Best Merrick Dog Foods in 2019

Have you ever puzzled over choosing appropriate food for your four-leg friend? Were you overwhelmed with numberless brands of dog food? If your answer is “yes” like mine, this Merrick dog food review is absolutely for you.

“Is Merrick dog food good?” may be what you are wondering. After thoroughly searching and comparing, I could say that more than 30 years of natural pet food allows Merrick to satisfy the most considerate pet parent. This review will help you choose dog food more easily with information about Merrick’s origination and its ingredients. I also concluded the top 10 best Merrick dog food from my experiences.

Now start to choose one for your beloved friend!

Who Makes Merrick Dog Food and Where is it Made?

Merrick dog food was first made by Garth Merrick – the founder of Merrick Pet Care, Inc. in Hereford, Texas. In 1988, Garth Merrick began cooking for Gracie, his lovely dog at home kitchen. Like any other dog parent, Garth wanted his dog to eat the most natural and nutritious food. Merrick pet food is still handcrafted in Garth’s original kitchen in Hereford, Texas. Though the company has grown with a bigger team and numerous recipes, the first vision and beliefs are maintained up to now.

Merrick Pet Care uses fresh and real whole foods supplied by farmers who Merrick team know and trust. Your dog can gain health benefits from industry-leading levels of nutrients in Merrick dog food. The brand also says “no” to preservatives, fillers, and other artificial ingredients.

Discussion of Most Important Ingredients – Good and Bad

Let’s take a look at five important Merrick dog food ingredients.

Deboned meat, fish or poultry. This is the number one ingredient of Merrick recipes. With high-quality proteins, deboned meat can boost health energy, build muscle mass and create delicious tastes.

Fruit and vegetables. Real whole foods like sweet potatoes, peas, apples, and blueberries are healthy sources of carbohydrates. They also provide your dog with fiber; antioxidants; vitamins C, B6, B3; minerals; potassium and iron.

Meat, fish or poultry meals. Compared to fresh meat, meals are much richer in protein. Fish meal contains a large number of good fats and essential oils.

Flaxseed oil. With omega-3 and fatty acids, this oil supports healthy skin, coat and maintains hip and joint function.

Natural flavor. This makes dog food taste more palatable. But you need to check whether your dog is allergic to the flavor source or not.

Merrick recipes can suit a variety of dogs including healthy adult ones, those with allergies, puppies, athletic or working dogs, small breeds, picky eaters and overweight dogs. However, Merrick dog food might not suit pregnant or lactating dogs, large breed puppies and senior ones.

Here is the best Merrick dog food in the market

1. Merrick Lil Plates Grain Free Small Breed Recipe

Buy it now

You should definitely try this recipe if you want to know “How good is Merrick dog food?”. Described as Merrick small breed dog food, this type does not include grain which is a common dog allergy. What’s more, I really like small and crunchy kibble bites of Merrick Lil Plates Grain Free. A kibble bite only has the size of a pea – the smallest size I have ever tried so you won’t have to consider if this is small enough for your little friend.

In addition, if your dog has a poultry allergy, you have found the right product! Apart from chicken, this recipe of Merrick has flavors of beef, lamb, and salmon. You can rotate these flavors to keep your dog interested in eating. Because Merrick Lil Plates Grain Free is dry food, you should add a bit of water or fish oil to make the food more appealing, which also helps their digestion.

Although some dog parents find this recipe a little pricey, they don’t want to change because even the pickiest dog actually gobbles this down! Besides, Merrick Lil Plates Grain Free is able to help your dogs with sensitive skin, make their coat softer and shinier. Surprisingly, the tear stains of my dog disappeared after eating this recipe and it made me laugh all day!

Merrick Lil Plates Grain Free Small Breed Recipe is the food that you must let your beloved dog try at least once!

If you are still in a divided mind, this collection of small breed dog food will give you all details.

2. Merrick 12 count Chunky Pappy’s Pot Roast Dinner

Buy it now

Chunky Pappy’s Pot Roast Dinner is another Merrick grain free dog food. This is an ideal meal for your dog with big deboned chunks of beef, hand-stuffed potatoes, and carrots in gravy. Unlike other Merrick wet foods which are used for adult dogs, this can be a favorite food for a puppy, young adult, adult, and senior dogs.

Known as a famous name of Merrick canned dog food, Chunky Pappy’s Pot Roast Dinner is as great as a home-cooked meal. Dog parents absolutely can mix some spoons of this with other Merrick dry dog food. However, you should take notice of big chunks. If they don’t fit your dog’s bites, you can easily use a fork or a spoon to cut or mash them into more eatable pieces.

Another feature that I recommend this food is Merrick ingredient claim. Some dog parents are afraid of ingredients from China but Merrick dog food uses 100% ingredients of the USA. Additionally, the food excludes artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives so choosing Merrick to help you feel completely secure about your dog’s health.

If you are busy but still want your dog to have quality home-cooked dinner, give Chunky Pappy’s Pot Roast Dinner a try and see how your dog enjoys this meal.

By the way, there are many other recipes for canned dog food which may suit your interest.

3. Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Great Plains Red Meat Recipe Beef

Buy it now

Backcountry Great Plains Red Meat is an irresistible recipe of adult Merrick dog food. The number one ingredients of this food are freeze-dried real raw meat pieces. The fresh taste is made with USDA inspected meat that is cooked to melt the fat as well as remove much of water. Backcountry Great Plains Red Meat is grain free (gluten free as well) so your dog will have easier digestibility.

This recipe is considered pricey but worth every penny. Dog parents have to acknowledge remarkable differences when feeding their dogs on high-quality food. The dogs are healthier, more active with higher energy levels and have stronger hips and joints.

If your dog appears to have symptoms like allergies or sensitivities, switch your dog to higher quality food like Backcountry Great Plains Red Meat before resorting to expensive prescription food. You should certainly try if your dog is a large breed one because this food is rightly suitable for them.

I have another little suggestion for you and your dog to have the best experience with this. The freeze-dried raw meat cubes are more plentiful at the top – above the raw infused kibbles, so you should roll the food bag before opening it to get a good mix. Another way is that you can divide the meat cubes to suit the number of kibbles, especially in every single meal so that your dog has delicious food for the whole bag.

If grain free dog food is the ideal meal for your dogs, click here to get more choices that diversify their diets.

4. Merrick Dry Dog Food with added Vitamins & Minerals for All Breeds

Buy it now

This standing recipe belongs to a different dog food line of Merrick. Dry Dog Food with added Vitamins and Minerals is well-known as a Merrick classic dog food and can be used for all dog breeds. This recipe is a good choice if you have more than one dog because buying separate food for each dog is sometimes costly.

This potato-free food is so appropriate if your dog needs a lower glycemic option. Besides omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, this Merrick dry dog food is added with necessary vitamins such as vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and vitamin D3. There are also minerals like zinc sulfate, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate, etc. Moreover, glucosamine and chondroitin are in the lamb as well as lamb meal of Merrick Dry Dog Food with added Vitamins and Minerals.

Besides lamb flavor, you can between beef and chicken flavor for your dog not to get bored.

A notice must be taken when using this food is to read the transitioning instructions on the bag carefully to keep your dog from a digestive disorder. Looking on the side of the bag, you will be instructed to gradually mix this Merrick dog food with the old food of your dog over a 5-7 day period. Then increase the amount of Merrick dog food until you can completely switch to this new recipe.

If your dog is a fan of dry dog food, I’m sure that you can’t skip this collection.

5. Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food Real Lamb + Sweet Potato

Buy it now

Different from Merrick Dry Dog Food with added Vitamins and Minerals, Merrick Dry Dog Food Real Lamb is a recipe of grain free line including sweet potato. This is an ideal meal in lamb Merrick dry dog food. The recipe is definitely a correct choice for dogs who have grain or poultry allergies. With high-quality protein, this dog food can build and maintain healthy muscle, which is also extremely proper for overweight dogs.

As other dog foods of Merrick, all ingredients are natural and rich in nutrition. This Merrick Real Lamb and Sweet Potato are for adult dogs, especially for playful dogs or those who need much nutrition and high energy levels. For instance, if your dog is a regular running partner, this recipe is unquestionably his correct meal to uphold the active style. In practice, each bag contains 55% of meat and fish ingredients, 45% of vitamins and minerals together with enriched antioxidants.

Depend on different characteristics of the dogs, you can choose among the sizes of 4 pound, 12lb, and 25lb.

Like using other dry dog food, you ought to keep fresh water available for your dog all times. Some dog parents even add a bit of water to the bowl so that the food is softened, more aromatic and better for digestion. On the other hand, to maintain your dog with optimum weight and condition, you need to adjust the feeding level based on the level of activity and individual needs.

Overall, you can choose Merrick Real Lamb and Sweet Potato if your dog is an adult one of any breed. Consider this recipe notably when your dog needs a variously nutritious diet from high-quality ingredients!

6. Merrick Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Wet Dog Food, 12.7 oz, 12 count

Buy it now

In my opinion, this is an outstanding recipe of Merrick limited ingredient dog food. Limited ingredient here means the dog food has fewer ingredients than normal recipes, but these ingredients are carefully selected and considered as the most essential ones. Merrick Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Wet Dog Food has single-source animal protein which can be from turkey, lamb, duck or chicken depending on your flavor choice.

The limited ingredient is a very good idea, particularly with dogs who have complicated allergies because fewer ingredients help dog parents conveniently identify the fitness of the food. Moreover, the sole protein source is merit for dogs with a sensitive stomach. A number of sticky dogs get trouble with various sources of protein so this recipe, which does not supply mixed protein from too many ingredients, is an effective solution.

Merrick Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet is a wet food which is not the kind of chunky or stew food but finely ground one. This Merrick wet recipe is just moist, without gravy and like mush or sort of consistency. If your dog usually eats dry food, he or she may need some transitioning time to be familiar with this type.

Besides, since this Merrick dog food is a canned product, you should check out the can before giving payment to see whether there is any dent from the shipping. If unluckily there is, don’t hesitate to change or return the canned food because you have the right in warranty policies. What is more, Merrick is also well-known for satisfying customer service.

7. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Lamb

Buy it now

This dog food is made by the same recipe of lamb Merrick limited ingredient but two differences are dry food type and a package of bag form. If you are looking for limited ingredient dry dog food, this must be your first choice. In addition, the food bag is a compatible alternative in case you are concerning about shipping issues with the can form.

This recipe is also a recommendation of Merrick dog food for the sensitive stomach. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Lamb only includes 8 key ingredients which are deboned lamb, lamb meal, chickpeas, lentils, peas, sunflower oil, flaxseed, and natural flavor. Except for New Zealand lamb which is not available in the USA with required quality and consistent supply, all other ingredients are natural and safely cooked in the USA.

Furthermore, plus vitamins and minerals of Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Lamb make it a truly balanced diet. Together with pure ingredients, the single protein source makes it simple for your dog to enjoy a healthy meal. This limited ingredient dog food also helps many dogs with losing weight.

Different from the can form which has only one size of 12.7 oz, the bag form can be chosen among 4 lb, 12 lb, and 22 lb sizes. Sensitive dogs regularly have health issues and this costs dog parents a lot for medicine and treatment. Paying more for a higher quality dog food is advised to be a preeminent method, which not only to improves health issues but also maintain a strong immune system and stable status of your dog.

8. Merrick Grain Free Hero’s Banquet Dry Dog Recipe

Buy it now

This recipe is another quality meal of Merrick Backcountry dog food. The outstanding characteristics of backcountry recipe are integrally kept in this Merrick dog food. The freeze-dried real raw meat pieces still appear to be an undeniable charm to almost any dog. Based on the ancestral canine diet, this ingredient is something superb to dogs and naturally makes backcountry recipe become their incessant favorite.

Merrick Grain Free Hero’s Recipe is really a banquet, especially for large breeds like rescue dogs and military ones. With this Merrick dog food, you won’t have to worry about any stomach upset, except for the smallest breed because this food is not the most ideal kind for them. On the other hand, Merrick Hero’s Banquet provides your dog with all necessary nutrients to healthily develop, high energy level and muscle guaranty.

This recipe supplies 389 calories instead of 342 calories calculated in Backcountry Plains Red Meat. The ingredients of Hero’s Banquet is different, too. This food is made from deboned lamb, not just lamb meal and has poultry ingredients. Plains Red Meat contains pork fat while Hero’s Banquet uses chicken fat. Besides, this recipe makes diverse taste by using venison, wild boar and sunflower oil.

If your dog is loyal to Merrick Backcountry Recipe and you want to switch to another flavor, Hero’s Banquet absolutely deserves to try. In case your dog has zero problems with poultry allergies, this Merrick dog food is an excellent suggestion!

9. Merrick Lil’ Plates Small Breed Grain Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Small Breed Senior Dry Dog Food

Buy it now

If you are looking for a quality recipe of senior Merrick dry dog food, you have already found it! Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Real Chicken and Sweet Potato can suit senior dogs of the small breed very well. Probiotics and prebiotic fiber in the food help your dog with optimal digestion. The kibble bites are so small that dogs can eat easily, even when they do not have good teeth. These small and crunchy kibble bites are able to make your dog’s teeth cleaner.

Also, with Merrick Lil’ Plates Real Chicken and Sweet Potato, your dogs can effortlessly manage their weight due to lower calories and less fat. L-carnitine in this food will support your dog with a healthy metabolism. What is more, 45% of fiber, added vitamins, minerals, and other natural ingredients help your dog so much when dealing with health problems. The leading levels of glucosamine and chondroitin in this Merrick recipe are necessary for healthy hips and joints of senior dogs.

The food costs $19.99 for 4 lb in size and $39.99 for 12 lb in size. This is considered as pricey to some dog parents. However, all of us want to feed our loyal friends on the best quality food in their senior years and they accurately deserve to. I chose this for my dog because of his health is my first priority.

If you still want to consult more information before making a purchase, this collection of senior dog food is exactly what you need.

10. Whole Earth Farms Adult Dry Dog Food, 25 lbs

Buy it now

This is my recommendation for Merrick whole earth dog food. The recipe is for an adult dog of any breed. One fact is that not every dog suits with the grain free recipe, so this grain containing food is what you need for switching to a more applicable meal.

Whole Earth Farms Adult Dry Dog Food is made with lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The whole barley and brown rice are cooked to provide quality carbohydrates, which increase your dog’s energy. This Merrick dog food does not contain poultry by-products, corn, soy, wheat, artificial flavors, colors or any preservatives. Specifically, each bag includes 26% of crude protein, 13% of crude fat, 3.5 % of crude fiber and 11% of moisture.

Actually, all natural ingredients from the USA of this food can support your dog with easier digestibility, less shedding, shinier coat, stronger nails and healthier skin. The common issues like allergies and stomach upset can be dealt well with Whole Earth Farms Adult Dry Dog Food.

Another advantage of this recipe is the very affordable price. It only costs $39.99 for 25 lb. If this is your dog’s favorite or you have several dogs, this price saves lots of your dollars.

Conclusion

All kinds of Merrick dog food have natural sources of ingredients, fully necessary nutrients and high-quality recipe to handle all health issues of dogs. I have provided you with specific information of best Merrick recipes in 2019, including ingredients, health benefits, usage instructions, and notices.

Each recipe has distinct features so you should consider based on the individual characteristics of your dog. The above listed 10 foods are all quality meals and deserving purchases so I believe you have found the ideal one for your beloved friend.

What is more, remember that “The best pet ever deserves the best food ever”!