merrick vs. acana
 

I have been feeding Max Acana dry food, he seems to like it, but not love it,I was thinking of switching to Merrick dry food, what does everyone think?Acana is probably the best quality out of all dry foods, right?

Merrick has had 8 or 9 recalls inbthe last several years. Their QC is obviously lacking, no veterinary nutritionist on staff, no feeding trials as far as I know, don't appear to be contributing anything to canine nutrition, etc. I would not use their products.

No, Acana is not the best quality dog food. No vet nutritionist, no feeding trials, nothing seems special about their QC, the fresh fish they claim to use is actually remains that the human food makers do not use that would otherwise be sentto rendering (per an article online). The last point is no big thing except for thise that are trying to avoid byproducts. They did have some issues regarding irradiated foods in AU, etc. It is really just another food.

Always research the company you want to feed. I personally do not trust merrick.

So what does everyone think is "thee" best food?

Nonexistent.

Every dog is si different. There isno one best food. There is also no perfectly safe food. However, some companies do a much better job than others in this department. The smaller the company, the less money they have for QC, trials, qualified staff, and research. It is a matter of deciding what things are important to you and choosing the company gefore the ingredients.

I also agree there is no best food but home cooking when done with the help of a nutritionist is the best in my opinion. When looking at a food to use for my dog I look at the ingredients, the company and then if my dog will do well or does do well on it. Callie loses interest toward the end of a bag of food because it takes her so long to get through it. I like the smaller company's that have had no recalls like Fromm and Now but I also will feed the newer science diet line they came out with, Blue Buffalo, and Acana. My dog has to have grain free or she breaks out and gets itchy. I also would never buy a dog food with corn as the top ingredients.

I think I've learned that over-analyzing foods... will drive you crazy. It did/does for me. I think it's important to pay attention, know the company you're buying from, where it's sourced, etc. But really, I'd probably just pick a decent food from what you consider a reputable source...

I think some of our "fears" (mine included) are overblown. I'm guilty of it. I always talk about Diamond for example, how I wouldn't touch it, etc. A lot of us are now TERRIFIED of Diamond produced foods. But really? our dogs probably have a one in a million chance of anything happening to them. They probably have a higher chance of dying from a snake bite, or something crazy, then dying because of eating pet food. And the only reason I know about all this stuff is because of pet forums. If I was just a regular ole' owner, I wouldn't even think twice about this stuff, and I'm sure Jackson would be absolutely fine with whatever I chose to eat. I know lots of dogs who eat TOTW and are doing great.

But of course, we want the best for our dogs. I know I do. I pay attention to every little thing, lol. I'm kind of anal about it actually. I'm not saying to go out and buy the prettiest bag of Beneful. Because I'm sure as hell not, lol.

I do believe in good QC, and think being informed is important. Obviously. Or else I wouldn't research so much.

But I just think that other things play so much more into a dog's life and health, like genetics, neutering/spaying, over-vaccination, etc. I do think diet plays a part - I know I notice little things between different brands.

But I think your dog will most likely be fine on Merrick or Acana. Jackson always did very well on Acana, actually, it's probably the best he ever did on a food. He ate it for the longest period of time... he's been eating Fromm since late Sept. and even though I LOVE them as a company, etc, I just am never happy with his poop on it, and he's been lookin' a little chubbier (to me... most would say he's still skinny, lol), so we're going back on grain-free (Now FRESH Adult Grain-Free) and his poops already improved within the last 7 days.... but at this point, I wouldn't be opposed to feeding Royal Canin, etc, which I used to be.... dead-set against. lol. I was looking too much into ingredients and ingredients only. But I've learned so much more about the dog food industry since then and know that's not really the most important thing.

Okay, long jumbled post... LOL, if I had to choose.. I'd def. pick Acana over Merrick.

Although I am a home cooker, I can't say it is "best" for a dog. From a nutritional standpoint I think it is better and from a food safety standpoint it is better. I have to qualify this statement to say I believe these things to be true how I personally select, prepare, handle, and feed the items. There are several downsides to home cooking even when one does things as detailed as I sometimes do. It's not all that fun to spend time cooking, the expense can be higher, and the meals aren't as portable or easy to store as kibble. For convenience, I feed kibble in addition to home cooking. I use Royal Canin products and Purina. Many would think that a holistic company or fancy ingredient list is more important but for me when purchasing a commercial food that I do not process, my number one factor is SAFETY. These large companies are at the top along with Hill's for a reason and that reason lies in the quality control at ingredient sourcing all the way to final product. I would prefer that a veterinary nutritionist balanced the diet and I prefer a company that food trials on test dogs not my beloved pets. Again, that takes the majority of companies out of the game for me. I have had the privilege (fortunately or unfortunately) with working with vet nutritionists for my dogs and over the years I have been well schooled in the many myths that would have once made me select the greatest sounding ingredients in the bag or can with the pretty dogs on the label. Unless and until pet owners start to demand more out of a company other than marketing in the way of real science and real experts and real quality control, we will continue to hear about salmonella, aflatoxin, E. coli, and other scary and threatening recalls. While recalls occur in human food as well, it seems to be so pervasive a problem in the pet food industry. I'm afraid of dog food, and I have good reason to be. If I must feed kibble at times, I want safe before any other checklist item.

:yeahthat:

I totally agree with the post above ^ (my oh my, how my thought process has changed)... but I will say Purina makes me very nervous. I wouldn't feed anything from them simply due to their contaminated chicken from China that they refused to pull. To me, it's on the same level as Merrick. I don't believe Merrick has ever had recalls on their food, it's just been treats. Yet everyone is worried about their food and doesn't recommend it. If I had to guess, I'd think more pets died due to contaminated chicken jerky from Purina than salmonella ridden treats from Merrick. I don't care how many scientists are a part of Purina, it makes me ill to think about the pets that suffered due to that. I also do not like their inclusion of methionine (sp?) ... vitamin k, in their food.

Between RC, Purina and Hills, I highly respect RC now and would choose them. They're the only company that hasn't changed their 'beliefs' per say. I always question that, when Hills and Purina are so sure and confident in the foods they're making, and explaining why byproducts and corn and everything is so good... But if they are SO scientific and advanced.... why do we now begin to see them getting away from corn and by-products in their foods? Purina's newest commercial for Beyond is very much promoting the 'no by products, no corn' gimmick.

If their foods are based on science and research... why are we suddenly now seeing them get aboard this new ship? Purely Profits? Or is there some big scientific reason?! Honestly, Purina should stick to their guns and come out with a campaign explaining why corn, meat meals and by-products are beneficial to dogs, and why these new "sexy" ingredients are a load of crock... I just don't understand it.

I'm kinda confused why they wouldn't just stick to corn, by-products, etc. I really kinda respect RC for not jumping on ship and quickly creating a grain-free formula, or whatever, just to simply appeal to a new crowd. Clearly they stand by their research and their beliefs. You just don't see them pushing 'holistic' products left and right just because that's the current trend. They take a long time to develop new formulas etc. And I like that about them.

I know I'm going way off topic here, just find the whole business of pet food fascinating!

:animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-pa:animal-pa

Four paws up.

SD just got a patent for a biofilm that is ging to help deliver drugs and/or supps to certain areas of the GI tract. The big three companies have all done research on nutrient profiles that can alter the expression of DNA and metabolism. What they are doing is contributing to science instead of coming up with a pretty ingredient lust, running a $100 analysis on the food, and passing it off as a great accomplishment. All companies will have recalls. Some try harder than others to prevent them and some are actually contributing to the field of canine nutrition. Others have found a nice little market to make quick cash.

I'm guessing it has to do with profit. ...but real chicken, corn free, etc. was never a bad thing. They are justtrying to appeal to more buyers. They probably correct nutrient deficiencies and excesses by changing the amount of synthetic vitamins/minerals. Since it isn't bad to feed 'natural' ingredients, they reallyhave. no reason not to make these products.

I'm not sure how long they had been working on ingredient changes, butthe grain free philosophy has been around for awhile now. I know in the case of Y/D (an rx thyoid food for cats), testing was done over like ten years.

I just want to put a warning out there about Purina. They are the makers of the chicken jerky waggin train that killed many many dogs and made many many sick and they never cared enough to pull there treats to find out what the problem was for years. This shows me that they only cared about the money they where making. Then there are all the reports of sick dogs from there beniful food and although I can not prove it two of the dogs I grew up with had eaten that dog food pretty much all there lives and both ended up with cancer seems kind of a weird similarity there. If they have a food and a treat that is making dogs sick I bet more of there food and treats are making other dogs sick and we just don't know it and the way they handle it shows no concern for pets. Purina is far to risky for me.

I have no concerns with regard to feeding my dog Purina. My dog is doing great on it too. I hope all your dogs live to be as old as Daisy and still run around like puppies. I wish she was bred better, but all these years I have never second guessed a decision I made for her. Purina included. I think people should rely on information that is credible, and for me, that's the advice I get from Daisy's vets many of whom are at the top of their professions. I couldn't do more for this dog, and I am offended at the implication that I am somehow "poisoning" her with her soy pellets. At the end of her life, if Purina is the nail in the coffin, then I will simply kiss her goodbye and let her have her sweet dreams.

My pups are all on either home cooking, Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet or Purina. I stick with those companies because that is who I feel most comfortable with. Only one is on Purina...a RX food and I trust it.

After speaking with many vets and a couple of vet nutritionists...one from A&M and tops in his field, I feel these are the safest foods for my pups. I fear salmonella big time...I have a couple of pups who probably would not survive it if they contracted it and I see way too many companies having problems with salmonella. Scary to me.

I can understand the Purina fear (imo, if you are nervous about it, by all means don't feed it). A cause has not been found even after years of FDA testing. It has not even definitively been proven that dogs eating jerky according to package instructions have gotten ill.

A similar warning could be put out about Champion. There is evidence that their cat food in AU was causing death well before it was pulled. They did not know their food would be subject to irradiation (which is completely ridiculous for a conpany exporting food) or did not bother to look into it. ??? Unless it has been misreported, it seems as though they hired legal reps to defend them against slander. i can think of better uses for that money like paying somebody to learn about export laws. I don't believe that their QC is top notch and would not feed their foods.

???? Where was it implied that you're poisoning your dog with soy pellets? If you took that from my post, my sincerest apologies. If anything, I was agreeing... saying that the odds of dying from ANY pet food is probably very slim. I just don't see how the chicken jerky problem can be written off completely. They have research and food trials, etc, which is GREAT. Many dogs live very long healthy lives on Purina.

Absolutely. It's all scary stuff. Champion is a marketing company, first and foremost, IMO. My dog did well on it though for almost 2 years.

Oh I should add... Purina RX foods are in another category IMO. Obviously extra precautions would be taken would those foods, I would assume.

The chicken jerky issue was not limited to chicken and it wasn't necessarily a Purina issue. There were consumer complaints about dehydrated duck and also sweet potato. I read some of this at the time regarding dogs presenting with the fanconi-like syndrome. In Australia or New Zealand I can't remember which the problem was affecting CET veggie dent chews also. I also recall there being no conclusion as to what the problem was. Anyway I know a 4 year old dog fed a popular holistic food that is battling cancer. I also know of dogs who lived beautiful lives on SD until 17. Food is just one factor. I feed HC for philosophical reasons that I have stated over and over. If I must occasionally use commercial food, I like RC. I would pick RC over Purina but there is only one RC diet that would meet Daisy's needs and I have not been able to accept the idea of feeding hydrolyzed feathers.

Oh absolutely. I've always said that. There is way too many factors involved to base longevity on food and food alone. Just like people, you get those who eat nothing but organic, exercise, don't drink, don't smoke and still die of lung cancer at 45. Then you have people who drink, smoke, do drugs, and don't take care of themselves live 'til their 100. Meh. Too many factors to say.

Just do whatever you're comfortable with!

Wow!I remember when I first got Max,I joined this site, and, most people could not say enough good things about Acana,and Orijen.I have been gone for a while,I have been feeding Max Acana all this time,I have to drive a little out of my way for it, which is not a big deal,I have no problem doing it,but,I bought Max Easter brunch wet food,( made by Merrick) as a special treat for Easter, and I thought,hmmm, Maybe I'll try Merrick dry food.I was under the impression Acana was the absolute best, so I wasnt sure I should switch. Now,nk one seems to have a clear cut favorite.I can't cook for him,so I have to rely on store bought food,I don't care what it costs, he's my buddy,I want the best for him, just not sure what the best is anymore, so confused!:confused:

I am not trying to say any one is poisoning there dogs and I am sure there is more rules and stuff that goes into prescription foods then there regular foods. It is a fact thought that many many dogs died from Purinas Waggin Train chicken jerky. Purina's brand was top of the list probably because of popularity but it seems all the chicken that came from china has the ability to make dogs sick. I personally did not like how Purina handled the situation and that speaks volumes of how they feel about animals in my opinion. Had they pulled the jerky as soon as they knew there where problems with it I would feel differently about them and like they really care for the animals. I also am not fond of the fact that all these stored continued to sell and stock it when they could have refused to sell it when they knew what it was doing to dogs. What any one wants to feed there dogs is there choose all any of us have our are opinions and I just wanted to put mine out there so people could see some facts about Purina my opinion about them. I think that we need better regulations in dog food and treats so the chicken jerky doesn't happen again and so all these dog food recalls are not happening. I will never say the dog food I feed is perfect because I know there is no perfect food just what works best for everyone and there pets.

If he does well on the Acana I would just stick with it.

Favorites on dog forums are usually those foods that have an appealing ingredient list. It is a matter of opinion.

There are so many things to consider besides ingredients.

What does the company do to make sure the food is safe? Do they have a large enough budget to pay for the testing that should be done? Who is creating the recipes? A veterinary nutritionist or a dog lover with a bachelors in biology or a general DVM who knows little about nutrition? Are feeding trials done (excluding palatability trials) or is your pup a guinea pig for the company? How much research is the company doing? Are they contributing anything to science or are they more concerned about making their tood sound appealing for marketing purposes? Etc.

I will dig up some links about these two companies that will maybe help you decide. I don't lie either company for my doggies.

Merrick

Al companies have recalls, but this many?
I think I am missing a couple.

Merrick Pet Care Recalls Doggie Wishbone (Item #29050, Lot 11031 Best by 30 Jan 2013) Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

MERRICK PET CARE RECALLS JR TEXAS TAFFY PET TREAT (ITEM # 27077, ALL LOTS UP TO AND INCLUDING 10364) BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE SALMONELLA HEALTH RISK

List of recalls for Pet Food Products from Merrick TEXAS HOLD "EMS

Merrick Pet Care Recalls Texas Hold'ems 10 oz Bag (Item # 60016 Lot 10127 Best by May 6 2012) because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk

List of recalls for Pet Food Products from Merrick Beef Filet Squares

http://letstalkpetfoods.org/2006/04/...ing®-dog-food/

I had many questions about food because of all of the posts on various forums and also I was worried about recalls. I was just not comfortable taking pet owners' opinions on dog food because I quickly saw that everyone had such varied ideas about what was good. What I decided, in the end, was to speak with my vet about it and she suggested that I speak with a vet nutritionist. Here is what he advised me to do when looking for a food for my pups. He did not recommend ANY food...just sent me this which told me a LOT when I started looking at all of the companies.


I would recommend looking for the following statement on the label of whatever you feed for best assurance of performance of the product. Here is an example:

"Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Brand X Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs." (or "all life stages" which would be in the case of puppies or breeding animals etc.)

Here is some additional info on the difference.

Nutritional Adequacy Statement or "AAFCO Statement"

Every pet food label must contain a statement and validation of nutritional adequacy. AAFCO regulations allow two basic methods for pet food manufacturers to substantiate claims.

Formulation Method — Requires the manufacturer to formulate the food to meet the AAFCO nutrient profiles for dogs and cats.
This method is less time consuming and less expensive because feeding trials with pets are not required, only a calculation of the nutrient levels.
An example of an AAFCO statement using the formulation method would be: "Brand ABC Cat Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO Cat Food Profiles for maintenance of adult cats."

Feeding Trial Method — Requires the manufacturer perform an AAFCO-protocol feeding trial using the food as the sole source of nutrition.
Gold Standard or preferred method.
Documents the pets' performance when fed the food.
An example of an AAFCO statement using the feeding trial method would be: "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Brand X Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs."

Also, the FDA wrote a warning letter to Merrick that can be read here: Tejas Industries Inc. 6/1/10

In addition, the FDA has a number of "Import Refusal" documents showing some salmonella problems with Acana Grasslands. The violation cited in the report was --
Violation 402(a)(1), 801(a)(3); ADULTERATION The article appears to contain Salmonella, a poisonous and deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health.

The whole list can be seen here:
Search Results: Acana site:www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/importrefusals/ir_detail.cfm

I had Peanut on Acana for 2 plus years.. then they switched the formula. The last bag I bought was one of their new formulas. Peanut started itching, eyes water, hot spots, so I took him off. I have never ever had a problem with Acana till then.

We tried a couple foods that weren't working out and now Peanut is on Canine Caviar and is doing great!

I think if you are not happy with what Max is eating do some research and find something that Max and yourself approves of!

Thers is no perfect food thats for sure, but when companies have alot of recalls or drag there feet in doing a recall, I have a problem with that, merrick being one of them. Chester has been on solid gold for most of his years, and currently on the grain free sundancer and does very well .on it. I have called solid gold about questions and they have been very good about answering my questions and they have not had hardly recalls. I like companies that will do a voluntary recall even if they think they food is possibly okay. The food thing can drive anyone crazy thats for sure. The place I get my food fron does alot of research and is very picky about what she sells, it is not a money thing for her, but what is good for peoples pets.

“So we do the tails and ears the noses and the chins and the hooves and different bones,” says Garth Merrick, president of the company. “It’s all processed in such a way that is totally sanitary and safe for anything that would eat it. We’re in the middle of cattle country, of course, so it’s our hope to continue to utilize everything but the moo.”

Merrick is a rendering facility at heart. They don't seem al that interested in canine nutrition science.

They are also the company that was manufacturing Petcurean's kibble when it was causing liver failure.