Ingredient #1Top
Deboned Chicken
Deboned Chicken is a named fresh meat ingredient. The animal source is clearly identified. It reads as an top-tier protein source.
Label analysisGrade CListed ingredientsKibble (Extruded)
Merrick
Merrick Healthy Grains Healthy Weight Chicken Brown Rice
Editor ingredient insight
Merrick Healthy Grains Healthy Weight uses chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, grains, fiber, and turkey meal with lower fat.
It is worth considering for poultry-tolerant dogs needing weight management, not for poultry or grain sensitivity.
Fresh-meat leadFull ingredient check needed
01. NUTRIENT PROFILE
Key nutrients & mineral profile
Disclosed protein and fat
Protein 26%Fat 10%Other 64%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 positionLower
This food is on the lower side for crude fat among extruded foods.
Calorie densityLower
This food is on the lower side for calorie density among extruded foods. That alone does not make it a weight-management diet; check portion guidance, fat, and fiber together.
Key guaranteed nutrientsAs-fed
CalciumNot disclosed
PhosphorusNot disclosed
Crude fiber7.5%
Omega-30.3%
Omega-62%
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 gradeGood
Ingredient #1 · Deboned ChickenTop
Fresh MeatIngredient #2 · Chicken MealUpper
Named MealIngredient #3 · Brown RiceUpper
Whole GrainIngredient #2Upper
Chicken Meal
Chicken Meal is a species-named animal meal ingredient. It is rendered rather than fresh, but the species source is still clearly identified. It reads as an upper-tier protein source.
Ingredient #3Upper
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.
Available ingredient listIn disclosed order
Deboned Chicken — Primary positive ingredientsChicken Meal — Support positive ingredientsBrown Rice — Neutral ingredientsBarley — Neutral ingredientsOat Meal — Neutral ingredientsMiscanthus Grass — Neutral ingredientsTurkey Meal — Support positive ingredientsNatural Flavor — Support positive ingredientsQuinoa — Neutral ingredientsChicken Fat Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols — Neutral ingredientsFlaxseed — Neutral ingredientsPotassium Chloride — Support positive ingredientsSalt — Neutral ingredientsCholine Chloride — Support positive ingredientsMinerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Calcium Iodate) — Support positive ingredientsApples — Neutral ingredientsCarrots — Neutral ingredientsDL-Methionine — Neutral ingredientsSunflower Oil — Neutral ingredientsTaurine — Support positive ingredientsVitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement) — Support positive ingredientsL-Carnitine — Support positive ingredientsPreserved With Mixed Tocopherols — Neutral ingredients
Primary positive ingredientsSupport positive ingredientsAlternative proteinNeutral ingredientsCaution ingredientsHigh-caution ingredients
Protein sourceIngredient guide
Fresh meat is the first ingredient
Animal protein · Deboned Chicken (#1), Chicken Meal (#2), Turkey Meal (#7)
Fresh meat leads the recipe and supplies animal protein, a useful choice point when you prioritize fresh-meat ingredients.
The complete ingredient panel has not been verified, so absence of plant-protein supplements is not confirmed.
Included support ingredientsNutrient guide
TaurineHeart support ingredientL-carnitineHeart and weight 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 Chicken, Chicken Meal supply animal protein at the start of the ingredient list. Brown Rice, Barley supply carbohydrate energy. The recipe combines animal protein sources with carbohydrate sources.
Across the registered ingredients, multiple protein sources appear, including chicken, turkey. 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
- Crude protein does not drop into a clearly low band.
- The first ingredient is a species-named fresh meat.
- Crude fat does not run high, which helps the weight-management read.
- Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.
Check before feeding
- If higher energy density matters more, another option may fit better.
- 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 lower, and calorie density is lower. This is a candidate for reducing calories per gram. Fat is also lower, but a weight-management choice still needs fiber, portions and total daily calories including treats to be considered together.
Consider it first when
- Weight-management priorities
- Portion-control friendly shopping
- Lower-calorie comparisons first
Choose another food first when
- Higher energy density is the first priority
- A stronger meat-first recipe matters more than calorie control
This is still a food-first read, so your own dog can reshuffle the final order later.
04. COMPARE FOODS
Smart chicken 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