Favorites Variety Pack Adult Grain-Free Turkey Chicken & Beef Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Merrick Favorites Variety Pack is a grain-free wet food for adult dogs, featuring recipes with turkey, chicken, and beef as primary proteins.
This variety pack offers good protein quality, with deboned chicken providing solid amino acid coverage in one recipe. It also includes quality fat sources, like marine oil for EPA and DHA, and ingredients like dried egg product for diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The formula contains guar gum, an emulsifier that receives a minor penalty due to emerging microbiome data, though there's no canine clinical evidence of harm.
Good fit for adult dogs who enjoy a variety of wet food flavors. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) . Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Grammy's pot pie: deboned chicken anchors position 1, with one pulse (peas at position 7).
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers 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 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 61/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 15.5 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. grammy's pot pie: deboned chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Where it lost ground: controversial-ingredient penalty, costing 5 points. Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food.
Reasonable protein quality. grammy's pot pie: deboned chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Top 10% for crude fiber in Merrick's lineup (10.0% DMB)
- Bottom quartile for protein quality in Merrick's lineup (15.7/27)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in grain-free wet foods (61/100)
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.
Merrick Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Wilderness Blend, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Scores 6 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Merrick Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Turducken, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
$4.76/lb vs your seed's $5.04/lb (5% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 44%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1grammy's pot pie: deboned chicken
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2chicken broth
Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 5vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7legumepeas
Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 9fiberagar agar
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 11: trace plant protein.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 14sodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 15mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 16mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 17cobalt proteinate
Cobalt bound to protein. Trace mineral needed for vitamin B12 synthesis, chelated form for better absorption.
- 18mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 19mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 20mineralsodium 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 →
- 21mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 22mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 23mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 24fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 25mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
Showing first 25 of 93. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.