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Merrick vs Purina Pro Plan

Merrick vs. Purina Pro Plan

In this comparison article for Merrick vs Purina Pro Plan, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Merrick and Purina Pro Plan, 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 Purina Pro Plan 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 Purina Pro Plan Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Purina Pro Plan 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. Purina Pro Plan Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Crude Protein35.9%32.1%
Crude Fat17.2%17.9%
Crude Fiber4.2%4.3%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Crude Protein43.9%45.5%
Crude Fat21.1%19.5%
Crude Fiber8.3%7.0%

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 small difference between the protein content of Merrick and Purina Pro Plan. We can see that Merrick guarantees about 3.81% more protein than Purina Pro Plan. For wet dog foods, Purina Pro Plan and Merrick 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.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fat content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Merrick and Purina Pro Plan also provide roughly the same amount of crude fat.


Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Merrick and Purina Pro Plan also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Merrick Cat Food vs. Purina Pro Plan Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Crude Protein40.5%44.2%
Crude Fat15.7%17.0%
Crude Fiber5.1%3.8%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Crude Protein46.9%49.8%
Crude Fat21.3%17.8%
Crude Fiber6.0%7.2%

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 Purina Pro Plan. However, this difference is relatively small and doesn't represent a significant difference between the two brands. In addition, Purina Pro Plan wet cat foods also provide more protein than Merrick wet foods.


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.

As you can see, Merrick and Purina Pro Plan guarantee a similar amount of crude fat. For wet cat foods, Merrick typically provides a little more fat (about 3.51% more).


Purina Pro Plan and Merrick both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, Purina Pro Plan and Merrick also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. Purina Pro Plan Pet Food Ingredients

Merrick and Purina Pro Plan both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Canola Oil
Pea Protein
Caramel Color
Powdered Cellulose

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

Garlic
Meaty Femur Bone
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Purina Pro Plan.

Liver
Poultry
Corn Grits
Canola Meal
Brewers Rice
Ground Wheat
Wheat Gluten
Animal Digest
Garlic Powder
Soybean Flour
Soybean Hulls
Vegetable Oil
Corn Germ Meal
Poultry Giblets
Corn Gluten Meal
Meat By-Products
Whole Grain Corn
Whole Grain Wheat
Ground Yellow Corn
Chicken By-Products
Poultry By-Products
Chicken By-Product Meal
Poultry By-Product Meal
Soybean Protein Isolate
Soybean Protein Concentrate
Animal Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

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

Merrick and Purina Pro Plan both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Purina Pro Plan.

Bha
Bht
Corn Oil
Yellow 5
Added Color
Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex
Pork Fat (Preserved With Tbhq And Citric Acid)
Animal Fat (Preserved With Tbhq And Citric Acid)

Product Safety: Recall History of Merrick & Purina Pro Plan?

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

Purina Pro Plan has been recalled once.

  • March 9, 2016: Incorrect Vitamins and Minerals

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Per Pound$6.15$3.10
Per Calorie$0.0036$0.0017
Dry Cat FoodMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Per Pound$4.09$4.67
Per Calorie$0.0025$0.0025
Wet Dog FoodMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Per Pound$5.97$3.85
Per Calorie$0.0126$0.0079
Wet Cat FoodMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Per Pound$7.55$8.25
Per Calorie$0.0168$0.0185

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 Purina Pro Plan, 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 Purina Pro Plan 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 Purina Pro Plan. 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 Merrick Pet Foods

You can purchase Merrick pet foods from the following stores:


136 Recipes In-Stock Today

107 Recipes In-Stock Today

104 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Purina Pro Plan Pet Foods

You can purchase Purina Pro Plan pet food products from these retailers:


122 Recipes In-Stock Today

70 Recipes In-Stock Today

121 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductMerrickPurina Pro Plan
Dry Dog Food53 Recipes53 Recipes
Wet Dog Food58 Recipes43 Recipes
Dog Treats35 TreatsNone
Dry Cat Food18 Recipes31 Recipes
Wet Cat Food50 Recipes84 Recipes
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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