Merrick Grain Free Senior Chicken and Sweet Potato (Senior, Dry)
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Ingredients (verbatim, per manufacturer product page): Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Turkey Meal, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Dried Yeast, Sunflower Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Apples, Blueberries, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Calcium Iodate), L-Carnitine, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Mixed Tocopherols for Freshness.
Guaranteed analysis (as fed, per manufacturer): Crude Protein (min) 30%, Crude Fat (min) 12%, Crude Fiber (max) 3.50%, Moisture (max) 11%, Taurine (min) 0.17%, Omega-6 fatty acids (min) 2.60%, Omega-3 fatty acids (min) 0.30%, Glucosamine (min) 400 mg/kg, Chondroitin Sulfate (min) 400 mg/kg, L-Carnitine 100 mg/kg. Merrick notes that the starred nutrients are not recognised as essential by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. AAFCO: this recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance of a dog's adult life stage.
Two transcription notes, both the maker's own. The published ingredient list ends with the string 2C38494, which is a print or batch code rather than an ingredient, so it is excluded above. In the guaranteed analysis Merrick stars Taurine, the omegas, glucosamine, chondroitin and L-Carnitine as not AAFCO-essential, but Omega-3 fatty acids is printed without the star that its siblings all carry, which looks like a typesetting slip rather than a nutritional claim. Note also that the AAFCO statement is a maintenance statement: despite the Senior name, the label does not claim a separate senior life stage, because AAFCO recognises no senior profile.
Consolidated from publicly available manufacturer information (links above), compiled Oct 29, 2026. Not tested or evaluated by Sniff and Shift. Not medical advice, verify on current packaging and consult your veterinarian.
Questions about Merrick Grain Free Senior Real Chicken and Sweet Potato
What are the first ingredients?
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas. The full list is on the spec sheet above.
How much protein and fat does it have?
Crude protein 30% minimum and crude fat 12% minimum, as fed, with calorie content of 3603 kcal/kg and 382 kcal/cup on the label PDF.
Is it approved as a senior food?
No, and no food is. The label carries an AAFCO maintenance statement for adult dogs. AAFCO publishes no senior nutrient profile, so Senior here is a marketing name, not a life stage claim.
What does it add for older dogs?
Against Merrick's adult recipes this one guarantees L-Carnitine at 100 mg/kg and runs a lower fat minimum of 12%, with glucosamine and chondroitin each guaranteed at 400 mg/kg minimum.
Where do these numbers come from?
Ingredients and guarantees are transcribed from Merrick's own product page, and the AAFCO statement and calorie content from the label PDF Merrick links from it. Both are linked above.
Source: Merrick product page and the label PDF (merrickpetcare.com). Figures are the maker's published values; check the bag for the current label.
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