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Essence vs. Merrick

In this comparison article for Essence vs Merrick, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Essence and Merrick, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Merrick vs Essence comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Essence Review Page or Merrick Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Merrick vs. Essence

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Essence Dog Food vs. Merrick Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Essence	Merrick
Crude Protein	40.9%	35.9%
Crude Fat	19.3%	17.2%
Crude Fiber	5.7%	4.2%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Essence	Merrick
Crude Protein	46.2%	43.9%
Crude Fat	32.6%	21.1%
Crude Fiber	6.0%	8.3%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

There is a relatively large difference between the protein content of Essence and Merrick. On average, Merrick dry dog food recipes contain 4.98% less protein than Essence recipes. For wet dog foods, Essence typically provides a little more protein (about 2.28% more).

Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

There is a small difference between the fat content of Essence and Merrick. We can see that Essence guarantees about 2.13% more fat than Merrick. In addition, Essence wet dog foods also provide more fat than Merrick wet foods.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. For wet dog foods, Merrick typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.34% more).

Essence Cat Food vs. Merrick Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Essence	Merrick
Crude Protein	44.1%	40.5%
Crude Fat	18.5%	15.7%
Crude Fiber	4.8%	5.1%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	Essence	Merrick
Crude Protein	46.2%	46.9%
Crude Fat	31.8%	21.3%
Crude Fiber	4.8%	6.0%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

According to our average data, Merrick typically provides less protein than Essence. However, this difference is relatively small and doesn't represent a significant difference between the two brands. For wet cat foods, Merrick and Essence provide roughly the same amount of protein.

Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
Slow the growth of yeast infections
Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

If you look at the average percentages of crude fat, you'll notice that Essence typically guarantees 2.78% more fat. This is a fairly small difference between Essence and Merrick, but still worth mentioning. In addition, Essence wet cat foods also provide more fat than Merrick wet foods.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, Merrick and Essence also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Essence Pet Food Ingredients vs. Merrick Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Merrick.

Garlic

Canola Oil

Pea Protein

Caramel Color

Meaty Femur Bone

Powdered Cellulose

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Merrick.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Essence & Merrick?

According to our records, Essence has never been recalled.

Merrick has been recalled 6 times.

Jan. 28, 2011: Salmonella
Aug. 8, 2011: Salmonella
July 2, 2010: Salmonella
Aug. 3, 2010: Salmonella
Aug. 13, 2010: Salmonella
May 23, 2018: elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Essence	Merrick
Per Pound	$4.11	$6.15
Per Calorie	$0.0024	$0.0036

Dry Cat Food	Essence	Merrick
Per Pound	$4.64	$4.09
Per Calorie	$0.0027	$0.0025

Wet Dog Food	Essence	Merrick
Per Pound	$4.99	$5.97
Per Calorie	$0.0090	$0.0126

Wet Cat Food	Essence	Merrick
Per Pound	$5.98	$7.55
Per Calorie	$0.0103	$0.0168

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Essence or Merrick, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Essence or Merrick will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Essence and Merrick. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.

Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Essence Pet Foods

You can purchase Essence pet foods from the following stores:

12 Recipes In-Stock Today

13 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Merrick Pet Foods

You can purchase Merrick pet food products from these retailers:

136 Recipes In-Stock Today

107 Recipes In-Stock Today

103 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Essence	Merrick
Dry Dog Food	6 Recipes	53 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	6 Recipes	58 Recipes
Dog Treats	None	35 Treats
Dry Cat Food	3 Recipes	18 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	3 Recipes	50 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None