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35% OFF
Merrick
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Merrick &
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15% OFF
Merrick
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Merrick vs. Open Farm
In this comparison article for Merrick vs Open Farm, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Merrick and Open Farm, 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 Open Farm 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 Open Farm Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Open Farm 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. Open Farm Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Crude Protein | 35.9% | 34.0% |
| Crude Fat | 17.2% | 20.9% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Crude Protein | 43.9% | 40.0% |
| Crude Fat | 21.1% | 31.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 8.3% | 9.7% |
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.
Open Farm and Merrick both provide roughly the same amount of crude protein. For wet dog foods, Merrick typically provides a little more protein (about 3.91% 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.
According to our data, Open Farm guarantees 3.77% more fat than Merrick. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, Open Farm 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. With regards to wet dog food, Open Farm and Merrick also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Merrick Cat Food vs. Open Farm Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Crude Protein | 40.5% | 41.1% |
| Crude Fat | 15.7% | 20% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.1% | 3.3% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Crude Protein | 46.9% | 43.5% |
| Crude Fat | 21.3% | 29.2% |
| Crude Fiber | 6.0% | 11.1% |
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.
Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude protein. For wet cat foods, Merrick typically provides a little more protein (about 3.42% more).
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.
Our analysis shows that Open Farm guarantees 4.26% more fat than Merrick dry cat food recipes. In addition, Open Farm wet cat foods also provide more fat than Merrick wet foods.
As you can see, Open Farm and Merrick guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Open Farm provides more fiber (about 5.07% more).
Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. Open Farm Pet Food Ingredients
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Merrick.
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.
Product Safety: Recall History of Merrick & Open Farm?
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, Open Farm has never been recalled.
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Per Pound | $6.15 | $12.03 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0036 | $0.0058 |
| Dry Cat Food | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Per Pound | $4.09 | $5.92 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0025 | $0.0034 |
| Wet Dog Food | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Per Pound | $5.97 | $5.12 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0126 | $0.0119 |
| Wet Cat Food | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Per Pound | $7.55 | $7.83 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0168 | $0.0188 |
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 Open Farm, 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 Open Farm 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 Open Farm. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- 20% Off First Auto-Ship @ PetFlow (Use Code PAWDIET20)
- 35% Off First Auto-Ship @ Chewy (No Code Required)
- 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 Open Farm Pet Foods
You can purchase Open Farm pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Merrick | Open Farm |
| Dry Dog Food | 53 Recipes | 17 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 58 Recipes | 8 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | 35 Treats | 5 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | 18 Recipes | 4 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 50 Recipes | 6 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | None |
Top Rated Merrick Recipes
Top Rated Open Farm Recipes
