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Merrick vs. Taste of the Wild

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

Guaranteed Analysis: Taste of the Wild 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. Taste of the Wild Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Crude Protein	35.9%	32.0%
Crude Fat	17.2%	17.8%
Crude Fiber	4.2%	4.6%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Crude Protein	43.9%	45%
Crude Fat	21.1%	20.6%
Crude Fiber	8.3%	5.6%

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 Taste of the Wild. We can see that Merrick guarantees about 3.85% more protein than Taste of the Wild. For wet dog foods, Taste of the Wild 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 Taste of the Wild also provide roughly the same amount of crude fat.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Merrick typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.77% more).

Merrick Cat Food vs. Taste of the Wild Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Crude Protein	40.5%	38.4%
Crude Fat	15.7%	17.8%
Crude Fiber	5.1%	3.3%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Crude Protein	46.9%	44.4%
Crude Fat	21.3%	16.7%
Crude Fiber	6.0%	8.3%

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, Taste of the Wild typically provides less protein than Merrick. However, this difference is relatively small and doesn't represent a significant difference between the two brands. In addition, Merrick wet cat foods also provide more protein than Taste of the Wild 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.

If you look at the average percentages of crude fat, you'll notice that Taste of the Wild typically guarantees 2.04% more fat. This is a fairly small difference between Taste of the Wild and Merrick, but still worth mentioning. In addition, Merrick wet cat foods also provide more fat than Taste of the Wild wet foods.

As you can see, Taste of the Wild and Merrick guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Taste of the Wild typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.29% more).

Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. Taste of the Wild Pet Food Ingredients

Merrick and Taste of the Wild both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Pea Protein

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

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

Garlic

Canola Oil

Caramel Color

Meaty Femur Bone

Powdered Cellulose

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Taste of the Wild.

Tomato Pomace

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.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Merrick & Taste of the Wild?

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

Taste of the Wild has been recalled once.

May 5, 2012: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Per Pound	$6.15	$2.30
Per Calorie	$0.0036	$0.0014

Dry Cat Food	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Per Pound	$4.09	$2.97
Per Calorie	$0.0025	$0.0018

Wet Dog Food	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Per Pound	$5.97	$3.47
Per Calorie	$0.0126	$0.0085

Wet Cat Food	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Per Pound	$7.55	$5.72
Per Calorie	$0.0168	$0.0132

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 Taste of the Wild, 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 Taste of the Wild 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 Taste of the Wild. 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 Taste of the Wild Pet Foods

You can purchase Taste of the Wild pet food products from these retailers:

21 Recipes In-Stock Today

26 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

18 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Merrick	Taste of the Wild
Dry Dog Food	53 Recipes	16 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	58 Recipes	5 Recipes
Dog Treats	35 Treats	None
Dry Cat Food	18 Recipes	5 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	50 Recipes	2 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None