New Merrick Cat Food - No Carrageenan

[Nancey]

Okay so I have been looking for a new food that does not contain the carrageenan, currently I feed Merrick Bistro Pates, which do contain carrageenan. I went to there website to send them a email about no longer buying it due to it containing that ingredient and what do I find but a new food "Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet" coming soon. It DOES NOT contain carrageenan, here are the ingredients, does anyone see anything else in here that might be of concern? Thoughts appreciated....

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Calcium Carbonate, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Sodium Phosphate, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Flaxseed Oil, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract.

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein (min) 8%
Crude Fat (min) 4%
Crude Fiber (max) 1.4%
Moisture (max) 78%
Taurine (min) 0.2%
Ash (max) 3%

 

[BJM]

See if you can get the info on a dry matter basis, rather than the guaranteed analysis. That would let us calculate percent of calories from protein, fat, and carbohydrate. (There is some carbohydrate in liver, stored as glycogen).

 

[Jan and Katie]

If the stated percentages are correct the dry matter carbs are 25.45%. No wonder we have an epidemic of feline diabetes with pet food companies producing this kind of crappy food. Shame on Merrick, they know what they are selling and the consequences to our pets health. Hope everyone who reads this will email Merrick and make your feelings known.

 

[Nancey]

If the stated percentages are correct the dry matter carbs are 25.45%. No wonder we have an epidemic of feline diabetes with pet food companies producing this kind of crappy food. Shame on Merrick, they know what they are selling and the consequences to our pets health. Hope everyone who reads this will email Merrick and make your feelings known.

@Jan and Katie How did you come up with the dry matter carbs? I have emailed Merrick to for more info, waiting for a response, will post when I get the data. But in the mean time if you can tell me how you came with that number, would be great.

Thanks

I remembered reading the statement below on Dr Lisa's food list, so wondering what others think about it and if Dry Matter Basis really is something to calculate.

"I recommend that the reader ignore the Dry Matter Basis data and just focus on the Calorie values – the frst 4 columns. Most nutritionists prefer to consider nutrients on an energy (calorie) basis but dry matter fgures are included for those readers who prefer to evaluate foods on a DMB. Going forward in this document's dialog, I will be referring to calorie basis, not DMB."

 

[Steph]

I feed mine all the Merricks that are "low" carb: duck, beef, surf and turf pates, plus Grammy's pot pie. I got numbers from the cat info site's list of wet food. Hate to hear this is an error on my part...

 

[Nancey]

@Steph , I don't think you are in error. I use the first 4 columns of data and the very last column. The 3rd column that shows %Carb is the one I really used the most, it along with looking at the ingredients helps me pick the food. And yes it shows all the Merrick Pates below 10% carbs. I am hoping Jan comes back and tells me how she came up with that dry matter % for the new line of food Merrick is coming out with soon.

 

[SabrinaFaire]

The data on those sites might be outdated as Merrick changed their formula about 18 months ago.

 

[Steph]

@Nancey: Thank you. I have been away for a while...Meow.

 

[billysmom (GA)]

The data on those sites might be outdated as Merrick changed their formula about 18 months ago.

The catinfo chart says in the merrick section that the data for the perfect bistro varieties was updated in may 2014.

 

[Lisa and Merlyn (GA)]

Please be aware that some Merrick products have outrageous phosphorus values, and there are NO phosphorus values listed for the Perfect Bistro line in dr. Lisas chart. I seem to remember they were on her **** list a while back because they wouldn't give her any DME info or the % of calories. I guess she did get something from them but not the phos. Makes me very nervous that their BG 96% chicken is 341 mgs /100 kcals. That carb percentage of 25-45% seems too high as theres nothing in it that could be spiking the carbs that much. Ohhh I guess the organic alfalfa meal could do it...