[Boxermom]

My dog eats Acana, and I want to switch him to Merrick since he sometimes have loose stool (and also when it’s solid it’s a large amount 🙂 ).
Does anyone here feed Merrick, and if so, what do think about it, is it any good? And do you think it’s good for this problem? I know it’s 5 stars but I wanted to hear people’s opinion.
It’s new here in my country; they just started to import it, so asking in local forums does not help 🙂
Thank you.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Boxermom –

I used Merrick a few times (both their canned and dry) several years ago (back when the foods were still called Merrick Classics and Before Grain) and I always liked their food, my dog did well on it. I especially liked their canned food – so many interesting varieties to choose from. I like how they have seasonal varieties as well. I know a few months back a few of the regular posters that were feeding Merrick reported some problems with the food – around that same time a dog at the shelter I work for with severe allergies was eating the Merrick grain-free and we didn’t have any issues with the food. I personally think Acana is a better food, but if your dog isn’t doing well on the Acana the Merrick would definitely be worth a shot. Probiotics, digestive enzymes and a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin added to each meal may help with the loose stools and the transition.

[Boxermom]

Thank you!
Would you say it’s a popular food in the U.S? lots of people use it? Since it’s new here I don’t want to “test” new food on my dog (my vet said I should wait and let others experiment with it first), but if it’s common in the U.S I’ll be more calm about it.
Do you think the company is trust worthy like Champion Petfood? I mean does it own by some big evil corporation? Haha 🙂

[Boxermom]

By the way I can’t find that canned pumpkin anywhere, I don’t think they sell it here 🙁

[Hound Dog Mom]

Merrick is a very popular food here in the US. Merrick is a family owned company and they manufacture their own food.

[theBCnut]

Look for canned pie fillings and see if you can find the one with no spices added.

[Boxermom]

Thanks for the info Hound Dog Mom, I’ll give Merrick a try then!

Pattyvaughn- I don’t think we have canned pie fillings either, I’ve never seen one. I tried to look in organic stores, sometimes they have special products like this, but no luck so far. I’ll keep looking though. Thanks for the tip 🙂

[theBCnut]

If it is a small privately owned market, they might order for you. But for your purposes, psyllium powder will do. You just want to increase fiber a little bit.

[Boxermom]

I’ll ask them if I can order it, thanks. Or maybe I can just order it from e-bay, I’ll have a look (I bet it will be cheaper). I’m not crazy for starting to use food additive because I really feel like I know nothing about it so I’m a bit uncomfortable with it. I prefer to use fruits/veg if I can get the same affect.

[Sully’sMom]

Instead of ebay, you might try Amazon. I think you’ll do better with the shipping

[Boxermom]

Thanks Sully’smom, I did see shipping on e-bay was 30-40$! I’ll check Amazon…

[InkedMarie]

For online shopping, look at Petflow, wag, Chewys, doggie food, all at dot com. I believe all are free shipping when you pend a nominal amount. Wag gives you a percentage off with your first order. Pet food direct as well though I’m not sure if they always have free shipping.

There was a time that places with free shipping marked their food way up but these places don’t.

[Boxermom]

Thanks InkedMarie, but from what I’ve seen, those sites don’t ship outside the U.S…
You sure have very good prices for dog food!! I pay almost duble for it 🙂

[theBCnut]

Are you in Canada? Storm’s Mom, over on the review side, is from Canada and might be able to tell you where to order things from.

[Boxermom]

No, I’m very far away from you guys 🙂 … Though I’ve been to the U.S and Canada and it was amazing!

I have a follow up question, just found out a store that sell NutriSource.
So same questions- has anyone tried it with good results? Is it popular in the U.S? Is the company trust worthy?
And what would you choose between Merrick and NutriSource?
THANKS!!!!

[InkedMarie]

Ive never fed NutriSource but I would and i’d choose it over Merrick as well. I think I’ve read its a very good company with no recalls. I’m not positive but I think Ive read on DFA that its known for being a good food to use for a dog with a sensitive tummy. (someone correct me if I’m wrong).

[Hound Dog Mom]

NutriSource is manufactured by Tuffy’s. It’s a reputable company and I don’t believe they’ve had any recalls. I’d choose Merrick over NutriSource because NutriSource’s formulas are too low in protein for my preferences. However, if you can get both why not rotate? Giving your dog some variety would be good, there’s no reason you have to pick one brand and stick to it.

[theBCnut]

I fed NutriSource for a long time and I really liked it. As Marie said it is easy to transition to for dogs with sensitive tummies. But like HDM says, it is a little low for my tastes in protein, I always topped it. I always chose rotating between more than 1 food.

[Sully’sMom]

Is there a Protein % number for a goal? Or is anything above 30% good? Is there a number that is too high??

[Mom2Cavs]

Pattyvaughn, what formulas of Nutrisource did you use for your sensitive stomach dogs? I am just wondering, so I can file that away for future use. Thanks! 🙂

[Sully’sMom]

Is there a Protein % number for a goal? Or is anything above 30% good? Is there a number that is too high??

(sorry for duplicate entry – had to put something in again so I could check the Notify box!)

[Boxermom]

Thanks for the replies!
Rotation is a good option, though I fear once I found a food with no loose stools I won’t have the courage to change it! 🙂
But I guess rotating both will be cheaper than just feeding Merrick (since Nutrisource is cheaper and the bag is bigger then Merrick’s), so I should give it a try 🙂
And come to think about it, all the brands I tried so far were chicken based, so maybe that’s the problem… Maybe I’ll try the Merrick/ Nutrisource lamb and see how it goes…

[theBCnut]

Hi Mom2Cavs

Before the current dog with problems with chicken and grain, I used to use all of NutriSources formulas. The dog with the sensitive tummy went cold turkey to the chicken and rice after I got caught by a Diamond recall. After that, I went through all of their formulas with no trouble, though she still had trouble switching to other brands until I got her on a real rotational diet.

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