Merrick’s dry food range no longer lists 9 recipes; 5 have successors

What our check found

On September 28, we checked Merrick’s current dry dog food range against the Merrick foods we review. Fourteen older recipe names were absent: nine had no listed counterpart in our check, and five had a newer recipe identified as a successor. We checked Merrick’s current range again while preparing this story.

Being absent from Merrick’s website is weaker evidence than a statement from Merrick that a food has been discontinued. We could not establish when the nine unlisted foods stopped being sold, or whether any remain in stores.

The five with newer counterparts

Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Real Chicken + Brown Rice, Real Lamb + Brown Rice, and Small Breed now have Kitchen Comforts chicken, lamb, and small breed counterparts. Merrick Healthy Grains Real Salmon + Brown Rice has a Kitchen Comforts salmon counterpart. Merrick Full Source Grain-Free Raw-Coated Kibble with Beef & Bison has a Backcountry Heartlands Beef and Bison counterpart described as bone broth coated kibble.

These are all dry foods, but a similar flavor name does not establish an identical formula. For example, our review of the older Classic chicken recipe lists turkey meal among its first five ingredients. Merrick’s current Kitchen Comforts chicken ingredient list has oat meal fifth and also lists beef fat. Merrick marks the Kitchen Comforts dry recipes as having new packaging; owners should still read the formula on the bag.

The nine no longer listed

The absent Backcountry recipes are Raw Infused High Plains and Raw Infused Wild Fields. Also missing are Full Source with Healthy Grains Raw-Coated Kibble Large Breed; Grain-Free Real Rabbit + Sweet Potato, Real Turkey + Sweet Potato, and Real Venison + Sweet Potato; Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Lamb + Sweet Potato and Lil’ Plates Real Lamb + Brown Rice with Ancient Grains; and Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potato.

Those names identify the foods in our reviews, where owners can examine their labels and find alternatives. A retailer page may still use an older product name even when it displays a newer one, so a listing alone may not tell you which bag will arrive.

What to check on the bag

If one of these foods is in your dog’s bowl, match the exact recipe name on the bag to your usual food. Before using a newer counterpart, compare its ingredient list, nutritional adequacy statement, calories per cup, and feeding directions with the old bag. Check the size and life stage too, especially for a small breed or large breed recipe.

Ingredient changes matter most when an owner has been avoiding a particular ingredient. Merrick’s current Kitchen Comforts chicken recipe lists beef fat and lamb meal, for example. If a different food is needed, our reviews of the older recipes provide a starting point for comparing alternatives. Merrick’s feeding guidance for its Kitchen Comforts chicken recipe calls for a gradual change over 7 to 10 days.