Merrick Kitchen Comforts Chicken & Brown Rice vs Purina Pro Plan Sport Development 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula
Order follows the Universal Score — the same deterministic engine, the same rules, for every product. Brands can't pay for placement.
The scores
Bowlmark scores are independent opinions based on published label information and cited references. They are educational, not veterinary advice, and no substitute for your vet — especially for medical conditions or prescription diets.
Pillar by pillar
Weighted pillar contributions from each product's stored score — nutritional adequacy, ingredient quality, additives & processing, transparency.
| Metric | Merrick | Purina Pro Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Nutritional adequacy | 18 | 35 |
| Ingredient quality | 26 | 12 |
| Additives & processing | 18 | 12 |
| Transparency | 5 | 9 |
Guaranteed analysis
As printed on each label; dry-matter protein removes the moisture so wet and dry read on the same basis.
| Metric | Merrick | Purina Pro Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 30% |
| Fat | 15% | 20% |
| Fiber | 14.5% | 3% |
| Moisture | 12% | 12% |
| Protein (dry-matter) | 29.5% | 34.1% |
First five ingredients
Merrick
- Chicken
- chicken meal
- brown rice
- barley
- oat meal
Purina Pro Plan
- Chicken
- rice
- poultry by-product meal
- corn protein meal
- whole grain corn
Flags on the label
Merrick
- No nutritional-adequacy statement
- Synthetic vitamin K3 — questioned safety margin vs natural K sources
Purina Pro Plan
- Unnamed animal ingredient ("poultry by-product")
- corn appears as 3 fractions in the top 8
- Synthetic vitamin K3 — questioned safety margin vs natural K sources
- Garlic is an Allium with the same hemolytic mechanism; trace culinary use is common in pet food, so it warns rather than caps — advisor may escalate
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Merrick Kitchen Comforts Chicken & Brown Rice vs Purina Pro Plan Sport Development 30/20 Chicken & Rice Formula." https://www.bowlmark.com/compare/merrick-kitchen-comforts-chicken-and-brown-rice-vs-purina-pro-plan-sport-development-30-20-chicken-and-rice-formula
- Engine
- Methodology engine v1.1.0 · config 13c99e2f
- Verified
- Last verified September 5, 2026
The engine and config above are the ones stamped on this page's score — the exact pair that produced the number shown.