Food & Diet

BREAKING: Customers Furious as Purina Buys Merrick Pet Care

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Starving

Within hours of making the announcement that they’d be selling their company to Pet Food giant Nestle-Purina, Merrick Pet Care was flooded with comments from outraged pet parents.

Although Merrick assured it’s customers that the acquisition by Purina wouldn’t mean any changes to ingredients, manufacturing or quality, to most of those angry pet parents, the sale of Merrick Pet Care (including Merrick brand dog and cat food, their organic line of pet food, Castor & Pollux, and budget conscious Whole Earth Farms line of dog foods) to Purina marked the end of a relationship with the former family owned and operated pet food and treat company they’d grown to trust.

In their press release, Merrick, one of the fastest-growing natural and organic pet food companies in the industry, asserted that they will continue to operate as an independent business with no planned changes to management or operations.

They vowed to continue manufacturing, independently of their new parent company, in their Hereford, Texas kitchens, using the same fresh, locally sourced ingredients – absolutely nothing from China.

The news, however, does not sit well with Merrick Pet Care customers, many of whom switched to the premium pet food company and away from Purina in the wake of legal battles, negative consumer complaints against the pet food giant, and in the simple hope of finding a pet food company they could trust.

The general consensus among customers that responded publicly to the announcement is one of anger, sadness, and utter shock, with a vast majority refusing to ever buy another Merrick product.

It remains to be seen whether the move to sell Merrick Pet Care to Nestle Purina was a smart one for the brand, how the mass exodus of formerly loyal customers will impact the company, and if the production will continue as is or if cost-cutting and profits will ultimately lead to unfavorable manufacturing changes.

If you’re a Merrick customer, will you continue to maintain loyalty to the brand? Do you believe that Merrick will maintain their standards for quality after the purchase is finalized?

Weigh in with your comments below!

219 Comments

219 Comments

  1. Avatar Of Patti B

    Patti B

    Jul 3, 2022 at 4:29 pm

    I’ve fed my cats dry Merrick switching from Purina. A few months ago one of them began vomiting right after eating it. Now that I know about the change over I have to find another food.

  2. Avatar Of Laurette

    Laurette

    Jul 7, 2021 at 3:35 pm

    It’s really too bad that Merrick sold out to Purina. For Purina, it’s all about the bottom line including their latest food to modify the cat to make it more acceptable to humans. Shame on you Purina.

  3. Avatar Of Briana Parker

    Briana Parker

    May 28, 2021 at 6:11 pm

    commenting because it won’t let me see the comments

  4. Avatar Of Chantal Andersen

    CHANTAL ANDERSEN

    Jul 23, 2019 at 12:50 am

    I have been giving my dogs Castor and Pollux Organic Chicken Treats for about 8 years and noticed that the smell and appearance changed in the past year. I absolutely know there has been a change but when contacting “Merrick” (now really Purina) they insist that there has been no change. Indeed, the ingredients list is exactly the same when comparing the old to the new…..after buying this for so many years, I KNOW the quality has changed. I have been in contact with them by phone and email and they are giving me the run-around. Maybe now the chicken, oils, and other ingredients are lower quality. What truly angers me is their denial. Unfortunately, it is the same old story of the big conglomerate taking over and money not quality is what matters now. I will not be buying these treats anymore….or anything from Merrick. I have been buying Fromm dog food for many years and hope that Fromm won’t sellout to a giant company.

  5. Avatar Of Mike

    Mike

    May 11, 2019 at 9:10 pm

    Just bought a bag of Merrick for our cat, he won’t eat it. The last bag I bought, he loved it. That’s all we fed him was Merrick since he was a kitten. So tell me how the ingredients haven’t changed already?? I hate purina, and now the sellout Merrick. WAS a good pet food, not no more.

    • Avatar Of Arleta

      Arleta

      Jul 1, 2019 at 10:45 pm

      I fed my cat Merrick since I got him and he loved it. I did a lot of research when picking it a few years ago. Actually he’s not a picky eater. He loves food in general and recently he would rather go hungry then touch it. I didn’t know why. This is an animal that loves anything you give him. And he wouldn’t go near it. Absolutely hates it. Now I know why. I can’t believe they are still saying they changed nothing. It looks the same but he just won’t eat it and if he won’t eat it I know it’s different. So buy Merrick. There are plenty options out there, but I will never go back to a company that sells you lies.

  6. Avatar Of Petra Smith

    Petra Smith

    Sep 17, 2018 at 11:45 am

    We were feeding our dogs Merrick and the last couple of bags were just dogfood in powder form and our dogs don’t like it as much as they did before. I hate this, just when you thought you found a good dog food you have to change again.

    • Avatar Of Kate Somerville

      Kate Somerville

      Sep 29, 2018 at 8:03 pm

      I am a first time dog owner. I read Whole Dog Journal’s high rating and did not know it was Nestle (doesn’t say on the can.) I have been boycotting Nestle 20 years. My dog would not touch the “96% all chicken” in a can. He’d rather eat old pizza off the sidewalk. He is okay with his Wellness Complete Health Puppy kibble, but it sure is hard to find a canned product to go with it. Thinking of just dehydrating chicken or beef and chopping it up for him (more work) to put in his dinner.

    • Avatar Of Larry Summers

      Larry Summers

      Apr 14, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      Now that Purina had Merrick ,Merrick can never say there food is still the same I will never buy Merrick again I know Merrick don’t care they made there fortune selling out,Merrick never cared about your pets as they advertiseed in the past . Some pets are pets some are family guess the family owned business of Merrick only had pets!

  7. Avatar Of Kellie Petitfils

    Kellie Petitfils

    Feb 27, 2018 at 1:28 pm

    Glad I saw this. NO FAITH IN PURINA. Now to find another brand.

    • Avatar Of Jean Zerbe

      JEAN ZERBE

      Apr 23, 2018 at 11:09 am

      We switched our Cairn Terrier to Beneful dog food made by Nestle Purina. After being on the food about 6 months, my mother cared for her while I was recouping from a knee replacement and decided to add the dry Beneful to her diet, too. We went to visit after I was feeling a little better and noticed our little dog seemed to be in distress and had gained considerable weight. We took her home and made a vet appointment. She was indeed in distress and after an ultrasound the vet said he had never seen anything like it. She was filled with tumors. Every organ in her body was filled with tumors and she was bloated from water. He drained the water from her for us three times, but after about 6 weeks we decided it was cruel to keep her alive and decided to put her to sleep…forever…I will never feed another pet Purina/Nestle foods…I purchased Merrick pet foods thinking it was a good company…The dogs will not eat this food. I have purchased it on several occasions…We have two Golden Doodles and my daughter bought a puppy at the same time as us…None of them will eat this product…They sniff the bowl and walk away! I am glad if it is now a Purina/Nestle product…As Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman..”BIG MISTAKE.BIG.HUGE.I HAVE TO GO SHOPPING NOW!”

      • Avatar Of Larry Summers

        Larry Summers

        Apr 14, 2019 at 10:05 pm

        I will never buy Merrick again. Shame on them for selling out to a company who’s had the worst recalls and garbage dog good, Purina has always been about money buying out other good brands then putting China quality in there food ,hope you guys at Merrick feed your pets the same crap you sold out too

    • Avatar Of G

      G

      Oct 9, 2018 at 9:13 am

      All the people commenting in 2018 as if this is new news is funny to me. Before purina bought it in 2015, my cats stopped eating it. I asked the company if they changed the recipe and they said no. But my cats disagreed. 6 months later the sale was publically announced. Then merricks completely changed every recipe. I tried the new stuff and my cats didn’t like it. This last year my oldest was dying so I fed her whatever she wanted which included the newer merricks wet. My remaining cat does best on whole earth farms dry, she doesnt like a lot of wet. Also owned by purina. No hairballs or issues with it.

  8. Avatar Of Lindy

    Lindy

    Oct 23, 2017 at 4:19 pm

    Nestle Purina claims no changes to Merrick! That's one huge lie. We had used several flavors for our large dog with skin allergies. Among our favorites were Cowboy Cookout, Colossal Chicken, Carver's Delight, and Smothered Comfort. I used to joke that Smothered Comfort smelled so good to me that I would almost consider serving it to guests. No longer! Now it smells like liver. The chicken thigh now is smaller, skinless, and buried in the bits. Changes to other flavors include chunks of chicken and turkey that are hard, not the tender pieces of meat they used to be. My dog vomited up something that looked like a piece of hard plastic but must have been an undigestible ingredient in the "meat." This happened more than once. Overall, things are not the same with any flavor we've tried. The CEO of Nestle is famous for telling the world that humans should have to pay for clean water. Why trust anything this company says or does? huffingtonpost.com/george-mcgraw/nestle-chairman-peter-brabeck-water_b_3150150.html

    • Avatar Of Joseph Prevratil

      Joseph Prevratil

      Apr 5, 2018 at 10:33 am

      I read a lot of articles on different sights over the years about all the dogs getting sick and die from dog food. The government don’t care about our pets who are our loved ones. Neither do the dog food manufactures. Money is more important to them then our pets. Why are the owners of these company’s not in jail for killing our pet? Does this mean we can kill the owners of these company’s for killing our pets and not go to jail ? If my dog ever dies from the food she eats, the owners will pay. And I don’t mean with money.

  9. Avatar Of Art Vandeley

    Art Vandeley

    Aug 26, 2017 at 5:37 pm

    Glad I saw this story!!! Looking for a change and decided on Merrick……….will keep looking. I would not feed a stray dog Purina.

    • Avatar Of Lele

      Lele

      Oct 22, 2017 at 11:45 am

      Me too. I don't trust purina at all, they buy their meat (chicken) from China and I well remember all the dogs who died when melamine was found in purina dog food. NEVER BUY PURINA or any brand they own.

    • Avatar Of Miss Donna

      Miss Donna

      Mar 13, 2019 at 2:47 pm

      Perfect and well said. Nor would I. I am SOOOOO upset. Shame on Garth Merrick. In the end…Money does talk. So sad.

  10. Avatar Of Charlotte Slayton

    Charlotte Slayton

    Jul 10, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    Before I brought my new puppy home I searched for a good quality food to start him out on and found that Merrick grain free chicken puppy foid was the best. But, now I will be searching for another brand of food for my 5 month old. I'm so disappointed that Merrick sold out to Purina!!

  11. Avatar Of Laura

    Laura

    May 30, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    Just found out that Purina bought Merrick. I will be looking for another dog food company 🙁

  12. Avatar Of Louise Mcauley

    Louise McAuley

    Apr 7, 2017 at 1:50 am

    Just found out Purina bought Merrick and just switched to a different, smaller brand name.

  13. Avatar Of Shelly

    Shelly

    Mar 16, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    That explains everything! I've been using Merrick 4 years. I've noticed a change in the consistency and my cats don't like it like they used to. There are times they refuse to eat it. I'm very disappointed in Merrick falling prey to Purina. Purina is the worst. No more Merrick for me….Cornucopia food here I come! All natural, organic and pure! In fact, costs less than Merrick and you get more for you money…health!! So long Merrick and good bye Vet! Vets push Purina…ever wonder why? Log in to vitalanimal.com and read what you need to know. As bad as big Pharma.

    cornucopiapetfoods.com

    • Avatar Of Pat

      Pat

      Jul 25, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      I can identify with your comments. I started using Merrick because it is grain-free but lately noticed the consistency of the cat food has changed and my cats don't like it as well. Time for a change. Very disappointing.

  14. Avatar Of Mike

    Mike

    Jan 26, 2017 at 12:58 am

    What a shame….never buying Merrick again

  15. Avatar Of Dlh

    dlh

    Jan 6, 2017 at 12:01 am

    look for eagle pack brand.

  16. Avatar Of Teresa

    Teresa

    Dec 26, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    I have fed my 6 dogs Merrick Turducken wet dog food for several years. I buy it in bulk.
    I just bought 10 cases and none will eat it now! It smells different and the consistency is different. It is more soupy. Can someone suggest a high quality wet dog food that Purina does not own!
    Teressa

    • Avatar Of Mary

      Mary

      Mar 5, 2017 at 8:24 pm

      I switched my dogs over to Zignature and they are doing so much better now..

  17. Avatar Of Severina

    Severina

    Dec 8, 2016 at 1:20 pm

    I just switched my dog from Purina Pro Plan to Merrick, in search of better dog food with quality ingredients. I thought I finally found it, until I came across an article that Merrick was bought by Purina – the very company we are trying to GET AWAY from. I am saddened disappointed by this. Does anyone have any suggestions on good dog food brands that’s not tainted by big business? 🙁

    • Avatar Of Shea

      Shea

      Dec 9, 2016 at 8:14 pm

      I just switched my small dog to this from Natures Logic because it’s grain free, low in carbs and higher in protein. She gets yeast and scabs on her skin and through all my research this food looks great with alot of omega fatty acids in it. If it works, I’m going to stick with it. After over a year of it being sold to Purina, it looks like the recipe is the same.

  18. Avatar Of Pat B

    Pat B

    Nov 24, 2016 at 9:56 pm

    I don’t have a dog but have two cats. I give my kitten Merrick which she loves. I’m switching her from Purina because of their safety and lies. Guess I’ll have to find another one. Very disappointed

    • Avatar Of Chris

      Chris

      Dec 2, 2016 at 5:37 am

      Hi Pat-I have been using the 5.5 ounce cans of food for my cat for several years. Starting about 4 to 5 months ago, there is a void right in the middle of can. In other words, no food there. It’s big enough I can put my index finger in the middle of the can and barely get any food on it. So, I’m getting less food but the price isn’t going down. Also, every few months my cat vomits about 1/2 hour after eating his food. I always look at it to see if there is any foreign material – usually there isn’t. Based on recent research I’ve done, the ingredient carrageenan is in their bistro line. This ingredient has been linked to a host of health issues one of which is gastric/stomach problems. I emphasize linked, not proven. So, based on the two above factors (less food and unexplained vomiting) I am switching my cat over to Organix. Eventually, I will probably start making their food myself. But for now, Organix looks pretty good.

      Chris

      • Avatar Of Rebecca

        Rebecca

        Dec 3, 2016 at 12:13 am

        Chris. I thought I would let you know that Organix is owned by Purina now as well. Merrick bought out Castor & Pollux. And Purina bought out Merrick. I have one cat and one dog; so I have done extensive research on food brands. I have a few different recommendations for really good quality brands for both cats and dogs. Halo, Canidae, Solid Gold, and Wellness are all really good. They are a bit more pricey; but they’re worth it. They all can be purchased at your local Petco or Petsmart.

        I also recommend Wild Callings, Party Animal (they also make Cocolicious), and Holistic Select. These can not be bought at large retail stores. You would probably have to go to a specialty or a “mom & pop” store; or you can get them online. My cat loves almost all of the formulas for each brand. And they do not contain carrageenan. I recently decided to feed my cat a mixture of Orijen and Halo for her dry food. Since I’ve done this, she has had a lot more energy,her coat has gotten better, and her shedding has pretty much stopped.

        I just thought I would offer some advice based on my personal experience. I hope you and Pat find food for your kitties that you feel good about feeding to your fur babies, and that they enjoy eating.

        • Avatar Of Barb

          Barb

          Jun 2, 2018 at 11:26 am

          Rebecca, thanks for the info. My dog has allergies and I just switched to Merrick. But now have to switch again, I dont trust purina!

      • Avatar Of Sirensharp

        SirensHarp

        Jun 15, 2019 at 6:28 am

        Organix is owned by Merrick, both owned by Purina!!!! It’s a monopoly. I thought Blue Buffalo, also owned by Purina, was bad with the crappy cat food…..now this! All are garbage.

  19. Avatar Of Mel Boggess

    Mel Boggess

    Nov 5, 2016 at 1:14 pm

    Today 11/5/16 I brought home the big bag or Merrick grain free Buffalo. I have used this brand over 3 years exclusively for my 3 dogs and 27 foster dogs. The kibble size is different, the moisture content is different. I’m scouring the internet to see if others are noticing this change. My dogs were slow t eat it. So, they may not have disclosed that they changed the recipe, but they DID! I’ll be researching a new food today.

    • Avatar Of Carol

      Carol

      Nov 16, 2016 at 7:35 pm

      My shepherds were on Merrill and vomiting clear liquid every couple of days. Dry dull coat. I took them off of it and within a week the vomiting subsided. Coats are lstarting to get a shine back to them. Won’t buy it anymore.

    • Avatar Of Teresa

      Teresa

      Dec 4, 2016 at 8:45 am

      I have been feeding my two dogs the Whole Earth Farms grain free dog food for over two years. They are quite large and go through a lot of food so I am a bit more concerned with price. When I heard that Merrick had sold the Purina I started watching how the food looked and how my dogs reacted. Yesterday I brought home the same food and the kibble size and moisture content was decidedly different and one of my dogs hardly ate it. I will be looking for a new grain free kibble after this.

    • Avatar Of Charlotte

      Charlotte

      Dec 11, 2016 at 4:04 pm

      Just wanted to say that I too was so upset to find out about the buyout—would have changed dog foods immediately had I known sooner. It seems every time I find a supposedly great dog food with great ingredients it is soon bought out by a larger company and quality goes down—-dogs will refuse to eat it!! My Akita mix has always been a picky eater until Merrick’s Grain Free Beef (no chicken)—but noticed the last two bags have had a different smell and stickier feel and Akita is not wanting to eat it. I know now why!!! I refuse to pay this for poor quality if the ingredients have changed—-they will never admit to it either. If there is any dog food recommendations out there that is grain free and great pure ingredients from “real cows” I would so appreciate it!!

    • Avatar Of Tracy

      Tracy

      Dec 21, 2016 at 10:44 pm

      I noticed a big difference in the lamb formula just last week. The kibble is lighter color and not as moist/oily as the original formula.

  20. Avatar Of Cindy

    Cindy

    Sep 28, 2016 at 5:45 am

    That explains why my dog , eating merrick for two and a half years , in the last 8 weeks has been sick and has pancreatitis

    • Avatar Of Nate

      Nate

      Oct 11, 2016 at 2:09 pm

      Cindy, the agreement takes months to close. Then there’s the time to switch over to manufacturing a different formula/product. Have you seen the ingredients on the bag change in the two months since the agreement was announced? Or is this all speculation?

      Remember: correlation is not causation.

      • Avatar Of Lisa H

        Lisa H

        Dec 2, 2016 at 10:56 pm

        To Nate, I believe the transaction took place in July of 2015, not this year. My dog did wonderfully with the puppy product from March to July and then we eased her into the adult grain free. She did great on it for a short while but around September, she started turning her nose at it and wouldn’t finish it. During this time she began to have stomach issues and her stools went from being firm turning dark and easy to handle to diarrhea and jelly consistency. Eventually, she had “raspberry jam” stool and I took her off the product. I had no idea Purina purchased Merrick. I also will not be buying this product anymore after finding this out. It all makes perfect sense now.

    • Avatar Of Matthew

      Matthew

      Oct 18, 2016 at 10:29 pm

      This is from a local shelter…”We also used to recommend Innova, Evo, California Natural, Natural Balance, Merrick and Wellness, but they’ve been bought out by big corporations in the past year or so, and we’re a bit leery of what that means as far as quality. “Big business” tends to be bad news for pet foods 🙁 Also, they’re allowed by law to change the ingredients without telling”

      I used to feed my dog Merrick dry dog food, and when we went to the vet for the last time b/c of seizures, she had pancreatitis. This now seems odd b/c Cindy mentioned this above also! THERE IS NO WAY I WILL BE BUYING MERRICK FOR MY NEXT DOG…have to find someone else to trust!

    • Avatar Of Joanne

      JoAnne

      Oct 22, 2016 at 1:29 pm

      Have been using Merrick, both dry and canned for my little maltese, In the past few months, he has had an upset digestive system every time he has some of Merricks canned food. Tried the limited ingredient canned food and it does not have same effect, but after finding out Purina has bought them out, that explains it. Looking for another brand for my little guy.

  21. Avatar Of Lori Ja

    lori ja

    Sep 26, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    I was about to switch from my old Purina product to this one because of my dog having so many issues. I guess I won’t be switching to this brand. After reading all the comments and knowing Purina and there quality I guess I will Blue Buffalo. A little pricier but end result is what counts.

    • Avatar Of Kacie

      Kacie

      Dec 3, 2017 at 7:54 pm

      Blue buffalo is absolutely terrible food despite their advertising to claim otherwise. I would NOT recommend.

    • Avatar Of Sue Eckert

      Sue Eckert

      Jan 9, 2018 at 12:08 am

      Blue Buffalo is AWFUL (in my experience)!!!!! Four of my dogs got sick on Blue Buffalo. Golden Retriever and Boston Terrier got hives and swollen ears. Recently my American Bulldog and chihuahua got hives. The Chihuahua is so sick—vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and now hives that are so severe they crust and require antibiotics, steroids, and antiseptic baths. Blue Buffalo has cost me hundreds of dollars in vet bills. Never again!

    • Avatar Of Ec

      EC

      Mar 24, 2018 at 7:45 pm

      Now there are issues with Ble Buffalo. Class action lawsuit. Their food has lead and still continue to sell it. Try Orijen.

  22. Avatar Of Jf

    JF

    Sep 19, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    No I will not! I have used the “Classic Real Chicken + Green Peas Recipe”. My dog is 4 years old and a finicky eater. When he went from puppy food to adult food it took a bit to find something he liked and he loved Merrick. My dog recently developed a “hot spot”. Has never had one. The vet told me to check the ingredients on his food. I didn’t even realize the ingredients had changed. I’m not sure if the ingredient changes had anything to do with it, but I am going to to find a new food. I get prices go up on everything, but changing the formula should not have happened. Please go back to the original formula!

  23. Avatar Of Mary Bryan

    Mary bryan

    Sep 17, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    I finally found a product to feed my English setter who has multiple health issues
    just when I am about to switch him totally to limited diet duck I discover pitons is taking over this company
    I will be doing my homework again and will find a food and company I can trust
    I am very disappointed with merrick

  24. Avatar Of Adina

    Adina

    Sep 7, 2016 at 6:36 pm

    Both Merrick and Purina have GARBAGE dog food that should be avoided at all costs. Nobody should trust any conglomerate these days as they are all about nothing but the bottom line. Pet owners should just simply read the ingredient list and research very carefully what they feed their pets. I would suggest that most responsible pets owners wants to feed what they feed their pets. This is no different than knowing what we eat as humans.

    • Avatar Of Mitch

      Mitch

      Sep 11, 2016 at 8:24 pm

      I think Merrick is NOW garbage. But WAS a decent brand.

      You know what’s funny, I just switched my dogs brand to Blue Buffalo-she’s killing this food! She’s excited at meal time again and eats as soon as the food hits her bowl. About two months ago, I started noticing that she wasn’t going right to her food with the Merrick brand anymore. She’d go a whole day without eating a few times! I check for re calls often so knew it wasn’t something wrong with the food-as in that would harm her,,but I’m thinking now that they already are cutting corners. Unfortunately I still am using the last of Merrick food to ween her off of it onto the “Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Adult Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe” which is the one I decided on. Now that I think of it-my dog started having ‘hot spots’ during this time… coincidence? I can’t say but I will be paying very close attention to my dogs behavior & whole being. Besides getting ‘hit’ by a skunk at 1am last night, so far so good..lol

  25. Avatar Of Carole

    Carole

    Sep 6, 2016 at 6:28 pm

    I am crushed to find this out. Do not trust Purina. This proves that uniformed owners who funnel money into a giant allows that giant to buy out their competition making it impossible for consumers to trust they won’t turn it into a crappy product with crappy ingredients that they will deny.

  26. Avatar Of Michelle Smith

    Michelle smith

    Sep 5, 2016 at 10:24 pm

    I have been researching a lot of dog food getting ready to change mine from science diet merrick was one of my top picks until I found out purina bought them I will not buy any purina made food it is CRAP almost all of the top 10 worst foods on dog food advisor is purina

  27. Avatar Of Lori Triail

    Lori Triail

    Sep 5, 2016 at 9:51 pm

    I just switched from Royal Canin Shih Tzu to Merrick. Because of a change to Bi Products. what is everyone switching to now as I do not like Purina…although I do like the Merrick dog food but afraid of they will change the ingredients. I don’t trust Purina….

  28. Avatar Of Lori Triail

    Lori Triail

    Sep 5, 2016 at 9:50 pm

    I just switched from Royal Canin Shih Tzu to Merrick. Because of a change to Bi Products. what is everyone switching to now as I do not like Purina…although I do like the Merrick dog food but afraid of theyr changing the ingredients

  29. Avatar Of Janet

    Janet

    Sep 3, 2016 at 5:13 pm

    The almighty dollar wins out once again.

  30. Avatar Of Katharine Crawford

    Katharine Crawford

    Aug 31, 2016 at 6:24 pm

    Am very concerned as have a puppy that I have on this product and I know all about the profit and loss bottom line. I can only hope that Merrick can stay independent. I know with our company, after two years, it was over. We had to cut staff and meet the guidelines of the parent. Very Sad. It is the pups who suffer and the vet gets our money. You guys won’t be “able” to care anymore. Certainly Purina doesn’t.

  31. Avatar Of Cl

    CL

    Aug 19, 2016 at 12:08 pm

    Good Bye Merrick. You cannot survive in the new market you are in using your previous business plan and strategies. You will eventually fall to pressure and become just another large mass produced chemical import.

    • Avatar Of Kate

      Kate

      Sep 3, 2016 at 6:56 pm

      It’s difficult enough to keep track of all the dog food ingredient changes that are not required by law to be disclosed, so of all the companies that could have bought Merrick, Purina is NOT one I will trust. Sure, Merrick says they have no plans to change their ingredients, but this is BUSINESS, not some non-profit organization that cares more about our pets than their bottom line, despite their promises and especially their pet-loving marketing–it’s a business–keep that in mind. It’s too bad the Merrick owners sold out, and maybe they had good reasons, but I will not trust my dogs’ nutritional health and general health to a company that killed so many pets and hoping we all forget those horrible days when they didn’t bother to recall their own poisonous foods before so many pets died. Blame China-I agree!-BUT too many pet food companies waited too late to respond.

  32. Avatar Of Sandra Allred

    Sandra Allred

    Aug 18, 2016 at 10:29 pm

    I trusted this brand for my two dogs for years, and they did well on this brand. However, when news broke of the buy out I was crushed and felt deceived, merrick sold out a great dog food, and loyal customers, for the almighty dollar, not caring for their customers at all. At the end of the year contract year they will be sourcing the products from Purina, and that’s who we wanted to avoid. I shared my concerns with this company, who gave the standard blah blah.

    Trust was lost. No longer using Merrick.

  33. Avatar Of Roger Butler

    Roger Butler

    Aug 17, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    Like many customers, we had come to trust Merrick dog food for our 3 dogs. We feel betrayed as this came as a complete surprise. Having worked in “big manufacturers” most of my working life, I know that profits rule the roost and if they can squeeze a copper out of anything, they’ll do it. I, like many, will stay with the brand at least for the time being but be warned…if quality decreases or if prices increase, we will definitely find another, hopefully local, manufacturer.

  34. Avatar Of T. A. D.

    T. A. D.

    Jul 23, 2016 at 11:57 pm

    When I first heard Purina purchased Merrick I was actually at the store buying Backcountry raw infused. I recently had to purchase a new bag of food, immediately there was a difference in the color and texture of the raw (freeze dried) meat. I am now on the search for a new dog food. Ugh!

  35. Avatar Of Cynthia

    cynthia

    Jul 16, 2016 at 10:19 pm

    I just bought a bag of Backcountry for my lab. Switching from Blue for price, and a still good quality.
    Now that I have looked it up for my girl,back to Blue or make it myself I guess.
    Very disappointed to hear quality has been lessened.
    My Doberman lost his life at 8yrs. Old because of food before it became grain free.
    I will not settle for less for my lab.
    If Purina hadn’t changed quality, they should advertise so we know for sure.

  36. Avatar Of Jo Montroy

    Jo Montroy

    Jun 13, 2016 at 12:17 am

    IReal dog people know Purina Dogfood is crap. I have never fed it to my dogs or even my foster dogs and never will. I always thought Caster and Pollix and. Merrick were good foods but now they’ve been taken over by Purina – forget, will never buy either one again

  37. Avatar Of Angie

    Angie

    Jun 8, 2016 at 10:24 am

    I will never feed my dog anything made by purina,it cost my dogs life in 2009. Why would I give it a second chance? Glad to know about this.

  38. Avatar Of Geenie

    Geenie

    Jun 3, 2016 at 9:29 am

    This is some Bullsh!@t! I’ve been buying Merrick for years and i have just learned that they were bought out by Purina. No way in hell am i going to feed my fur baby Purina cr@p. I’m so glad i saw this post. I am going to research for better dog food now. I just bought a 22lb Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused dog food and noticed that it included very little raw bits. And No Wonder!

    • Avatar Of Crystal

      Crystal

      Jul 22, 2016 at 1:44 pm

      Did you find a quality brand to switch to? I’m so bummed, Merrick used to be so great & now my dog won’t eat, I won’t keep buying Merrick.

  39. Avatar Of Gregory Lorenzen

    Gregory Lorenzen

    May 27, 2016 at 4:11 pm

    I just purchased a bag of Whole Earth Farms today and noticed that the kibble was a darker color than usual.Our big dog had been on Natural Farms for at least a couple of years, (he had food allergies)this seemed to work and be an honest value.When I checked the ingredient list it seemed that there had been a change… I was told by someone at a competitor’s store that Purina had purchased Merrick because they didn’t carry the brand,and were asking if I would consider switching.To get to the point, my 70 lb.Ridgeback mix (who eats EVERYTHING) looked at me today and said “what’s this”? The mini-poodle mix only ate half his food even though my wife mixes it w/ drained ground turkey.Could have been a bad batch,but nothing the Great Satan touches can ever be the same.I’m switching..

  40. Avatar Of Jeane

    jeane

    May 27, 2016 at 10:24 am

    They have changed. I stayed loyal for a while but have recently checked ingredients and all has changed. lots of “meal”

  41. Avatar Of R Mallory

    R Mallory

    May 24, 2016 at 6:57 pm

    Merrick and Castor and Pollux are dead to me now. I wouldn’t trust Purina, period, full stop.

  42. Avatar Of Mina

    Mina

    May 19, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    I was told by a vendor that there was a one year contract between Merrick and Purina – that the recipes could not be changed in any way… for one year.
    I switched foods immediately following finding out about Purina buying Merrick.

  43. Avatar Of Michael Breen

    Michael Breen

    May 18, 2016 at 10:37 am

    I will remain with Merrick for the time being. It has been the best dry dog food in relation to overall health, skin coat,diminished itching and , above all, taste and likeability that my 90lb. Lab mix has been on. I will warn Purina that consumers are tireing of corporate profits over quality just as we are of our do nothing politicians. American corporations used to stand for something and we are watching you.

  44. Avatar Of Mary Wysocki

    Mary Wysocki

    May 14, 2016 at 6:59 pm

    My beloved service dog had a horrible allergy to poultry and most grains until I switched him to Merrick’s L.I.D. Salmon and Sweet Potato. Now that I have found out that I’ve been betrayed by Merrick selling out to Purina, I am no longer interested in believing in them. I have a huge distrust in Purina as all their foods come from 4-D animals(food NOT fit for human consumption!)and have tons of fillers and other crap in them, some of which I can’t pronounce and yet I have some college education that entailed me learning all sorts of chemical names for drugs,etc. Good bye Merrick’s!!!

  45. Avatar Of Steven

    Steven

    May 4, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    been, using Merrick for almost 3 years after my 9 year old Alaskan Malamute (Shiloh) was lost to kidney failure and cancer that our vet suggests was caused by a Purina dog food , our vet bills surpassed $10,000 in just six months to try to save her but we finally had to say goodby ,Purina accepted absolutely no responsibility , our 2 newest Malamutes have been fed only Merrick and Blue Wilderness products , I have ZERO trust in any Purina owned product so now we will be researching and changing our babies food ASAP , I will never support a company as dishonest as PURINA ever , Merrick you really made a horrible money based decision and you will lose many loyal customers who trusted your brand

  46. Avatar Of Theresa

    Theresa

    May 2, 2016 at 4:27 pm

    I’ve noticed that the kibbles are bigger and lighter in color. I also find abnormal chunks of I don’t know what. Healthy weight cat food. I’m switching, I don’t trust Purina at all!!!

  47. Avatar Of Amelia Rogers

    Amelia Rogers

    May 1, 2016 at 9:54 am

    I am very concerned oner the sell out to Purina. I don’t have a level of trust in that company and unfortunately feel i need to research for another brand. So disheartening to see quality sell out to greed. How can anyone trust Purina?

  48. Avatar Of Christie

    Christie

    Apr 29, 2016 at 10:01 am

    My kitty has been happily eating Merrick cat food for 9 months, until we opened up our newest bag a couple of weeks ago. She WILL NOT eat it, and when she did, out of desperation, she vomited each time. Went from a tiny 9 pound cat to a extra tiny 7 pound cat before we finally put two and two together. Nursing her back to health and she’s doing great now, no thanks to Merrick. Bye bye Merrick and big business Purina.

  49. Avatar Of Tammy

    tammy

    Apr 27, 2016 at 9:33 am

    I knew it was sold the minute i opened up a can of food and there were little yellow, jagged hard chunks of some unknown source all mixed in! Bye Bye Merrick

  50. Avatar Of Anne Barrow

    Anne Barrow

    Apr 24, 2016 at 10:37 am

    Although I’m very disappointed at this buyout, I’m still using Merrick (Whole Earth Farms grain-free dry) for both my dogs…..To be fair I’ll say that I haven’t noticed any ingredient changes or changes in the appearance of the food…..My dogs continue to do well on it with no problems…….Maybe I’m one of the few still willing to give Merrick the benefit of the doubt UNLESS ingredients change, or if I notice any problems (no matter how minor), with my dogs…….I simply can’t afford Orijen or Acana since I’m on a tight budget, and was considering Earthborn Holistic and Holistic Select, until I found out that Holistic Select buys their green tea extract from China, and Earthborn rep said “they couldn’t guarantee that none of their ingredients came from China, since they use a third party supplier to get their vitamins and minerals”………There you have it folks–can’t really completely trust any dog food company, and if Merrick starts using crappy low- quality ingredients, I am going to start home-cooking my dog’s food.

    • Avatar Of David

      David

      May 17, 2016 at 11:26 pm

      Try Fromm dog food. Is made in Wisconsin and is family owned. Has had a recall on there can dog food because of a high level of vitamin D. But they did this on there own. I am on my last bag of Merrick dog food I don’t trust Purnia! If you noticed they made the 28lbs bag a 25lbs bag for the same price as the 28lbs bag used to be. Greed by the big Purina, I believe it is just a matter of time before they change there ingredients. Check out Dog food reviews and ratings. My dog does not like Orijen and Arcana as good as Merrick but I won’t take the chance with the recent Merrick and Purina recalls

  51. Avatar Of Cheryl Poole

    Cheryl Poole

    Apr 16, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    I just recently switched to Merrick but will no longer purchase their products due to the sale to Purina. I bought their dog and cat food knowing it was made by a independent company with the highest ingredients. Very, very disappointed.

  52. Avatar Of Barbara Ouderkirk

    Barbara Ouderkirk

    Apr 5, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    We’ve been Merrick customers for many years. It’s kept our animals healthy and greatly helped a dog we had that was diabetic. Recently, one of our cats has been getting sick and throwing up. Just recently found that purina bought out merrick. The recipes have been changed and our sick cat is proof of it. On the old recipe, he never got sick like this. Good bye Merrick. you really messed up selling to purina.

    • Avatar Of Tamara Mackenzie

      Tamara MacKenzie

      Apr 6, 2016 at 9:52 pm

      I recently purchased Merrick dog food- the smallest package of dry kibble from Pet Value. Acana will be phased out. Based on past research, I though I was buying a quality brand. Had I known it had been purchased by Purina I would never have bought it. My mother, not knowing what it should look like, said it looked funny, but my dog ate it. When I checked it- the food was absolutely GREEN with MOLD. I took it back, was reimbursed. The store owners reported to the local distributor. Pet Value central response to me was “it was most likely caused by the kibble being a bit too warm when it was packaged. We have also not had any other reports of such so this was an isolated case.” I am absolutely disgusted with the pet food industry. We will be making our own pet food from now on.

  53. Avatar Of Patrick

    Patrick

    Apr 3, 2016 at 2:41 pm

    I recently switched to Merrick. I was previously using Canidae, but when I noticed it was now available for sale at Petco, I had to change. If it’s sold at one of the pet store chains and/or is owned by Purina, I change. Purina/Nestle is purely profit-driven with investors to please. So if they gotta trim cost somewhere. It WILL be in the quality of the ingredients. Also, Nestle is forever rated a horrible company when it comes to being a good member of the communities where they operate. I’m planning to switch to Fromm or the GO brand from Petcurean.

  54. Avatar Of Loving Mama On A Budget

    Loving Mama on a Budget

    Mar 31, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    3 yrs ago started our two dogs on Merrick Dog Food and noticed last year they started eliminating “Classic” 30lb bags of food and offering “Grain Free” 25lbs bags – same cost as 30lbs!! We recently obtained a 3rd Dog (larger – eats more) the cost of the bags with less quantity is not longer a good option, in reviewing to make a change is how I found out Purina bought out Merrick last year. I WILL NOT KEEP MY BOYS ON ANY KIND OF PURINA MADE FOOD and I was looking to switch over to Whole Earth Farms to realize they are also Merrick/Purina! What my boys eat must be good, if I wouldn’t want any part of it, most certainly won’t feed it to them either. I recently emailed Merrick regarding the notice in smaller bags for same price, this all makes sense to why I have not received a response back within 24 hrs as the confirmation email stated!

  55. Avatar Of John

    John

    Mar 30, 2016 at 1:03 pm

    I had switched to Merricks last year and just found out Nestle/Purina bought them out. I will not feed my dogs anything associated with Purina so back to the drawing board.

    • Avatar Of Patrick

      Patrick

      Apr 3, 2016 at 2:42 pm

      Try Fromm or GO (from Petcurean). Those are the 2 I’m considering.

      • Avatar Of Kacie

        Kacie

        Dec 3, 2017 at 8:22 pm

        Same as everyone else in the comments here, I WILL NOT continue to feed Merrick knowing Purina had any hand in their business. I’m desperately looking for something to switch my babies too that’s totally grain and chicken free, so I just looked into Fromm as it’s been highly suggested in this thread. All the foods I’ve checked by them contain eggs and cheese? I’m not feeding my dogs that and I’m not sure why it’s being so highly recommended with those included in their ingredients.

  56. Avatar Of Deb

    Deb

    Feb 8, 2016 at 7:53 pm

    I have had my rescued kitty on Merrick canned until Purina bought them out. I go to small Pet food store that only sells natural, high quality food. The owner is so knowledgeable, it is fabulous. She immediately quick carrying Merrick food once she was informed Purina bought them out. She told me about the “new” ingredients Purina was using was crap & would sell what she had left in the store & no longer carry their products. I bought a case of canned & am now trying a new brand “Dave’s”, it is supposed to be very comparable to the “old Merrick” canned food. It is a shame a good company sold out to the highest bidder, without any concern for all of their loyal customers…very sad!!

    • Avatar Of Lana Simms

      Lana Simms

      Mar 13, 2016 at 4:29 am

      Evanger’s produces a lot of Dave’s pet food, maybe you should Google them and research their recalls and manufacturing violations before talking them up. By the way, the information you provided about Merrick’s “new” ingredients initiated by Purina is FALSE, you and/or your pet food store owner are spreading untrue rumors.

  57. Avatar Of Lori Russo

    Lori Russo

    Feb 3, 2016 at 2:02 am

    My Chihuahua mix dogs have had severe dandruff and vomiting along with soft stools. They have been on Merrick gor over a year or more. This has happened since maybe July ir August of 2015. I only found out about Purina buying out Merrick this week. That explains it all. I also started noticing the changed in the food. The Grammys Pot Pie and Thanksgiving Dinner used to have chunks of meat and vegetables. Noe it is mostly mush with very little vegetables and potatoes. The chunks are almost all gone and rge cans are about 3/4 full, not like the same quality. The smell is even different. Seems like the changes have started and quality has definitely decreased.

  58. Avatar Of Rhea

    Rhea

    Jan 28, 2016 at 2:25 am

    I already posted this comment but it didn’t show up, so hopefully it doesn’t later on as a double.

    I will NEVER again EVER feed my dog merrick products! Purina is CRAP food and a CRAP company no matter how you slice it, and I will not support them, or risk the health of my dog!!!
    I highly recommend anyone searching for a decent dog food to do the following five simple things!!
    #1 go to the DOG FOOD ADVISOR website, it is FREE, but he gives you an ingredient break down of most dog food, and how good or not they truly are!
    #2 I buy my dog food from Chewy.com, and I reccomend it to anyone because if you sign up for auto ship you get 15% off your everything you buy, and you get free shipping over $50, and you can change your auto ship time, and what you are buying any time you want! Also my stuff always arrives in a few days or less, very quickly!! And under $50 it is a $5.00 flat rate which is very reasonable!
    #3 ALWAYS ALWAYS look at who ACTUALLY manufactures the dog food, crap companies like diamond (costcos) and Purina own all sorts of what used to be great dog foods. They get to keep the name like Merricks, that people have come to trust, so it is very deceiving. You have to do your research!
    #4 make sure to check RECALL history on ALL Manufacturers of the foods you are interested in, again I’m not saying the brand, but who manufactures it. Diamond who makes Costco dog food, has taken over MANY trusted brands, and they have so many recalls for even deadly things, it is ridiculous!!
    #5, last but not least, I highly reccomend Pioneer Naturals! They make their own non gmo dog food, it’s grain free it’s healthy, it’s five stars (the highest rating) on Dog Food Advisor, and it is reasonably priced. I have found them to be the best priced for high quality dog food. The only downside is I’ve only found them on chewy.com, and I didn’t always want to buy dog food online, but now that I’ve given it a try, I will never go back! I love Pioneer naturals, and I love chewy.com!!

    • Avatar Of Tamara Mackenzie

      Tamara MacKenzie

      Apr 6, 2016 at 9:57 pm

      I am a supporter of Dog Advisor and did realize Merrick had declined so very greatly in quality as is evidenced in on line forums. Is the pet food industry trustworthy? No.

  59. Avatar Of Rhea

    Rhea

    Jan 28, 2016 at 2:04 am

    I am Completely disappointed that any dog food company could say they care, and make quality dog food, and then sell out to a company like Purina!! I have loved Merricks foo, all the way up until they switched. Once that happened, I will NEVERTHELESS EVER buy another Merick product again.
    If anyone needs help deciding what kind of food to get, the DOG FOOD ADVISOR website is awesome!!! Just please don’t forget to check about recalls on each of the brands you are interested in! For instance, the Costco dog food that so many people buy because it looks to have good ingredients is amazing at covering things up, and will go to great lengths to not have to recall a food, but despite that they have a ridiculous recall history. At one point our family dog died from their food, and we had over 40 other friends feeding it, who’s dogs ALL were throwing up, and they refused to recall the food despite the overwhelming evidence!
    I will never buy dog food made buy Diamond because of this, and just like Purina you have to be very careful to find out who actually manufactures the food, because it isn’t what it seems from what’s written on the bag.

    I recommend getting food on chewy.com, and putting it on auto ship because it saves you 15 percent, and you get free shipping. Makes the expensive food a lot cheaper! Also it comes right to your door, and you can change your auto ship dates back and fourth whenever you want. It can come once a month, ever three months, or you can say ship tomorrow. It doesn’t matter, it comes whenever you want!

    • Avatar Of Tereasa

      Tereasa

      Jul 11, 2017 at 3:24 am

      Dogwood adviser.com rates Merrick 5 stars……?

  60. Avatar Of Sharon

    Sharon

    Jan 25, 2016 at 2:45 pm

    Due to recommendation of vet I will discontinue feeding my dogs the Merrick canned food. From the comments above I can see they are already changing their formula/ingredients which my vet said would probably happen.

  61. Avatar Of Karen

    Karen

    Jan 24, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    My dog has been on Merrick for 6 months and his diarrhea cleared up. Just purchased a new bag of Merrick and his diarrhea has started back up. Coincidence or did they change something. Not happy, it took me a year to find a food for his digestive problems and one he would actually eat.

    • Avatar Of Michael Brown

      Michael Brown

      Jan 25, 2016 at 4:08 pm

      Try Orijen/Acana it is great quality, actually rated #1 by many websites. If you google top rated dog food it almost always comes out on top. The only problem is cost. If you can afford it, it’s worth it. Let’s just hope that Purina or P & G don’t buy them out too.

  62. Avatar Of Chris M

    Chris M

    Jan 23, 2016 at 3:28 pm

    I found out about the merger of Merrick and Purina this past December and because I value my dogs health and welfare and do not trust Purina I bought a different brand that I researched and trust to give my 4 year old Jack Russel Dachshund mix. Sad because I was very happy with the Merrick products and my dog loved them, luckily she likes the new food even more!

    • Avatar Of Samantha C

      Samantha C

      Jan 26, 2016 at 3:43 pm

      Chris M: Mind sharing just which dog food u ended up going to from Merrick? I have a terrier chihuahua that is allergic to pork and corn; borderline allergic to beef, venison, rice, oats, barley, and duck. He’s also got some type of liver problem…so I can’t give him anything with liver.
      I just found “Merrick Grain-Free 96% Real Chicken” canned food that he likes alot and doesn’t make him cough, but I’m noticing a dandruff problem on his coat now, and he’s scratching alot now too.
      So this morning I’ve switched him to “Merrick Grain Free Turducken”, which has alot more veggies and apples in it, but it does have duck in it. Will have to see if this will quell the dandruff and yet not make him cough.
      I’m just about running out of high quality dog food for him. I’d make my own at home but I don’t know what kind of vitamin/mineral pkg I can give him that is pretty much tasteless, otherwise he won’t eat the food if he can taste vitamin/mineral in pill, powder, or liquid form. I’m have a very low income and don’t think I can afford the REALYY high end dog food like Orijen/Acana as was mentioned by Michael Brown above. I would just like to know which dog food you did go to.
      I don’t trust Purina either. Was REALLY disappointed when I read today that Merrick is now owned by Purina/Nestle. I need to start thinking of Plan B if Merrick Grain-Free Turducken Canned Dog Food changes in some way or other. Thanks.

      • Avatar Of Rhea

        Rhea

        Jan 28, 2016 at 2:27 am

        Hope this helps
        I will NEVER again EVER feed my dog merrick products! Purine is CRAP food and a CRAP company no matter how you slice it, and I will not support them, or risk the health of my dog!!!
        I highly recommend anyone searching for a decent dog food to do the following few things!!
        #1 go to the DOG FOOD ADVISOR website, it is FREE, but he gives you an ingredient break down of most dog food, and how good or not they truly are!
        #2 I buy my dog food from Chewy.com, and I reccomend it to anyone because if you sign up for auto ship you get 15% off your everything you buy, and you get free shipping over $50, and you can change your auto ship time, and what you are buying any time you want! Also my stuff always arrives in a few days or less, very quickly!!
        #3 ALWAYS ALWAYS look at who ACTUALLY manufactures the dog food, crap companies like diamond (costcos) and Purina own all sorts of what used to be great dog foods. They get to keep the name like Merricks, that people have come to trust, so it is very deceiving. And you have to do your research!
        #4 make sure to check RECALL history on ALL Manufacturers of the foods you are interested in, again I’m not saying the brand, but who manufactures it. Diamond who makes Costco dog food, has taken over MANY trusted brands, and they have so many recalls for even deadly things, it is ridiculous!!
        #5, last. It not least, I highly reccomend Pioneer Naturals! They make their own non gmo dog food, it’s grain free it’s healthy, it’s five stars (the highest rating) on Dog Food Advisor, and it is reasonably priced. I have found them to be the best priced for high quality dog food. The only downside is I’ve only found them on chewy.com, and I didn’t always wNt to buy dog food online, but now that I’ve given it a try, I will never go back! I like Pioneer naturals, and I love chewy.com!!

      • Avatar Of Heather

        Heather

        Jan 28, 2016 at 3:58 pm

        Try Fromm! They are a family owned business, very high quality – and no recalls.

        • Avatar Of Tonya

          Tonya

          Apr 16, 2016 at 3:03 pm

          oops, they just had a recall about a month ago.

      • Avatar Of Tc

        TC

        Mar 30, 2016 at 1:03 pm

        I use earthborn is great

  63. Avatar Of Claire

    Claire

    Jan 22, 2016 at 5:53 pm

    I have been a loyal buyer of Castor & Pollux Organix dry dog food for years & years. I wasn’t aware of the Purina/Nestle acquisition, but recently noticed that the dry dog food had changed in size and smell. So I started searching around to understand what had changed, and why. Only now do I realize the horror that Purina/Nestle has acquired Castor & Pollux, and now my trust in this operation is completely gone.

    Why did you abandon your loyal customers?

  64. Avatar Of April

    April

    Jan 18, 2016 at 3:22 pm

    I just can not stick by them. I do not trust Purina. I loved Merick and so did my great dane Sally but I could never feed her anything made by them. I will stick with Taste of the Wild for now.

  65. Avatar Of Lori

    lori

    Dec 30, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    I have been feeding my dog merrick for 3 years now, and happy to report, no problems. I went to buy her food today and my retailer relayed the good news, SAY WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so very, very disappointed, I am a consumer that likes to give my business to the small guy, not big corporations!!!!!! I am now researching other small dog food companies that make quality grub, sigh

  66. Avatar Of Suz

    Suz

    Dec 27, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    Please post what you find in the way of acceptable food now. I am not sure what is appropriate for my small, 12 pound dog. Merrick was working well for her….until now. Thanks.

  67. Avatar Of Gale

    Gale

    Dec 21, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    The Castor & Pollux Organix canned food for cats has changed. I opened a can with the updated label, and it looks like pate. It is supposed to be “shredded”, and used to have a chunky appearance. My cats did not want to eat it, either. I will no longer be purchasing Merrick products.

  68. Avatar Of Rich

    Rich

    Dec 19, 2015 at 2:27 pm

    Our two English Bulldogs have been on Merrik grain free since puppies and did wonderfully for the last two years. In October or female started to scratch relentlessly and was just miserable. Now we know why! Our bully club members feed Canidae and it was during my research on that product where I found out about Nestle. They can tell you nothing would change but it’s obvious that they did.

    Thank you Nestle for ruining one of the best dog foods available in the name of corporate profits.

  69. Avatar Of Tracy S

    Tracy S

    Dec 15, 2015 at 1:06 pm

    I was talked into buying Merrick just yesterday and now I find this out. I will be switching once again. I refuse to feed my dogs anything with the Purina name associated with it. Poverty disappointing.

  70. Avatar Of Tobi Phillips

    Tobi Phillips

    Dec 1, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    Merrick sold out to the devil.. I lost a yellow lab to beniful 8 years ago and my vet told me to never buy anything Purina.. A total marketing company.. It makes me sick when I see a beniful commercial that claims healthy and is killing dogs as we speak. Loads of lawsuits against Purina and they are allowed to advertise lies like or government does. Merrick claims nothing will change. But it already has by what others are having problems above.. Merrick has no say so when the devil calls the shots. STAY AWAY FROM ANYTHING PURINA OWNS. EVEN NESTLÉ PRODUCTS SCARE ME. LARGEST MFG USING CHINA CRAP IN THEIR FOODS..

  71. Avatar Of Katrina Chake

    Katrina Chake

    Nov 29, 2015 at 11:41 am

    My cat has experienced diarrhea & vomiting both last weekend & again this weekend but has been fine for the days in between. The only common denominator was that prior to both episodes he’d eaten a Merrick brand food. The days he was fine he’d had another non-grain brand food. I went online to see if Merrick posted a recall. No but I did discover that Purina recently purchased Merrick. Then I saw other’s comments about their pets becoming sick recently. Now I’m confident it’s Merrick and will no longer purchase this brand or anything else owned by Purina.

  72. Avatar Of Cliff Holifield

    Cliff Holifield

    Nov 28, 2015 at 11:04 pm

    Was talked into buying this brand for all the right reasons but now that purina has bought them out we are changing at once

  73. Avatar Of Cheryl

    Cheryl

    Nov 22, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    There goes another off the list of quality foods I recommend to my customers. I won’t touch or recommend anything that is associated/owned by Purina.

  74. Avatar Of Cheryl Ann Ciber

    Cheryl Ann Ciber

    Nov 16, 2015 at 1:53 pm

    Very disappointed. I have 3 cans left– then I am going to buy Blue Buffalo and if they change— start cooking for my Clark. Purina most definitely will cut corners and it won’t be the same quality of food again.

  75. Avatar Of Lisa

    Lisa

    Nov 14, 2015 at 10:30 pm

    I guess we’ll be going back to Taste of the Wild. or Blue Buffalo. And if they decide to sell out to someone that doesn’t care about what’s in our pets feed I guess as a last resort I’ll start making my own. With all the GMO human food that’s not a great idea either. Maybe hunt and feed her wild meat.

  76. Avatar Of Kiki And Khloe Jrt And Cavapoo

    Kiki and Khloe JRT and Cavapoo

    Nov 13, 2015 at 11:01 am

    My dogs have been on Merricks for over 3 years and we just began noticing a difference in the food and the effect it has had on them. Kiki, my JRT, has been having diarrhea and I noticed the canned food doesn’t smell the same anymore. The good smell it used to have was a huge part of the reason I would buy this brand. Now, the smell is pungent. I had to throw several new cans out because the smell was rancid. I came online to see if there’s a recall on the food, then I discovered that they were sold to Purina. We will definitely be changing. My poor doggie cannot seem to take it.

  77. Avatar Of Linda Keywoeth

    Linda Keywoeth

    Nov 12, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    I had heard this but did not want to believe it. I cannot go back to Purina products, they have made my dogs and cats sick for the last time.

  78. Avatar Of Lisa

    Lisa

    Nov 10, 2015 at 5:47 pm

    This saddens me. I hope that Purina doesn’t destroy this dogfood. It’s been a difficult struggle to find a good quality food that doesn’t kill or make my dog sick. She is part of my family and is an important part like the rest of the members are. If I have to I will switch. She’s that important. Petfood should be prepared with as much time and effort as human food is. (then again I’m not too sure that human food is made as pure and healthy as it should be). PURINA….PLEASE do NOT screw this up!!!!

  79. Avatar Of Valentine

    Valentine

    Nov 9, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    After having my Boxer on Pro-Plan for 8 months he started having allergies, stomach issues and skin masses. Switched to Merrick in May he improved 110%. Just bought Merrick Duck and Sweet Potato a week ago not sure why but he has another mass under his skin has stomach issues along with skin sores. I’m really hoping it’s just something going on but seems eerily the same when he was on Pro-Plan.

  80. Avatar Of N Marin

    N Marin

    Nov 9, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    I already switched companies, very sad to see this company change owners.

  81. Avatar Of Di Martinez

    Di Martinez

    Oct 27, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    This so upsepting, I would never buy Merrick or Castor and Pollux….how could I give my dear pet food from a non reputable company that only care for profit not my pets, shame on you Merrick

  82. Avatar Of Di Martinez

    Di Martinez

    Oct 27, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Im so furious to know that the food Im going to give to my pets will be manufacture by a company I never trusted, I gues is time to look for a different food for my dogs and cat, shame on you Merrick and Castor and Polux, I would not buy any more of your food.

  83. Avatar Of Amanda Nevitt

    amanda nevitt

    Oct 17, 2015 at 11:23 am

    I can’t express my disappointment. I loved supporting a small company and not a giant industry. I will now be feeding my dog another brand.

    • Avatar Of Di Martinez

      Di Martinez

      Oct 27, 2015 at 4:20 pm

      I tottaly agree, this is so upsepting, when I thought I found the perfect food for my beloved pets, a company I would never trust own it now, shame on you Merrick

      • Avatar Of Kelley King

        Kelley King

        Nov 7, 2015 at 2:54 pm

        I just found out and am both outraged and sick. I never thought this “family owned” company would sell out like this. I’ve spent countless hours researching different foods, trying them, and Merrick was my number one choice. I was just about to switch to their more economical Whole Foods line, when I found out about this today.
        So….back to searching. Or maybe I’ll just make my own food and be done with all of these companies.

  84. Avatar Of Laura Riggi

    Laura riggi

    Oct 17, 2015 at 6:58 am

    Merrick’s wet and dry dog foods were great. I use the limited ingredient. Trusted the company, all ingredients from USA. Tying their name to purina, one of the worst dog foods was such a bad choice. Purina is such low quality dog food. Idk if I can trust merrick to stay the same—–so as sad as it makes me — and for the safety of my lovelies— i will have to say good bye.

  85. Avatar Of Mary Collins Treacy

    Mary Collins Treacy

    Oct 14, 2015 at 11:21 am

    Very disappointed. We have been feeding Merrick to our dog (now dogs) for 4 years. I loved the variety offered. They may be telling the truth in that nothing will change and they will continue to operate as a separate company. However, every dollar spent on Merrick products will help fund Purina to continue to create and sell inferior quality brands that offer little nutritional value and brands that poison dogs. I have not bought Merrick since I read the news in July and returned $70 worth of unopened food I had bought the day before. Merrick completely ruined their brand reputation with this deal. I hope it was worth it for them.

  86. Avatar Of Tom Baker

    Tom Baker

    Oct 14, 2015 at 11:05 am

    Bad move. You just lost a big chunk of your client base.

  87. Avatar Of Mary P

    Mary P

    Oct 13, 2015 at 2:37 pm

    I just found out about the buyout when i could no longer find Castor and Pullox beef and barley with carrots.. My dog had thrown up for a year before doing great on this food and she loved it. They cancelled it. I will never buy Purina!! Time to search for a new food…

  88. Avatar Of Mary P

    Mary P

    Oct 13, 2015 at 1:55 pm

    Already they cancelled Castor Pollux beef barley and carrots, my dog has such a sensitive stomach. Im disappointed and wont be buying Castor Pullox or anything owned by Purina

  89. Avatar Of David

    David

    Oct 10, 2015 at 11:21 am

    Merrick was not privately owned. They were owned by a venture capitalist company. They, as do all VCC’s only look to turn a profit after a couple of years of ownership. As long as they saw a good return on their investment, that is all they are interested in.
    The comments coming out of Merrick are just to appease the customer base. They will be employees of Purina and will do what Purina tell them to do in order to meet whatever profit margins Purina expect from this acquisition.

  90. Avatar Of Bonnie Mcgrath

    Bonnie McGrath

    Oct 10, 2015 at 12:40 am

    I have known about this transaction for a couple of months now. I don’t use Merrick, but after speaking with my Pet Depot Operatpr, he has assured me from a Merrick Rep that the line would not be altered. He is watching as he carries only the top of the line foods for dogs and cats. I use Fromm’s Gold and mix in some of their speciality foods, i.e. sweet potato and duck, etc. It is also a premium food made in USA, family owned and operated.

  91. Avatar Of Carol Menning

    Carol menning

    Oct 6, 2015 at 3:42 pm

    Bye bye Merrick!!!

  92. Avatar Of Carol Menning

    Carol menning

    Oct 6, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    Merrick..you just list smother loyal customer. Bye bye!!!

  93. Avatar Of Carol Menning

    Carol menning

    Oct 6, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    Never never never trust Purina!!!! Merrick…I’m gone!!!

  94. Avatar Of Steve Mingus

    Steve Mingus

    Oct 5, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    What a shame. I would never have believed that Merrick would go for profits over quality. Purina is absolute garbage and as the parent company they will soon be contaminating Merrick’s products. Our dogs love Merrick and do very well on it. However we will never again purchase another product.

  95. Avatar Of Beth

    Beth

    Oct 3, 2015 at 8:55 am

    Same here. I’ve been feeding my dog Merrick for 16 months and that’s it. I’m going to never buy it again!

  96. Avatar Of Cheryl Ciber

    Cheryl Ciber

    Sep 26, 2015 at 6:51 pm

    I am absolutely appalled by this!! I just purchased 20 cans for my yorkie. He loves Merrick. After he uses this batch — I will not purchase this brand again– Purina is pure GARBAGE. I’ll have to search for a good, grain free, etc. brand. What a shame that they sold out to them. I am looking up Orijen.

  97. Avatar Of Erica

    Erica

    Sep 23, 2015 at 11:49 am

    I work at a pet store and currently feed merrick to my 5 year old Australian Shepherd. I will not continue to feed Merrick food because the exact same thing happened to Nutro about a year ago.

    Anyone who is looking for a top of the line food, who doesn’t mind spending a little extra money, I would highly recommend ORIJEN or Petcuran’s GO & NOW food, they are Canadian foods where they take extreme care in the ingredients and the quality of how the food is made. Look it up and do the research for yourself!

    Merrick really hurt themselves because now whenever anyone hears the name of a once awesome food, Purina will now be associated with it & we all know Purina brand foods kill animals.

  98. Avatar Of Laree Russell

    LaRee Russell

    Sep 22, 2015 at 2:44 am

    Just switched to Merrick recently and my 6 month lab pups have loved it. However, I will not purchase any more knowing they are sold to a garbage company. Guess I should make my own. So disheartened by this news.

  99. Avatar Of Diana Crabtree

    Diana Crabtree

    Sep 21, 2015 at 5:32 pm

    you need to order it from Amazon or Chewy.com

  100. Avatar Of The Mommy

    The Mommy

    Sep 11, 2015 at 8:10 am

    I am devastated. We wont know the poison until one of our babies gets sick or worse dies. I dont know what to feed my 20 month old German Rott now. I guess he will have to do with the chicken and rice until I can find a reliable and reputable food

    • Avatar Of Frieda406

      frieda406

      Sep 19, 2015 at 1:15 pm

      Victor Grain Free Dog foods. Sourced and manufactured in Texas. Receives a top rating from dogfoodadvisor.com. We’ve used it for years with our dogs and have no issues.

  101. Avatar Of Wes Brown

    Wes Brown

    Sep 4, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    It doesn’t matter to me one bit that they say they will still operate as an independent company. The name Merrick is now dirty because Purina is and always has been dirty. There will be a gradual “creeping in” of Purina’s profit over health philosophy and I won’t be a part of it. What a shame. I’m done with them.

  102. Avatar Of Karlap

    KarlaP

    Sep 4, 2015 at 9:46 am

    I feed–er, *fed* my cat Merrick’s Purrfect Bistro Turkey in the can…went to my local organic pet food supplier to pick up another case for her, and was told the news and that the store would no longer be carrying ANY of the Merrick’s foods. This is extremely unfortunate, as my cat LOVES this cat food and was not pleased when I changed to a different food (she seems to accepting it now, though… reluctantly). I don’t know the reason why Merrick’s signed the agreement with Purina, but from what I’m seeing, any financial support they might be getting from Purina will probably not cover the massive loss of profits they’ll be seeing from disappointed/angry customers. It will not surprise me at all to read a a few years from now that Merrick’s has gone under.

  103. Avatar Of Zannie

    Zannie

    Sep 4, 2015 at 9:36 am

    I am heartbroken! I love Merricks! Why on earth would the company that makes the best quality sell out to the company that makes absolute garbage?!?! “Sell out” being the definitive words I guess, it’s all about the bottom line. I was so happy I found a dog food where all the ingredients come from the US, no unnamed proteins, no by-products, etc. I’ve read too many Purina labels to be able to trust anything that comes out of their company. I will sadly be switching to Orijen, a good dog food also, but can be a pain to find somebody that carries it. Merricks, I loved you, but you lost me as a customer. I won’t ever trust anything that comes from Purina.

    • Avatar Of Diana Crabtree

      Diana Crabtree

      Sep 21, 2015 at 5:31 pm

      you need to order it from Amazon or Chewy.com

  104. Avatar Of Joe

    Joe

    Sep 4, 2015 at 1:08 am

    We dropped the brand as soon as we heard and have already transitioned all 4 dogs to another quality brand that has nothing to do with the evil that is Purina or that vile Nestles CEO.

    As the saying goes, “Bye Felicia!”

  105. Avatar Of Darcie

    Darcie

    Sep 2, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    I am heart broken about Purina buying Merrick. I feed mostly raw and feed a little kibble just as insurance that the dogs are getting everything they need. I didn’t know about the buy out until just the other day, but have noticed that the last 2 bags I have purchased weren’t as consistent, as previously purchased. I then changed to limited ingredients, and my 11 1/2 year old aussie got pancreatitis. Do know what the exact cause but seems a little strange since she was only getting 1/2 cup of kibble for a 48 # dog.
    So what do you all recommend now that Merrick isn’t what we thought they were. Committed to providing a quality dog food for our beloved pets.

  106. Avatar Of Brian Mink

    Brian Mink

    Sep 2, 2015 at 11:41 am

    Since the Merrick Family sold the company, frankly nothing they say in the way of guarantees as to ingredients and quality have any meaning. Nestle/Purina has a long history of producing cheap, toxic garbage an turning acquisitions into clones of their corporate mentality. Our dog loved and thrived on Merrick dry kibble. I won’t take a chance on anything owned by Nestle/Purina. Bye, Bye Merrick. Bad decision on your part; take your money and run and kiss your former customers goodbye.

  107. Avatar Of Lorri R

    Lorri R

    Aug 31, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    When GE bought the Family company I worked at and “assured” us that nothing would change, EVERYTHING changed! GE farmed our assembly work out of the country, quality went down the drain and they ran our previously Great company into the ground! Within 7years they had to lay off what was left of the entire staff. DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200. You have been had by yet another Corporate takeover. When does it stop?

  108. Avatar Of Ursula

    Ursula

    Aug 29, 2015 at 10:40 pm

    I was just telling someone today why I by Merricks for my dog, and I loved the company and the food they produce. When they went to the store to buy some, they were told about this news. 🙁 This will be my last bag of Merricks. I will NOT support any Purina product. (This coming from a Denver native, where Purina is made). Sorry – I’m out.

  109. Avatar Of P. Gatley

    P. Gatley

    Aug 29, 2015 at 8:35 pm

    We are so disappointed too!We are so tired of startig to trust a good dog kibble, then find our dogs suddenly very ill from trying to ingest the same brand, but now made with toxic crap by another purchasing company! We used Royal Canin for years, then suddenly it nearly killed both of our dogs. I have been cooking them home made kibble and they’re healthier, with shiny coats and lots of energy. I will continue to make large batches and keep the rest in the freezer when I need it. It’s even actually CHEAPER to cook using real turkey/chicken meat, brown rice, oats, omega 3 oil, lots of eggs and peas, bake it as a big meat loaf, then break it down to kibble size in containers. Your dogs deserve to eat REAL food and it will save on your vet bill too!!! Perhaps most Kibble has become a fairy tale we hoped to believe in, so we could save time, but cooking a large batch of kibble once a week becomes habit once you get into the routine. After all, it’s for your best friend!

    • Avatar Of Diane

      diane

      Sep 1, 2015 at 3:38 pm

      sounds like a great idea. is there an actual recipe to bake in a loaf?

  110. Avatar Of Stacy

    Stacy

    Aug 28, 2015 at 1:39 am

    Just switched my cockapoo to Fromm’s. My pet store informed me that he isn’t selling Merrick anymore due to the sale to purina. Same reason I don’t shop at Walmart! Big companies do bad things!

  111. Avatar Of Janice

    Janice

    Aug 27, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    Sorry, you lost me too! Gross-no way I can ever trust this company again. Nestle/Purina could care less about animal well- being. This is very sad news. Wrong move Merrick

  112. Avatar Of Marissa

    Marissa

    Aug 27, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    I rotate my cat foods so they have variety and only one cat refuses to touch Merrick. But with this buyout, we have bought our last bag of Merrik. It has happened to too many companies. A brand who really cares about quality andhealth would never be aassociated with Purina.

  113. Avatar Of Kate

    Kate

    Aug 23, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    This is dismaying news. I can’t think that Nestle cares anymore about animals than they do the babies in third world countries who die each year because of the way Nestle markets baby formula.

  114. Avatar Of Lisa

    Lisa

    Aug 23, 2015 at 12:27 pm

    I am sick over this news! Even though Merrick says they will still produce the same product, I don’t trust this. The corporate pressures from above could compromise quality and I won’t take the chance. Sorry Merrick but you’ve lost this customer.

  115. Avatar Of Paula

    Paula

    Aug 21, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    Nope I just bought my very last bag of whole earth farms kittenso I will be moving on to the next best thing see ya!!!

    • Avatar Of Paula

      paula

      Aug 26, 2015 at 12:08 pm

      I just bought my last bag off whole earth farms kitten also:(so disappointing

  116. Avatar Of Dawn

    Dawn

    Aug 20, 2015 at 8:01 am

    Just got a 25 lb bag of grain free salmon for my dog yesterday I found a 3 1/2 to 4 inch strip of rubber in the bag. Just found out that Purina bought Merrick Pet Care. Not sure if I will continue to buy Merrick now that I found out. If I wanted grocery store quality I would not be going to a high end pet food store I would go to the grocery store down the street. Have Phone of the rubber strip no way to load up on comments

  117. Avatar Of Becka

    Becka

    Aug 20, 2015 at 1:47 am

    My dog has been on Merrick forever and now I am researching to find a better company because I will not feed my dog anything from Purina even if they do promise they won’t change the ingredients…

  118. Avatar Of Terry

    terry

    Aug 18, 2015 at 4:11 pm

    Switch to PETc UREAN..an awsome. Canadian company

  119. Avatar Of Cheryl Durst

    Cheryl Durst

    Aug 15, 2015 at 10:25 pm

    I just don’t understand why Merrick would sell their company to Purina. Merrick Grain Free was a FIVE STAR rated dog food, no products what-so-ever from China included, and I’ve used it for almost eight years. Well, I don’t trust crappy Purina AT ALL so I’ll be switching my Standard Poodle to another brand of food. Now the researching starts to find another FIVE STAR rated food with no grain and no ingredients coming from outside the USA. Damn you, Merrick, if I must say so!

    • Avatar Of Terri

      Terri

      Aug 18, 2015 at 4:40 pm

      That’s exactly what I was thinking … what the heck .. why sell to Purina of all companies.

  120. Avatar Of Heather

    Heather

    Aug 12, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    Extremely disappointed with Merrick !!! Have been feeding my dogs Merrick for 7 years, will definately be switching . Sadly it all comes down to money and not the pet’s best interest. No Purina for my fur babies !!!

  121. Avatar Of Dr Patricia Kallenbach Holistic Dvm

    Dr Patricia Kallenbach Holistic DVM

    Aug 11, 2015 at 1:13 am

    I unfortunately agree with the masses. When Natura got purchased by Procture and Gamble in 2010 they made the same promises but a company that had never had a recall, voluntary or mandated, in over 25 years, suddenly had 3 full product recalls in less months, as full control approached in 2013, and they have dropped off of my shelves, my lectures to vets and my recommendations on line and elsewhere. I do not trust the company that makes the refuse based products and marked them as “food” to do anything other than exactly what they have been doing for the last 50 years, making crap and selling crap. Merrick will follow Bill Jack, Canidae, Royal Canid, Natura Products and others that got good enough to attract the attention of the big corporations who unfortunately have yet to prove the quality is worth a lower profit margin. We simply repeat the past of them buying a company that took decades to build a great reputation and tear it down. When P&G bought Natura they called me (I do national lectures to veterinarians about more natural, healthy diets) to assure me they were “dedicated to quality pet foods.” I asked when they would discontinue the production of Eukanuba as they could not in good faith be “dedicated to quality pet food” and still produce that food. They quickly ended the phone call.

  122. Avatar Of Michael Spooner

    Michael Spooner

    Aug 7, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    I lost my last Doberman Pincher to a very rare form of cancer. While we were trying to save Reno, the canine treatment specialist (who also wrote the treatment procedures for cancer in canine’s) and I discussed the root cause of my dog’s cancer, and the GIANT rise of cancer in dog’s in the last two decades, and he stated firmly that he believes that the processing of dog food is what he believes is the cause. I then stopped using ALL PURINA brand food’s and tried Blue, which my current Doberman does not like, and then I read about Merrick food. I tried it and he loves it and I know it’s good for him. I will have no choice but to look into another SAFE brand for him now, as I do not trust Purina as they plainly do not have anything on their minds except for the bottom dollar. Such a shame Merrick!!! You made a excellent product that you were proud of, now it’ll be just another unhealthy choice by Purina…. SHAME ON YOU!

    • Avatar Of Rebecca

      Rebecca

      Aug 11, 2015 at 8:40 pm

      Try Fromm’s never been recalled and my poms who are very picky love it. Good luck, Becky

  123. Avatar Of Holly Twitchell

    Holly Twitchell

    Aug 6, 2015 at 9:52 pm

    We will switch to another product immediately, or make our own. Nestle/Purina has no interest in animal well-being. Only profits. Bleh. so sad! We loved Merrick!

  124. Avatar Of Debbie

    Debbie

    Aug 6, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    I have used Merrick exclusively since 2007. I went to this food as one of my dogs was diagnosed with cancer and I started researching on how the foods we feed our pets can be the cause of many health issues. Grain free is very important for a cancer dog. Before the diagnosis I was using Purina Pro Plan as I did not realize what a difference a good diet makes to their health. So sad and disappointed to learn that they have sold out to Purina. I am switching to Weruva for now as I can no and will not feed a purina product to my pets! Sorry Merrick but you have let our dogs down.

  125. Avatar Of Vicki Maher

    Vicki Maher

    Aug 6, 2015 at 3:16 am

    I fed my Schipperkes Merrick Grain Free Real Chicken kibble for over 10 years. I switched to Acana Grasslands immediately after I heard that Merrick was sold to Nestle Purina. Very dumb move, Merrick!!!

  126. Avatar Of Karen

    Karen

    Aug 4, 2015 at 7:48 pm

    Nope. I will switch. And the shop I buy out cleared existing inventory and is discontinuing.

  127. Avatar Of Rhonda L Straw

    Rhonda L Straw

    Aug 3, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    I switched from Purina to Merrick when we got him. He’s a shelter dog, a mix, and allergic to gluten, corn and grain. I found this out when I fed him Purina and he broke out in a terrible rash. When I tried Purina grain free, he started itching again. I won’t buy Merrick. But I loved that Merrick stopped his itching. I found your article and immediately ordered Fromm’s from Amazon, cause I was about to go to the pet supply store and buy more Merrick. That’s where this is going. No way will I have another vet bill cause he’s itching from fillers, gluten, grains, corn. And maybe even GMO’s. I’m just really unhappy about Merrick’s choice.

  128. Avatar Of Michelle

    Michelle

    Aug 2, 2015 at 5:25 pm

    This is horrible, I too worked for a pet supply retail store and learned so much about the wholesome quality of merrick that I’m completely pissed at the company. Purina is so bad that they don’t even want to sell it in our store. I have two things that loves their merrick food, but now I’m going to have to switch to either blue buffalo or wellness core. Something that I hope neither companies will do.

  129. Avatar Of Sharpe

    Sharpe

    Aug 2, 2015 at 8:44 am

    Purina/nestle is careless corporate monster that does not care for pets or people. We have 8 dogs, 15 total including my children’s dogs, 3 cats and 9 horses. My wife operates a horse rescue and our dogs are rescues except for the three French Bulldogs. All animals receive Clean Food like Merrick was historically, but now it will be about profit not pride!

  130. Avatar Of Jane

    jane

    Aug 1, 2015 at 12:27 am

    Nestles grabs all the water from the CA desert, now it’s devouring the competitive dog food too?.
    They’re deadly parasites, get the spray can!

  131. Avatar Of Miss

    Miss

    Jul 30, 2015 at 11:11 am

    wow.

  132. Avatar Of Katy

    Katy

    Jul 30, 2015 at 11:04 am

    Wow. So thankful that I found thefarmersdog.com. I never really trusted these companies on their quality or “ingredients” anyhow! I’ll never not feed fresh food again. That way I can actually see what’s going in it.

  133. Avatar Of Genesis Landry

    genesis landry

    Jul 29, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    as a multiple dog owner and a constant dog fosterer, i get it, things change.

    still, i had so valued being able to get organic dog food from castor and pollux.
    no more.
    purina is simply not a trustworthy source.

    may just start home cooking because the search for wholesome food is getting to be more irritating than actually cooking the food myself.

    • Avatar Of Katy

      Katy

      Jul 30, 2015 at 11:07 am

      Yes! Just wrote about this. Check out The Farmer’s Dog – they’re life savers. They show you how to make the food at home with all the vitamins you need, or they make it for you and send it as a subscription. It can’t get better.

    • Avatar Of Victoria

      victoria

      Aug 4, 2015 at 11:45 am

      Check out Fromm, still family owned and no recalls since 1904, they have several lines including very budget friendly Gold line and grain free.

  134. Avatar Of Mary

    Mary

    Jul 29, 2015 at 10:54 am

    Shame on you Merrick! We bought your products because we trusted that you cared for our companions. Purina is like Iran they vow to do the right thing but behind close doors everything is off the table. If we as Consumers know how Purina conducts business and how awful their food is then you were aware of it also.!!!

  135. Avatar Of Mom Of Clover The Deaf Rescue Boxer

    Mom of Clover the Deaf Rescue Boxer

    Jul 28, 2015 at 4:25 pm

    Zignature has some good ingredients in it. zignature.com

  136. Avatar Of Mom Of Clover The Deaf Rescue Boxer

    Mom of Clover the Deaf Rescue Boxer

    Jul 28, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    We are done with Merrick. Merrick was a great brand of dog food and contained only wholesome ingredients. Our white boxer is allergic to everything. They say they won’t change the ingredients just like they are telling people Beneful is safe to feed your dog.

    No thanks, you just lost a longtime valued customer here and we run a Facebook page to help save deaf animals. We always recommended Merrick, no more.

  137. Avatar Of April

    april

    Jul 28, 2015 at 9:20 am

    I am very sad by the news that merrick sold out to purina. I will be finding a different food as well. I work for a large pet supply retail store and I can only push product I believe In. What I believe is that puri a will ruin this once great dog food like they do with all there products just so the company can make more of a profit. It is very sad because my dogs love this food. My gsd coats are so soft and shinny. I know personally the sales of this food on my store will decline as my customers trust me when selecting a food for their dogs. Very sad about your decision merrick.

  138. Avatar Of Lindah

    LindaH

    Jul 27, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    They’ll continue to make their food as usual with no changes just like they promise. That is, until Purina starts insisting they make their foods with lower-quality ingredients (and from China) in order to increase the bottom line. It may not happen next week or even next year, but, IMO, it will happen.

    • Avatar Of Carolyn Swan

      Carolyn Swan

      Mar 12, 2018 at 5:43 pm

      I think it’s happened.
      Been getting the ONE catfood that won’t make my cat throw up, or get a UTI.
      The last case I ordered is completely different consistancy, more watery and my cat is not eating it up like usual.
      Typically I would think it was just an odd batch. But knowing Merrick was purchased, I susoect this is the new normal. Bummer! Time to make my own, I guess.

  139. Avatar Of Cindy Beason

    Cindy Beason

    Jul 26, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    As a small retailer I remember when the CEO told all the independents if we carried his food and educated the public on the benefits of Merrick he promised he would Always “dance with who brought him” meaning he would never go into the big boxes. Well that promise did not stand so therefore I am concerned that the current promises may be well intended but in the real world? Let’s wait and see.

  140. Avatar Of Knitbunnie

    knitbunnie

    Jul 26, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    No to Nestle/Purina/Merrick – we’ll feed Fromm’s until they sell out, too. So darned sad.

  141. Avatar Of Cheryl

    Cheryl

    Jul 26, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    Just found out about the Merrick buyout! Devastated! Myself, my daughter and various friends will NOT be using Merrick anymore! No way quality will stay the same! Just purchased a few other brands and got samples from my local pet store so I can find something new! VERY bad decision Merrick! If I wanted Purina I would have used Purina!

  142. Avatar Of Ss

    SS

    Jul 26, 2015 at 10:37 am

    Don’t forget Nestle is a criminal enterprise. Call Merrick and let them know what you think and tell them to disclose the terms of the agreement already: 1-800-664-7387

  143. Avatar Of Jan Shive

    Jan Shive

    Jul 25, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    No more Merrick for me. This is the second time a large company bought a brand “Evo” I liked and my pets liked. They changed not for the better. I’m going to find another company with a quality food for my pets.

  144. Avatar Of Katherine Deforest

    Katherine DeForest

    Jul 25, 2015 at 2:22 pm

    MERRICK IS OUT OF MY CUPBOARD FOREVER.

    NOTHING BUT BLUE BUFFALO SINCE I GOT THIS NEWS ON FB! I TRUSTED MERRICK FROM THE DAY THE CLERK AT THE PET FOOD STORE RECOMMENDED IT. NO TO PURINA…NO, NO, NO.

    • Avatar Of Anne Barrow

      Anne Barrow

      Apr 24, 2016 at 11:22 am

      Before you start feeding BB, Google “Blue Buffalo consumer affairs complaints”, and find out about all the BB customers whose dogs have sickened and died from eating BB….over 1000 complaints and rising…….BB is having major quality control issues.

  145. Avatar Of Katherine Deforest

    Katherine DeForest

    Jul 25, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    DONE! NO MORE MERRICK FOR MY DOG. I’m so furious I can hardly think straight. I placed so much trust in Merrick products for my pets…NOTHING BUT BLUE BUFFALO FROM NOW ON!!!

  146. Avatar Of Ailsa

    Ailsa

    Jul 25, 2015 at 11:33 am

    This is the very reason why I began to make my own dog food for my 4+ year cancer survivor border collie. Too many recalls, too many just-for-profit dog food companies sourcing the cheapest, easiest and most filling ingredients regardless of quality, healthfulness and purity. I used to buy Merrick, though, and will now tell all my friends to avoid it. Really, do the owners of Merrick not understand how this is resonating with dog lovers? The name Purina is synonymous with junk.

  147. Avatar Of Pati

    Pati

    Jul 24, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    Nope, not now, but for those trying to find something safe, check out this review of dog foods. A lot of research went into this review and not many made the cut. Even Merrick didn’t make the cut (due to excessive recalls)
    reviews.com/dog-food/

  148. Avatar Of Raphael

    Raphael

    Jul 24, 2015 at 2:53 pm

    Really?! I’ve been feeding JoJo, my 9 year old Golden Retriever, Merrick Grain-Free Real Buffalo & Sweet Potato ever since I found out that she had a grain allergy when she was 18 months old. I will somewhat begrudgingly be transitioning her over to another grain-free formula. I just did a quick search for similar products and found a grain-free buffalo and whitefish formula from Health Extension. Has anyone heard of this brand? Skimming through reviews and information, they look like a quality brand. Sorry Merrick…

  149. Avatar Of Jessica Weidner

    Jessica Weidner

    Jul 24, 2015 at 4:16 am

    My GSD’s have been on Merricks since they were pups. I was turned onto them specifically because they were NOT Purina and a family owned company. Not to mention the food is extremely healthy for your animals. Now they sold-out to a company who works in shady business?!?!?! It doesn’t make sense! Bad move Merricks….. VERY BAD MOVE!!!!! I will have to change my dogs over to Fromm. Hopefully this will show other trusted dog food companies that selling out to shady corporate businesses is a for sure way to get rid of all your loyal customers. I’m very sad.

  150. Avatar Of Joy

    Joy

    Jul 23, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    I have been purchasing Merrick wet and dry food for 5+ years. Now I will look for an alternative. I will not add to the profits of a company that produces inferior pet food and one that is involved in litigation because of their products. I have 3 dogs, I purchase a lot of food in a month.

  151. Avatar Of Steve

    Steve

    Jul 23, 2015 at 5:38 pm

    I’m using my LAST bag of MERRICK to gradually switch my two Border Collies to NUTRISCA. And by last I mean last!

  152. Avatar Of Frances

    Frances

    Jul 23, 2015 at 4:42 pm

    Won’t be buying Merrick again. Such a shame the sold out.

  153. Avatar Of Kathy Farmer

    kathy farmer

    Jul 23, 2015 at 1:08 pm

    No, I will quit buying Merrick. They may still be good for awhile, but we all know the future. The bottom line is more money for the CEO’s, not your dog.

  154. Avatar Of Karen

    karen

    Jul 23, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    I feed my dog Orijen – he loves and and is very healthy.

  155. Avatar Of Casey

    Casey

    Jul 23, 2015 at 11:43 am

    My family has been using Merrick for years. We loved that we knew it was made in the USA and had all its ingredients from the USA. Even if I believed that nothing would change, I CANNOT support Purina. Now I’m just looking for a similar level grain free dog food to switch to. I’m thinking about wellness. Any suggestions?

  156. Avatar Of Lisa

    Lisa

    Jul 23, 2015 at 6:56 am

    If they do not plan on making any changes the why sell….oh wait here’s why….the almighty dollar wins and Merrick has sold it’s soul to the devil and dog killers!

  157. Avatar Of Megan

    Megan

    Jul 23, 2015 at 12:21 am

    I use kibble for food dispensers and for training treats. Merrick Grain Free has been more go-to brand for myself and that I recommend to training clients for a couple years. I don’t trust a candy company to make good pet food. No more Merrick for us.

  158. Avatar Of Mariann Mccarthy

    Mariann McCarthy

    Jul 22, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    Absolutely nothing will convince my husband or myself to buy our once loved and trusted Merrick dog food again since selling out to Purina and Nestle! Extremely disappointed! Shame on them!

  159. Avatar Of Alain Jammot

    alain jammot

    Jul 22, 2015 at 9:14 pm

    Too late I have changed and several owners I know will not buy anymore.Tought luck.

  160. Avatar Of Tricia

    Tricia

    Jul 22, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    I was feeling Merrick to my german Shepherd Chief. I switched him to Fromm today. I will not feed him anything associated with Purina I don’t care what Merrick says. They lost my trust and I will not stick around and wait to see if purina keeps merrick the same or if they change it and my boy gets sick. No more Merrick ever for us!

  161. Avatar Of Brenda

    Brenda

    Jul 22, 2015 at 1:17 pm

    Merrick will never be in my home agIn. If they were seriously caring about the quality of pet food the last company they should partner with is Purina. I don’t trust Purina through all the toxic pet foods they have put out there. It will eventually affect Merrick quality and I don’t want my fur babies to be another statistic for Purina

  162. Avatar Of Trish Cescolini

    Trish Cescolini

    Jul 22, 2015 at 11:49 am

    Very sad to read this. We have fed our dogs both Merrick and Castor & Pollux. Will not buy these again now that they have been sold to Purina. Have already bought new food to slowly start the switch. Why destroy such a good thing?

  163. Avatar Of Andrea

    Andrea

    Jul 22, 2015 at 9:38 am

    I Just went back to Merrick after Blue Buffalo pulled there misrepresentation of their product.
    Now I will have to switch my dogs food again. Sure wish Fromms or Acana was more readily available locally.
    No I will not use MERRICK

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