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Merrick vs. WholeHearted

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

Guaranteed Analysis: WholeHearted 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. WholeHearted Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Merrick	WholeHearted
Crude Protein	35.9%	29.1%
Crude Fat	17.2%	15.6%
Crude Fiber	4.2%	5.6%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Merrick	WholeHearted
Crude Protein	43.9%	43.6%
Crude Fat	21.1%	24.3%
Crude Fiber	8.3%	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 relatively large difference between the protein content of Merrick and WholeHearted. On average, WholeHearted dry dog food recipes contain 6.78% less protein than Merrick recipes. For wet dog foods, Merrick and WholeHearted 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. For wet dog foods, WholeHearted typically provides a little more fat (about 3.26% more).

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

Merrick Cat Food vs. WholeHearted Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Merrick	WholeHearted
Crude Protein	40.5%	36.7%
Crude Fat	15.7%	15.9%
Crude Fiber	5.1%	5.2%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	Merrick	WholeHearted
Crude Protein	46.9%	57.0%
Crude Fat	21.3%	17.1%
Crude Fiber	6.0%	7.5%

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.

There is a small difference between the protein content of Merrick and WholeHearted. We can see that Merrick guarantees about 3.81% more protein than WholeHearted. In addition, WholeHearted 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 WholeHearted guarantee a similar amount of crude fat. For wet cat foods, Merrick provides more fat (about 4.20% more).

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

Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. WholeHearted Pet Food Ingredients

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

Canola Oil

Pea Protein

Caramel Color

Powdered Cellulose

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

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

Garlic

Meaty Femur Bone

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

Beet Pulp

Iron Oxide

Tomato Pomace

Dried Tomato Pomace

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

Merrick and WholeHearted both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Merrick & WholeHearted?

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, WholeHearted has never been recalled.

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 WholeHearted Pet Foods

You can purchase WholeHearted pet food products from these retailers:

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Merrick	WholeHearted
Dry Dog Food	53 Recipes	22 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	58 Recipes	21 Recipes
Dog Treats	35 Treats	18 Treats
Dry Cat Food	18 Recipes	11 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	50 Recipes	17 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	14 Treats