The scores
Holistic Select Adult Health Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon Meal: B (78/100) — Very Good. Sardine meal + brown rice + oatmeal + chicken meal + pearled barley in the top five — a fish-meal lead with a heavily grain-inclusive base.
Merrick Classic Real Chicken + Brown Rice: B (80/100) — Very Good. Deboned chicken + chicken meal + brown rice + barley + sweet potato — a poultry-lead grain-inclusive formula with a produce addition at position five.
How the ingredients compare
The top five ingredients:
Holistic Select: Sardine Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley
Merrick Classic: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Sweet Potato
Merrick leads with a fresh whole-meat ingredient — deboned chicken — which is the gold-standard ingredient-list opening. Holistic Select leads with sardine meal, a concentrated protein source with the water already removed but no fresh meat in the top position. Both designs have defenders: fresh-meat-first is more recognizable to owners scanning labels, while meal-first delivers more actual protein per ingredient because meals are pre-dehydrated.
On grain architecture, both formulas are grain-inclusive, but Holistic Select runs three grains in the top five (brown rice, oatmeal, pearled barley) while Merrick runs two (brown rice, barley) with sweet potato swapped in at position five. Merrick’s sweet potato is a higher-value complex carbohydrate with beta-carotene, fiber, and more nutrient density than pearled barley. That’s a meaningful upgrade in the top five.
Further down, Holistic Select adds peas, salmon meal, chicken fat, anchovy oil, natural flavor, dried egg product, flaxseed, salmon oil, pumpkin, papaya, blueberries, cranberries, aloe vera, and dried chicory root. Heavy on marine-sourced ingredients and functional produce. Merrick adds peas, chicken fat, salmon meal, natural flavor, apples, blueberries, organic alfalfa, salmon oil, and a vitamin/mineral premix with yucca schidigera extract. Holistic Select has the broader fish-oil omega-3 profile; Merrick has the cleaner poultry-lead top-of-label.
Where Holistic Select pulls ahead
Triple marine-protein base. Sardine meal + salmon meal + anchovy oil gives Holistic Select one of the deepest marine-omega-3 profiles in the mid-B tier. For dogs with chicken sensitivities, skin and coat issues, or owners specifically seeking fish-based formulas, Holistic Select delivers where Merrick Classic doesn’t. The sardine-forward ingredient list is genuinely uncommon at this price point.
Functional produce additions. Papaya (digestive enzymes), aloe vera, cranberries (urinary support), pumpkin (fiber), and dried chicory root (prebiotic) all appear in the formula. Merrick includes apples, blueberries, and organic alfalfa but doesn’t match the functional-produce breadth. For owners who want whole-food functional ingredients layered into the formula, Holistic Select is the richer option.
WellPet manufacturing. Holistic Select is made by WellPet, the same mid-size independent US manufacturer that produces Wellness CORE. Strong quality control and a quiet recall history. Merrick is now owned by Nestlé Purina (acquired 2015), which some owners prefer and others view as a downgrade from the pre-acquisition independent brand. Shop on Amazon →
Where Merrick holds its own
Fresh whole-meat lead. Deboned chicken at position one is the ingredient-list opener most premium-shopping owners look for. Holistic Select leads with a meal, which delivers more protein per weight but reads less favorably on a quick label scan. For dogs who do well on chicken, Merrick’s fresh-meat-first positioning is the cleaner story.
Sweet potato over pearled barley. At position five, Merrick uses sweet potato — a high-nutrient complex carbohydrate — instead of Holistic Select’s pearled barley. That’s a practical ingredient upgrade, not just a label-design choice. Sweet potato adds beta-carotene, fiber, and a lower glycemic response than pearled barley.
Broader brand ecosystem. Merrick has life-stage variants (Classic Puppy, Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato, Grain-Free Real Beef, Limited Ingredient), which makes transitioning a dog across its life stages easier within the brand. Holistic Select has a narrower US-market lineup. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
If your dog does well on poultry, prefers a fresh-meat-first formula, and you want the two-point grade upgrade, Merrick Classic Real Chicken + Brown Rice is the better pick — B/80 with deboned chicken at position one. If your dog has chicken sensitivities or you specifically want a fish-based grain-inclusive formula with deep marine-omega-3 coverage and broad functional-produce additions, Holistic Select Anchovy, Sardine & Salmon is a strong B/78 pick. Both avoid by-products, both are grain-inclusive, and both are easy to recommend for owners outside the grain-free camp. See our best dog food for skin and coat guide for more fish-based options.