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VeRUS vs. Merrick

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

Guaranteed Analysis: Merrick vs. VeRUS

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.

VeRUS Dog Food vs. Merrick Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	VeRUS	Merrick
Crude Protein	25.6%	35.9%
Crude Fat	14.4%	17.2%
Crude Fiber	4.4%	4.2%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	VeRUS	Merrick
Crude Protein	39.2%	43.9%
Crude Fat	27.4%	21.1%
Crude Fiber	10.0%	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.

When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for dry dog food, it's clear that Merrick provides significantly more protein. On average, Merrick guarantees about 10.31% more protein than VeRUS. For wet dog foods, Merrick provides more protein (about 4.73% more).

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, Merrick guarantees 2.74% more fat than VeRUS. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, VeRUS wet dog foods also provide more fat than Merrick wet foods.

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

VeRUS Cat Food vs. Merrick Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	VeRUS	Merrick
Crude Protein	35.6%	40.5%
Crude Fat	22.2%	15.7%
Crude Fiber	3.3%	5.1%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	VeRUS	Merrick
Crude Protein	44.4%	46.9%
Crude Fat	31.8%	21.3%
Crude Fiber	5.2%	6.0%

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.

Our analysis shows that Merrick guarantees 4.92% more protein than VeRUS dry cat food recipes. For wet cat foods, Merrick typically provides a little more protein (about 2.51% 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 VeRUS and Merrick. On average, Merrick dry cat food recipes contain 6.48% less fat than VeRUS recipes. In addition, VeRUS wet cat foods also provide more fat than Merrick wet foods.

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

VeRUS Pet Food Ingredients vs. Merrick Pet Food Ingredients

VeRUS and Merrick both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Pea Protein

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

Tomato Pomace

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

Garlic

Canola Oil

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.

VeRUS and Merrick both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of VeRUS & Merrick?

According to our records, VeRUS 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 Food	VeRUS	Merrick
Per Pound	$3.16	$6.15
Per Calorie	$0.0020	$0.0036

Wet Dog Food	VeRUS	Merrick
Per Pound	$4.57	$5.97
Per Calorie	$0.0093	$0.0126

Wet Cat Food	VeRUS	Merrick
Per Pound	$7.26	$7.55
Per Calorie	$0.0146	$0.0168

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 VeRUS 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 VeRUS 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 VeRUS 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 VeRUS Pet Foods

You can purchase VeRUS pet foods from the following stores:

19 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

Product	VeRUS	Merrick
Dry Dog Food	8 Recipes	53 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	14 Recipes	58 Recipes
Dog Treats	None	35 Treats
Dry Cat Food	1 Recipes	18 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	13 Recipes	50 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None