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35% OFF
Merrick
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Merrick &
NutriSource
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Merrick
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Merrick vs. NutriSource
In this comparison article for Merrick vs NutriSource, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Merrick and NutriSource, 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 NutriSource vs Merrick comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Merrick Review Page or NutriSource Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: NutriSource vs. Merrick
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.
Merrick Dog Food vs. NutriSource Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Crude Protein | 35.9% | 28.9% |
| Crude Fat | 17.2% | 16.8% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.2% | 7.1% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Crude Protein | 43.9% | 43.4% |
| Crude Fat | 21.1% | 33.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 8.3% | 7.2% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.
Our analysis shows that Merrick guarantees 7.01% more protein than NutriSource dry dog food recipes. For wet dog foods, Merrick and NutriSource provide roughly the same amount of protein.
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.
NutriSource and Merrick both provide roughly the same amount of crude fat. For wet dog foods, NutriSource provides significantly more fat (about 11.96% more).
According to our data, NutriSource guarantees 2.91% more fiber than Merrick. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. For wet dog foods, Merrick and NutriSource provide roughly the same amount of fiber.
Merrick Cat Food vs. NutriSource Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Crude Protein | 40.5% | 36.4% |
| Crude Fat | 15.7% | 17.9% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.1% | 7.8% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Crude Protein | 46.9% | 46.4% |
| Crude Fat | 21.3% | 31.4% |
| Crude Fiber | 6.0% | 5.2% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.
There is a relatively large difference between the protein content of Merrick and NutriSource. On average, NutriSource dry cat food recipes contain 4.09% less protein than Merrick recipes. For wet cat foods, Merrick and NutriSource 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.
There is a small difference between the fat content of NutriSource and Merrick. We can see that NutriSource guarantees about 2.18% more fat than Merrick. In addition, NutriSource wet cat foods also provide more fat than Merrick wet foods.
According to our average data, Merrick typically provides less fiber than NutriSource. However, this difference is relatively small and doesn't represent a significant difference between the two brands. For wet cat foods, Merrick and NutriSource provide roughly the same amount of fiber.
Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. NutriSource Pet Food Ingredients
Merrick and NutriSource both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Merrick.
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by NutriSource.
We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.
Merrick and NutriSource both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:
Product Safety: Recall History of Merrick & NutriSource?
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
According to our records, NutriSource has never been recalled.
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Per Pound | $6.15 | $2.64 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0036 | $0.0015 |
| Dry Cat Food | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Per Pound | $4.09 | $3.25 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0025 | $0.0018 |
| Wet Dog Food | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Per Pound | $5.97 | $3.21 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0126 | $0.0061 |
| Wet Cat Food | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Per Pound | $7.55 | $6.39 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0168 | $0.0119 |
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 Merrick or NutriSource, 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 Merrick or NutriSource will depend on your shopping habits.
Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Merrick and NutriSource. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- 20% Off First Auto-Ship @ PetFlow (Use Code PAWDIET20)
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- 15% Off The Entire Site @ OnlyNaturalPet (Use Code AFPAWDIET)
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 Merrick Pet Foods
You can purchase Merrick pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy NutriSource Pet Foods
You can purchase NutriSource pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Merrick | NutriSource |
| Dry Dog Food | 53 Recipes | 41 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 58 Recipes | 13 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | 35 Treats | 11 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | 18 Recipes | 8 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 50 Recipes | 10 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | None |
Top Rated Merrick Recipes
Top Rated NutriSource Recipes
