Merrick vs Blue Buffalo
It is natural to want the best for your pet. When it comes to dog food, knowing which brand is best can be confusing due to the wide range of pet food options available. Getting to know the main characteristics of particular brands can help you make an informed choice when choosing the best dog food for your pet.
Merrick is an established dog food brand that has a wide range of formulas on the market. Blue Buffalo is also a trusted brand with its fair share of dog products. So which of the two is the best brand for your dog?
Protein Content
Merrick has, on average, 8% more protein content in the dry dog food category than Blue Buffalo. In the wet food category, Merrick has 3.24% more protein than Blue Buffalo. So if your dog needs more protein in their diet, Merrick may be the better option.
Cost
Blue Buffalo's brand of dog food is cheaper than Merrick, though Merrick does have some less expensive options in their line of products.
Variety of Flavors
Blue Buffalo has 186 flavors in their offerings; there are 85 flavors in their dry food line and 101 flavors in their wet food line.
Merrick has 102 dog food flavors in the dry dog food and wet dog food categories; Merrick’s dry food line has 37 flavors and 65 varieties in the wet dog food category.
Blue Buffalo’s cat food is available in 40 flavors for dry food and 47 recipes in the wet cat food category. Merrick has 13 dry cat food recipes and 51 wet cat food flavors.
Nutritional Value
In terms of nutrient content, Blue Buffalo contains a higher nutritional value than Merrick as per the values indicated below.
Merrick | Blue Buffalo | |
Dry Dog Food | ||
Crude Protein | 37% | 28% |
Crude Fat | 16% | 15% |
Crude Fiber | 4% | 7% |
Wet Dog Food | ||
Crude Protein | 43% | 40% |
Crude Fat | 20% | 25% |
Crude Fiber | 8% | 7% |
Wet Cat Food | ||
Crude Protein | 46% | 45% |
Crude Fat | 21% | 24% |
Crude Fiber | 5% | 8% |
Dry Cat Food | ||
Crude Protein | 42% | 37% |
Crude Fat | 15% | 16% |
Crude Fiber | 5% | 6% |
Ingredients And Flavor
Merrick uses a variety of ingredients for their dog food including beef, lamb, salmon, sweet potatoes, chicken, chunky lamb in gravy, green peas, rabbit, buffalo, venison, garlic, caramel color, canola oil, and pea protein.
The most popular flavors of Merrick products are
Blue Buffalo dog products contain a wide range of ingredients including chicken, red meat, duck brown rice, lamb, salmon, potatoes, turkey, fish, gravy, caramel color, pea protein concentrate, and tomato pomace.
The most popular flavors of Blue Buffalo dog food products include
Origin and Manufacturing
Blue Buffalo is a subsidiary of Blue Pet products and was launched in 2012. It has manufacturing plants in Connecticut, Indiana, Missouri, Richmond, and Joplin. Blue Buffalo is a popular dog food brand with a solid reputation for high-quality dog food.
Merrick was created by Garth Merrick 30 years ago in Hereford, Texas. Merrick started with dog treats called Flossies. Merrick relies on ingredients sourced from local farmers and manufacture their products with whole-foods in FDA approved human kitchens. All their products are free of artificial preservatives.
Best Option
Merrick Strengths
Merrick Issues
Blue Buffalo Strengths
Blue Buffalo Issues
Summary
Merrick and Blue Buffalo are both well-established brands that are renowned for producing high-quality pet food in a wide variety of flavors. Merrick and Blue Buffalo both have a wide variety of different flavors, formulas, recipes and treats from which to choose. However, on the whole, Blue Buffalo has more variety. Merrick is, however, superior on the basis of protein content and safety profile.
