Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free Real Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe vs Royal Canin Small Adult
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 | Royal Canin | Merrick |
|---|---|---|
| Nutritional adequacy | 35 | 21 |
| Ingredient quality | 15 | 31 |
| Additives & processing | 20 | 18 |
| Transparency | 6 | 6 |
Guaranteed analysis
As printed on each label; dry-matter protein removes the moisture so wet and dry read on the same basis.
| Metric | Royal Canin | Merrick |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 25% | 23% |
| Fat | 14% | 14% |
| Fiber | 3.2% | 4.5% |
| Moisture | 10.5% | 11% |
| Protein (dry-matter) | 27.9% | 25.8% |
First five ingredients
Royal Canin
- Corn
- chicken by-product meal
- brewers rice
- brown rice
- corn protein meal
Merrick
- Deboned Lamb
- Lamb Meal
- Sweet Potatoes
- Potatoes
- Peas
Flags on the label
Royal Canin
- corn is the 1st ingredient in a dry dog food
Merrick
- No nutritional-adequacy statement
- Synthetic vitamin K3 — questioned safety margin vs natural K sources
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Royal Canin Small Adult vs Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain Free Real Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe." https://www.bowlmark.com/compare/merrick-limited-ingredient-diet-grain-free-real-lamb-and-sweet-potato-recipe-vs-royal-canin-small-adult
- Engine
- Methodology engine v1.1.0 · config 13c99e2f
- Verified
- Last verified August 26, 2026
The engine and config above are the ones stamped on this page's score — the exact pair that produced the number shown.