MERRICK FULL SOURCE CANNED DOG FOOD Review

With a score of 6.5, this is considered a moderate risk dog food. Full Source Canned is Merrick’s main wet dog food line and Merrick’s second highest scoring wet dog food. These foods are made in-house at one of Merrick’s three plants. 

There are 4 recipes that average 47% protein and average 14% carbohydrates, as calculated on a dry matter basis, which are good levels for a wet dog food. The Puppy Recipe and the Lamb & Venison Recipe are a bit higher in carbohydrates so ingredient quality points are lost. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of low quality foods as it’s often used to keep costs down. Large amounts of starch can increase insulin levels, cause obesity and negatively impact gut balance.

This line loses significant ingredient quality points for excessive added vitamins and minerals. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed raw ingredients. Ideally, these nutrients should come from whole food sources. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from vitamin premixes. 

It’s also worth noting that the line contains sodium selenite as a source of selenium. Dogs need selenium, and it’s usually added in very small amounts. However some research suggests that sodium selenite may be associated with potential toxicity, so selenium yeast is the preferred form of this mineral.  

The ingredient safety score for this line is low with many concerns. Canned foods, though less processed than kibble, are still highly processed and lose ingredient safety points. Canned foods are heated before and during canning, which will cause significant losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species. 

One recipe uses oatmeal which is known to have high pesticide/herbicide residues. Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers pose a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. Foods with the largest reported amount of residue will be penalized, including crops that are known to be spray-dried with glyphosate. Potato starch is a known GMO found in 2 of the recipes. There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, require increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off.

Another ingredient safety concern costing points is the use of rice. Arsenic contamination is a significant concern since rice naturally absorbs arsenic and the water it’s grown in can be contaminated with arsenic. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues. Finally, points are lost as natural flavor is used in each recipe to make processed food more palatable. But natural flavor is often either MSG or animal digest, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies.

These foods don’t specify whether the fish is farmed or wild caught. Farmed fish is less nutritious than wild caught fish and doesn’t contain the same healthy fatty acid balance. 

Merrick doesn’t state the omega6:omega-3 ratio in their foods. While this is true of most foods, AAFCO allows a very inflammatory limit of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation and disease.