Merrick Lil’ Plates Salmon Small Dog Treats Review

Intro

I’m The Pet Dude, and I’ve spent time digging through ingredient panels, ingredient sourcing notes, and owner feedback so you don’t have to. In this review I look closely at Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Small Salmon Recipe — the 5 oz pouch of tiny, chewy training treats marketed specifically for small breeds. I’ll cover what’s in the bag, how these work for real training sessions, safety signals to watch for, and who should (and shouldn’t) reach for this pouch.

What it is / first look

The listing identifies this product as Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain Free Small Salmon Recipe — a 5 oz pouch of soft, chewy training treats formulated for small breed adult dogs. The brand positions these as tiny, low-calorie rewards: the product description explicitly says the treats are perfectly sized for toy and small breeds and notes each treat has "less than 2 calories." The listing also emphasizes that real salmon is the first ingredient, and calls out added nutrients such as omega fatty acids and prebiotic fiber for digestive and skin/coat support.

Key product facts straight from the listing:

• Brand: Merrick (Manufacturer: Merrick Pet Care)
• Item: Lil’ Plates Grain Free Small Salmon Recipe — 5 oz pouch
• Age range description on the listing: Adult
• Breed recommendation: Small Breeds / Dog Breed Size: Small
• Item form: Chewy (soft, chewy training bites)
• Highlighted features: grain-free, real salmon as first ingredient, prebiotic fiber, omega fatty acids, less than 2 calories per treat, no artificial colors/flavors/preservatives
• Made in facilities that process corn, wheat and soy; cooked in the USA

In short: these are intentionally tiny, soft salmon treats for small-breed adult dogs, in a resealable pouch designed for training and everyday rewards.

In daily use

I look for three practical things in a training treat: size, scent/palatability, and texture. The Lil’ Plates Salmon treats check the first box by design — the listing calls them "perfectly sized for miniature or toy breeds" and the internal notes I reviewed reinforce that these pieces are indeed tiny. For toy and small-breed training sessions that means you can hand out many repetitions without blowing through calories.

Training sessions and calorie control

The listing states each treat contains "less than 2 calories," which makes these easy to slot into a high-repetition training session or to use as petty rewards across the day without large calorie swings. In practice that means I can give two or three per short session to keep focus without worrying as much about weight gain — assuming you still account for daily calorie intake from meals and other treats.

Palatability and scent

Merrick lists real salmon as the first ingredient and identifies the recipe as "Small Salmon." In my experience and in the owner feedback I examined, salmon flavors generally score high for dogs that prefer fish over poultry or beef. Some of the owner feedback I reviewed notes picky small dogs loving this salmon option, while others needed a second try before accepting them — which tracks with how finicky toy breeds can be. Expect a noticeable fish scent (the listing highlights real salmon and omega fatty acids), which helps during training if your dog is attracted to fish flavors.

Texture and senior/sensitive tummies

The listing describes the treats as soft and chewy; owners in the research notes called them "soft enough for senior" dogs and reported no upset stomachs for several dogs with sensitive tummies. The product highlights prebiotic fiber for digestive support, and the listing repeatedly labels the treats as "all-natural" with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. That combination of soft texture and digestive-friendly ingredients is useful for older small dogs or those with dental sensitivity.

Packaging and everyday convenience

The treat comes in a resealable pouch, per the product description, which is handy for keeping the soft bites from drying out between training sessions. The listing also notes these treats are cooked in the USA and that the Lil’ Plates line includes dry and wet food options — useful if you want to match flavors or formulas across a small-breed nutrition plan.

Materials & build quality

For a consumable, "materials" means the ingredient list and sourcing. Here’s what the listing provides:

• First ingredient: Real salmon (Small Salmon Recipe)
• Ingredient claims: Grain-free, all-natural, wild-caught (ingredient claim), no artificial colors/flavors/preservatives
• Added functional ingredients called out by the listing: prebiotic fiber and omega fatty acids; the packaging also mentions added vitamins and minerals
• Form/texture: soft, chewy training bites

Those are solid headline claims. Several points worth pulling apart for small-breed pet parents:

• Protein source and sourcing: The listing names salmon as the first ingredient and lists a wild-caught ingredient claim. If you need a fish-first treat option (for example to avoid poultry), this is one of the options on the market.
• Grain-free and digestibility: The product is labeled grain-free and calls out prebiotic fiber to support digestion. Owner feedback I reviewed specifically mentioned dogs with sensitive tummies tolerating these treats well.
• No artificial colors/flavors/preservatives: That’s stated on the listing and reinforced in owner impressions that point to a cleaner ingredient profile than many mass-market treats.

Safety considerations

Pet safety is always first: here are the concrete safety signals the listing and owner notes provide — and the practical precautions I take when giving these to small dogs.

• Choking and size: The listing emphasizes these are "perfectly sized for miniature or toy breeds" and internal notes confirm the pieces are very small. That reduces choking risk for small dogs compared with larger cookie-style treats, but you should still monitor any dog while they eat and tailor portioning to your dog’s chewing ability. For very young puppies or dogs that gulp large pieces, break the treat further; I’ve also seen owners split them and still get a strong response.
• Allergens and cross-contact: The product lists the allergen information as "Allergen-Free" yet the listing also explicitly states the treats are "made in facilities that process corn, wheat and soy." If your dog has a severe allergy to any of those ingredients, that processing disclosure is an important consideration and a reason to avoid them unless you can confirm cross-contact risk is acceptable to you.
• Calorie control: The listing calls out "less than 2 calories per treat," which is helpful when training. Even so, keep the daily treat calories in your dog’s total energy budget to avoid slow weight gain.
• Age-range labeling: The product’s Age Range Description is listed as "Adult." The Lil’ Plates family includes puppy and senior recipes as part of the brand, but this particular pouch is identified for adult dogs on the product facts. If you are giving treats to a very young puppy, check with a professional before making it a regular reward.
• Dental/texture caution for some dogs: The listing and owner notes describe these as soft and chewy; that makes them good for seniors and dogs with reduced dentition. As with any chewable treat, monitor dogs who inhale food or who have odd chewing patterns.

Who this is for / who should skip

I break this into the most common shopper use cases so you can see fit or miss quickly.

Toy and miniature breeds (ideal fit)

• The listing repeatedly positions these treats for small breeds and calls the pieces "perfectly sized for miniature or toy breeds." If you own a chihuahua, toy poodle, Yorkie, Papillon, or other toy breed, these are designed to be the right size and are easy to pocket for training sessions.
• Because each treat has less than 2 calories, they’re well suited for high-repetition training with small dogs who need frequent reinforcement but limited calories.

Small adult dogs (good fit)

• The product facts list the Age Range Description as "Adult" and the breed recommendation as "Small Breeds," so adult small dogs are squarely in the target audience.
• Added omega fatty acids and prebiotic fiber are called out on the listing for skin/coat and digestive support, which are nice-to-have features in a training treat for daily use.

Senior small dogs (likely okay, with caveats)

• The listing and owner notes describe the treats as soft and chewy; owners specifically report seniors accepting them and handling them well. That makes these a reasonable option for older small dogs with diminished chewing ability.
• However, the Age Range Description for this particular pouch is "Adult," not explicitly "Senior," so if you rely on therapeutic or prescription senior-specific treats, check with a qualified professional.

Puppies and dogs with severe allergies (who should skip or proceed with care)

• Although the Lil’ Plates brand includes puppy recipes elsewhere, this product’s Age Range Description is "Adult." If you have a very young puppy, the listing doesn’t explicitly label this pouch as puppy-specific — talk to a professional before regular use.
• Despite an "Allergen-Free" callout, the listing clearly says the treats are made in facilities that process corn, wheat and soy. For dogs with severe, life-threatening allergies to those ingredients, cross-contact risk could be a deal-breaker.

Verdict

For small-breed owners who want a low-calorie, fish-first training treat in a soft, chewy format, Merrick Lil’ Plates Small Salmon treats hit many of the right boxes. The product facts show real salmon as the first ingredient, grain-free formulation, prebiotic fiber, and omega fatty acids — all useful features for everyday rewards. The listing also notes less than 2 calories per treat and a resealable pouch, which match practical training needs.

Owner feedback I examined backs up the idea that these bites are tiny and palatable for many small dogs, that they’re soft enough for seniors, and that they tend to be tolerated well by dogs with sensitive stomachs. The flip side is the cross-contact processing disclosure for corn/wheat/soy, and the fact that this particular pouch is labeled for adult dogs — not explicitly for puppies or as a prescription/senior therapeutic formula.

Check before you buy (quick checklist)

• Confirm the size: the listing emphasizes these are tiny training bites for toy and small breeds.
• Allergy check: listing says "Allergen-Free" but also that treats are made in facilities that process corn, wheat and soy — avoid if your dog has severe allergies to those ingredients.
• Calorie plan: each treat is listed as "less than 2 calories" — include them in your dog’s daily calorie budget.
• Age fit: the product’s Age Range Description is "Adult" — if you want puppy-specific treats, the Lil’ Plates family has other puppy recipes, but this pouch is identified as adult.
• Packaging: the pouch is resealable, per the listing, which helps preserve softness between uses.

Colors and packaging

The product listing includes several product images (file names listed on the product page). Image file names include B071ZGL14K_6832.jpg, B071ZGL14K_224.jpg, B071ZGL14K_9915.jpg and others. If you care about the visual or want to match other Merrick products, the packaging colorways are shown in those product images; available colors may include packaging variants shown in the product photos.

• Available colors may include packaging colorways shown in the product images (see image files on the product page).

Final takeaway: for adult toy and small-breed dogs, these are a convenient, low-calorie, fish-first training treat with a soft texture that suits seniors and sensitive tummies. If your dog has severe allergies to corn/wheat/soy or you need a puppy-specific label, double-check before adding them to your treat rotation.

FAQ

Q: Are these treats grain-free?

A: Yes — the listing explicitly labels the Merrick Lil’ Plates Small Salmon recipe as grain-free.

Q: Is salmon the first ingredient?

A: Yes — the product description and bullet features state that real salmon is always the first ingredient in this pouch.

Q: How many calories are in each treat?

A: The listing specifies each treat contains "less than 2 calories," making these easy to use during high-repetition training with small dogs.

Q: Can I give these to puppies and senior dogs?

A: The product facts list the Age Range Description as "Adult." The Lil' Plates line includes puppy and senior recipes in the brand family, but this specific 5 oz pouch is identified as an adult product. The listing also calls out the treats' soft texture, and owner feedback notes seniors handled them well — but for puppies or medical/senior-specific needs, verify fit with a qualified professional.

Q: Are there allergy concerns?

A: The listing lists "Allergen-Free" but also says the treats are made in facilities that process corn, wheat and soy. If your dog has severe allergies to those ingredients, that processing disclosure is an important consideration.

Q: Is the package resealable?

A: Yes — the product description notes the treats come in a resealable bag to help keep the soft bites fresh between uses.