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04-27-2011, 03:41 PM | #1 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Idaho
Posts: 551
| Merrick Before Grain? DOes anyone have any experience with Merrick Before Grain dog foods? |
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04-27-2011, 04:03 PM | #2 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 7,651
| Excellent food -- I think this is what Mary (Mardelin) uses. I wanted to but could not find it locally so I settled on Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit, which is a good food but does have some grain. The thing I liked about Merrick Before Grain is that it does not have too high a protein content (not more than 32%). That is one thing that usually turned me away from No grain forumulas in the past. Now there are a few that still maintain a low enough protein to not be a challenge to our little one's livers -- Merrick Before Grain being one of them.
__________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard Last edited by FlDebra; 04-27-2011 at 04:05 PM. |
04-27-2011, 04:48 PM | #3 |
Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland
Posts: 17,814
| I think it's a good food, but Merrick has had a lot of quality control issues in the past that tend to worry me. But I think it's a huge step up from a lot of other foods and I am glad places like Petco are now offering it. Ingredient-wise, I think it's a great food. A bit expensive around here, though. Jackson also did not really like it. He got tired of the taste pretty fast. I think I fed him that when he was around 6 months old-9 months old.
__________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier |
04-27-2011, 05:00 PM | #4 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| I've never used it, but do hope anybody interested in feeding Merrick has seen their 5 or so recalls in a very short span of time. Just wouldn't be for me. I don't trust their quality control at all.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
04-27-2011, 05:16 PM | #5 |
♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 25,041
| Have they had recalls on their foods or just treats? The ones I know about are all related to beef treats, beef squares and Texas Taffy. I tried Before Grain when we ran out of our regular food from a store 50 miles away. The boys loved it, but the kibble were so hard that they both ended up with bleeding gums. Teddy was afraid to eat kibble for a few days. I don't know if I got an unusual bag, or if the kibble are typically that hard.
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04-27-2011, 05:29 PM | #6 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 7,651
| Quote:
There were at least 4 voluntary recalls of treats during 2010 - 2011. There was a Wingaling, canned dog food recall back in 2006. I don't necessarily think voluntary recalls are a bad thing -- if their own quality control procedures find the problem. But, at least one of these was found by the FDA buying a sample from a store and finding the salmonella contaminaiton. That is scary! Still -- the dog food has a good rep!
__________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard | |
04-27-2011, 05:48 PM | #7 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| It is just the treats for the most part. Their canned food did have some yummy metal in it too though. lol And this is a bit more hidden. Alert to Pet Owners - Recall of Petcurean Go! Natural Pet Food The Texas facility where this food was made is strongly believed to be Merrick. I guess they have since started to do at at their own location. It killed many dogs. Just a personal preference to avoid all things Merrick. We have enough problems around here without dealing with a quality control dept. that is obviously lacking.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
04-27-2011, 06:47 PM | #8 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Idaho
Posts: 551
| Thanks for all the input. SOunds like i better stick with trying NOW! I just wondered about the Merrick before grain since i would be able to get it locally. I have tried Orijen and Acana, but it didnt do anything good for any of my 3 boys. One got hives,and his allergy symptoms got way worse with acana pacifica, and the other 2 gained way to much weight. The one who got hives, i switched to wellness super 5 mix chicken, and he has improved sooo much. I am scared to take him off of it, but i really prefer a grain free food. And he is doing better on this than any other that he has tried, But he seems to need more of this than the previous foods in order to keep up his weight. Do any of you mix flavors and or brands at the same time on a regular basis? I considered keeping him on the wellness, and adding another brand/ flavor with a little more protein and fat to up his weight a little. But i dont know yet. Hope all of that makes a little bit of sense, lol |
04-27-2011, 06:52 PM | #9 |
Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland
Posts: 17,814
| Have you looked into Natural Balance? I'm considering adding it to our rotation and many seem to have good luck with it. Meat content is low and it's sort of potato heavy but I would add canned food to up the protein/meat content anyways and it's a grain-free limited ingredient kibble. We've had pretty good luck with Acana thus far though so I wanna keep it in his diet as it has been for over a year.
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04-27-2011, 06:57 PM | #10 |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Idaho
Posts: 551
| No, I will look at it a little more, i tried it with them about 3 years ago, and they didnt do well on it, we tried the duck and potato, and fish and sweet potato, and the venison one .I have found out that my one with allerigies, seems to do much better on chicken. SO maybe i will look and see if natural balance has a chicken one thats grain free. Thanks |
04-27-2011, 07:01 PM | #11 | |
♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 25,041
| Quote:
Interesting how many specialty shops in the area claim to carry only products that have never, never, never had a recall.
__________________ Kristin, Max and Teddy | |
04-27-2011, 07:24 PM | #12 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 2,359
| My main issue with the Before Grain foods is that the even the salmon and buffalo versions have so much poultry in them. My non-Yorkie is pretty sensitive to chicken, and I think it's so misleading to market a food as a salmon-based food or a buffalo-based food when they aren't even the main protein sources! Saying that, we've never actually tried Before Grain, but I was pretty put off once I actually read the ingredient list for so-called salmon and buffalo products. I don't think they are bad foods by any means, they just wouldn't work for us...and they are not properly named.
__________________ katy&levi |
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