Merrick Dog Food (Reviews, Ratings, Recalls, & MORE)

In this Merrick dog food review, we'll be going over why Merrick's dog food is one of our favorite brands currently on the market (and that of a large percentage of canine owners out there as well).

Before getting into the nitty-gritty details about Merrick dog food in this article, it must be said that one of the things that sets this brand apart from others out there is the fact that Merrick's manufacturers aim to develop formulas with as few ingredients as possible.

*Note: The links in the table above, as well as several links in the remainder of the article below, will take you to over to Chewy.com where you can find out more information about the products, such as current prices and customer reviews.

Introduction

Merrick dog food is a product of "Merrick Pet Foods, Inc.", a family owned business founded based in Hereford, Texas that operates in the pet food industry and that was founded back in the year of 1988.

At first, Merrick were solely focused on producing dog treats as their main business model, only to decide to expand into the world of dry and canned food back in the year of 2003.

Merrick claims to only use U.S manufactured and sourced, 100% natural ingredients from farms and ranches in their dog food formulas and varieties, with exceptional circumstances sometimes forcing them to have to source ingredients from countries such Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Germany.

The important thing to note when talking about this is the reassuring fact that you most certainly won't be getting any ingredients sourced from China.

Merrick's kitchens and manufacturing facilities, which are were all the recipe testing and formula production happens, are confirmed to meet FDA standards.

Also, Merrick claim to closely work with veterinarians and nutritionists alike to consult with them about the safety and nutritional benefit of their formulas to canines.

Here's a list of Merrick's currently available dry dog food formulas:

• Merrick Classic Small Breed
• Merrick Grain Free Puppy
• Merrick Classic Large Breed
• Merrick Classic Senior
• Merrick Classic Real Beef and Green Peas Recipe with Ancient Grains
• Merrick Grain-free Real Lamb and Sweet Potato
• Merrick Grain Free Real Pork + Sweet Potato
• Merrick Grain-Free Real Rabbit and Chickpeas
• Merrick Grain-free Real Salmon and Sweet Potato
• Merrick Grain-free Real Texas Beef and Sweet Potato
• Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight
• Merrick Back Country Raw Infused Big Game
• Merrick Back Country Raw Infused Game Bird
• Merrick Back Country Raw Infused Great Plains Red Meat
• Merrick Back Country Raw Infused Pacific Catch
• Merrick Back Country Freeze Dried Meal Mixer Real Beef
• Merrick Back Country Freeze Dried Meal Mixer Real Chicken
• Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Real Duck and Sweet Potato
• Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Real Lamb and Sweet Potato
• Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Real Salmon and Sweet Potato
• Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Real Turkey and Sweet Potato
• Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Real Chicken

Merrick Dog Food Reviews

If we have a look at the list of ingredients Merrick has on its dog food products, we'll notice a few things.

First off, you'll see that there are no artificial additives (such as artificial flavorings and artificial colors), no harmful preservatives, no by-products and most certainly no useless filler ingredients.

Then, you'll notice that the majority of their food formulas have either meat or meat meal as their #1 ingredient on the ingredient list, which means that these dog food formulas are protein-packed - exactly what our canines need from us when it comes to their diets.

Merrick's food varieties tend to contain lower than average amount of carbohydrates, meaning that you'll often find more carbohydrates in other dry foods when comparing them to formulas Merrick has come up with.

The carbohydrate content of Merrick's formulas is typically around 30%.

Switching from one dog food brand to another brand could spell trouble for some canines with sensitive stomachs and digestive systems, so it's best that you talk to your veterinarian about this first to see if this formula would work well with your pooch.

At the very least, and if you don't plan to talk to your veterinarian about this, switch to Merrick's formula in a slow and gradual manner. This way, if your canine's system can't handle the change in carbohydrate content, you'll find out via light symptoms and without them getting into too much trouble.

Merrick Grain-Free Dog Food Real Duck & Sweet Potato Review

When it comes to Merrick dog food, one of our favorite options (and a time-tested fan favorite as well) is the grain-free variety, which is exactly what we're going to be talking about today.

And, under the spotlight today is the Merrick Grain-Free Real Duck & Sweet Potato formula, one of the best meat-based kibbles you could find on the market.

To start off, this Merrick formula is suitable for the majority of breeds and canines in all of life's stages. This is one of the few dog food brands that could perfectly serve as a "one size fits all" answer most of the times.

Here's the list of ingredients this dog food has to offer:

Deboned duck, turkey meal, salmon meal (source of omega 3 fatty acids), sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, deboned chicken, natural flavor, lamb meal, potato protein, duck fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), apples, blueberries, organic alfalfa, salmon oil, salt, minerals (zinc amino acid complex, zinc sulfate, iron amino acid complex, manganese amino acid complex, copper amino acid complex, potassium iodide, cobalt amino acid complex, sodium selenite), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3 supplement, niacin, riboflavin supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate), choline chloride, Yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, rosemary extract.

When analyzing the list of ingredients this food is made up of, the #1, 2 and 3 ingredients on the list are de-boned duck, turkey meal and salmon meal.

The first two ingredients are amazing sources of high-quality protein (with turkey meal being much more concentrated in protein than de-bones chicken), while salmon meal is also an excellent source of protein and an amazing source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids.

As for the vegetables that make up the carbohydrate portion in this formula, sweet potatoes and peas are next on the ingredients list, both of which are very high quality carbohydrate sources we always like to see, especially sweet potatoes since they are gluten-free.

Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of beta carotene, which goes a long way in helping improve vision and aid against eye diseases, and peas are an excellent source of dietary fiber.

Besides vegetables, this dog food also contains a mix of fruits such as apples and blueberries, which adds to the nutrients and minerals punch your dog's system will be absorbing.

We also loved the fact that salmon oil made its way into the ingredients list, because salmon oil is an excellent additional source of essential fatty acids that your pooch will be getting from sources besides salmon meal.

Merrick Dog Food Recalls

As of this writing, the following list mentions all recalls Merrick dog food has been involved in up to this date.

Please note that we're constantly monitoring for any possible future recalls that Merrick products may be involved in, in which case we will come back and edit this section as soon as anything of that sort happens.

2010

In July and August of 2010, Merrick had these two products recalled:

• Merrick Beef Filet Squares, 10 oz., Lot #10084TL7
• Merrick Texas Hold’ems pet treats, 10 oz., Lot #10127

The reason for the recall was because of possibility of salmonella contamination.

2011

In January of 2011, the following Merrick product was recalled.

• Merrick Jr. Texas Taffy pet treats with all lot numbers up to and including 10364.

The reason for the recall was, again, because of possible salmonella contamination.

This recall was followed by another one in August of 2011 for the following product, again for the possibility of salmonella contamination.

• Merrick Doggie Wishbone pet treats, Lot #11031

2012

In August of 2012, Merrick were involved in a recall, where they withdrew the entire All-Natural Beef Chew dog treat line.

2018

In May of 2018, Merrick Pet Care of Amarillo Texas voluntarily initiated a recall of a limited amount of beef dog treat varieties becasue they potentially contained elevated levels of a naturally occuring beef thyroid hormone.

The voluntary recall covers only specific production codes of the following beef treat products:

• Castor & Pollux Good Buddy Prime Patties Real Beef Recipe 4 oz.
• Castor & Pollux Good Buddy Sausage Cuts Real Beef Recipe 5 oz.
• Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Real Beef Jerky 4.5 oz.
• Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Real Beef Sausage Cuts 5 oz.
• Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Real Steak Patties 4 oz.

Merrick Dog Food Coupons

As of this writing, we still have not been offered Coupons by the manufacturing company of Merrick.

However, be sure to regularly check back as we will update this section as soon as we receive any printable or online-based coupon codes to share with you.

Where Can I Buy Merrick Dog Food?

Besides online stores where you can shop for Merrick dog food from, there are a host of offline pet stores that sell Merrick as part of their stock.

Here's a store locator from Merrick's website that aims to help you find the place nearest to you where you can shop for their products, and here's a page from their website as well that shows you all the online stores you can buy their dog food from.

Probably the most convenient choice for you to go with to purchase Merrick dog food (as well as the most cost-efficient many times due to saving options) is by taking a look at their available stock on Chewy.com.

Our Top 5 Merrick Dog Food Options (Updated List For 2019)

Top Pick: Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Pick #2: Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Recipe
Pick #3: Merrick Lil Plates Grain-Free Small Breed Recipe
Pick #4: Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food
Pick #5: Merrick Backcountry Great Plains Red Recipe Pet Food

Conclusion

To sum this article up, Merrick Dog Food is one of the top-notch brands you can go with when looking for a healthy, nutritious option for your buddy.

Everything from the abundant protein content (with protein content making up around 38% of this dog food) coming from some of the highest protein-source meats (such as buffalo, lamb meal and salmon meal), and the high quality mix of complex-carbohydrate fruits and vegetables.

They also include an excellent fat content that supplies your canine with the essential fatty acids their bodies need every day (with fat content being at an industry standard of 19-20%), and the fact that no artificial additives, preservatives or cheap fillers have been used in the formula, this food brands is definitely one of the better options out there.

So what is a cheap filler? Check out this video to find out!

Yes, you may be paying a bit more than you would had you chosen to go with another option, but the quality you're getting with Merrick is very well worth the slightly higher than average price tag.