Grain Free Dry Dog Food Backcountry Bone Broth Coated Kibble Heartlands Recipe With Beef and Bison
Graded by The Sniff System
Merrick Grain Free Dry Dog Food Backcountry Bone Broth Coated Kibble Heartlands Recipe With Beef and Bison is a dry food featuring beef, chicken, turkey, and bison.
This food has a strong protein profile, with beef as the first ingredient, which means good biological value for your dog. It also includes premium micronutrient forms like chelated minerals. The formula appears to meet AAFCO nutritional standards.
There are no notable negative drivers or flagged ingredients to watch out for with this formula.
Good fit for adult dogs of any size. 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 adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: taurine listed as added ingredient. Beef anchors position 1, with 2 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (peas at position 5, pea protein at position 11). 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) .
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 65/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+20.5 points): Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: AAFCO compliance (+4 points). AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer. What's keeping it out of A-tier: carbohydrate quality (8 of 16 possible). Full carbohydrate quality requires whole-grain or single-source carbohydrates with a declared fermentable fiber.
Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest crude fiber in Merrick's lineup (3.9% DMB)
- Top 4% for caloric density in Merrick's lineup (522 kcal/cup)
- Bottom 1% for carb quality in Merrick's lineup (8/16)
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 Backcountry Chicken-Free Raw Infused Pacific Catch Recipe with Healthy Grains Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Scores 11 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Merrick Real Beef + Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Chicken-Free Adult Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
$3.13/lb vs your seed's $4.59/lb (32% less) at a comparable score.
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 animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 4protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5legumepeas
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 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 8: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10protein animalbison
Real meat, leaner than beef. Used as a novel protein, mostly in premium formulas.
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 11. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 12beef bone broth
Real bone broth. Adds flavor, moisture, and a small amount of collagen. Pleasant inclusion.
Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 13fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
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.
- 16beef hearts
- 17protein animalbeef liver
Organ meat. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients available, rich in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A.
- 18mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 19mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 20supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 21mineralzinc amino acid complex
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 22mineraliron amino acid complex
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 23mineralsodium 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 →
- 24mineralmanganese amino acid complex
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 25mineralcopper amino acid complex
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
Showing first 25 of 31. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.