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MERRICK · LIL' PLATES

Merrick Lil’ Plates Small Breed Beef Stew Grain-Free Wet Dog Food

Wet food in 3.5 oz trays, complete and balanced for adult dogs. With the water taken out it is 44% protein and 17% fat, and each tray carries 90 kcal.

  • Complete & balanced for adult dogs (AAFCO, on the label)
  • Stew
  • 3.5 oz tray
  • 82% water
Protein is 44.4% once the water is taken out, close to the wet food median of 43%. The label prints 8.0% because that figure includes the water. One tray carries 90 kcal and about 2.9 oz of water.
PROTEIN, WATER OUT
44.4%
KCAL / TRAY
90
TRAYS A DAY*
12.0
COST A DAY*
$27.18

*For a 45 lb adult dog on this food alone. Set your own dog.

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Merrick Lil’ Plates Small Breed Beef Stew Grain-Free Wet Dog Food

Ingredient Wiki

FIRST 5 OF 23 COMPONENTS
Beef

Beef

The clean flesh of cattle, used fresh. Like all fresh meats it is mostly water before cooking.
Beef Broth

Beef Broth

The liquid produced by simmering beef, used to add moisture and flavor.

Venison Broth

The liquid produced by simmering venison.
Beef Liver

Beef Liver

The liver of cattle, an organ meat.

Dried Egg Whites

The white of the egg, dried.
READING THE LIST

What’s in the tray

First meat
BEEF, first on the list. Named meats near the top: BEEF, BEEF LIVER and DRIED EGG WHITES.
Thickeners and binders
POTATO STARCH, GUAR GUM and XANTHAN GUM. They give the food its texture and hold pieces together. Normal in wet food; starches and flours also add carbohydrate.
Added color
None listed.
Flagged additives
None from our list.

Guaranteed
Analysis

As printed on the tray, measured “as fed”

Calories
904 kcal/kg
Crude Protein (min.)
8.0%
Crude Fat (min.)
3.0%
Crude Fiber (max.)
1.4%
Moisture (max.)
82.0%

90 kcal per 3.5 oz tray.

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Full Ingredient
Declaration

Exactly as the tray prints it, heaviest first

SALT DIVIDER

BEEF, BEEF BROTH, VENISON BROTH, BEEF LIVER, DRIED EGG WHITES, POTATO STARCH, SWEET POTATOES, CARROTS, GREEN BEANS, APPLES, PEAS, GUAR GUM, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SUNFLOWER OIL, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT*The Salt Divider. Ingredients are listed heaviest first, and a dog food needs very little salt, so everything after this point is present in an even smaller amount., NATURAL FLAVOR, CALCIUM CARBONATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, MINERALS (ZINC AMINO ACID CHELATE, IRON AMINO ACID CHELATE, COPPER AMINO ACID CHELATE, MANGANESE AMINO ACID CHELATE, SODIUM SELENITE, COBALT AMINO ACID CHELATE, POTASSIUM IODIDE), VITAMINS, (VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, NIACIN SUPPLEMENT, d-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT, BIOTIN, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE,(VITAMIN B6), VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, FOLIC ACID), XANTHAN GUM

Ingredients are listed heaviest first, and a dog food needs very little salt, so everything after the divider is present in an even smaller amount.

NUTRITION WITH THE WATER TAKEN OUT

Wet food is mostly water, so the label’s percentages look small next to kibble. Taking the water out is the only fair way to compare it with other foods.

NUTRIENT ON THE LABEL WATER OUT WET FOOD MEDIAN
PROTEIN 8.0% 44.4% 43.2%
FAT 3.0% 16.7% 22.2%
FIBER 1.4% 7.8% -
CARBS (EST.) - 20.0% -

Carbohydrate is not on any label: it is what is left after protein, fat, fiber, water and an assumed 2% ash.

AMONG 819 WET FOODS
Protein, water out
44%
Higher than 67%. Median 43%.
Calories
904 kcal/kg
Richer than 27%. Median 994 kcal/kg.
Water
82%
Wetter than 58%. Median 78%.
Price per 1,000 kcal
$25.27
Pricier than 94%. Median $10.36.
PRICE BY PACK SIZE

What a tray costs

SIZE LOWEST PRICE PER LB WHERE
3.2 oz $2.28 $11.40 PetSmart lowest of 2 stores
3.5 oz $2.28LIVE $10.36 PetSmart

Prices marked LIVE were read from the store on Oct 18. Others are from our check on Sep 30. Prices change often; the store’s price at checkout is the one that counts. We may earn a commission on some links.

HOW MUCH TO FEED

Daily portion calculator

Weight
45 lb
Weight goal
OF THIS FOOD, PER DAY
12.0TRAYS
    1,076 kcal42.0 oz

    Calculated from the resting energy formula vets use and this food’s actual calorie density (904 kcal per kg, 90 kcal per tray). A starting point to adjust from, not a prescription.

    RECALL HISTORY // MERRICK

    1 FDA Recall On Record

    MAY 23, 2018
    INGREDIENT LEVEL

    ‎Beef dog treat varieties Matched by brand. The notice lists the exact products and lots.

    None in the last three years. Older events stay on the record. See the recall log

    SAME LINE

    Other Flavors

    Backcountry Grain Free Real Beef 45.5% Backcountry Grain Free Real Chicken 45.5% Lil’ Plates Small Breed Thanksgiving Grain-Free 44.4% Lil’ Plates Small Breed Grain Free Duck 44.4%

    Protein with the water taken out, read the same way.

    One honest caveat. These figures are what a label will tell us: protein, calories, the top of the ingredient list, flagged additives and the brand’s recall record. They cannot tell you whether your dog will do well on this food. Allergies, gut sensitivity, age and health conditions all matter more than any of it, and none of them are printed on a tray. If your dog is thriving on a food whose figures read lower than this one, that is not a mistake, and we would not switch on our say-so.

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