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Merrick Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Slow-Cooked BBQ Kansas City Style with Chopped Pork, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Merrick

Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Slow-Cooked BBQ Kansas City Style with Chopped Pork, 12.7-oz can, case of 12

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
wet $5.14/lb

Merrick Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Slow-Cooked BBQ Kansas City Style with Chopped Pork, 12.7-oz can, case of 12 earns a Sniff Score of 59/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 2 controversial ingredients flagged. Primary concern: contains guar gum. emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. minor penalty in canned food...

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. pork delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.

CQI

Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..

CIP

Contains added sugar. Nutritionally unjustifiable in any complete dog diet..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 44% ⓘ
Protein
8%
min (as fed)
Fat
1.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1%
max (as fed)
Moisture
82%
max

Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 44%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

32 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    pork

    Real meat. Dense protein and fat, though less common in dog food than chicken or beef.

  2. 2
    beef broth

    Real broth. Adds flavor and moisture, signals the recipe leans on real meat.

  3. 3
    vegetable broth
  4. 4
    pork liver

    Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.

  5. 5
    dried egg product

    Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.

  6. 6
    potato

    Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.

  7. 7
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  8. 8
    natural porcine flavor
  9. 9
    potato starch

    Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.

  10. 10
    guar gum

    Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet.

  11. 11
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  12. 12
    dried tomato
  13. 13
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  14. 14
    sunflower oil

    Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.

  15. 15
    fruit juice color
  16. 16
    sodium phosphate

    Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.

  17. 17
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  18. 18
    cane molasses

    Added sugar from sugar cane. Used for palatability or texture. Dogs don't need added sugar.

  19. 19
    fish oil

    Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.

  20. 20
    flaxseed oil
  21. 21
    natural smoke flavor
  22. 22
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  23. 23
    iron proteinate

    Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  24. 24
    copper proteinate

    Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.

  25. 25
    cobalt proteinate

    Cobalt bound to protein. Trace mineral needed for vitamin B12 synthesis, chelated form for better absorption.

Showing first 25 of 32. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.