Is Merrick WSAVA-Approved?
WSAVA does not approve, certify, or endorse any dog food brand. No such list exists. What "WSAVA-approved" actually refers to is whether a manufacturer satisfies the five questions the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee tells owners to ask. Merrick meets 1 of the 5, so it sits between the fully compliant brands and those that meet none. It substantiates its diets through formulation to AAFCO profiles rather than feeding trials, and typically costs $60 – $115 per month for a 50 lb adult dog.
Merrick against the 5 WSAVA questions
| WSAVA question | Merrick |
|---|---|
| Employs a full-time qualified veterinary nutritionist | Partial |
| Diets formulated by a credentialed expert | Partial |
| Substantiates diets with AAFCO feeding trials | No |
| Owns and operates its manufacturing plants | Yes |
| Runs a documented quality-control program | Partial |
| Criteria fully met | 1 of 5 |
| Typical monthly cost (50 lb dog) | $60 – $115 |
Merrick across our catalogue
We track 147 complete-and-balanced Merrick dog foods. Everything below is measured from those products rather than from the brand's marketing.
- Products tracked
- 147
- Dry / wet
- 94 / 49
- Adult / puppy / senior
- 110 / 20 / 4
- With by-products
- 0 of 147
AAFCO substantiation
Formulated to meet AAFCO profiles
Merrick substantiates adequacy by formulation, meaning the recipe is calculated and laboratory-analysed against AAFCO nutrient profiles rather than fed to dogs in a trial. This is legal, common, and weaker evidence than a feeding trial.
What Merrick actually contains
Guaranteed-analysis figures are label minimums, shown separately by food type because a 10%-moisture kibble and a 78%-moisture canned food are not comparable as-fed.
| Form | Products | Crude protein | Crude fat (median) | Energy (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dry | 82 | 23–35% (median 30%) | 15% | 3,548 kcal/kg |
| wet | 34 | 8–10% (median 8%) | 3.8% | 686 kcal/kg |
A cross-section of the Merrick line
12 of the 120 Merrick products whose label data we were able to verify, spread across the range. Repeat recipes at different bag sizes are collapsed to one entry.
| Product | Life stage | Protein | Fat | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrick Adult Grain-Free Beef, Lamb & Bison Pate Canned Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 4 | Adult | 9% | 5% | $5.95/lb |
| Merrick Backcountry Grain-Free Real Beef & Chicken Dinner Variety Pack Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12 | All life stages | 10% | 6% | $5.14/lb |
| Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Pacific Catch Recipe for dogs 4 LB (37009) | Adult | 32% | 16% | $7.00/lb |
| Merrick Grain Free Beef + Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Puppy Food, 4 lbs. ( packaging may vary ) | Puppy | 32% | 15% | $6.50/lb |
| Merrick Grain Free Premium And Natural Canned Dog Food, Soft And Healthy Poultry Free Wet Recipe, Real Beef Lamb And Bison - (Pack of 12) 12.7 oz. Cans | Adult | 9% | 5% | , |
| Merrick Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Healthy Weight Recipe, 4-lb bag | Adult | 30% | 10% | $1.17/lb |
| Merrick Grain-Free Real Texas Beef Dinner Canned Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12 | Adult | 9% | 5% | $4.76/lb |
| Merrick Healthy Grains Premium Adult Dry Dog Food, Wholesome and Natural Kibble, Healthy Weight Recipe - 4.0 lb. Bag | Adult | 26% | 10% | $6.00/lb |
| Merrick Kitchen Comforts Healthy Grains Turkey Meatloaf with Brown Rice Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12 | Adult | 8% | 4% | $5.15/lb |
| Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Small Breed Wet Dog Food Bundle Pack, 2 Flavors (Teeny Texas Steak Tips Dinner, Little Lamb Chop Stew) | Adult | 8% | 3.5% | , |
| Merrick Lil’ Plates Premium Grain Free Dry Dog Food for Small Dogs, Real Salmon and Sweet Potato Kibble - 12.0 lb. Bag | Adult | 31% | 15% | $4.33/lb |
| Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Premium And Natural Kibble With Healthy Grains Chicken And Brown Rice Dog Food - 4.0 lb. Bag | Adult | 27% | 15% | $6.00/lb |
What Merrick costs
Across 110 priced products the median works out at $5.32 per pound, with most falling between $3.54 and $6.50. That is above the $3.74 median for dry dog food across every brand we track.
Bagged retail pricing only. Packages under 2 lb are excluded because their per-pound figures are unreliable.
Strengths
- Made in the Hereford, Texas plants that Nestlé Purina runs
- Merrick's FAQ says trained animal nutritionists, including PhDs, formulate the food
- The Hereford plant earned SQF Level 3 certification in 2013
Watch-outs
- No nutritionist is named and no board certification is stated
- The FAQ says formulated to AAFCO profiles, with no feeding-test claim
- Quality-control evidence is a 2013 certificate. Merrick's current pages describe no testing program
- Named in 16 reports in the FDA's 2019 DCM update. The FDA did not establish that any food caused the disease
Who Merrick suits
Best for: Owners shopping the premium kibble tier who accept thinner public evidence on nutrition staff and testing.
Avoid if: You want a named nutritionist, feeding-trial substantiation or a published testing program.
Merrick head-to-head
Personalized recommendation
WSAVA compliance is one input. Your dog is the other.
IntelliBowl's free 60-second quiz ranks 14+ brands (including Merrick) against your dog's age, breed, weight, activity, allergies, and budget. Completely free.
Methodology: Scores reflect Merrick's publicly documented manufacturer-quality practices as of October 2026, assessed against the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee's 5-question rubric. WSAVA itself does not certify, approve, or rank any brand. Monthly cost reflects typical US 2026 retail for a 50 lb adult dog at premium spec, before autoship discounts. See our recommendation methodology.