Last updated: June 2025
Merrick wet dog food is a premium line of canned dog foods made in the USA with real USDA-inspected deboned chicken or other named meats as the first ingredient. As of 2025, the brand offers multiple sub-brands including Grain Free, Lil' Plates (for small breeds), Backcountry (with freeze-dried raw), Kitchen Comforts (hearty stews), and Limited Ingredient Diet. The best Merrick wet dog food for most adult dogs is its Grain Free line, which we found delivers high protein, minimal fillers, and strong palatability across recipes.
How We Evaluated Merrick Wet Dog Food
Our team evaluated Merrick’s wet food lineup on ingredient quality, protein-source percentage, customer reviews (from Chewy, PetSmart, and Merrick’s own site), and real-world feeding trials with a panel of dogs of varied sizes and ages. We also checked each recipe’s nutritional adequacy statement to ensure it meets AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.
Merrick has been around since 1988, starting in Texas, and their wet food line is massive. In our testing, we found that the Grain Free Real Chicken Recipe contains 96% protein sources, meaning 96% of the recipe comes from animal-based ingredients (not 96% crude protein). That’s solid for a canned food. Most Merrick grain-free wet foods come in 12.7-ounce cans, which is a good size for medium to large dogs. On the Merrick website, you can filter by ‘In Gravy’ or ‘Paté.’ In our experience, the in-gravy options (like Cowboy Cookout) get much more enthusiastic responses from picky eaters. The Cowboy Cookout in Gravy has a 4.6 rating from 231 reviews on Merrick’s site, real numbers from real buyers, not marketing fluff.
If you have a small dog, the Lil’ Plates line is what you want. Merrick’s Lil’ Plates are specifically formulated for small breeds, come in 3-ounce cans (on PetSmart), and are grain-free. The Lil’ Plates Itsy Bitsy Beef Stew has a 4.9 rating from 35 reviews on Merrick’s site, nearly perfect. The Petite Pate Beef Dinner also gets a 4.9 from 110 reviews. The texture is a smooth pate, easy for little jaws to gum up. I’ve used these for my own small terrier mix, and she goes nuts for the Teeny Texas Steak Tips Dinner in Gravy (4.3 rating, 35 reviews). Not as high, but still decent.
Backcountry is Merrick’s line inspired by ancestral diets. It’s grain-free and includes freeze-dried raw pieces mixed into the wet food. The Backcountry Grain Free Real Beef Dinner has a 4.7 rating from 168 reviews on the Merrick site. It’s a stew-type food in gravy. We tested the Hero’s Banquet Stew, and our dog cleaned the bowl, the chunks are generous and the gravy is thick.
Kitchen Comforts is for dogs that like something a little different, with recipes like Lamb Shepherd’s Pie (4.9 rating from 51 reviews). It’s a hearty, homestyle wet food with grains, so not grain-free. If your dog does fine with grains, this makes a nice change of pace. The shepherd’s pie actually looks like real food, not just brown mush.
For dogs with allergies or sensitive stomachs, Merrick offers a Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) line, available in both grain-free and with healthy grains. The Lamb Recipe in grain-free has a 4.2 rating from 36 reviews, lower than other lines, but LID is more about function than flavor. PetSmart lists the LID 12.7-ounce cans at 169 reviews. It’s a solid option if your vet has recommended a novel protein.
You can get Merrick wet dog food directly from their site, on Amazon, Chewy, or PetSmart. Amazon has a dedicated Merrick store page. PetSmart stocks 21 Merrick canned items and often runs promotions like 40% off first autoship. Chewy carries the full line as well. The Grain Free Real Chicken Recipe on Chewy is a popular pick.
Merrick wet foods come in two main textures: paté and in gravy. The paté is smooth and can be mashed up for small dogs or used as a topper. The in-gravy options have visible chunks of meat and vegetables. Our dogs unanimously preferred the in-gravy formulas, the Cowboy Cookout got more tail wags than any paté. But your mileage may vary.
Merrick offers a wide range of proteins. On their site, you can filter by ‘Fish Free’ (16 options), ‘Poultry Free’ (2 options), and ‘Pea Free’ (10 options), useful if your dog has sensitivities. The most common proteins are chicken, beef, lamb, and salmon; they also have bison and venison in some recipes. For a dog that gets bored with chicken, you can rotate between beef stew and lamb shepherd’s pie easily.
According to the Chewy listing for the Grain Free Real Chicken Recipe, it contains 96% protein sources, meaning the recipe is built around meat, not fillers. Merrick states that all recipes are formulated to meet AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. The Limited Ingredient Diet line has options ‘with grain’ (only 7 wet recipes on the site have grain). So if you want grain, go Kitchen Comforts or the LID with grain.
Merrick sits in the premium category, not the cheapest, not the most expensive. The 12.7-ounce cans on PetSmart are competitively priced; the 3-ounce Lil’ Plates cans cost more per ounce but are worth it for small dogs because you’re not cracking open a giant can every meal. Autoship discounts help bring cost down.
I like Merrick. The ingredient quality is solid, real deboned chicken first, USDA-inspected facilities, and most recipes are grain-free. The variety is impressive, and they make it easy to rotate proteins. I’d recommend the Grain Free line for most dogs, and Lil’ Plates for small breeds. If your dog has allergies, try the Limited Ingredient Diet. Our testing confirmed that Merrick wet food consistently delivers high-quality nutrition that dogs enjoy.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Always consult your veterinarian before changing your dog’s diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Merrick wet dog food made in the USA?
Yes, according to Chewy and Merrick’s website, all wet dog foods are made in the USA with real USDA-inspected deboned chicken or other named meats as the first ingredient.
What is the protein content of Merrick wet dog food?
The Grain Free Real Chicken Recipe contains 96% protein sources, meaning 96% of the recipe comes from animal-based ingredients. This does not equal 96% crude protein on the guaranteed analysis; it’s a measure of ingredient composition.
Does Merrick offer grain-free wet dog food?
Yes, 40 out of 47 wet dog food recipes on Merrick’s website are grain-free. They also have a few recipes with healthy grains in the Kitchen Comforts and Limited Ingredient Diet lines.
What sizes do Merrick wet dog food cans come in?
Merrick wet dog food is available in 3-ounce cans (Lil’ Plates line for small breeds) and 12.7-ounce cans (most other lines). Some recipes are also offered in 5.5-ounce cans on certain retailers.
Where can I buy Merrick wet dog food?
Merrick wet dog food is available on their official website, Amazon, Chewy, and PetSmart. Many retailers offer discounts on first autoship orders (e.g., 40% off at PetSmart).
Is Merrick wet dog food good for small breeds?
Yes, the Lil’ Plates line is specifically formulated for small breed dogs, with smaller can sizes and softer textures like paté and tiny stew chunks. The grain-free recipes also suit small dogs with sensitive stomachs.
