Merrick Dog Food Reviews – LIFE WITH DOGS

Founded in 1988 at a family
ranch in Texas, Merrick has been a staple in the dog food industry for a number of decades now with good reason.
Merrick produces nothing but the best dog
food from handcrafted, all-natural
recipes that have the highest-quality ingredients with absolutely no fillers or
preservatives.

Merrick now not only has a
wide range of impressive dog foods, but
they keep coming up with new wonderful
alternatives for your furry little friends. They offer, among many other
options, grain-free and limited ingredient diet recipes as well as something
called “Lil’ Plates,” a
grain-free food specifically geared
towards small breed dogs.

To say that Merrick takes the
health of your furry best friend seriously would be to understate the matter.
Today, we are going to review some of their best dog foods on the market to
help you find the one that is just right for your dog. But first…

A Small History of Merrick Dog Food

Merrick dog food is manufactured by a company called
“Merrick Pet Care, Inc. In 2015, it was bought out by Nestle Purina Pet
Company, but Merrick still operates as an
independent arm.

All the ingredients used in
Merrick dog food are locally sourced, fresh, and
the facilities all adhere to strict FDA standards. Merrick tends to produce all the different foods in
small batches to ensure that the quality is high and that there are no
contaminants in the batches. Despite all
this, the company has had a number of
recalls in the past between 2010 and 2011.

The concern at the time was
that there was potential salmonella contamination of some of the small batches
released into the market. However, throughout the recalls, there were no pet
illnesses reported which goes to show
just how careful Merrick is about your pet’s health.

The Different Formulas Used by Merrick

Merrick has well over 200
recipes they use to make the array of dog foods in the market today. The
following list categorizes the formulas that they use to bring you and your dog
the best dog food:

• Merrick Grain-Free
• Merrick Classic – potato free with the addition of glucosamine
  and chondroitin to help the support the joints
• Merrick Treats
• Merrick Backcountry – High-protein with the
  addition of glucosamine and chondroitin to help with joint support
• Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet
• Merrick Backcountry Raw – includes freeze-dried raw
  bits of meat, poultry, or fish

While all these categories are
quite nutritious for dogs, this review will focus on Merrick Grain-free recipes
and Merrick Classic since those seem to be the most popular with dog lover
across the country.

Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Recipe is
one of the most popular with customers across the U.S. One of the main reasons
for that is because it’s high in omega fatty acids which not only makes it
perfect for most dogs but particularly so for dogs with long coats.

Some of the nutritious goodies
found in the recipe include:

• Chicken
• Deboned Buffalo
• Salmon
• Lamb
• Turkey
• Chicken fat
• Salmon oil
• Flaxseed oil

It also has a host of other
high-quality proteins that not only make this recipe tasty but very healthy for
your dog.

Pros:

• Excellent for active and working dogs that
  suffer from joint conditions.
• Perfect for dogs with long coats

Cons:

• May not be exactly perfect for typical active
  dogs without joint issues

Because it has high levels of
fat and protein, this recipe is perfect for working dogs or dogs that are quite
active and exercise for over an hour each day. Additionally, it is excellent
for dogs that suffer from joint conditions since it includes high levels of
chondroitin and glucosamine (1200 mg/kg each).

We mentioned earlier that this was one of the many highly innovative dog food options that Merrick has out on the market today. The Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe was specifically designed for small or toy dogs that are active such as Beagles and Yorkshire Terriers.

The recipe contains a high
level of omega fatty acids which makes it good
for long-coated dogs. It also has high levels of chondroitin and glucosamine
(1200 mg/kg each) which makes it good for
dogs that already have joint problems since it can help repair cartilage and
relieve pain.

Pros:

• Specifically formulated for toy or small dogs
• Good for
  dogs with long coats
• Can help with digestive problems as well as
  prevent them in dogs

Cons:

• It might not be suitable for typically active
  dogs

Within its formula, Merrick
includes a probiotic bacteria known as Bacillus coagulants that plays a big role in helping dogs with diarrhea and
prevent issues such as irritable bowel syndrome as well as ulcerative colitis.

The Merrick Grain-Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Puppy Recipe was specially formulated for puppies because they need a different macronutrient balance than adult dogs.

Because this recipe is quite
low on the fat-content front, it’s good
for short-coated breeds of puppies as well as those that are typically very
active.

Pros:

• It’s good
  for active puppies
• It’s excellent for puppies that are prone to
  joint issues

Cons:

• It’s not exactly suitable for puppies that have
  long coats
• It may not be very suitable for puppies that are
  hyperactive

Because it contains
chondroitin and glucosamine (600 mg/kg each), this recipe is good for puppies
that are typically prone to having joint problems. The recipe will help support your pup’s joints and prevent potential
damage to cartilage.

Merrick tends to produce dog
foods using recipes that take into account the fact that your dog might suffer
from joint problems or could be prone to suffering from joint issues in the
future. Because of that, their recipes are not only nutritious and healthy, but they also have therapeutic and preventive properties that could be beneficial to a
vast number of dog breeds.

The company is committed to
producing high-quality dog food at very
affordable prices. If you have a dog or a puppy that falls into any of the above-mentioned categories or one that could
use some nutritious loving, then buying them a bag of Merrick Dog Food could be
the best way to go.