# New Merrick Kibble



## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Has anyone tried the new Merrick kibble called Back Country, Raw Infused? Its expensive, but since I spoil Callie, I bought a bag - Wild Praire, Grain Free. It has chunks of freeze dried raw in it. Wow, she inhaled it. I'm wondering if freeze dried raw is of any extra nutritional value, or is it just for taste. Callie has never been on raw, but she gets a pinch of this and that when I'm cooking and she seems to love it. She's done well on Merrick Grain Free so have had no reason to switch, but this seemed kind of cool, that she can get a little raw in with it or maybe its another gimmick..............


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

Haven't tried that one but Penny has been on Merrick Grain Free since I got her. She loves that stuff. Sometimes she'll even take it as a treat. Might have to give this one a try to see if she likes it. Ah, who am I kidding. That girl will eat anything: broccoli, lettuce, pickles, carrots. So far there hasn't been anything she won't eat.

Rick


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Rick, I love Merrick and all its variety of flavors. Callie's favorite is canned Turducken or Wing-a-ling. She doesn't like the Merrick Whole Earth brand, of course that is a little less expensive (naturally) She was very itchy as a pup, until I switched her to the grain free. She likes carrots, green beans and lettuce. I can't wait to switch Molly to Merrick so they're both on the same diet - mealtime they jealously eye and try to sneak bites from the each other's dish. Molly gets TOW puppy which she is getting sick of, but she didn't like the Merrick puppy (kibble is small so I use it for treats). She will eat any fruit or vegetable and anything else (including leaves, sticks, bugs and chunks of wood, dog hair, etc - lol!) I have to watch her like a hawk or she would be at the vet's every week. (I hope she outgrows that!)


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

SusanG said:


> Rick, I love Merrick and all its variety of flavors. Callie's favorite is canned Turducken or Wing-a-ling. She doesn't like the Merrick Whole Earth brand, of course that is a little less expensive (naturally) She was very itchy as a pup, until I switched her to the grain free. She likes carrots, green beans and lettuce. I can't wait to switch Molly to Merrick so they're both on the same diet - mealtime they jealously eye and try to sneak bites from the each other's dish. Molly gets TOW puppy which she is getting sick of, but she didn't like the Merrick puppy (kibble is small so I use it for treats). *She will eat any fruit or vegetable and anything else (including leaves, sticks, bugs and chunks of wood, dog hair, etc - lol!)* I have to watch her like a hawk or she would be at the vet's every week. (I hope she outgrows that!)


They may be twins.


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Saw this at a local pet store recently and I seem to remember that the pricing wasn't too much different from the regular Merrick Grain Free? Hopefully they don't jack the pricing up a bunch.

I was tempted but they didn't have any smaller bags and I wasn't willing to ge a big bag. They did have a bag of the Instinct Freeze Dried Raw on clearance so I got a bag of it and I'm adding it to the Merrick Grain Free. So I guess I'm making my own Raw Infused??


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Sparky, I pay around 16.95 for a 4 lb bag of grain free Merrick, and the Back Country is only about $1 more. I always buy two or three different grain free flavors and alternate every few days (yeah, I spoil her) Have you noticed that it is very very rare you can buy Merrick on sale even on line (unless you sign up for automatic re-order). Maybe I'll be able to do that once Molly switches over to it.

I tried Wellness, TOW and Fromm kibble but Callie didn't like them. She wasn't crazy about Orijen and Arcana (?) and they didn't agree with her anyway.

I never thought of buying freeze dried raw and mixing it - good idea.


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

I really like the looks of the Backcountry, but I'm just not sure... 

I've been trying to rotate through protein sources (as well as brands), but I'm not sure I want to introduce *all* meats? I've been thinking maybe I should leave some of the more exotic (venison, rabbit, etc) as an option in case Fletcher develops allergies? I also would prefer to go with more limited ingredient formulas, so when I switch protein sources, I'm really switching For example, when I switch from a chicken formula to a beef formula, I don't want the beef formula to contain any chicken. 

Is that a stupid plan? By rotating through foods am I already reducing the chance of allergies? I just don't know.

There is a Pet Supplies Plus not far from us and they occasionally will run a discount on the Merrick so we can save a dollar or two by using our loyalty card, but it's not a common thing.

We have some TOTW samples to try to see if he likes it. And Fletcher gets Orijen as training treats, but it was a bit too rich for him as his puppy diet. I really like it and may switch back to it in his rotation, but I don't know when that will happen. I also like having it as training treats because he'll be used to it and I can always use it as a fall back if there's a recall or problem with his "main" food.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Sparky, that makes sense. I noticed that Merrick also put out a Limited Ingredient kibble that appeared to have only 3-4 ingredients with only one meat source each, but I won't try that unless I have to. So far Callie doesn't seem to have allergies, but I'm keeping her on grain-free. Molly nibbles on Callie's food without reaction, so maybe I'll get lucky and will be able to keep them on the same food and like I do with Callie, just alternate flavors. I'll be glad when I can do that - Molly wants Callie's, Callie wants Mollie's food. I have to sit in the middle and monitor!


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

I just went and picked up a small bag of Merrick grain free to see if that will tempt Axel.

Up until now, he has been Orijen large puppy and loved it. However when we recently switched him to the adult Origin food he has been turning up his nose at it. Even if I mix in sweet potato, which he adores, he wont eat the adult food.

I opened the Merrick up when we got home and gave him a little taste of it, and he seemed to like it. Fingers crossed.


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Hope it works out for Axel! Which variety did you choose for him?

Fletcher has had both the Chicken and Texas Beef formulas of the Merrick Grain Free and has liked them both. We've also used Orijen, which didn't seem to completely agree with Fletcher's stomach as a puppy, but he uses now as a training treat and it's fine; think it was just too rich as his primary food.

We're now switching/rotating to a new brand that's Salmon based and grain/potato free. 

We'll be back to the Merrick Grain free as we rotate through a few different brands of food and different protein sources.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Hope it works for you! I love the Merrick grain free because you can switch flavors without worrying about stomach upsets. Callie's favorite is the duck, but she also likes the chicken and beef and occasionally I get the pork. She doesn't like the salmon much but sure is crazy about the new Outback with the freeze dried raw. She actually cleans her plate for that. 
I'm hoping I can get Molly to eat the last two 4 lb bags of TOW puppy. She seems turned off by it now and I have to mix it with some Turducken or other canned to get her to eat it.


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

Sparkyjoe, we got the chicken sweet potato grain free. He really likes sweet potato, so hopefully he will like this one. At any rate, it should be crystal clear here in about an hour and a half, when he has his dinner!


SusanG, I like the thought of sometimes switching out the flavors to give him some variety. The thought makes me a little concerned, only due to the worry about tummy upset. But I do like the idea of providing a little variety for him.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Axel, from what I have read, there isn't a problem with stomach upset because the basic formula for all of their grain free (also for those with grain for dogs that can eat grain) is the same and same source of ingredients, with the exception of the type of meat. According to the info it isn't the same as switching different brands where they might have completely different ingredients from different sources. So far, Callie hasn't had a problem with me giving her a different grain-free flavor every night (and she had a terrible tummy her first year - when we got her the breeder had her on Four Health and we kept her on that until she was 9 months old, then I switched to Merrick. I went with the grain free because Callie was so itchy. I don't know whether it was the grain free kibble or she just outgrew the itchiness, but she stopped scratching.) Funny, some breeders say it is better to switch around, and good for them. I don't know if that is true or not. For a while I actually did vary her food brands on occasion if the pet store had a sample (only natural brands though) but with all the Merrick variety I don't bother.


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## Axeldog (Aug 29, 2014)

I am happy to report that Merrick chicken and sweet potato met with Axel's approval tonight

Initially when I put his bowl down he was hesitant. I think he was a little thrown off by the small size of the kibble compared to the Orijen food, but after a few bites he was sold! Cleaned his bowl, yay!

Now...must wait to observe the results tomorrow AM☺


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## sparkyjoe (Oct 26, 2011)

Hope Axel's tummy likes the new kibble as much as his mouth did!!


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

SusanG, since you have used both, how does the size of the kibble in the raw infused compare to the kibble in the regular grain free? Hans really seems to like the smaller kibble size of the merrick grain free, and lately I have been adding some freeze dried raw as a topper so I would love to just get him the raw infused but he is picky.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I don't know if anyone is aware of this, but Merrick makes another line of foods under the name of 'Whole Earth Farms' Same high quality ingredients and on the label where it lists the manufacturer it lists Merrick.........it is rated high at dog food advisor. It is also cheaper ! I just bought a bag the grain of Grain Free with pork, beef & lamb. It is also poultry free for those of you who think your dog may be chicken/poultry sensitve. Great ingredients, great buy!


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Firestorm. The kibble is the same size as the regular grain free with the raw infused pieces in it a little larger in the form of light colored cubes.
Molly, I was excited about the Whole Earth Farms because it was not as expensive but is rated very highly. For some reason Callie didn't like it (it figures! She's Miss Cadillac taste herself) I was hoping she would like it because now, with two I'd like to cut back on the expense since I'll be phasing Molly onto Merrick soon. Maybe I'll give it a try again.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I've never had a problem with my Molly and food..........she has never gone more than a day refusing a new food and she knows that if she doesn't eat it, she doesn't eat! Yep, I am a mean MOM!!!!!!LOL! Of course she IS free fed a measured amount and it is left out all day til she is just hungry enough to eat it!!!!!Hahaha!


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## kmart (Apr 28, 2015)

SusanG said:


> Firestorm. The kibble is the same size as the regular grain free with the raw infused pieces in it a little larger in the form of light colored cubes.
> Molly, I was excited about the Whole Earth Farms because it was not as expensive but is rated very highly. For some reason Callie didn't like it (it figures! She's Miss Cadillac taste herself) I was hoping she would like it because now, with two I'd like to cut back on the expense since I'll be phasing Molly onto Merrick soon. Maybe I'll give it a try again.


I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it, but Whole Earth Farms included a few things I didn't really like that weren't in the regular Merrick grain free. It's pretty carb-y. Oatmeal, rice, barley, and alfalfa (which I heard was more in WEF than in grain free, but I'm not sure). Merrick Grain Free seems to have much fewer sources of fillers. 
WEF is definitely not a bad choice, but the regular grain free food is better, imo. My parents' dog won't touch the WEF, either, now. She had one meal of it and was itching for days. But she is a delicate flower. :act-up:


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I read the ingredients and in the pork,lamb & beef ( Grain Free)and there is only a small amount of alfalfa meal and according to Mercola, in small the amounts that is found in many of the better quality foods, there is no harm! 
Oatmeal, I agree is not good for dogs who have food allergies....I had a dog who was allergic to oatmeal in all forms, even shampoos!


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

I didn't know that about the oatmeal, very interesting. We are so programmed to believe oatmeal is a wonderful food (at least for humans). Molly reluctantly eats the TOW Grain Free Puppy, but I have to mix it with canned now. She wolfs down the Merrick Grain Free Puppy and always goes after Callie's food so I guess we bite the bullet and put out the extra bucks for both to have the same. I do occasionally buy different brands of grain free canned (Earthborn tubs, Wellness, Weruva or Merrick) and mix some in with the kibble and it doesn't seem to affect either one.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

I bought some of the new raw infused in a can for Penny as a topper. She likes it, a lot. Maybe too much. She picks out all the rabbit chunks and eats half of her kibble now. I used to add the the canned version of the grain free kibble and she would usually eat 2/3's of it and leave the rest for later, you know, cuz a lady doesn't want to appear piggish.  

Rick


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

That's so funny! Callie does the same thing - just like a kid, she eats the stuff she likes best first. I mix different varieties of the grain free canned in with the kibble (her favorites are wing-a-ling and turducken). She always eats all the canned first and half the kibble - taking each piece into the middle of the room and chewing slowly. Then she leaves about 1/4 C of kibble to eat about 9:30pm as a bedtime snack. I just bought a raw infused to try. 
Molly goes nuts trying to get Callie's dinner and I have to put her in a different room. She doesn't think its fair that Callie gets the good stuff and she has to eat TOW puppy kibble that she doesn't like much! I do take pity on her and mix in some of the canned and toss in a few Merrick kibble. No doubt I won't have a problem switching her over.


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

SusanG said:


> That's so funny! Callie does the same thing - just like a kid, she eats the stuff she likes best first. I mix different varieties of the grain free canned in with the kibble (her favorites are wing-a-ling and turducken). She always eats all the canned first and half the kibble - *taking each piece into the middle of the room and chewing slowly.* Then she leaves about 1/4 C of kibble to eat about 9:30pm as a bedtime snack. I haven't tried the canned raw infused but just bought one to try. Molly goes nuts at dinner. She doesn't think its fair that Callie gets the good stuff and she has to eat puppy kibble!


Oh man, Penny does the same thing except she goes from the dish to the family room dropping nuggets on the way. Then on the way back to the dish she stops to pick each one up. The funny part is she seems surprised to find food on the way back. So it's step step, oooh and nugget, crunch crunch, step step, oooh, a nugget, crunch crunch. And on and on.

Rick


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## Oliverthedog (Mar 10, 2015)

Due to allergies (lot's of eye rubbing) I have recently changed Rocky's food to Merrick Back Country Pacific Catch Recipe. 

He seems to like it and the eye rubbing seems to have gone away. The chunks of Freeze dried fish is a nice touch. 

I had heard that the Pacific Catch recipe was designed to compete with Origin 6 Fish recipe.

Does anybody have opinions on a seafood versus meat diet for dogs? My son is concerned about mercury levels and wondering if this is a valid concern.


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## SusanG (Aug 8, 2009)

Sorry, I don't know about the mercury levels. It probably depends on where the fish comes from. If you are sticking to Merrick Pacific Catch, you could always call them and ask. They seem to be pretty stringent on the quality of meat and it has to be USA only but I'm not sure about fish.
I've tried Callie on their Grain Free Salmon kibble, but she doesn't like fish so we stick with the others. 
Good luck. I would imagine others would like to know about the source of fish in a lot of the different brands.


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

Grin I would not worry too much about fish rather then meat. They are still getting animal protein and in some cultures fish is the major protein source for dogs. In fact many Nordic and Japanese breeds are often called fish dogs due to the high amount of fish they are fed in their native areas. 
The mercury is another matter hopefully Merricks is keeping an eye on levels in the fish they use. If it really concerns you write to them and ask. They are very good at getting back to you.


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## Oliverthedog (Mar 10, 2015)

I called Merrick and was informed that the mercury content was one part per million. Also was told that they get their fish from US and Canadian sources and are a combination of wild and farm raised. They did suggest that I switch off after every bag and use the meat recipe as well. No transition is required.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Oliverthedog said:


> I called Merrick and was informed that the mercury content was one part per million. Also was told that they get their fish from US and Canadian sources and are a combination of wild and farm raised. They did suggest that I switch off after every bag and use the meat recipe as well. No transition is required.



I don't know what your options are as far as fish based food, but I would try to find one that uses wild caught fish only - factor farmed fish is said to be very unhealthy.
And no worries if it is not raw infused - you could always buy one of the many good brands of freeze dried raw foods mix some in. Even just some wild freeze dried salmon treats.


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