for an alternative weight management solution.

KEY FEATURES:

  • First 5 ingredients: Deboned Beef, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Turkey Meal

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Low-fat formula designed to promote healthy weight
  • 80% of protein is animal-based
  • Health supplements for skin, coat, and joints in every bag
  • Grain-free formula easy on sensitive tummies

WHAT WE DIDNT LIKE:

  • May take time to promote weight loss

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