Why DON'T You Feed Your Dog Merrick's?

[yorkie junkie]

You can buy it at an Orschelns store, kinda like a farm and ranch store. Zoe loves it, but she does have "dryish" hair.

[I love Lucy]

I like Canidae. I think it has great ingredients and is price is affordable enough for a good quality food. Plus it has probiotics and essential fatty acids etc..but I have fed other quality foods too like Wysong, California Natural, Innova, Solid Gold etc.. you can't buy these at Petco or Petsmart though. Sofar this dog food works for us. My German Shepherd mix would always have a sensitive stomach so we tried lots of quality foods. When times were tough I would buy Nutro Natural Choice. I was told that it is a couple steps up from the other brands you can buy at the grocery store..?
Anyhow we like Canidae but have never tried Merricks, Chicken soup for dogs( although this has great ingredients too) or Royal Canins-Yorkshire terrier. I have tried Royal canins- Sensible Choice.... It is great that there is a great demand for better quality dog food now, therefore way more choices.

[Tiger's Mom]

Originally Posted by BabyFidgette

Okay, on my search for the best doggy foods I thought I'd put a twist on the age old YorkieTalk question: What dog food do you feed your dog? So, here's my story and question(s).

On my quest to find an excellent top premiun dog food, I've come across quite a few: Merrick's, Canidae, Innova, Wellness, etc. I've decided (since about 5 or so months ago) to feed Baby Merrick's, and she loves it. My question to you is this: If you DON'T feed your furbaby Merrick's, what premium food do you feed and why? I know this is going to sound snotty and sarcastic, but it's NOT meant to be that way: If you don't feed Merrick's what makes your food seem better and/or what's in Merrick's that you think is not good?

I seriously want to know because if the food you are feeding is better, I wanna try it!

Now, here's your chance to "sell" your food to me! LOL I will not get upset if you tell me your dog tried Merrick's and hated it...because Baby doesn't like Nutro.

So, thanks for "listening." I'll also post the ingredients to one of Baby's favorite Merrick's wet food (Smothered Comfort). Thanks!

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min.) 8.00%
Crude Fat (Min.) 5.00%
Crude Fiber (Max.) 1.00%
Moisture (Max.) 81.00%

Calorie Content
877 kcal/kg - A 13.2 oz. can provides 330 kcal of metabolizable energy, calculated value.

Ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Whole Barley, Fresh Carrots, Fresh Sweet Potato, Fresh Red Delicious Apples, Fresh Blueberries, Potato Starch-modified, Olive Oil, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Carageenan, Cassia Gum, Sodium Tripoly-phosphate, Flax Seed Oil (for Omega-3), Poultry Seasoning (Thyme, Sage, Rosemary), Salt, Natural Caramel Color, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Choline Chloride, Lecithin, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Tocopherol, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.

I feed Tiger and Annika Innova combined with wet Merrick food . . .these 2 are amongst the best so I know I couldn't give them anything better! I add cottage cheese to their morning meal and fresh cut-up fruit for their dinner meals. Annika has her meals 3X so the lunch meal is just the first 2.

[MyTrixie143]

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

I am staying out of the hi-jacking or low jacking which ever.

Innova EVO contains NO GRAINS at all, it is very high protein, and there is a lot of debate about the protein level being too high for the liver

The protein level is too high for the liver in Innova??? I have never heard this, is this true?? I wanted to start all of mine on Innova and plan on doing it soon. I like the fact that I can understand all the ingredients listed. I don't feed any of mine canned food, they tend to get sick, no matter what the brand is, so they only get dry dog food. I can't get chicken soup, there are no stores that carry it here and I don't want to order online. There are however, many stores here that care Innova, it is the best food that any of the stores have carried. I have not found Merricks here either.

[Daisy23]

Originally Posted by Gingergirlsmom

What about Merrick's dry? Anyone know what's in it? I won't feed Ginger wet/moist.

Still on Nutro Lamb and Rice, everytime we experiment, we have problems.

I feed Daisy Merricks dry (Grammy's Pot Pie and Cowboy Cookout). She was on Nutro as well but i noticed her skin was getting dry and she was itching. She absolutely loves the Merrick food she's on now. I recommend it. I order it from http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/ that's where a fellow member sent me.

[RLC12345678]

Originally Posted by MyTrixie143

The protein level is too high for the liver in Innova??? I have never heard this, is this true?? I wanted to start all of mine on Innova and plan on doing it soon. I like the fact that I can understand all the ingredients listed. I don't feed any of mine canned food, they tend to get sick, no matter what the brand is, so they only get dry dog food. I can't get chicken soup, there are no stores that carry it here and I don't want to order online. There are however, many stores here that care Innova, it is the best food that any of the stores have carried. I have not found Merricks here either.

I think the regular Innova is fine...the Innova EVO is the one that has the really high protein content. I tried to get Hobbs to eat Innova, but he just sniffed it...he wouldn't eat it.

[GeorgiesMomma]

Georgie eats Candidae and for the simple reason that it's the only thing and I mean the only thing he likes. We have tried every brand you can imagine and he is just very finicky.

[RLC12345678]

Originally Posted by LuvMySissy

Those of you who have read about Sissy are sick of hearing about this. But when she got sick a couple of weeks ago, she went on a dry food strike that is continuing. She was on Royal Canin Puppy Bites and loved it until then. I have tried Merricks, Nutro, most of the Natural Balance dry formulas. She won't eat any of them (and still won't eat her Royal Canin). So, she now gets the Natural Balance that comes in a tube like sausage. She likes all three, lamb/rice, beef/rice, turkey/rice.

P.S. I can't find Chicken Soup anywhere, including PetCo and PetSmart.

Here is a link from the Chicken Soup website. Click on your state and it will give you a list of all the retailers in your state.

http://www.chickensoupforthepetlover...stributors.php

Chicken Soup contains NO corn, and the first 2 ingredients are CHICKEN and TURKEY.

Here is a list of ALL the ingredients and analysis:

Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, whole grain brown rice, whole grain white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, potatoes, cracked pearled barley, millet, duck, salmon, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein 28% minimum
Crude Fat 17% minimum
Crude Fiber 3% maximum
Moisture 10% maximum
Sodium 0.3% maximum
Vitamin E 300 IU/kg minimum
Selenium 0.4 mg/kg minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 3.3% minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.5% minimum

I do not give Hobbs any wet food either. But he absolutely loves Chicken Soup, especially with Missing Link on it!

[JCarlson2004]

I feed my babies 2 different dry foods mixed together (for variety). I feed them Merrick (Tur-Ducken flavor -- this is the only dry food flavor they will eat from Merrick but it's awesome with real peas and carrots in it) and Blue Buffalo chicken flavor dry food. As a treat, I give them once a week a can of Merrick Wing-a-ling -- it has real chicken in it. They love it! They also get green beans, baby carrots, peas and other veggies and fruits as a snack daily.

[KimMee's Mom]

Great Thread!! Well KimMee is 21 months old- she started on Eukanuba puppy bites, then I switched her to Nutro cause my daughter's yorkie eats that. Then I went on the search for a better food- that became Royal Canin for Yorkies and Merricks Dry- found out Nutro made KimMee itch and have watery eyes cause after I switched her off of it - those issues cleared up. She became even more picky than she was and wouldn't eat Merricks or the Royal. She still likes the Nutro but I don't feed it to her. When I got my new pup- Charlee she was on Innova- so that is what KimMee gets now. I am tired of babying KimMee with food. If she doesn't eat- I don't worry so much now. They are both getting two meals a day and I put fresh fruit, veggies, cottage cheese, cooked chicken or raw hamburger in their bowls at meal time. I leave dry out all the time.

[BabyFidgette]

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

btw, Nicole, this is a GREAT thread..... gives everyone a chance to sell their convictions without having to be argumentative.

Thanks! I didn't want this to be a "fighting" thread. I really want people's advice as to why they chose their food. Thanks for your reply! Oh, and I heard about the moths too! That hasn't happened to me, but as you said it was probably an isolate incident!

[BabyFidgette]

Originally Posted by JCarlson2004

I feed my babies 2 different dry foods mixed together (for variety). I feed them Merrick (Tur-Ducken flavor -- this is the only dry food flavor they will eat from Merrick but it's awesome with real peas and carrots in it) and Blue Buffalo chicken flavor dry food. As a treat, I give them once a week a can of Merrick Wing-a-ling -- it has real chicken in it. They love it! They also get green beans, baby carrots, peas and other veggies and fruits as a snack daily.

Wing-a-ling is Baby's other favorite. Also, my Uncle was giving his dog a lot of "people" food, and then he tried to go back to feeding Psilo doggy food. Well, he wouldn't eat it. Then I gave my uncle a few cans of Merrick's. Well, he devoured the wing-a-ling and the smothered comfort! I think it's b/c it has real chicken pieces in it! So, now when I go to the store, I have to get Psilo food too!

[chattiesmom]

Originally Posted by MyTrixie143

The protein level is too high for the liver in Innova??? I have never heard this, is this true?? I wanted to start all of mine on Innova and plan on doing it soon. I like the fact that I can understand all the ingredients listed. I don't feed any of mine canned food, they tend to get sick, no matter what the brand is, so they only get dry dog food. I can't get chicken soup, there are no stores that carry it here and I don't want to order online. There are however, many stores here that care Innova, it is the best food that any of the stores have carried. I have not found Merricks here either.

I am not 100% sure. The Evo has a very high protein level. I wish we had a couple of dog nutritionists on board. Labels can be deceiving ...
Moisture 10.0 %
Protein 42.0 %
Fat 22.0 %
Fiber 2.5 %
Calories 1929 Kcal/lb
Calories 4243 Kcal/Kg
Calories 537 KCals/Cup

[BabyFidgette]

Originally Posted by KimMee's Mom

Great Thread!! Well KimMee is 21 months old- she started on Eukanuba puppy bites, then I switched her to Nutro cause my daughter's yorkie eats that. Then I went on the search for a better food- that became Royal Canin for Yorkies and Merricks Dry- found out Nutro made KimMee itch and have watery eyes cause after I switched her off of it - those issues cleared up. She became even more picky than she was and wouldn't eat Merricks or the Royal. She still likes the Nutro but I don't feed it to her. When I got my new pup- Charlee she was on Innova- so that is what KimMee gets now. I am tired of babying KimMee with food. If she doesn't eat- I don't worry so much now. They are both getting two meals a day and I put fresh fruit, veggies, cottage cheese, cooked chicken or raw hamburger in their bowls at meal time. I leave dry out all the time.

I also mix in the Royal Canine just because she really likes it. But, if she starts itching, I'm gonna stop giving it to her. I also feed Merrick's dry. I leave that out all day, and give her a little wet at night. I've given her Wellness dry, but she wasn't too crazy about that. She didn't like the Nutro either. And, I really didn't want to feed her to nutro because of the beet pulp. I didn't want her eyes getting those tear stains. Royal and Merrick's both don't have beet pulp and her eyes are tear stain free!

[JCarlson2004]

Originally Posted by Daisy23

I feed Daisy Merricks dry (Grammy's Pot Pie and Cowboy Cookout). She was on Nutro as well but i noticed her skin was getting dry and she was itching. She absolutely loves the Merrick food she's on now. I recommend it. I order it from http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/ that's where a fellow member sent me.

Does she really like the Merrick Grammy's Pot Pie and Cowboy Cookout dry food? I was thinking of trying those flavors. I use Merrick Turducken and my babies LOVE it!