Backcountry Chicken-Free Raw Infused Pacific Catch Recipe with Healthy Grains Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Merrick Backcountry Chicken-Free Raw Infused Pacific Catch Recipe with Healthy Grains is a dry dog food built around salmon, and it includes raw-infused pieces.
This recipe features a strong protein profile, with salmon as the primary ingredient, which means it offers high biological value. It also uses quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber, and the fat sources are named and of good quality.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult dogs, especially those needing a chicken-free diet or preferring grain-inclusive raw-infused food. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for lower-energy giant working breeds, including the Saint Bernard, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Salmon anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. Worth watching: calorie density (477 kcal/cup) is rich for a lower-activity breed. Based on 3,363 OFA cardiac screenings, 1.0% of Saint Bernards had abnormal findings. Dilated cardiomyopathy and subaortic stenosis are noted heritable cardiac diseases in the breed (OFA) .
Looking at this for adult Saint Bernards or Saint Bernards with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 4 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed · diet composition· cited in 3 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
- OFAcardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 76/100, landing in A-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+24 points): Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Also adding to the lift: carbohydrate quality (+13). Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 3% for protein quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (24.2/27)
- Top 10% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (36.0%)
- Top 10% for caloric density in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (477 kcal/cup)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5oat meal
Alternate spelling of oatmeal. Gentle whole grain, steady carb energy, soluble fiber.
- 6protein animalwhitefish meal
Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 7: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 8pork fat preserved with mixed tocopherols
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11protein animalwhitefish
Real fish meat. Lean protein with a clean amino acid profile.
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 14fibermiscanthus grass
Perennial grass used as a fiber source. Replaces cellulose in some recipes. Functional but unremarkable.
Position 14: trace fiber inclusion.
- 15dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 16mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 18tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20mineralzinc amino acid complex
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 21mineraliron amino acid complex
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 22mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
- 23mineralmanganese amino acid complex
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 24mineralcopper amino acid complex
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 25mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 28. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.