Last month, when I returned from my Seattle trip, there was an email waiting for me from Merrick Pet Foods asking if I wanted to partner with them on their campaign to promote their new Backcountry Raw Infused dog food.
After doing some quick research, and finding the food comparable to the other high-quality kibbles I occasionally feed Charlie, I agreed!
As most of you know, Charlie is a "mostly" raw-fed dog but there are times - especially when we are backpacking or camping - when bringing along her homemade raw food is not possible.
And let's face it, feeding 100% raw homemade food 100% of the time is HARD.
I look at it like this: there are wonderful "Soccer Mom's" out there that do their very best to feed their kids organic, home-prepared food and limit all the soda, candy and artificially-flavored-and-colored foods from their diets. BUT. There are also going to be times when you're running late and the kids are hungry and you pull into a fast-food restaurant.
I get it. I'm a dedicated Dog Mom and I take educating myself on diet options very seriously.
Kibble is the ultimate "convenience" food for dogs, but there are ways you can make sure that you're giving them a high-quality food.
First, this is a high-protein, grain-free food with no artificial colors or preservatives, all of which are very important to me.
Second, I was happy to see that Merrick's Backcountry dog food was listed under the 5-star category of dry dog foods on Dog Food Advisor. I feel good about choosing this dry dog food for Charlie - and even more so because it has the chunks of freeze-dried raw meat in it - Charlie LOVES those!
When our Welcome Kit arrived with the Great Plains Red Recipe (containing beef, lamb and rabbit), along with some varieties of grain-free canned foods, Charlie would not leave the box alone! She had her nose in it before I could even get it open.
Charlie "wolfed" down her first bowl of Backcountry Raw Infused dog food so quickly that I barely had time to snap some photos of her eating it! Apparently she approves.
Satisfied customer! So content.
Our second taste-test took place in the backyard during a barbecue cookout (for the humans). Charlie wasn't even distracted by the aromas wafting from the grill... she wanted her Backcountry!
"Mom, can I have more?"
I don't feed Charlie canned food very often, so it's a really special treat when she gets it! The next evening, I opened the can of Alpine Rabbit Stew and let Charlie have dinner "al fresco" on the front porch... a VERY special treat!
Charlie absolutely loves veggies - especially peas! I was pleasantly surprised to see a good amount of peas and carrots in the food and knew Charlie would be delighted.
And I was right. Look at that tongue mopping up juices!
During one of our food tests, I opened a can of Hearty Chicken Thigh Stew recipe and discovered a bone in the food! I was pretty alarmed since it looked like it could have been a choking hazard, but after contacting the helpful people at Merrick, they informed me that the bones are in certain flavors of their canned foods on purpose!
Here's the statement from the can: "Our slow cooked, whole chicken thighs/wings are marinated tender chicken cooked on a soft bone. This special cooking process makes the bone mushy and safe for your dog to enjoy. Feel free to serve whole, remove, or break apart the soft chicken bones for ease of pet consumption."
Charlie and I will soon be off on our Merrick-sponsored backcountry adventure. We'll be hiking a couple of segments of the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin while camping, so having the Backcountry Raw Infused kibble along will keep Charlie happily fed during our adventure!
Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!
Join the conversation about Merrick Backcountry by using hashtag #Wild4Backcountry and visit Merrick's website for coupons and more information: Merrick Backcountry Website
*Disclaimer: I received compensation for writing this review; although this post is sponsored, all opinions and thoughts are my own and I would never recommend something I didn't believe in. Pinky swear.