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35% OFF
Merrick &
Orijen
First Auto-Ship
20% OFF
Merrick &
Orijen
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Merrick &
Orijen
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Merrick vs. Orijen
In this comparison article for Merrick vs Orijen, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Merrick and Orijen, 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 Orijen 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 Orijen Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Orijen 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. Orijen Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Merrick | Orijen |
| Crude Protein | 35.9% | 42.9% |
| Crude Fat | 17.2% | 22.6% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.2% | 5.5% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Merrick | Orijen |
| Crude Protein | 43.9% | 57.4% |
| Crude Fat | 21.1% | 24.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 8.3% | 7.8% |
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 Orijen guarantees 7.02% more protein than Merrick dry dog food recipes. In addition, Orijen wet dog foods also provide more protein than Merrick wet foods.
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 relatively large difference between the fat content of Orijen and Merrick. On average, Merrick dry dog food recipes contain 5.44% less fat than Orijen recipes. For wet dog foods, Orijen typically provides a little more fat (about 3.59% more).
Merrick and Orijen both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Merrick and Orijen also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Merrick Cat Food vs. Orijen Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Merrick | Orijen |
| Crude Protein | 40.5% | 44.8% |
| Crude Fat | 15.7% | 21.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.1% | 4.0% |
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.
Merrick dry recipes contain 4.28% less protein than Orijen dry recipes. This difference in protein content is a notable difference between Orijen and Merrick.
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.
The table shows that Merrick provides far less fat than Orijen. The difference in fat content is roughly 5.21%.
There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands.
Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. Orijen 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 & Orijen?
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
Orijen has been recalled once.
- Nov. 22, 2008: irradiation treatment consequences
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Merrick | Orijen |
| Per Pound | $6.15 | $12.58 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0036 | $0.0060 |
| Dry Cat Food | Merrick | Orijen |
| Per Pound | $4.09 | $6.57 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0025 | $0.0036 |
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 Orijen, 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 Orijen 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 Orijen. 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 Orijen Pet Foods
You can purchase Orijen pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Merrick | Orijen |
| Dry Dog Food | 53 Recipes | 14 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 58 Recipes | 3 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | 35 Treats | 13 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | 18 Recipes | 7 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 50 Recipes | None |
| Cat Treats | None | 6 Treats |
Top Rated Merrick Recipes
Top Rated Orijen Recipes
