# Merrick Canned Food Discovery



## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

So recently, I was feeding my baby the Merrick canned food, and I found a piece of what looked like a sticker that was probably on an apple or something. Then, in the same can, I found an apple seed. Now maybe I was over-reacting, but aren't apple seeds toxic? And I know that paper isn't going to kill a dog, but why the heck would a company that boasts about how high quality their products are put in trash? I was pretty appalled and infuriated. Let me just tell you, Merrick canned food is not cheap either. I just wanted to ask you guys for your thoughts. Please let me know. Thanks! =)


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## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

Wow, that's crazy. And yes, apple seeds are very toxic to dogs, they contain cyanide. This just shows that they probably chuck in the whole apple, without even peeling the stickers off or coring the apple  I would call the company and complain, for sure.


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

I just wrote a very lengthy and detailed e-mail to the company. If this doesn't do anything, I plan on calling them too because thats just ridiculous. I've been feeding my dog this stuff for months now. It just makes me mad...
Thanks for your suggestion!


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## SunnyFLMum (Apr 21, 2005)

Definately call the number and inquire about it. Merrick canned isn't that cheap, their are cheaper ones where you won't find seeds or paper. I hope you saved the can.


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

I didn't save the can actually, but I'm sure I'll find it again. I mean if that's the way they are making their products, just by chucking in the entire apple, seeds, stickers and all, then I'm sure there will be more cans with the crap in it. Thanks for your suggestion. I think I will give them a call this weekend...


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## CM Katie (Sep 28, 2005)

I'd be interested to hear what they say! I can't believe they'd throw in the entire apple, let alone with the sticker on still. But especially because of the traces of cyanide in apple seeds. What are these crazy people thinking?


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## Sariss (Jan 22, 2006)

It takes a large amount of apple seeds to harm a dog, but still.... I look forward to hearing their response!


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

Sariss said:


> It takes a large amount of apple seeds to harm a dog, but still.... I look forward to hearing their response!


That's what I thought too, but just the fact that they're toxic makes me mad. I mean you should see their website...they boast about how gourmet their canned products are and that it's like a five star gourmet meal...and I'm like HA! A five star gourmet meal laced with cyanide!! I am definitely going to call them and complain. I will let you all know what they say. Thanks for all your replies you guys!! =)


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

So I just called and left them a message, and they will be calling me back. I will let you guys know what they have to say about my discovery.


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## iluvmyvikin (Aug 24, 2005)

I'm so sorry 
I really hope it was a fluke!
How's Minky btw??


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## Krista (Dec 29, 2005)

Just thought I'd add, it may take a lot of apple seeds to poison a dog, but really, you don't know how many apple seeds are in the can. Also, it's not just the seeds, but the core as well. If they are throwing in whole apples, about half the apple is poisonous. All mashed, blended, and pureed, you probably wouldn't even notice all the seeds. It's probably just this time, a seed wasn't mixed properly, so it was found. The other seeds could be all blended up, and there could be more there than you realize. I'd use caution feeding a food that throws in the whole apple, there's no telling how many mashed seeds are hidden in there.


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## Moka-papa (Jan 30, 2006)

I probably shouldn't add this, but a rumor has it that Merrick, with all their hype about gourmet meals, was found using road-kill in their dog food. I know I read this somewhere, but can't verify if it's true.

I'm not sure if others know about this, but it really bothered me to hear that and now THIS!

I guess what bothers me the most is all the hype on their webiste about how great their stuff is, making it sound like it is good enough for a Sunday dinner with the folks. And then people fine apple seeds, labels, junk!


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## Clek1430 (Mar 7, 2006)

Kimmie did you ever hear back from Merrick? 

Moka the rumor you heard is untrue if it was true you would have seen the proof by now. In a perfect world with perfect people you would not find anything in your dog food but the bottom line is there are alot of these cans beng made everyday there is going to be someone along the way that makes a mistake. If you look at it the other way at least you knew what was in your dog food and can see what went wrong. If your food would have been chopped up and mixed all together you would never have seen the apple seed or the label. Makes you wonder what could be in your dog food.


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## iluvmyvikin (Aug 24, 2005)

Clek1430 said:


> If your food would have been chopped up and mixed all together you would never have seen the apple seed or the label. Makes you wonder what could be in your dog food.


That is SCARY! :shock:


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

Minky's doing very well. My roommate's dog (a jack russell) came home after being away for two months, and Minky loves having a canine friend. The size difference worries me a bit though, as the jack russell is about 12 lbs. And can you believe, that dog's name is Pinky. Anyways, Minky's been having an "off period" where she doesn't really want to eat her food. She eventually eats, but she doesn't seem to have as much of an appetite. I guess it's just a phase. I'm planning on trying out Timberwolf Organics the Southwestern Chicken and Herb or something like that? I'll let you know how that goes. Right now she's on Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul and Innova. I hope Beanie and Freia are doing well! =)


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## iluvmyvikin (Aug 24, 2005)

I really like the Chicken Soup food.. it's less "smelly" 
Beenie and Freia are doing great! Freia's a GIANT tho! I weighed her Saturday she's a whopping 15.3 pounds! *eek*

Anyways- I hope that Merrick does something about the incident you had! 
I'm glad you found the seeds before she ate them!!


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

Wowie..15.3 lbs...she's a big girl!! I'm glad to hear that your babies are doing well. I'm really glad that I found the seed too before I gave it to Minky. It just really makes me wonder what's in these dog foods. It's like which brand can we REALLY trust, ya know? Well, I should be hearing back from them soon, so I will let you know what they have to say about this whole incident. =)


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

Just wanted to share with you all what they had to say:

"We realize that you purchase Merrick Pet Care for our high quality food and we appreciate your patronage. 

We are sorry to hear that apple seeds and remnants of the sticker was found in product. I assure you that steps have been taken internally to address this issue and this information has been reported to our Quality Assurance department. 

I certainly understand your concern and I assure you this is an isolated issue. For your comfort level, I consulted our nutritionist regarding the apple seeds and he stated that apples seeds do contain a minute amount of cyanide that would released from ingesting a few seeds and is very unlikely to cause and toxicity or harm to the animal. It would take a really large amount of seeds to cause any harm to occur. I also did some research on the internet and found confirmation of this information. 

I would be happy to send you a complimentary coupon for a free case of food. Please provide the following information and I will mail it to you. 

The Best By date and the series of numbers that appear below the Best By date (Lot #) on the product you purchased. This information is extremely important for our research. 

The name of the store where you purchased the food 

Your mailing address and a daytime telephone number 

I want to assure you that we take your comments seriously and thank you for taking the time to let us know your concerns." 

So I guess they did take this very seriously, and I'm glad that this is an isolated case. Thanks guys!! =)


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## iluvmyvikin (Aug 24, 2005)

wowee!! a WHOLE CASE?? :shock:

wow that is awesome!

well i guess the case won't matter unless u still want to use their food but that's expensive!

Freia and Beenie are happy that Minky is doing well!


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

i know!! I was like a WHOLE CASE?? Wooohoo!! I think I will give them another shot, since they claim it was an isolated incident. I like giving people second chances, although I'm not willing to jeopardize my baby's health. I think their canned food products are safe though. I have been feeding my baby the canned food for about 5-6 months now, and she's perfectly healthy. Well, I'm glad to hear that Beanie and Freia are doing well too. Minky sends them kissies <3


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## iluvmyvikin (Aug 24, 2005)

It's really the best canned food I've come across. I dont' cringe when I take the top off of the can, nor when putting it in a bowl! *lol*
I hope so much that this doesn't happen much and it seems nice that they researched it also!
But most importantly it's great that you have such a good eye! 

ps- when can u post more pix of Minky! she's too gorgeous!


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

I totally agree about the Merrick canned food. I've felt confident in the quality of food until this happened of course. But it's weird because I always see things if they're not supposed to be there. And plus, since it's for my baby, I put on my microscopic lenses and look extra carefully. hehe.

Actually, my roommate said that I could use her digital camera whenever I want to, so I plan on taking lots of pics this weekend. I will either send you a private message and send pics that way, or I'll post them on a new thread. That's so sweet of you to compliment Minky, but if I may say so myself, she's quite a heartbreaker. haha. I've had so many odd offers on her it's not even funny. People ask me if they can breed their dog with Minky, and I'm like, No, thank you! She's spayed!! There are some odd people out there. hehe. Anyways, I'm glad your cuties are doing so well. We're really lucky to have such healthy chis. =)


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## iluvmyvikin (Aug 24, 2005)

*hehe* that's so funny! her and Freia can make a club! Freia is definately a heartbreaker too.. She's such a girl.. She will sulk for a while if she doesn't get her way etc.. But she just longs for you to call her to come up and be petted.. go figure!
Can't wait to see new pix of Minky! I bet she's grown TONS from the pix I got a while back!


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## kimmiek915 (Oct 4, 2005)

I know what you mean. Minky really likes guys for some reason. For example, when my b/f comes over, she is ALL OVER HIM! It's the cutest thing ever. Minky is very very spoiled, and at times, it worries me because she will whine and whine and jump up and down until she gets her way. Of course I have no one to blame but myself. Anways, I will definitely have new pics of Minky for you this weekend. I'm going to take tons and tons of pics. So excited... =)


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

I know this thread is SUPER old, but I just found it while doing a google search. We've recently switched to Merrick wet food for Odie, and I found two apple seeds in the food! I just emailed them to see what they have to say. It sucks paying the extra cash for a higher quality food when you have to search for seeds in it before feeding your dog. I know a couple of seeds probably wouldn't do anything to her, but really, how do I know that? I'd like to 100% avoid her ingesting anything remotely toxic.


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## pjknust (Oct 26, 2011)

I researched this out a few years back. I cant even remember the name of their 'cheaper' dog food, but If I remember correctly, they have a huge slaughter house here in TX and there is lots of DIRT on this guy. 
Ok, just did a search on Garth Merrick, found this (below), so just google and follow the trail and you will find out how wonderful this food really is.
""****************************
Do a little research on a company called Tejas Industries and you will begin to see why. I called the "plant" telephone number for Tejas Industries and talked to a supervisor working out in the plant. I asked him if they made pet food and he said yes. I asked which brands they make and he told me they make both Merrick 5 Star and Beef'n More pet food. He said they use the same ingredients in both foods. Beef'n More is a food that sells at Sam's Club for 49 cents for a large can. Tejas Industries is a rendering plant owned by Garth Merrick. You do the math.""


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## Timmysmom (Jan 30, 2010)

Very interesting thread. I feed Timmy 96% chicken Before Grain by Merrick. He is a very picky eater.

He will not eat anything that looks like a stew, ie peas, carrots, yams. He would rather starve.

So he loves his BG chicken by Merrick.

But this company is driving me crazy. One can I buy is so full of water its like very watery mushy baby food. And he will not eat that whatsoever. Next time its great and no problem, hardly any water. But there is absolutely no consistency with this company. Even the expiry date is the same on two very different mixtures.

So now when I buy the cans I stand there....like a crazy person...shaking each can to make sure that I dont buy the one full of water. And even that is not foolproof, I have spent countless dollars on cans that I have to throw out.

Maybe I should call the company as well and express my huge displeasure with their inconsistency.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

KrystalLeigh, this REALLY annoys me too! Many people on this forum are sick of my search for a dog food and I finally settled on Merrick canned food and now this! I googled Garth Merrick and even though all that was in 2007 I don't like that kind of negativity concerning something I am going to feed Lulu. I had bought cans of Blue Buffalo which is also a 5 star food, but on a dog food website I did not like some of the comments some people said about BB so I ultimately went with Merrick. Now I may reconsider.


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

lulu'smom said:


> KrystalLeigh, this REALLY annoys me too! Many people on this forum are sick of my search for a dog food and I finally settled on Merrick canned food and now this! I googled Garth Merrick and even though all that was in 2007 I don't like that kind of negativity concerning something I am going to feed Lulu. I had bought cans of Blue Buffalo which is also a 5 star food, but on a dog food website I did not like some of the comments some people said about BB so I ultimately went with Merrick. Now I may reconsider.


I'm currently giving this forum a read on the subject: Consider This Before Feeding Merick. Mind you, it's from 2007, but there's some interesting points on there. It's so back and forth! It's such a bummer, because Odie really likes it! And there are so many different kinds to keep variety in her diet. I'm going to wait and see what they say about the apple seeds and then do a little more research.

Edited to say that we're probably reading this same page! Haha


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## Vampy Vera (Nov 3, 2011)

I just read through that thread and of course its all very alarming, but my question is, has there been any improvement over the years?

I just switched Monty and JJ off of Cesar to Merrick. I tried WeRuVa as well, but they seem to like the Merrick more. I thought I was going in the right direction, and I did some research on ratings, etc. I guess I'll have to do more research. I thought Merrick was rated well.


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## Chi Nation (Mar 7, 2012)

I used to feed my boys the Wellness canned food when they where puppies... Wellness® Just For Puppy until i found apple seeds in it as well.


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

Ick... stories like this are why I just don't trust any company to make my dogs food. =(


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

What do you do Kat? Do you feed raw or homemade? I also talked to the holistic vet where I went today to get Lulu's Kona's chips, and she said she had fed her dogs Merrick in the past--believed it to be a good food. Now we did not have an in depth talk, and we were interupted alot so I don't want anyone to think pet food is her philosophy--that was just a statement she made. Her vet tech also said you don't know what your feeding your pet from any company which really is true. Funny thing, I went and bought a few cans of Wellness until I could make up my mind, and EastGreenChi found apple seed in can...ugghh! Thought about Taste of the Wild, but the canned food is high in carbs. Will that put weight on Lulu? I don't know? She's not really active. I am very frustrated to have to go back to the drawing board, but KrystalLeigh I think I was reading that thread when you were, and I'm like you--it was several years ago but it made me uncomfortable. Once the seed of doubt has been planted I don't feel good about it anymore.


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## Nala (Feb 23, 2012)

Glad to know about this. We used to feed our
chi mix Merrick but it gave her some bad 
diahrhea. So we switched her back to her regular
fare. Now, we know she has bad skin allergies
so she eat hypoallergenic dog food. But I had
always heard that Merrick was very good, it sure
doesn't sound like it now.


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

Okay guys. I got a reply back:

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Hello Krystal,


Thank you for emailing us. I certainly do apologize you have had a bad experience with our canned dog food. I wanted to let you know that we do core are apples before they are put in the food. I do apologize that some seeds have gotten into the cans of food. I was wondering if there was any way you could provide me with the best by date and lot number of the can. I wanted to let you know I have reported this to our quality control team and with the above information we can do a thorough investigation on the can. I would be more than happy to replace the two cans for you that you had to get the apple seeds out of, if you will provide me with your mailing address, I would love to send those out for you. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.

Thanks,

Andrea Webb

Merrick Pet Care

-----------------------------

I think i'm going to continue feeding it for now, while I do some more research. It _is_ a highly rated food, and it's listed as a great option for diabetic dogs (not that I have one). I'm going to do a super search when I have more time and try to get to the bottom of this!


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

I am going to agree with you KrystalLeigh. I am going to continue feeding Lulu Merrick for now. Since we both last posted my experience has been that I went and bought a few cans of Wellness to try that (I do not have confidence in Blue Buffalo which would be my other choice because of things I have read on internet). Lulu ate it great last night at her normal evening feeding time and even left some in the bowl so I know she was full. At around 3AM maybe a little earlier, she woke me up STARVING. She hasn't done that since I fed her homemade food. I thought I had read up on Wellness and satisfied myself with it, but a vet tech told me yesterday when I picked up my Kona's Chips that unless you cook your own food or go raw you really don't know what you are feeding your pet and she is right. Home cooked did not go well with us, and I know many on this sight sucessfully feed raw--Lulu did not like it. I decided at 3 AM that I am going to pay attention to the ratings on knowledgable dog food review websites and "get over" one thread from 2007. If you have a different perspective I am definitely all ears.


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

Just wanted to post an update and add that I found ANOTHER apple seed in another can of food. I emailed them again with the lot number/expiry date, etc. and they emailed back saying they were taking care of it. That was months ago, and I haven't heard anything back. I think i've decided to officially switch wet food.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

KrystalLeigh said:


> Just wanted to post an update and add that I found ANOTHER apple seed in another can of food. I emailed them again with the lot number/expiry date, etc. and they emailed back saying they were taking care of it. That was months ago, and I haven't heard anything back. I think i've decided to officially switch wet food.


I was having the conversation with you about the Merrick and was feeding Lulu canned Merrick a few months ago when this was going on. If you are feeding Odie only canned--not dry mixed in--I think you would be $$ ahead to feed her ZP if you wanted to. I switched to ZP, and Lulu weighed 6 lbs 1oz when I switched. I feed her a little less than 1/4 cup 2x a day. That makes a bag last right at 1 month. The bag is $26.99 and if you buy from wag.com and buy $49. you get free 2day shipping. You can buy 2 months at a time and have it delivered to your home, and Odie could eat ZP cheaper than Merrick. Now this is if she is only eating canned and if you wanted to go with ZP. ***disclaimer***Don't mean to be minding your business--just trying to help. You can take this info and do whatever you want to do with it.  I will add this--Lulu has put on weight with ZP and if I cut her portion any more I am afraid she won't have enough to eat, so I bought Acana to start her on. WELL...she doesn't LIKE Acana. I have given her Acana Duck with Bartlett pears and Acana Pacifica. She have been mixing it to transition her like you are supposed to, but she eats the ZP out of it and leaves the Acana.  I can sometimes get her to eat it if I do some tricks, but I don't want to go back to that. She NEVER left ZP in the bowl. Now I don't know what to do. Keep trying with Acana and hope she loses weight, or go back to ZP and maybe cut portions. Very frustrating!!:foxes15:


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

lulu'smom said:


> I was having the conversation with you about the Merrick and was feeding Lulu canned Merrick a few months ago when this was going on. If you are feeding Odie only canned--not dry mixed in--I think you would be $$ ahead to feed her ZP if you wanted to. I switched to ZP, and Lulu weighed 6 lbs 1oz when I switched. I feed her a little less than 1/4 cup 2x a day. That makes a bag last right at 1 month. The bag is $26.99 and if you buy from wag.com and buy $49. you get free 2day shipping. You can buy 2 months at a time and have it delivered to your home, and Odie could eat ZP cheaper than Merrick. Now this is if she is only eating canned and if you wanted to go with ZP. ***disclaimer***Don't mean to be minding your business--just trying to help. You can take this info and do whatever you want to do with it.  I will add this--Lulu has put on weight with ZP and if I cut her portion any more I am afraid she won't have enough to eat, so I bought Acana to start her on. WELL...she doesn't LIKE Acana. I have given her Acana Duck with Bartlett pears and Acana Pacifica. She have been mixing it to transition her like you are supposed to, but she eats the ZP out of it and leaves the Acana.  I can sometimes get her to eat it if I do some tricks, but I don't want to go back to that. She NEVER left ZP in the bowl. Now I don't know what to do. Keep trying with Acana and hope she loses weight, or go back to ZP and maybe cut portions. Very frustrating!!:foxes15:


We're not only feeding canned right now. We just add a bit of canned to her regular meals to add some variety. Wish I could give you some advice on the ZP, but Odie has only ever had the treats, and it seems that she doesn't put on weight no matter what she eats. She eats Acana Ranchlands, which we add water to, and the odd raw meal. I noticed in one of our pet stores here, they sell tiny bags of Acana so you can try the different flavours out. We're trying out Taste of the Wild canned food right now, but so far she's only interested in the gravy.


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