Our Recipes Crafted with Whole and Ancient Grains
Both dry and wet dog food recipes containing healthy grains, such as ancient grains dog food, are quickly regaining popularity on the pet food shelf.
“Grains, which are the seeds of cereal grasses like rice, oats, and barley, are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates to fuel the cells in the body,” explains Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, lead veterinarian for Merrick Pet Care. “When whole grains are included in a complete and balanced diet, they will not only give your dog energy, but they also provide important nutrients like B-vitamins, essential fatty acids, protein and fiber.”
Healthy grains such as brown rice, barley and oatmeal aren’t new for our team. We have been crafting our Healthy Grains line of both dry and wet recipes with a healthy blend of good grains for dogs for more than a decade.
Merrick Dry Healthy Grains recipes also feature ancient grains, like quinoa. This line of dry dog food, which offers a variety of high-quality protein options such as beef, chicken, or lamb, continues to appeal to pet parents. The recipes are free of lentils, corn, peas, and soy and deliver high levels of other key nutrients like Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids to support healthy skin and coat and glucosamine and chondroitin to help maintain healthy hips and joints.
We have added several new offerings to address the growing interest in grain inclusive dog food. Now, pet parents can choose between a grain free option, or a recipe crafted with healthy grains such as brown rice, barley and oatmeal, across our entire Merrick portfolio.
Dr. Lobos adds, “Every dog is different and that’s why we strive to offer a wide range of options across our portfolio so you can choose a food that’s right for your pet.”
We introduced recipes to our Limited Ingredient Diet line, which is a popular choice for dogs that prefer simple meals. The recipes feature a single source of animal protein, such as Salmon or Chicken, as the first ingredient and are free of peas, chickpeas, and lentils. The recipes are made with brown rice and other healthy grains such as oatmeal and barley, which provide carbohydrates.
“My dog, Rigolets, is thriving on the salmon and brown rice recipe within our Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet line,” said Dr. Lobos. “He not only enjoys mealtime, but we’ve also seen a visible difference in his appearance – his coat is shiny, and skin has never been healthier.”
Additionally, for pet parents looking for a protein-rich, ancestral diet with grains, we have added several recipes to our popular Merrick Backcountry line. The Backcountry Raw Infused Pacific Catch and Puppy recipes are available with healthy grains like easily digestible oats in addition to our offerings that are grain free. Backcountry recipes feature high protein kibble and freeze-dried raw pieces that are mixed into the delicious dry kibble. The freeze-dried raw inclusion goes through quality testing and a proven process called High-Pressure Processing (HPP) to ensure food safety. Just like the Merrick Grain Free Backcountry Raw Infused Puppy Recipe, the Puppy + Grains recipe is formulated with essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients to support healthy growth and development in puppies of all breeds.
“We include the omega-3 fatty acid Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in our recipes formulated for puppies,” adds Dr. Lobos. “DHA helps support the proper development and function of a puppy’s brain, central nervous tissue and vision.”
Whether choosing a complete and balanced dog food with grains or one that is grain free, it’s always important to closely monitor the calories and serving size that meet the needs of a specific dog.
“Regardless of which recipes a dog enjoys, counting calories is not just a ‘people thing’ – it’s critical for a pet to maintain a healthy weight too,” confirms Lobos.
Lobos reminds pet parents to reference the feeding guidelines featured on the packaging of your dog’s pet food. “If you have specific questions or concerns related to your dog’s diet, you should always talk with your veterinarian.”
We offer a variety of complete and balanced diets for dogs to meet the preferences of today’s pet parents – some options are grain free and some feature healthy grains. Additionally, we provide a wide selection of protein choices across our portfolio, which includes dry and wet food options.
To help find best recipe for your dog, we’ve developed a few helpful tools on our website. Visit www.MerrickPetcare.com to find the right Merrick food for your dog based on life stage, breed size and food type or to compare our offerings to the food your pet is currently eating.
