… and just when you thought it couldn't get any better: Introducing

before B.G. grain®

Merrick's new line of 100% Grain free pet foods. Old school nutrition packaged in a new school pyramid. The traditional old style grain based pyramid turned upside down. The pyramid of B.G. Dry Dog Food includes 3 distinct protein sources:

With this product, B.G. No.3 Buffalo for Dogs Dry Merrick provides a healthy way to deliver additional premium protein to your pet's diet. The way pet food was supposed to be before grain got involved.

Why Before B.G. Grain?

Before traditional grain based diets, mealtime for countless generations of cats was provided by nature. Before Grain provides a diet rich in high quality meat and bio-available nutrients the way nature intended. We believe a diet based primarily on fresh meat, blue fruit, nutrient dense vegetables, and high-quality oils contributes to overall health & longevity and supports healthy weight naturally.

32% Protein Baseline

Last time we checked, most of us didn’t have a sled dog preparing to race in the cold tundra, we all have “everyday, extraordinary dogs”. A 32% protein base is a practical and balanced percentage for an everyday diet that is more optimally processed by sensitive internal organs such as the kidneys. Merrick turned the traditional  grain based food pyramid upside down by using a savory fresh protein from USDA inspected sources as the number one ingredient, and highest quality, low ash chicken meal as the number two ingredient. All Before Grain diets contain over 50% meat prior to cocking and about 38% after cooking removes most of the water content. The result is a grain free diet for cats that is based on the days before grains were used in commercial pet food manufacturing. Hence the name: Before Grain. No more cereal please!

What does Before Grain mean?

It is the way food was supposed to be before grain got involved. It is a return to your cat's ancestral diet while recognizing it's modern day urban lifestyle. Merrick uses only meat protein sources, healthy fruits and vegetables, NO Grains. You will not find any fillers, by-products, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives in this food either. Sounds simple, right? That is the way it should be.

Why Multiple Protein Sources?

When grains are removed as a protein source in dry diets, additional meat protein sources are needed to build a better food. This is why Merrick uses a unique fresh protein source as the main ingredient in each formula and complements it with highest quality, low ash chicken meal. A full house always beats a pair and when you feed Before Grain it is like having pocket aces.

Acai berries?

Acai (ah-sah-ee) is an Amazon palm berry grown 50 feet in the air using suitable farming practices that do not harm the rain forest. You will not find this most powerful fruit in the world in the average food, but yet again, this is not average food. Freeze dried acai berries and blueberries are carefully added to the kibble after the cooking process. These super blue fruits are high in antioxidants and anthocyanins and are a superior whole food source of nutrients. Plus, you know the guys at Merrick are always having fun. So they figured: Ah-sah-ee is just fun to pronounce

Merrick B.G. No.3 Buffalo for Dogs Dry Food is available in bags of 1.1 lbs, 6.6 lbs, 11 lbs and 25.3 lbs

Note: The 1.1 Lbs Bag comes with a $2.50 Manufacturer Mail-in Rebate

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Buffalo Deboned, Chicken Meal, Potato Dehydrated, Turkey Meal, Canola Oil, Sweet Potato Dehydrated, (preserved with mixed tocopherols – a source of Natural Vitamin E and Ascorbic Acid, a source of Vitamin C), Yeast Culture, Natural Dried Chicken Liver, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lysine, Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Acai Berry Freeze-Dried, Blueberry Dried, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Venison Broth, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Natural Venison Flavor, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Rosemary Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Natural Celery Flavor, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Natural Color (tumeric), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.

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Calorie Content
3,581 kcal/kg (calculated)

One pound provides 1,625 kcal of metabolizable energy (calculated)

One cup (100 grams) provides 383 calories

(Caloric content calculated using Modified Atwater Method)

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How much food your dog eats each day is dependent upon size, level of activity, stage of reproduction, and environment. When feeding in measured amounts, feed according to the weight of your dog. When feeding with our 100% meat cans, reduce dry amount fed by 0.5 cup for every 6 oz of wet food. Use the table printed on the bag as a GENERAL GUIDE to determine how much Before Grain to feed your dog. Before Grain Chicken is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food nutrient profiles for all life stages. Adjust feeding level to your dog's individual needs. Puppies and nursing females may consume two or three times the recommended amount per day.

*For dogs over 100 lbs add 0.5 cup of dry food for each additional 10 lbs. Adjust feeding level to your dog's individual needs. Puppies and nursing females may consume two or three times the recommended amount per day. Keep fresh water available at all times.

Store in a cool dry place.

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Store in cool dry place. Always provide clean fresh water to your pet.

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Merrick is a family-owned company that got into to the pet care business by accident. Merrick created some prototype treats for a potential account and made the trip to “pitch” them. The account picked a handful of them and placed an order. Of course, when Merrick went to make duplicates of the prototype, they couldn't get it done.
Two decades later, Merrick still keeps working harder to perfect the treats that dogs have come to love. For the past couple of years, Merrick treats have been ranked as the number two best-selling treat in pet stores across the U.S. by a Pet Retailer Report - so, our guess is that Merrick does have some fans.
The secret to Merrick products is the simplistic approach we take in making them. Merrick is a simple processor, meaning that they use the least amount of steps as possible during their manufacturing process. They want to retain as much of the natural benefits as they can. Merrick does that by staying away from any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Merrick believes that this approach keeps their treats popular with their customers and their guardians. Merrick only distributes their treats to the specialty pet retail channel like us, LizzysHealthyPetFood.com, and have been doing that since the beginning.
A Bump in the Night
In 2002, Merrick started working on a gourmet line of pet foods that came with a bump in the night. The product names and recipes that you have come to love all came from a scratch sheet of paper in the early morning hours. Merrick took these ideas and began working on a line of pet foods that would rival the best in the world. They worked with their nutritionist, research and development team - and the rest is history. Merrick launched these products in October of 2003 with eight unique dog entrees. Merrick now offers fifteen different gourmet excursions; however, Grammy's Pot Pie is still the favorite. Merrick uses human grade ingredients along with fresh fruits, vegetables and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Merrick now offers a can line of gourmet entrees as well which recently were featured in none other than Gourmet Magazine.
After the dog and cat can debuts, Merrick introduced a dry dog food line. They started with six different entrees and recently converted our chicken- based dry selections to organic chicken at no extra cost to you, the consumer. Merrick created a dry product that was as unique as their can entrees. They added freeze-dried vegetables and fruits after the kibble- cooking process. This is unique because most pet foods add the vegetables and fruits, if any, during the cooking process. Merrick adds theirs after the cooking process so that your dog gets the optimal benefit of these nutritious ingredients in their flash freeze-dried state. The best thing about health food for dogs is the benefits of a healthy diet. Healthy food doesn't have to taste bad, though. Merrick created a natural gravy coating that they add to their kibble for delicious flavor. This allows you to add warm water and stir to create a savory home style gravy, just like Grammy used to make. If you don't want to add warm water, your dog will still thank you as they dine on our kibble, due to the fact that natural gravy will be made on their tongue as they enjoy their healthy lifestyle.
”Comfort for the Soul”
Merrick's mission statement is “Comfort for the Soul,” and they do that by offering you simple, nutritious and healthy products. You want to be a good pet guardian and Merrick products give you comfort to know that you are giving your pet a healthy meal and treat. Merrick feels the same way because they are pet guardians just like you. In fact, they don't have just dogs and cats, they currently have llamas, ducks, chickens, emus, zonkeys (that's right, a cross between a donkey and a zebra), goats, koi and longhorns. When Merrick started its treat company, the founder put the following scripture from the Bible on our boxes, and they still display this Proverb today; “A good man is concerned for the welfare of his animals.” Knowing Merrick is committed to this verse is “Comfort for the Soul”.

Merrick's latest innovative approach to pet feeding is B.G. Before Grain, a complete line of canned and dry feeds for cats and dogs.

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