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Merrick vs Rachael Ray Nutrish

Merrick vs. Rachael Ray Nutrish

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

Guaranteed Analysis: Rachael Ray Nutrish 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. Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Crude Protein35.9%28.6%
Crude Fat17.2%15.4%
Crude Fiber4.2%5.0%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Crude Protein43.9%42.7%
Crude Fat21.1%25.3%
Crude Fiber8.3%7.3%

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 7.26% more protein than Rachael Ray Nutrish dry dog food recipes. For wet dog foods, Merrick and Rachael Ray Nutrish 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.

Rachael Ray Nutrish and Merrick both provide roughly the same amount of crude fat. For wet dog foods, Rachael Ray Nutrish provides more fat (about 4.18% more).


There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Merrick and Rachael Ray Nutrish also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Merrick Cat Food vs. Rachael Ray Nutrish Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Crude Protein40.5%38.7%
Crude Fat15.7%14.8%
Crude Fiber5.1%5.3%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Crude Protein46.9%46.4%
Crude Fat21.3%25.0%
Crude Fiber6.0%16.1%

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. With regards to wet cat food, Merrick and Rachael Ray Nutrish also provide roughly the same amount of crude 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.

As you can see, Rachael Ray Nutrish and Merrick guarantee a similar amount of crude fat. For wet cat foods, Rachael Ray Nutrish typically provides a little more fat (about 3.69% more).


Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. Rachael Ray Nutrish Pet Food Ingredients

Merrick and Rachael Ray Nutrish 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 Rachael Ray Nutrish.

Corn
Caramel
Corn Flour
Iron Oxide
Whole Corn
Canola Meal
Brewers Rice
Wheat Gluten
Animal Digest
Vegetable Oil
Soybean Protein
Corn Gluten Meal
Ground Whole Grain Corn
Textured Soy Protein Product
Poultry 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 Rachael Ray Nutrish 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 Rachael Ray Nutrish.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Merrick & Rachael Ray Nutrish?

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, Rachael Ray Nutrish has never been recalled.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Per Pound$6.15$1.87
Per Calorie$0.0036$0.0012
Dry Cat FoodMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Per Pound$4.09$1.98
Per Calorie$0.0025$0.0012
Wet Dog FoodMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Per Pound$5.97$7.95
Per Calorie$0.0126$0.0165
Wet Cat FoodMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Per Pound$7.55$8.78
Per Calorie$0.0168$0.0182

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 Rachael Ray Nutrish, 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 Rachael Ray Nutrish 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 Rachael Ray Nutrish. 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

103 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Rachael Ray Nutrish Pet Foods

You can purchase Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food products from these retailers:


42 Recipes In-Stock Today

15 Recipes In-Stock Today

41 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductMerrickRachael Ray Nutrish
Dry Dog Food53 Recipes19 Recipes
Wet Dog Food58 Recipes12 Recipes
Dog Treats35 Treats20 Treats
Dry Cat Food18 Recipes10 Recipes
Wet Cat Food50 Recipes18 Recipes
Cat TreatsNone4 Treats

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