Merrick vs. Wellness Dog Food: Our 2026 In-Depth Comparison

With so many different dog food brands and recipes out there, it can be challenging trying to find the right food for your pup. The good news is that if you’ve narrowed it down to Merrick and Wellness, you’re looking at two great dog foods.

The bad news is that since they’re both great dog foods, it’s even more challenging to pick one. That’s why we produced this guide, to compare these foods so you can get the perfect dog food.

Not only will we help you go with the right company, but we’ll also help you pick out the perfect recipe for your dog!

A Sneak Peek at the Winner: Wellness

Rating	Image	Product	Details
		Wellness Complete Health Adult Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe	GMO free Nutritionally balanced diet Fiber keeps your pet feeling full	Check Price
		Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potato	Premium protein choice Only high-quality ingredients Great for pets with sensitive stomachs	Check Price

Both Wellness and Merrick produce high-quality foods, but Wellness gets the nod because it gives it to you at a lower cost per pound. If there was a drop-off in quality between the two foods, we could understand the difference, but the nutritional quality of each food is almost identical.

Two of the top recipes are the Wellness Complete Health Chicken & Oatmeal and the Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potato. They both can provide high-quality, nutritionally complete diets for your dog.

About Merrick

Formed in 1988 in Hereford, Texas, Merrick is an American-founded company that produces high-quality, natural dog food. While it doesn’t exclusively produce its food in Hereford anymore, all its production facilities are still in the United States.

In 2015, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company purchased Merrick, adding it to an already large and impressive pet care portfolio.

Merrick makes many different recipes and only uses high-quality ingredients for its pet food, and it’s still one of the most popular brands in the industry.

About Wellness

While the sub-brand Wellness only came about in 2007, it’s been in the dog-food industry much longer than that. It has been producing food since 1926 and created a dedicated dog food in 1985.

Today, Wellness makes its food in Indiana and is well-known for its high-quality ingredients and top-notch recipes. While Wellness Dog Food might be on the newer side of things, it’s still a top-notch brand that you can trust!

3 Most Popular Merrick Dog Food Recipes

1. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Real Beef Recipe

With a premium protein choice and many high-quality ingredients, Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Real Beef + Brown Rice Recipe is a popular option. It comes with everything that you need to keep your pup on a balanced diet, and the fiber-rich formula keeps your pup feeling full longer.

There are multiple size options, so you can get a smaller size to try at first, and then you can purchase in bulk to drive down the cost. Even doing this, though, it’s an expensive option per pound of kibble. Still, it is a high-quality food.

2. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Real Chicken Recipe

If you’re looking for a traditional chicken-based dog food, Merrick has a great option for you. It’s full of fiber and healthy grains for your dog, giving them a nutritionally balanced diet that keeps them feeling full and happy.

Just like with the beef formula, the chicken formula comes in multiple size options and only has top-notch ingredients. While you’re saving a bit of money by going with the chicken recipe instead of beef, it’s not that much savings. Considering that you’re giving up a premium protein, it’s no wonder that so many people prefer to stick with the beef recipe.

Finally, even with the cost savings, Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Real Chicken + Brown Rice is still an expensive dry dog food per pound of kibble.

3. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet With Healthy Grains

If you have a pup that’s constantly dealing with food allergies, Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet With Healthy Grains is an outstanding choice. Even with a limited-ingredient formula, it’s a nutritionally balanced diet.

Even better, while many premium foods add chicken to the recipe to drive down the cost, that’s not what Merrick does. This is a true single-protein-source formula, and since that protein is salmon, it’s an excellent choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs or food allergies.

While there are two different size options available, it tops out at 22 pounds. The 22-pound bag is about the same price as the 24-pound bags of other Merrick dog food, making it the most expensive option per pound on this list.

3 Most Popular Wellness Dog Food Recipes

1. Wellness Complete Health Chicken & Oatmeal

If you’re looking for the most popular Wellness dog food, it must be the Wellness Complete Health Adult Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal recipe. It has nothing but high-quality ingredients, including everything that you need to keep your pup healthy and happy.

The entire recipe is GMO-free and has fiber to keep your dog feeling full between meals. There are three size options available, so you can get a small bag for your pup to try before saving money by getting the large option.

The largest bag option is 30 pounds, which costs about the same as the 24-pound Merrick dog food bags. So, with this dog food, it’s like you’re getting 6 pounds of food for free.

2. Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe

If you’re looking for the most affordable option and have a dog with food sensitivities, you can’t top the Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe. It’s rare that the most affordable option has a premium protein that’s great for allergies, but that’s exactly what Wellness offers with this dog food.

It’s GMO free and full of high-quality ingredients, including fiber to keep your dog feeling full. The drawback is that this Wellness dog food has less protein than the other options on this list. But with a minimum protein content of 2%, the food is still more than enough to keep your pup healthy and strong.

3. Wellness Complete Health Adult Lamb & Barley Recipe

If you want a premium protein for your dog, you’re not alone. That’s why Wellness makes this Wellness Complete Health Adult Lamb & Barley recipe. Even better is the fact that it’s an outstanding mix of price and quality, considering the protein that your dog is getting.

Only high-quality ingredients are used, and just like all the other Wellness recipes on this list, it’s full of fiber to keep your dog feeling full. This food is an excellent choice for your dog’s health, and while it’s more expensive compared to other Wellness dog food options, it’s a more affordable choice per pound.

The drawback with this recipe is that there are only two size options, so you’ll need to get a large bag before your dog has a chance to try it.

Recall History of Merrick and Wellness

Both Merrick and Wellness have one recall on their respective records, due to elevated thyroid hormones. Furthermore, the recall didn’t affect the primary dog food recipes, just treats and toppers.

In 2018, Merrick recalled a few of its pet treats due to the elevated hormone levels, and in 2017, Wellness recalled one of its beef toppers. Both companies voluntarily recalled these products, and there are no reported cases of long-term damage.

Therefore, the likelihood of either brand pushing out contaminated food is extremely low.

Merrick vs. Wellness Comparison

Taste

While we haven’t tried the different dog foods for ourselves, our experience with picky dogs points us toward Merrick in this category. It seems to be a more flavorful dry dog food that fussy eaters are more likely to gobble down.

Nutritional Value

When you dive into the nutritional information of both Merrick and Wellness dog foods, one thing stands out: They’re almost identical. The only differences are the secondary ingredients, and there’s no right or wrong choice with either option. Both are great for your pup!

Price

This is one area that we can give a clear winner: Wellness. The price for each of its bags is about the same, but Wellness has a 30-pound bag, while the comparable size for Merrick is 24 pounds. Going with Wellness is the equivalent of getting 6 extra pounds of dog food for free.

Selection

While Wellness might have more selections compared to Merrick, it’s still a draw here. Those additional selections don’t offer that much more, and many of the recipes are redundant.

Overall

While there’s an argument for going with the tastier Merrick dog food, we can’t look past the cost savings that Wellness offers. If your dog likes Wellness dog food, it’s a more affordable option and offers near-identical nutritional value. So, go ahead and save yourself money with this high-quality dog food.

Bottom Line

Both Merrick and Wellness dog food are high-quality options. But with almost identical nutritional information and quality, most people should go with Wellness. That said, if you have a picky eater, Merrick dog food might be the better choice.

No matter what dog food you go with, you can feel good about putting either Wellness or Merrick dog food in your pup’s bowl every day.

Related Reads:

• Merrick Dog Food vs Blue Buffalo Comparison: Pros & Cons

• Wellness Dog Food vs Blue Buffalo: Pros, Cons & What to Choose