Ingredient #1Top
Deboned Beef
Deboned Beef is a named fresh meat ingredient. The animal source is clearly identified. It reads as an top-tier protein source.
Label analysisGrade BListed ingredientsKibble (Extruded)
Merrick
Merrick Healthy Grains Adult Beef Brown Rice
Editor ingredient insight
Merrick Healthy Grains Beef & Brown Rice starts with beef, brown rice, oatmeal, pork and bone meal, barley, and salmon meal.
I would use it as a mixed-protein grain-inclusive daily food, not for single-protein allergy troubleshooting.
Fresh-meat leadPlant booster present
01. NUTRIENT PROFILE
Key nutrients & mineral profile
Disclosed protein and fat
Protein 26%Fat 15%Other 59%Other includes moisture, ash and remaining components.
Position within the same processing type
Compare protein, fat and energy density in low, typical and high bands.
Protein positionTypical
This food sits around the typical crude protein range among extruded foods.
Fat positionTypical
This food sits around the typical crude fat range among extruded foods.
Calorie densityTypical
This food sits around the typical calorie range among extruded foods. Check the feeding guide and weight trend alongside this comparison.
Key guaranteed nutrientsAs-fed
CalciumNot disclosed
PhosphorusNot disclosed
Crude fiber3.5%
Omega-30.3%
Omega-62.2%
Undisclosed values are not treated as zero.
02. INGREDIENT QUALITY & DISCLOSURE
Disclosed ingredients & ingredient grade
The analysis uses the registered ingredients. Complete-panel coverage is not verified, so an unlisted ingredient cannot be assumed absent.
Listed ingredients
Read the listed ingredients below. Complete-panel coverage is not verified here; do not infer that an unlisted ingredient is absent.
Ingredient gradeTop Premium
Ingredient #1 · Deboned BeefTop
Fresh MeatIngredient #2 · Brown RiceUpper
Whole GrainIngredient #3 · Oat MealUpper
Whole GrainIngredient #2Upper
Brown Rice
Brown Rice is a whole or coarse grain ingredient. It usually plays more of a carbohydrate and fiber role than a core protein role. It reads as an upper-tier carb and fiber source.
Ingredient #3Upper
Oat Meal
Oat Meal is a whole or coarse grain ingredient. It usually plays more of a carbohydrate and fiber role than a core protein role. It reads as an upper-tier carb and fiber source.
Available ingredient listIn disclosed order
Deboned Beef — Primary positive ingredientsBrown Rice — Neutral ingredientsOat Meal — Neutral ingredientsPork and Bone Meal — Caution ingredientsBarley — Neutral ingredientsNatural Flavor — Support positive ingredientsSalmon Meal — Support positive ingredientsPork Fat — Neutral ingredientsPotato Protein — High-caution ingredientsQuinoa — Neutral ingredientsFlaxseed — Neutral ingredientsDried Yeast — Neutral ingredientsMiscanthus Grass — Neutral ingredientsPotassium Chloride — Support positive ingredientsSalt — Neutral ingredientsSunflower Oil — Neutral ingredientsAlfalfa Meal — Neutral ingredientsCholine Chloride — Support positive ingredientsApples — Neutral ingredientsCarrots — Neutral ingredientsMinerals (Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Cobalt Carbonate) — Support positive ingredientsTaurine — Support positive ingredientsMixed Tocopherols For Freshness — Neutral ingredientsSalmon Oil — Support positive ingredientsYucca Schidigera Extract — Support positive ingredientsVitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement) — Support positive ingredientsDried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredientsDried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredientsDried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredientsDried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredients
Primary positive ingredientsSupport positive ingredientsAlternative proteinNeutral ingredientsCaution ingredientsHigh-caution ingredients
Protein sourceIngredient guide
Processed plant protein after the top 3
Animal protein · Deboned Beef (#1), Pork and Bone Meal (#4), Salmon Meal (#7)
Plant protein · Potato Protein (#9)
The protein number includes processed plant protein support.
Even when it appears later, the protein number is read more conservatively.
Included support ingredientsNutrient guide
TaurineHeart support ingredientSalmon oilSkin and joint support ingredientYucca extractStool odor support ingredientProbioticsGut support ingredientOmega-3Skin and joint support ingredientOmega-6Skin and coat support ingredientGlucosamineJoint support ingredientChondroitinJoint support ingredient
03. CHOOSING FOR YOUR DOG
What to consider before feeding
Deboned Beef supply animal protein at the start of the ingredient list. Brown Rice, Oat Meal supply carbohydrate energy. The recipe combines animal protein sources with carbohydrate sources.
Potato Protein supplement plant protein further down the list, after the first three ingredients. The crude-protein figure includes both animal and plant contributions. Pork Fat add fat and energy; fat content is a separate choice criterion from the protein sources.
Across the registered ingredients, multiple protein sources appear, including beef, pork, salmon. If a protein must be excluded, any of these sources can change the decision; the first ingredient alone does not make this a single-protein diet.
What works well in this food
- The first ingredient is a species-named fresh meat.
- Crude protein does not drop into a clearly low band.
- Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.
Check before feeding
- Processed plant protein appears after the top 3, so some protein support is still built into the label number.
- The first ingredient is a species-named fresh meat, but grains follow immediately after it, so the recipe reads more mixed than meat-led.
- Public data is usable, but not at the highest-trust tier.
When this food fits your dog
Among foods made the same way, protein is typical, fat is typical, and calorie density is typical. Calorie density alone does not separate this into an active-dog or weight-management food. Consider protein exclusions and fat, then set portions for the dog’s weight and activity.
Consider it first when
- Public-data-first comparison
- Baseline shortlist building
- Conservative first-pass screening
Choose another food first when
- You want a stronger ingredient-quality story first
- You need dog-specific fit instead of public-review screening
Plant-protein concentration remains the clearest trade-off here.
04. COMPARE FOODS
Smart beef alternatives
Exact protein-type matches come first, then close protein-family matches fill the comparison.
05. MANUFACTURING & DISCLOSURE
Manufacturer background & public information
Merrick background
Founded in 1988 in the United States.
Disclosure confidence C1
Detailed nutrition is visible, but not at a product-level traceability standard.
Recall information
This brand has multiple confirmed recall events, with the most recent public case here in 2018.
May 12, 2026