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Acana vs Merrick

Acana vs. Merrick

In this comparison article for Acana vs Merrick, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Acana and Merrick, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Merrick vs Acana comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Acana Review Page or Merrick Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Merrick vs. Acana

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Acana Dog Food vs. Merrick Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodAcanaMerrick
Crude Protein36.4%35.9%
Crude Fat20.5%17.2%
Crude Fiber6.2%4.2%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodAcanaMerrick
Crude Protein44.2%43.9%
Crude Fat19.8%21.1%
Crude Fiber8.1%8.3%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

Merrick and Acana both provide roughly the same amount of crude protein. With regards to wet dog food, Acana and Merrick also provide roughly the same amount of crude protein.


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

According to our data, Acana guarantees 3.29% more fat than Merrick. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. For wet dog foods, Merrick and Acana provide roughly the same amount of fat.


There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Merrick and Acana also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Acana Cat Food vs. Merrick Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodAcanaMerrick
Crude Protein39.7%40.5%
Crude Fat19.1%15.7%
Crude Fiber4.3%5.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude protein.


Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

  • Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
  • Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

There is a small difference between the fat content of Acana and Merrick. We can see that Acana guarantees about 3.37% more fat than Merrick.


As you can see, Acana and Merrick guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber.

Acana Pet Food Ingredients vs. Merrick Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Acana.

Heart
Kidney

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Merrick.

Garlic
Canola Oil
Pea Protein
Caramel Color
Meaty Femur Bone
Powdered Cellulose
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Merrick.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Acana & Merrick?

According to our records, Acana has never been recalled.

Merrick has been recalled 6 times.

  • Jan. 28, 2011: Salmonella
  • Aug. 8, 2011: Salmonella
  • July 2, 2010: Salmonella
  • Aug. 3, 2010: Salmonella
  • Aug. 13, 2010: Salmonella
  • May 23, 2018: elevated levels of beef thyroid hormone

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodAcanaMerrick
Per Pound$3.57$6.15
Per Calorie$0.0023$0.0036
Dry Cat FoodAcanaMerrick
Per Pound$4.83$4.09
Per Calorie$0.0028$0.0025

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Acana or Merrick, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Acana or Merrick will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Acana and Merrick. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Acana Pet Foods

You can purchase Acana pet foods from the following stores:


34 Recipes In-Stock Today

34 Recipes In-Stock Today

14 Recipes In-Stock Today

13 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Merrick Pet Foods

You can purchase Merrick pet food products from these retailers:


136 Recipes In-Stock Today

107 Recipes In-Stock Today

103 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductAcanaMerrick
Dry Dog Food46 Recipes53 Recipes
Wet Dog Food6 Recipes58 Recipes
Dog Treats9 Treats35 Treats
Dry Cat Food10 Recipes18 Recipes
Wet Cat FoodNone50 Recipes
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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