vs
Merrick vs The Honest Kitchen

Merrick vs. The Honest Kitchen

In this comparison article for Merrick vs The Honest Kitchen, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Merrick and The Honest Kitchen, 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 The Honest Kitchen vs Merrick comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Merrick Review Page or The Honest Kitchen Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: The Honest Kitchen vs. Merrick

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.

Merrick Dog Food vs. The Honest Kitchen Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein35.9%29.3%
Crude Fat17.2%15.7%
Crude Fiber4.2%6.3%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein43.9%50.4%
Crude Fat21.1%24.5%
Crude Fiber8.3%5.1%

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.

Our analysis shows that Merrick guarantees 6.60% more protein than The Honest Kitchen dry dog food recipes. In addition, The Honest Kitchen wet dog foods also provide more protein than Merrick wet foods.


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.

The Honest Kitchen and Merrick both provide roughly the same amount of crude fat. For wet dog foods, The Honest Kitchen typically provides a little more fat (about 3.44% more).


According to our data, The Honest Kitchen guarantees 2.04% more fiber than Merrick. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, Merrick wet dog foods also provide more fiber than The Honest Kitchen wet foods.

Merrick Cat Food vs. The Honest Kitchen Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein40.5%40.4%
Crude Fat15.7%23.1%
Crude Fiber5.1%3.5%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Crude Protein46.9%52.0%
Crude Fat21.3%24.6%
Crude Fiber6.0%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.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude protein content of the two brands. For wet cat foods, The Honest Kitchen provides more protein (about 5.11% more).


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 relatively large difference between the fat content of The Honest Kitchen and Merrick. On average, Merrick dry cat food recipes contain 7.33% less fat than The Honest Kitchen recipes. For wet cat foods, The Honest Kitchen typically provides a little more fat (about 3.34% more).


Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet cat food, Merrick and The Honest Kitchen also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Merrick Pet Food Ingredients vs. The Honest Kitchen Pet Food Ingredients

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)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by The Honest Kitchen.

Dried Garlic

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 Merrick & The Honest Kitchen?

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

The Honest Kitchen has been recalled once.

  • Feb. 21, 2013: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$6.15$9.66
Per Calorie$0.0036$0.0053
Dry Cat FoodMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$4.09$9.67
Per Calorie$0.0025$0.0049
Wet Dog FoodMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$5.97$5.73
Per Calorie$0.0126$0.0129
Wet Cat FoodMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Per Pound$7.55$8.41
Per Calorie$0.0168$0.0176

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 Merrick or The Honest Kitchen, 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 Merrick or The Honest Kitchen will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Merrick and The Honest Kitchen. 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 Merrick Pet Foods

You can purchase Merrick pet foods from the following stores:


136 Recipes In-Stock Today

107 Recipes In-Stock Today

104 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy The Honest Kitchen Pet Foods

You can purchase The Honest Kitchen pet food products from these retailers:


84 Recipes In-Stock Today

26 Recipes In-Stock Today

23 Recipes In-Stock Today

22 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductMerrickThe Honest Kitchen
Dry Dog Food53 Recipes9 Recipes
Wet Dog Food58 Recipes10 Recipes
Dog Treats35 Treats23 Treats
Dry Cat Food18 Recipes3 Recipes
Wet Cat Food50 Recipes10 Recipes
Cat TreatsNone3 Treats

Top Rated Merrick Recipes

Dog Food
Merrick
Classic Real Chicken + Green Peas Recipe With Ancient Grains
Check Price
Dog Food
Merrick
Lil' Plates Itsy Bitsy Beef Stew For Small Breed Dogs
Check Price
Cat Food
Merrick
Purrfect Bistro Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe
Check Price
Cat Food
Merrick
Purrfect Bistro Salmon Pate
Check Price

Top Rated The Honest Kitchen Recipes

Dog Food
The Honest Kitchen
Dehydrated Dog Food Whole Grain Chicken Recipe
Check Price
Dog Food
The Honest Kitchen
Butcher Block Beef, Lamb & Spring Veggies Pate For Dogs
Check Price
Cat Food
The Honest Kitchen
Whole Food Clusters Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Recipe For Cats
Check Price
Cat Food
The Honest Kitchen
Câté Grain Free Beef & Chicken Recipe For Cats
Check Price