# Kirkland Dog Food



## Jamie1 (Oct 9, 2008)

I just wanted to know what Costco stores were selling the Kirkland brand dog food for $17.99. I haven't seen that price in my local store for a long time. It is currently at $24.99 to $25.99 at my local store. And I just bought some today. If you could tell me where it might be cheaper that would would be great. 
Thanks


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## dogfood_admin (Jun 16, 2008)

Do all Costco's have the same price? I am not for sure on this, but at our Costco in the Kansas City Metro area it was 17.99 the last time I checked. I will look into it and see if even they have raised their prices recently.


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## Elaine_Lepisto-Reppe (Oct 31, 2008)

I have just heard that the Kirkland dog food is now manufactured by "menu foods", in China. Is this true? I have been using Kirkland dog food for years for all of my dogs. I sure hope someone has the wrong information, especially after so many dogs died from contamination.


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## Katie_Asling (Nov 16, 2008)

I know a lot of people feed this product because it is cheap, but I also know breeders that tried it and got horrible results. It is especially poor for growing puppies. The fact that it may now be manufactured by Menu Foods should scare everyone away. To me, in pet food more than anything else, you get what you pay for.


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## Marylyn (Nov 26, 2008)

This food is still made by Diamond. I just called the number on the bag while I was at Costco today. According to the representative with whom I spoke, they would never have a company in China manufacture their food; it is made to Costco's specs by Diamond, which makes most foods in this country.


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## Steve1 (Dec 8, 2008)

We are paying 32.99 for the Lamb and Rice here in Toronto/Canada (mind the exchange rate for you Americans). However, last year we were paying $10 less.


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## MARLENE_GONZALEZ (Dec 11, 2008)

IS COSCO THE ONLY PLACE WHERE I CAN BUY KIRLAND?


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## Amy1 (Dec 15, 2008)

I was just wondering if someone could get me the 1-800 number on the bags of food, I have some nutritional questions for the company regarding Kcal/cup, and can't seem to find that info on the web anywhere. Thanks!


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## Mark (Dec 23, 2008)

The last time I purchased this was on October 13th, 2008, and it was $23.99 a bag. I just bought two bags of Kirkland Lamb & Rice dog food at Costco today (December 22nd, 2008) and it is now $32.99 for the exact same dog food. Am I the only one who is experiencing this inflation...is it local to my area, or is Kirkland dog food sky-rocketing in price everywhere?


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## Pauline (Dec 27, 2008)

I live in Phoenix, AZ. The prices of Costco's Kirkland Super Premium dry dog foods (40lb bags) are:
(1) $22.99 for Adult Chicken Rice and Vegetables formula
(Crude protein=25 Fat=16)

(2) $22.99 for Adult Lamb Rice and Vegetables formula
(Crude protein=23 Fat=14)

(3) $25.49 for Adult Mature Chicken Rice and Egg formula
(Crude protein=27 Fat=12)

I am now feeding the Adult Mature Chicken Rice and Egg formula to my 2 year old lab. I like the higher protein at lower fat formula (and.......... no grain based protein like rice/corn/soybean glutens added to boost protein!!). Yes, it is slightly more $$ but definitely much more economical and you are getting meat protein not grain based protein..like those you would find in all of Nutro Natural Choice - - they made new changes and other brands (if you read the ingredients you will find grain based protein sources like potato protein, rice protein, corn gluten meal, and etc.)


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## Haywood_Brooks (Jan 15, 2009)

I have a dog that has just undergone sever operations. He would not eat anything except raw meet. I have tried many dog foods and he will not eat any of them. We are now using Kirkland Super Premium and he loves it. 

(1) Is Kirkland made in China? I hope that it is not. i do not want to look for another brand.

(2) Does it come in smaller quantities than the 40Lb bag?

I Live in Richmond Va.


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## Kevin2 (Jan 25, 2009)

After exhaustive research I started feeding my German Shepherd Kirkland food several years ago. A friend who has a farm and a successful dog grooming business was talking it down because of the cost, I told her that she needs to check her facts before making that assumption. Long story short, I cut a label off of a bag and brought it to her- she has a pet nutrition book that explains all kinds of stuff, including pet food ingredients. After she picked her jaw up off the floor- Kirkland is made with HUMAN GRADE ingredients, she decide to get a Costco membership for the purpose of buying Kirkland. It is simply one of the best dog foods you can buy. And, for the money, it is the best. It's kinda like the Corvette of the dog food world.

The dog breeder who is having bad luck needs to check elsewhere for his problems. Probably a disgusting, bacteria-infested puppy mill.


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## Kevin2 (Jan 25, 2009)

Oh, and Haywood, I recently moved to California from Richmond, VA. No, there is only one bag size- large. Quantity- that's the idea behind Costco, but you knew that. ;-)


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## specialk1 (Feb 4, 2009)

Is there any way of obtaining a sample? Think my dog will make the switch, but cat is finicky!


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## Skip (Feb 6, 2009)

All dog foods like all dogs are not the same. I check all dog foods using Innova EVO and Chicken Soup as my base. I then dump any dog food that uses a grain product as its main ingredient. Top of the line use a meat product (not a by-product)as its main ingredient. as a basic rule rice is OK but not corn etc. Remember, like people some dogs and cats can't eat some grains. 

As far as Cosco having the same price all over, the answer is no. No store-chain ever has the same price across the US including fast foods.


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## LulaBelle (Feb 10, 2009)

Special K,
Costco stands by every product they sell. If your cat doesn't like it, return the unused portion of the bag and they will give you a FULL refund. Hope this helps!


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## JACKIE_SPOTTS (Feb 19, 2009)

i WAS JUST WONDERING IF COSTCO WAS THE ONLY PLACE THEY SELL KIRKLAND DOG FOOD. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. JACKIE SPOTTS


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## Riekie_Keller (Mar 20, 2009)

I have 5 dogs ranging from 11 years to 3 years old. Ihave been feeding my pack the mature Kirkland dog food since the beginning they are all healthy and full of energy. Kirkland dog food gets my vote every time.


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## Terri1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Hello.
We are considering buying th eKirkland dog food. I have a few questions if someone could help me.
I read on Consumer Reports to look for three things on the bag:
1. Feed tested on animals?
2.Tests


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## Terri1 (Mar 30, 2009)

Hello.
I was hoping one of you can help me because we are in the market for a less expensive dog food. On Consumers Reports we read to look for these three things on the bag:
1. Feed Tested on Animals
2. Test approved by AAFCO
3. Complete and Balanced

Is this written on the bag... can anyone save me a trip to Costco and tell me the 1-800 number on the bag? Thanks a bunch!
Zeus, Lily, and Winter (our four legged friends) thank you too.


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## Stacey_S. (Apr 1, 2009)

We have 7 dogs currently on Kirkland Signature Range Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Dry Dog food. ~10 yr old Rough Collie,~3 yr old Jack Russel Terrier mix,~3 1/2 yr old Min Pin/Chihuahua/Terrier Mix,~3 yr old Chihuhua/Terrier mix,1 1/2 yr old Australian Shepherd,~9 month old Schipperke/Schnauzer/Terrier Mix,& ~9 month old Shar-pei/Ridgeback mix. All were from the shelter except the Australian Shepherd.the JRT,collie,& Schipperke were turned in by confirmed owners, but the other 3 were strays that we picked up ,no chip & no one came for them so they all got fixed @ the shelter & we adopted them.
I live in hawaii and we pay about $23 for a bag.. 
And they are all healthy,good stool, and shiny coats. I just changed them about a month ago. We were feeding Benefull Heathy Weight Dry,I know it wasnt the best but we just wouldnt be able to stick with the payments of the expensive food.So I finally found out that kirkland was rated pretty good and it was cheaper.They all do great on it and Im glad for the food and the prices it has.


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## Crystal_Nichols (Apr 1, 2009)

I hate Kirkland pet food! yes it is manufactured by Menu foods who tried to poison thousands of pets in different kinds of pet foods. Not only that but a petstore owner I knew was feeding his dogs sensible choice than switched to Kirkland one month after feeding kirkland kibble to his healthy great danes his one started to develope seisures two weeks after that all the pet food recalls were launched. his vet couldn't figure out what was wrong with his dog why he was have seisures. When the pet food recall hit the vet told him where to send his peices of kibble to to get them analsyzed for any toxins. Sure enough it was contaminated. His dog had suffered uncontrollable seisures for 1 1/2 months and had particial bain damage from it, his dog had to be euthanized because of it. because he tried to save money and a company killed thousands of pets and sickened them. I will never ever feed kirkland, old roy, special kitty or any low end food. After the pet food recall I feed raw to my dogs. I got a nutrition analysis done on my dogs to get a balanced meal. They are healthy, shiny coats and I know whats going in there food so kibble companies can't kill my pets. I will never ever ever go back to kibble, ever! beware of kirkland and low end kibble


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## Kathy_J. (Apr 8, 2009)

The phone number for any questions concerning Kirkland Signature pet foods is 800-797-9607. We have been feeding the Chicken and Rice formula for several years, and even my picky-eater Chow loves it. These foods were not involved in the toxin-related deaths and subsequent recalls in 2006 because they contain no corn. I spoke with Susan Thixton (truthaboutpetfood.com)on a local talk-radio show today and she strongly approved of the first 5 ingredients (no time to go further and the first 5 are usually the bulk of the ingredients). Her only concern was the origin of the ingredients - are any of them imported from China? I plan to call the number above tomorrow to inquire. No matter what though, this is the best dog food my money can buy.


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## Brooke (Apr 8, 2009)

Crystal I believe you have bad information because Kirkland food was not involved in the recall...it was another food that Diamond made. Feeding raw is great but for the money Kirkland is a great product. I have done hours and hours of research into what is best to feed my labs. After looking at tons of products that are as much as 5x the price we are going to stick with Kirkland! We do give our dogs oil capsules for their coats in addition but they do great on it and have for 5 years now. Please check information you have is credible before posting.


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## Scot (Apr 17, 2009)

I have fed my 6 month old doberman the Adult Lamb & Rice since she was a puppy, and she is doing great. Energy level, coat, etc...is all good. She weighs over 50 pounds and she will be 6 months old next week. I also give my 5 year old Boston Terrier the same food. They both enjoy it, and again, their energy level and coats are very good. What more can you ask for? It is a fine dog food.


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## Robert_Williams (Apr 17, 2009)

I have two Shelties. Tam will be ten on June 26th 09, and Charo was two on March 9th,09. Both have been self feeding since being a puppy. They both live on a 38'yacht with four levels, two inside and two outside. getting a common food for them has been a challenge. They are over seven years apart. I have concluded that they will continue to have Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice and Vegetable Formula (Whew, 10 word name) and Raw Lamb Meat. The dog's are happy and healthy with great coats and wet noses! The prices for other dog food's are double or more here in Southern California. I paid on January 15th,09 $22.99 for forty pounds and yesterday was the same again!


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## Brian_Robeson (Apr 21, 2009)

I have a Neo Mastiff and an American Bulldog. Once the girls reached one I intended to switch from Eukanuba large breed puppy formula to large breed adult. I never had a problem with the $46 a bag price and would gladly pay more for my dogs. However, we recently adopted a 3 month old American Bulldog from a rescue where they were feeding him Kirkland brand food. Due to the price I would never have considered it but liked the fact that it didn’t contain wheat, so i decided to try it. Now, after 3 months all of the dogs not only love it but have much more energy and their coasts are healthier. I love the food for the price and their love of the taste.


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## Kathy1 (Apr 22, 2009)

IamsCruelty.com (PETA) lists dog food companies that do NOT conduct inhumane lab tests on animals. Diamond / Kirkland was not listed...so I wonder.


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## Mary1 (May 28, 2009)

I have actually been researching dog food recently because we are expecting to pick up our puppy in 3 weeks. I did a project in college in which I studied the proper ratio of protein and fat in dog food, and the "good" ingredients. I based it off dog food research that I obtained from some studies and also from a few veterinarians. So anyway, I've been looking through dog food brands trying to find a good one for our puppy. Imagine my shock when I was visiting my parents and mentioned my research, and my dad pulled out a bag of kirkland and told me to read the label. I can't recount exact details from memory, but I believe the protein was around 26% min. Biggest shock was the actual ingredients...chicken as the number one ingredient and no corn ingredients! I recommend you do your own research online and then check the ingredients in kirkland, I plan on gradually changing my puppy from the food the breeder has been feeding her, to kirkland. Her current food is still not bad at all, but I'm pretty impressed with kirkland's ingredients.


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## Bonnie2 (Jun 6, 2009)

I tried Kirkland's Lamb and Rice a few of my dogs. I am not happy with the results, one of my dogs started developing bumps on his back and his hair fell out down his back. I switched him back to Natural Balance and within 3 days his hair was growing back and he look 100% better. My other male on it seems to get loose stools from it and my two girls like it and seem to be doing fine on it. Definately not something i would rave about and will be switching them all off of it.


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## Beckie (Jun 9, 2009)

Do you have a breeder program of any sorts? Possibly a 200 lb. discount or somethng simalar? Thanks ... our dogs have been on Adult Lg Breed for a long time and do well.


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## noBadStuff4mydogs (Jun 10, 2009)

I wish people would do a little more research before making decisions. Kirkland food contains menadione sodium bivulfite (source of vitamin K activity), which has been shown to have multiple negative effects - including hemolytic anemia, allergic reactions and eczema, and weakening of the immune system.

The FDA has banned synthetic Vit. K for human use due to its toxicity.

Before using Kirkland -or any other food with synthetic Vit. K (aka menadione), please go read the information at The Dog Food Project - www.dogfoodproject.com


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## Debbi (Jun 16, 2009)

we switched to lamb and rice formula for our 2 year old english bulldog. he loves the taste. he had a bad skin condition and it totally cleared up after we changed to the kirkland brand. his coat is thicker, shinier and overall healthier now. he is full of energy (for a bulldog). the one thing that changed is that his stool is softer, (more human like) and requires bum wipes more often, but i will take this over the bad skin he previously had.


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## Debbi (Jun 16, 2009)

I would like to add to the above that his flatulence has stopped? or at least I do not smell it anymore...it was awful before we switched his food. There is also less poo to clean up, goes as often but not big chunks of it anymore.


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## Luke1 (Jun 17, 2009)

I have a 5 month old lab and I had him on Evo dog food, and that was too rich for him. So I switched him to California Natural dog food and he started getting the squirts. So I tried Kirkland puppy food, and he is doing great. No soft stools and a ton of energy. The breeder we got him from feeds all of her dogs the Kirkland also. He also gets NuVet K-9 vitamins.


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## Gini_Kalton (Jun 26, 2009)

I have never used this product. I arrived at this site looking for information for a client, who was trying to find it here in Minnesota after feeding it while living in Washington State. 

On kellyco.com I pulled up a list of ingredients and found no "menadione" or vitamin K of any kind on the list. I found a 4lb bag for 7.39 and a 40lb bag for 31.19 (both before tax or shipping). The protein was listed at 28% on the adult bag. I am not impressed with the ingredients listed as "meal", ie: chicken meal, fish meal, etc. because those ingredients include ground feathers, feet & beaks and other parts that the animal would not eat if given the whole animal to consume. Otherwise I think this food is comparable to other good quality dog/cat foods. The bag also has a note that AAFCO testing was conducted on animals.

As to "finicky" cats - if your cat won't eat, he/she is not hungry; you might try only feeding twice per day and taking away what the cat shows no interest in after 15 min. As to the "taste" that dogs love - dogs will eat anything with a strong scent & bolt it down without enjoying the "taste", that word is used to market dog food to humans. Thanks to everyone for the great input!


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## Gini_Kalton (Jun 26, 2009)

correction... it is not "meal" but "byproducy" that I object to in a pet food; sorry for the misinformation.


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## GingerSnap (Jun 29, 2009)

Beet pulp is an ingredient in Kirkland/Costco dog food that some dogs are allergic to, which could be causing some of the reactions listed in earlier posts. This does not mean Kirkland is a bad food just not a good food for your dog. (this also assumes dog food was the culprit in making any dogs sick, have bumps or hair loss, etc) Kirkland dog food formulas also differ. Menadione sodium bivulfite (source of vitamin K activity) is not listed as an ingredient in all Kirkland formulas, so if this is a concern read ALL the ingredients on ALL the formulas before you purchase any dog food.

I had 6 dogs on Science Diet Light, a product my vet recommends and sells. According to the HillsSD website the Light formula no longer contains a meat/chicken source at all. It use to, but not now, even though the price has gone through the roof. I did not see paying almost $50.00 for a 40lb bag of corn, so I needed to make a switch. I will use my 50 lb dog as an example. He gets 2 and a half cups of Kirkland Adult dog food, 2 Kirkland dog biscuits and all 6 dogs go to the dog park for an hour worth of laps everyday. (my dog’s food portions vary by their weight) All my dogs are very healthy and at a good weight. Dogs needs hips, if your dog does not have an indent where theirs hips should be cut down on the food. Over feeding and lack of exercise contribute to soft stools and diarrhea in dogs, not necessarily the food. Some feeding guidelines are way out of line for what the dog really needs and what the dog may actually munch on all day, which can be all kinds of treats, people food and also lack of exercise. Consider the other things your dog will eat in a day and feed them less food. When changing foods, do so over a period of 10-14 days or you WILL have soft stools/diarrhea and smell issues.

I have had a good experience with Kirkland Adult Dog Food and when people ask me about dog food I tell them to try it for a bag or two and see how it works. It is well worth the membership price considering it is half the HillsSD price. When you have 6 dogs and have lost half your income, you have to be more price aware. One person I know has switched too and he says his dogs’ coats are much better and the smell that he got with a real basement dog food (Wal-mart brand) has gone away. He is very happy with the change as well. 

Bottom-line: Not all dog foods will work for all dogs even if those dogs are from the same litter. Dog food ingredients change all the time regardless of who the manufacture is, as mentioned above with HillsSD and they do not always tell the consumer. New and improved does not always mean better, sometimes it just means more expensive. Check websites and read the label.


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## William_Turczyn (Jul 16, 2009)

We have been using Kirkland Signature Adult Lamb, Rice & Vegetable and Chicken, Rice & Vegetable formula's for a few years now for our Irish Wolfhound adults and puppies. Price has gone from about $23 +/- CDN to over $32 +/- CDN and has now come down slightly. All bags are date stamped well into the future, smelled and appeared good as well as fresh -- worth our driving 400 kilometers every few weeks or so to pick up several bags at a time!!!


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## theruns (Jul 23, 2009)

this dogfood made my dog have runs over night! i am taking the enourmous bag and 30 cans i got back to costco and demanding my money back. i am in the pet waste management business and will make sure people know about how terrible this food is!!!


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## Tim1 (Jul 27, 2009)

theruns says: 
July 23, 2009 at 8:08 am
this dogfood made my dog have runs over night! i am taking the enourmous bag and 30 cans i got back to costco and demanding my money back. i am in the pet waste management business and will make sure people know about how terrible this food is!!! 

My vet recommends when changing food do it over 12 days. If you don't it can cause stomach cramps, diareha, excess gas, and indigestion.


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## carolann1 (Jul 28, 2009)

My twelve year old mixed sixty one pound Akita/Chow, Lily, does well on Kirkland dry and canned, also LOVES the premium biscuits. She is puppy like,has bright eyes, a good coat, loves to run and has no intesetinal issues. I have also switched my cats to Kirkland dry. I enjoy the quality of Kirkland products I have used.


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## Diane (Aug 2, 2009)

We have had our 5 month old Sheltie on Kirkland puppy formula after our breeder told us this is what they used. What a great formula. Our vet wanted to change her food until I showed her the bag with ingredient list. She was very impressed, the fact that they do not use corn was very important as well as the listing of meat rather then byproducts.
We have since switched our 13 year old Yorkie from Science diet to Kirkland Mature and he is much happier and active. Science diet is about twice as expensive and uses corn which is very hard for dogs to digest.


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## JR (Aug 3, 2009)

We have been feeding Kirkland for mature dogs to our 12 year old black lab for 7 or 8 years with no problem, it seems high quality. Last month she suddenly stopped eating and would vomit if she did eat. We thought we were losing her so spent $300 for full tests and blood work and everything came back OK. funny thing was she seemed hungry for things like tomatoes or similar healthy scraps which we then started mixing with her kibble to try to get her to eat it. She would pick them out and leave the kibble. I must stress that she is a lab and would eat anything and as much of it as possible up to this point in her life. We assumed that due to her age her appetite and tastes may be changing, so bought some high quality canned food to mix with the kibble. She somehow picked out and ate the canned food, licked the kibble clean but left it behind. So we tried a different kibble, Pedigree brand, which she seems to love and is back to her old self again, thank God, as she has been great dog.
So I am left to believe there is something wrong with the batch of Kirkland food that she can sense and that caused her to throw it up. It didn't kill her but I believe she was heading that way if she didn't have the sense to give it up.
Has anyone else had an experience like this with Kirkland food recently?


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## Terry2 (Aug 4, 2009)

We used to use Eukenuba for our Bella who is a cane corso mastif; until the last vet visit where we were told she needed to lose some weight and that the expensive food we were feeding her was the cause. Upon the vets recommendation we switched Bella to Kirkland Lamb and Rice formula and Bella who is usually really picky and can leave a bowl of food sit all day, is now scarfing up this new food and hopefully on her way to weight loss and better nutrition.


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## CC (Aug 7, 2009)

I've been feeding our 11 mo old lab Kirkland puppy food since we brought her home from the breeder. For a long time it seemed to be fine, and I was pretty impressed with the ingredients, but over the last month or two, she started having diarrhea all the time and her fur is falling out like crazy. I finally took her to the vet, thinking she may have picked up a 'bug' in the river near us. All the tests came back negative. I think Kirkland may have changed their formula, or our dog is simply allergic to something in it now. She gets a very long run nearly every day, and sometimes two, and is very fit. But this diarrhea will do her in. I'm looking for a food she can tolerate. Costco's price is half what other "good" brands are, so I'm not happy. I was also concerned about the puppy food maybe not being a good choice for a large breed puppy, as it doesn't really address that issue on the bag. But, I felt I really didn't have a lot of choice, since we are on a limited income. However, I will have to bite the bullet now, I think.


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## CC (Aug 7, 2009)

To JR...

I just reread your post, and it reminded me that my lab was also throwing up occasionally, along with the diarrhea she has had for the last month or two on Kirkland's puppy food. So, yes, I have had a similar experience with the Kirkland brand, and during the same time frame. Maybe it is a bad batch, or like I said in my earlier post, they have changed the formula, or my dog has developed an allergy.


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## MyDogHatesKirkland (Aug 14, 2009)

Kirkland is Costco's no name brand. 
Anything that is Kirkland could be less than what your used to.


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## seriously_folks (Sep 6, 2009)

Seriously, get over the judgment and read the label. Kirkland dog food is amazing quality for the price. Compared to Blackwood (at $56 for a 30# bag) it has better ingredients. I would rather feed my dog a mid-quality rice than a high-quality corn. If you're bad mouthing Kirkland food it's most likely due to your hang up on "brand names" and not on actual facts. I've been feeding my dogs Kirkland for 10 yrs. I recently moved to a town without a Costco, and I drive 2hrs so that I can keep feeding my dogs a premium quality food. There are more costly foods, with better marketed "names", but when I look at the ingredients - they just can't compare. I could pay twice as much, and the first ingredient isn't even real meat, and they all have corn. Thanks Kirkland!


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## Johnny2 (Sep 6, 2009)

Just started to gradually change over from California Natural Chicken & Rice to Kirkland Chicken and Rice for 2 year old Male American Staffordshire Terrier. He seems to like it and his stools are smaller and firmer so far. Price was $23.24 for a 40 lb. bag. This dog as a pup had serious problems with Chicken Soup and had to be on a special Hills vet only dog food for a long time. Coat and skin were great with California Natural. A friend is using Kirkland on a Lab and says the skin an coat are great and so far it seems to be fine with our AMSTAFF. I gave some to a friend to try on his 4 beagles too. So far it looks very promising and the AMSTAFF loves it.


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## JOE1 (Sep 8, 2009)

I HAVE 3 DOGS AND I LOVE THEM... SURE IS GREAT TO SEE ALL THE LOVE GOING ON HERE CARING ABOUT YOUR PETS..... LETS FEED THEM MICHEAL VICK.... 

ONE of my dogs has been getting sick off pedigree dog food.... glands fill up and ear problems.... according to my vet.... I am going to try kirkland... My dogs dont like chicken much though... Unless its like jerkey...
THEY ARE SPOILED ROTTEN.... AND I LOVE THEM THAT WAY..... 

BIG DOG JOE

They are full of kisses.... and they let you know they love you and apperciate you.... 2 were saved from the pound... they are truley glad to be spared.... They act like they know.... I am glad someone gave them up... they dont know what they missed out on.... DUMMIES.... There loss, MY WIN....


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## Michael2 (Sep 8, 2009)

It comes down to this, All dogs react differently to all foods. If you do your research and check out ALL the ingrediants listed. My 15 yr old Golden is VERY sensitive to food so he doesn't get anything with corn or wheat. This was done by trial and error. We went thru the whole gaunlet of upset stomach, scratching and rashes and runny stools but It takes time for dogs to adjust to a new diet just like you and me but around 2 weeks is plenty of time to let you know if it's going to work or not. I had been feeding him Wolf King for a many years after settling on it with no problems what so ever but due to the financial state of my world I needed to try to find something a little less costly. I researched for one week at least 2 hours everyday and decided to try Kirkland Chicken for Adult dogs. It has been just fine. The ingrediants are real good and the end results are always good. The best part is I get a quality dog food for about 1\2 the price of Wolf King. I now have a 21 month old Golden who has been eating it since I got her from the rescue agency and have had no problems with her either.
So to say it's a bad dog food is relative, call the company with any questions or concerns you may have,your dog may have alergic reactions to it or it's digestive system may not agree with it and I highly doubt it causes cancer so just do your research and choose your product with the knowledge available. I have had no issues, my dogs love it and I recommend the food to everyone and have had not one person say it was detrimental. Again, it's all relative. Is it the best...I don't know except that it has worked for me and my dogs for years now. Good Luck!
Sorry if any spelling issues arise.


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## Christy (Sep 18, 2009)

Seriously people, would you feed your children "mid-grade" food just because it is cheaper??? The ingredients look "fine" but hello it is a mid grade feed. If you can not afford a "quality" feed then cut back on your Expresso's or something you indulge in. If you can not do that then cut back on the number of dogs you have! Don't think you're being so noble because you are "saving" dogs or a breeder who is "trying to better the breed", and needs to feed cheap because of the numbers of dogs in your kennels. Think about your dogs health IN THE LONG RUN, not just how they look now.


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## Janice1 (Oct 1, 2009)

Christy I used to be like you with a holier than thou attitude about what I feed my pets. I got news for you, people are feeding their kids mid grade food. You think that box of mac and cheese is high quality food. But people are feeding to their kids,that and much worse. This food is not a bad food it's pretty good food. 

I have fed my dogs Wellness, California natural, etc. But I lost my job this year and am working on getting back on my feet. I don't eat as well as I did and my dogs are on Kirkland right now. This food has no by products, meat source is the first ingrediant, there are so many worse foods I could be feeding them. There are no latte being bought in my house, there are no extras, and to suggest because I am going through some troubles I should get rid of some of my dogs. Are you nuts? This is my family your talking about. They aren't going anywhere, they will make some sacrifices but no more then I am, I sacrifice for them. Believe me my diet is a lot worse their theres. I think you need to take judgments and put them where the sun don't shine. I was an judgemental jerk like you before but now I have learned that not everyone is just trying to cut corners because they don't think their dogs are worth it. They will once again get the best I can find for them but for now we are doing the best we can.


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## Shogun (Oct 2, 2009)

I know there is a lot of information out on the internet that can be false. Here is a website that reviewed many dog foods on strict criteria. You can see it yourself. It's basically a scale (add points for good ingredients, subtract for bad). Kirkland gets and A+, that doesn't sound like mid grade to me. Yes I know Costco and Kirkland may seem less quality, but ingredients speak for themselves. Face it ALL dog foods do marketing and mislead the consumer. I don't see Kirkland out there trying to push there dog food. I think it's an opportunity to provide quality to the consumer without the price of a name. I have raised many dogs in my time, and run the gambit on foods. Bottom line is I seem to get quality for a good price, and my dogs live a long time (14, 15, years). They have good check ups, good stool movements, and not a lot which means their body is absorbing quality and has little waste. Hey my dogs are happy and will live a long time that seems okay in my book.

Christy I appreciate your passion, but some of it is misdirected. Just because you choose a certain food doesn't make you a horible pet owner. Yes there are plenty of irresponsible people who don't care for their pets correctly, and perhaps an informative response would help those ignorant on food choices. Your response is not very helpful, just plain mean. Again my dog's health in the long run has been fine, and we are talking several dogs over my life time. "the ingredients look fine, but it's a mid grade dog food" what are you basing that on because it doesn't have a name brand label? The ingredients are the facts, perhaps they are misleading for arguments sake, but then so is every bag of dog food. I base my opinion on first hand account. Any way just my opinion. I'm sure I won't change too many minds just "food" for thought


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## Brandon1 (Oct 2, 2009)

People like Christy make me furious! She suggests that you shouldn't rescue dogs from their eventual euthanization in a rescue if you can't afford to feed them $60 per bag premium dog food. That's the most illogical thing I've ever heard. Let's look at it from this perspective. If I were given the choice of either A) death by lethal injection; or B) eating non-premium foods for the rest of my life, which would I choose? I'm sure if the dogs could speak, they'd rather be rescued and given lots of love in a great home with decent quality dog food (Kirkland is not a bad dog food) than to be put to death in an animal control facility. Think before you speak!

Not knowing any better, I fed my lab Pedigree for 9 years thinking I was feeding him a good quality food. He has no health problems and is one of the happiest most loving dogs you'd ever meet. He's now on Kirkland and does great on it. Dogs are pretty resilient animals. If they were to roam free, they would likely eat decaying animal carcasses or whatever they came across, so I believe you just do the best you can and give your dog a safe, loving home. That's what's really most important.


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## Dean (Oct 3, 2009)

I've tried a couple "premium" brands with my 6 year old Maltese and she prefers Kirkland Chicken, Rice and Vegetable for Small Breeds. It also saves me money, which is important these days.


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## Angela_Miller (Oct 7, 2009)

Recently we have switched our 11 year old dogs to Kirkland's Adult dog food, they were on Science Diet for a long time, but SD is pretty pricey. A couple of weeks ago my girl would not look at this food, and to this day she refuses to eat it, now my boy will not look at it or eat it. We had a visit with the vet yesterday, still waiting to hear back from blood results, but I keep questioning... Is it the food?


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## Shirley_Allen (Oct 13, 2009)

I have six big dogs and I have tried several brands of dog food, including Some brands over 45.00 for a 30# bag. I was feeding Canadae and found out that it is produced by Diamond who also produces Kirkland dog food.I am very impressed with this product. Not only do my dogs have firm stools,there is less of it, and it does not smell bad. In some of the other dog foods, I have notice grains in my dogs poop. Not so with Kirkland. I recommend this product highly


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## Amado_Amores (Oct 24, 2009)

My Rottweiler (130 Lbs.) and Lab mix (100) ate Science Diet as puppies. I got tired of paying so much money so I started looking into other food. After seeing the ingredients on Kirkland brands, I switched. I can't believed I fed my puppies SD with it's corn meal as the first ingredient and $40 per 40 lb. bag. Kirkland cost me at the time $13 for a 40lb. bag. I felt like an idiot believing the hype about SD, believing by paying a higher price and buying it at a Petco made it quality. My Rottie died last year at 13 years old, No cancer or any specific illness, just his time. My lab is over 14 years old and still with me. I guess my point is they ate Kirkland brand food for most of their life, except for 2 years. Do your research; read the labels.


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## Amado_Amores (Oct 24, 2009)

I'm curious to know what "Cristy" feeds her dog. I have a friend who claims Eukanuba is the best and would feed her puppies anything else. Guess what, Eukanuba contains meat by-products, corn meal, and brewers rice. Kirkland does not contain these ingredients. These are just three ingredients that should not be in your love one's food.


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## Laura1 (Oct 29, 2009)

I just read several reviews about this dog food and while it may seem "mid-grade" to some, it ranks equal in consumer reports with brands like Nutro and Chicken Soup. It ranked higher than Science Diet, Eukenuba and Iams, which leads me to believe that there are many people out there supporting the advertising habbits of some larger dog food companies. My two Shi tzu princesses are currently on Wellness Core which has a protein content high enough for a hunting or sporting dog. The last 12 pound bag I bought was $27. It lasted less than a month and my babies are only ten pounders! I just don't want to spend an arm and a leg on the highest quality dog food I can afford, only to find out that they are not going to be any less healthy on a "mid-grade" food. After all, they will eat their own poop if left alone with it (and yes, my vet says they are perfectly normal and very healthy)! 

By the way, I also have two princesses of the human variety, and I do the best I can for them too BUT, they don't eat wild salmon twice a week or kale or flax seeds... healthy kids, two and four legged! That's all I'm after and it surprises me to read such venomous comments on a site about dog food. Honestly, if people didn't care deeply about what their pets are eating, they wouldn't be surfing the web to figure it out! I will try Kirkland brand dog food and I won't be spending what I save on coffee either... maybe some freeze dried duck breast or sweet potato?


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## Pumpkin_Lover (Nov 4, 2009)

HELLO fellow pet lovers.. Just so you know, I'm an avid Kirkland fan. Let me start by giving you the cliff notes on my special bond, with my puppy love..

I love her so very much, I even have a tattoo of a pumpkin on my ankle! (BTW it was free, friend artist practiced on me :/ looks awesome and no frivolous spending, frankly Christy scares me..) I got my little bundle of joy on Halloween of 2003 (Whom I named Pumpkin!) She is a mutt!! Her mom was a rottie/lab and her dad was a chow/lab and she is my Muffin Monster! When I got her she was so young that she was bottle fed. Lots of bottle feeding bonding, she is my child, and will always be known (since I have no other kids) as my first child and she is my soul puppy. So obviously, when she was finally able to eat kibbles, I did major research and Kirkland was very highly rated, and even came recomended by Pumpkins veterinarian. She started with Kirkland Puppy, moved on to Chicken and Rice, and now that they have Lamb and Rice, thats what I prefer to give her. 

Most vets & Pumpkin fans can't believe she is already six years old, B/C she's very healthy and her teeth are nice&clean! FYI, no.. I don't brush them regularly, nor has she had a cleaning. She is extremely smart too, so don't worry its not going to stunt their brain development. Oh yes, and she is beautiful all around in her healthy coat of fur! 

Let me tell you something else, in the past six years Kirkland has NEVER been recalled and has always had quality ingredients, before the really big hype was made about ingredients, Kirkland was offering up quality at an awesome price. 

Further more, they say pets reflect their owners... much like children reflect their parents  Pumpkin likes the laid back approach and digs the over all value of quality food at an affordable price, for some reason the bag didnt matter, what was in the bag is all that is important to her! Yeah.. the pumpkin didnt grow to far away from the patch!! 

So if there are any of you out there, curious about the "mid-grade" nonsense or the being cheap factor.. Let me ask you something.. Do you purposefully not buy perfectly fine food just because its on sale that week? Personally if I find a good sale at the local grocery store, I'll buy copious amounts and freeze the extras.. 

I'm an unemployed full time student living off of savings and I like saving all the "extra" cash I can, lol. I also love to cook and enjoy good food. So I make it work. Point is, rich or poor, I'd never make cut backs on the food budget, and I'm frugal..


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## steve6 (Nov 4, 2009)

Pumpkin lover:

Kirkland was recalled in Jan 2006 for aflotoxin (sp?) which ia a fungus that grows on corn. Their can food was recalled in 2007. Kirklands food is ok but it has fillers in it. Alot of more expensive foods have the same fillers in it as well but not all of them. The secret is to find them. Incidentally Kirkland who has their food made by Diamond, who has many recalls with different brands they produce.

Food for thought


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## Pumpkin_Lover (Nov 4, 2009)

Well.. I stand corrected Steve.. Pardon my mistake. FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, in the six years that she has been eating kirkland/diamond brand foods, it has not been recalled.. Thank you for bringing that to my attention, it does arise concerns.. Also, Pumpkin prefers dry food, so I stay fairly ignorant to wet food. I've always prefered kibbles for pups anyway, I heard once that it was better for dogs teeth. Do you think the recall was regionally specific? Or maybe I was lucky and got my hands on a good batch.. I tend to buy in bulk, its easier on my budgeting. But then again, My little Pumpkin Pie has a pretty strong stomach, maybe she was just able to pass it.. Once she ate an entire mango, seed and all.. I was scared to death, but impressed all at once. Plus I love mangoes, so of all the fruit for my slippery little Muffin Monster to steal off the counter (apples, bananas, grapes, kiwi, and I think I even had some peaches) I thought it was kinda cute that she picked mangoes!! I don't call her Muffin Monster for no reason, she once destroyed a 12 pack of gigantic costco apple crumb/ banana nut muffins! She's a sly one when she wants something.. Hmm.. I still stand by Kirkland, I really do think it is a quality product.


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## paul3 (Nov 8, 2009)

I have two German shorthaired pointers which I Rescued,along with several others over the years,I recently rescued a Young male Gsp.He has food allergies.I have never ever skimped on what I feed my dogs or cats for that matter.I have done weeks of reasearch,spoke with proffessional Gsp Breeders,vets,and friends and relatives.They have all told me to try the kirland dog AND cat food.well,I started with the cat food.I have been buying Iams for decades.I didn't care for the practices of Iams and I also got tired of the "cat Gack"after they ate it.so..I bought the KIrklands cat food,and their coats shine,they LOVE IT,and No "cat Gack". I am in the process of transitioning the young GSP to the KIrkland dog food and have seen a marked improvement! When I discovered Diamond was the Mfg,It just sealed the Deal.
Satisfied Gsp owner here!


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## Evi (Nov 17, 2009)

Well, Christy is a bit of an unreasonable food elitist, isn't she? Amazed to read her snooty comments on people should be getting rid of their dogs and cutting back on their lattes and other unkind remarks that don't really deal with the realm of reality as it is today. Guess she must still be sitting pretty. But for all those of us that are having to get by on greatly reduced incomes, getting rid of our four-legged family members isnt't even an option. 
We too used to feed some of the really high end food. Which our dogs and cats loved. But the economy being what it is, we've had to cut back, both for ourselves and our pets. And Kirkland fit the bill. It's not full of fillers and crap. Everyone is doing well on it, shiny and bright. The cats in their teens, the dogs getting up there in age too. Now a rescue boy, on Kirkland Puppy Chow. And no, letting dogs and cats sitting in cages at the local shelters, waiting to be euthanized, is not better for them then feeding them "inferior" foods. Maybe Christy needs to hang out at a shelter on kill day and decide who should live or die. Is going to a home where maybe the "creme de la creme" dogfood is not on the menu, but life and love is, (along with a pretty darn good kibble)a bad thing?? I think not. Kudos to all of you who are doing the best they can to take care of your beloved pets, and especially those of you who have rescued from shelters. Hats off!!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I just copied & pasted the formula. The only bad if you wanna call it bad is beet pulp, sure I would not like brewers yeast in my dogs diet either but this really isn't that bad of a dog food. The first 6 foods in this food is fine. Some raw food feeders even grind up egg shells and insert it into their dogs diet which is "egg product". The brewers yeast is way down the list.


Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearl barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and vitamin E), egg product, beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, millet, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Hey Steve, I don't feed this to my dogs, but did you notice they don't have corn, wheat, soy, gluten's, sorghum or any of the other really bad crap in this product. I really did just what to point out the lack of corn, but I just got out of hand. LOL


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## Bre's_Nutrition_Corner (Nov 18, 2009)

A dog's diet should consist of 75-80 percent animal protein (including meats, dairy, and eggs), no more than 15 percent fruits and vegetables, and no more than 10 percent grains (including brown rice and barley). Kirkland dog food has Chicken and Chicken meal listed as its first two ingredients followed by chicken fat and egg product as ingredient five and six respectively. Chicken is defined by AFCO as inclusive of water while chicken meal has most of the water removed during processing. Ingredient labels are based on weight meaning that Chicken (inclusive of water) is not really the ingredient with the highest percentage by weight. It is more likely that chicken would be seventh or eighth on the list if it did not include water. This makes the proportion of animal protein much lower than the 75-80 percent that it should be.

Dogs are defined as carnivores but they can digest certain forms of plant proteins. Barley and Brown Rice are not fully digested by dogs but are a much better ingredient than corn or wheat which can only be digested by ruminants (cows, sheep, and goats). 

Kirkland dog food is a low animal protein high plant protein food. Another problem is that almost all of the micro nutrients are synthetic. Synthetic forms of vitamins and minerals are much less bio-available than whole food options that can be found in higher quality dog foods. Many studies have shown that synthetic form of nutrients are harder to digest, metabolize, and are not nearly as effective as natural sources. 

An "All Natural" dog food can not contain any synthetic ingredients. This makes the food contain only natural forms of micro and macro nutrients and no artificial colors or preservatives. 

Kirkland is a better choice than many other dog foods but I definitely would never compare it to other high end dog foods. What many people don't realize it that the high end super quality dog foods will cost you less money in the long run. You have to feed your dog less of the food, more of the food is metabolized meaning that less of it is wasted, and your vet bills will be considerable less. 

I understand that times are tough and that feeding a high end dog food is expensive but you can always off-set the cost be making a home-cooked portion of your dogs meals. I personally feed a super premium dry dog food and I make a home-cooked food that I add to the dogs kibble. It contains cottage cheese, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, lentils, split peas, oatmeal, and long grain brown rice. This helps cut my dog food bill almost in half. I also add meat to my home-cooked meals from time to time and hard boiled eggs are also a good choice. A very helpful book on the subject is "The Ultimate Pet Food Guide" by Liz Palika. 

There is a lot of information available online but be weary of what you chose to believe. I know a lot about animal nutrition but that doesn't mean that I have all the answers nor am I arrogant enough to think that I'm always right about everything. Get as much information as you can but take everything in with a grain of salt. Many people who feed Beniful or Purina will tell you that it is just the best food there pet has ever eaten. Just because someone says that there pet does well on a food doesn't make it worth a second look. 

I hope this information helps and makes you all more informed about what you feed your pets.


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## Rawfeederr1 (Nov 28, 2009)

This food is excellent for the price. Better than Canidae, even!!

If you are low on cash due to the economy, don't feed Ol' Roy or Purina- feed Kirkland!!!


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## Rawfeederr1 (Nov 28, 2009)

Oops, I forgot to say how many stars- I am giving it 9!


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## forestfaery77 (Nov 30, 2009)

I am thinking of changing to Kirkland because of the price - I currently use Chicken Soup and have tried others, but find some brands hard to find. Each pet store seems to carry only certain ones. What I am concerned with is Bre's comments about the synthetic ingredients. What pet foods do not have them and why are they so bad.


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## Catty (Dec 1, 2009)

My border collie loves this stuff! I have to cut him off or he'd eat all day. My boyfriend's little dogs love it as well (but not quite as much as my guy). However, I also have a white german shepherd that won't eat it. She'll eat a little if she's hungry enough but most of the time will refuse. I'm worried because she's beginning to get rather thin. She ate science diet before but didn't like it much either. Does anyone know the quality of purina beneful? She absolutely loved that stuff. Yet, that doesn't necessarily mean it is quality. Just looking for some advice before switching her back!

As for Kirkland brand, i think it's a great dog food and the price is an added bonus. But each dog is different and it comes down to them whether they'll eat it or not.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

purina beneful is awful. Find a good pet store in your area (not petco or petsmart) and try Artemis, Orijen, Horizon Legacy, Evo, Innova, California natural, Fromm, Instinct, Merick, Wellness, Solid Gold, Timberwolf, Acana or Canidae. Their are more good ones as well, but you know you are getting good food with one of these brands. Don't buy the crap in the grocery stores it is usually trash. I mix in a little bit of wet for my GSD, AND HE GOES CRAZY OVER IT. I use Innova canned large breed puppy. I spread "1" can of wet over 5 meals(I really don't use much), I "mix" the wet with some hot water and let it all soak for about 5 minutes. I am not kinding he went crazy over it. I use Cali Natural, Innova, Orijen and Horizon Legacy all puppy foods because my dog is young.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Here is a link to a very good site and any of the 5 and 6 star food is great the 4 stars are OK, but I would never feed any of the 3 star and lower to my dogs. Pretty much the same as this site, just easier to use.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/


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## BEN1 (Dec 2, 2009)

Speaking to my experience with Kirkland dog food, my mastiff and german shepherd did well for about two years. It recently made them VIOLENTLY ill; vomit, bloody diareah...I took them off it and put them on Nutromax. Judging by what is printed on the ingredients label, I would say Nutormax actually falls short of Kirkland, but the dogs recovered in about 48 hours. Thinking it was a stomach virus, I put them back on Kirkland but they became incredibly ill again. 

I called the company, but they said that the tested their "retainer batch" and that it was my dogs. Ordinarily I would have agreed with them but my German Shepherd has the stomach of a goat...and like I said they had been on Kirkland for 2 years.

Wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Ben, my German Sheperd Puppy had bad diarrhea on their puppy food. I still don't think this is bad food, it is just not a good fit for my dog. I think it is the Beet Pulp in it that some dogs can't digest, or it could be something else, who knows. But it is waaay better than alot of that crap out there.


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## ken1 (Dec 4, 2009)

Good Day

Just selecting a new feed for our 11yr lab and the Kirkland Mature blue Bag
chicken/rice/egg has dif. spec. than that are listed on this site.

New?? 27% protein, 12% crude fat, 1200mg/kg Glu,400mg/kg Con. 3% FIBER Ect.

Cal/cup ?? Seems good ??

Thank You
Ken


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## Ann3 (Dec 6, 2009)

So glad to have found this website. Have been feeding Canidae and other highest grade food despite living paycheck to paycheck. Now I MUST cut back, so am feeling terrible about having to feed Kirkland. Those of you already doing it are right, and are being more sensible than those of us who insist on living above our means. This is part of my overall budget makeover. Thanks for the support!


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## Marie3 (Dec 11, 2009)

I want to thank all of you who participated in the reviews. Trying to find dog food that will work with your dog and your budget is frustrating to say the least. Checking out and trying the so-called "premium" and/or "healthy" dog foods I have found that $$$$ doesn't always equal quality. And just because they love the taste doesn't mean it is high quailty either. I fed very high quality food to my champion English Setter until she developed a disease preventing her from eating protiens...the premium food didn't help her to live a long productive lie. I know it is just one example. I don't eat gourmet and/or natural foods and so far I am pretty darn healthy in my 50's. I seem to be getting by on "mid-grade" food, I think my dogs and cats will be just fine on theirs since they are all past 6 without any problems.
Loving my 4 legged roommates means providing them with food I can afford and staying in my home, not giving them up because I can't give them the very best of foods.


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## furbaby_mommy (Dec 14, 2009)

I've been feeding my dogs, a white german shepherd and a lab mix, Blue Buffalo for the last year and a half (50 bucks for 30 lbs at petsmart). they liked it well enough, but i've recently been hurting from the cost. While at Costco last week I saw a dog food brand I've never seen before. It's called Nature's Domain and the flavor they have is salmon meal and sweet potatoes. The first 3 ingredients are salmon meal, sweet potatoes and peas. When I brought the bag home my dogs went crazy sniffing it. I was almost out of Blue Buffalo, so I wasn't able to slowing mix the 2 brands like recommended. Instead I added the Nature's Domain on top of what was left of the Blue Buffalo. Both dogs immediately started digging into their bowls, but what was interesting was they stopped when only the Blue Buffalo was left. This surprised me because I thought they really enjoyed Blue Buffalo, but now I see they love this Nature's Domain. I'm wondering if anyone out there has any experience with this brand. It's grain free for all life stages and costs 28 bucks for 35lbs,a big help on my budget! I'm really happy with my dogs response to it and haven't noticed any negatives. Blue Buffalo came HIGHLY recommended to me, but spending that much each month was starting to hurt my budget. Thanks for any responses.


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## forestfaery77 (Nov 30, 2009)

I'm curious. Is Nature's Domain the same as the "Kirkland" brand everyone is talking about? Most people are feeling the cash crunch these days - there are signs at my vets for food donations for the shelters since so many people have to decide between feeding their children or their pets. I am searching for a good low cost food. A vet suggested Dads. Any feedback on that brand would be appreciated - also where to purchase it. It is supposedly low cost and has good ingredients. I have been trying different ones lately, but am not really sure how good that is their systems. I would really like to find one and stick with it for awhile. Thanks.


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## JackRussell_Mom (Dec 28, 2009)

Seems like a lot of us are cutting back on costs and feeling guilty. Good to see that the overall impression of Kirkland foods are positive. I bought a Kirkland brand that isn't listed -- Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog. The label says it's formulated w/"Chicken & Vegetables." My older Jack (14 yrs) was on Purina One Healthy Weight formula for the last couple of years and did very well. But unemployment is forcing me to cut costs wherever possible. The nutrient list is making me nervous -- the first six ingredients are: Chicken meal, brown rice, peas, cracked pearled barley, millet, powdered cellulose... 

He seems to be doing fine after about two weeks, but after reading some threads, it looks as though "chicken meal" could be anything and all the grains may not be too good, either. 

Anyone have any experience with this product?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

For the money this is as good as it gets and it really is a pretty good food. Taste of the Wild and California Natural are super good dog foods and are in the medium cost range.


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## Harris (Dec 29, 2009)

I am glad to see this discussion going on. I am in a similar situation to others who have posted. I had to lower the quality of food my dogs get due to the economic conditions. I found Diamond Brand to be the best value around. Cheaper then lesser quality brands and was rated 3 of six stars. I think the Kirkland brand is equal, but they are to far away and I don't have a membership any longer.


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## JRT_Mom_2 (Jan 8, 2010)

Powdered Cellulose??? What the heck is that! That is one ingredient that would make me really concerned!!


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## Rich2 (Jan 8, 2010)

I have a 8 month old golden retriever I started on the Kirkland Premium chicken and rice puppy food. He went crazy over it every time it was time to eat. I recently switched him to Kirkland adult chicken and rice in the purple bag and have had a negative response from my pup. At first when I was mixing the two formulas he got a little less excited to eat and now that it is just the adult formula he won't touch it unless he gets very hungry. He used to get soo excited to eat his puppy food and would finish in a split second and now he will leave the adult food all morning long and finally eat it late in the day. He never finishes his dinner and I can tell he does not look forward to eating. He Gets two walks a day, plenty of water, affection, and no treats for the most part. I think food is the issue. He looks a little thinner and his coat not quite as shiny too. I am thinking of trying the Lamb and rice formula and seeing if he is interested in it and how he responds. Don't really want to be spending $40+ on a smaller bag of premium food unless there is a health risk with the kirkland brand and don't have the budget or the time to make him food at home on a consistent basis. 

I am concerned that he might have a reaction to the beet filler everyone is mentioning. Anyone know if the same filler is in the puppy formula?
Is there a simple inexpensive way to test for allergies?

Thanks,

Rich


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

JRT, Where did you see Powdered Cellulose??? I don't see it...

Rich, your dog is to young to be tested, I was thinking of having my 7 1/2 month old shepherd tested. My vet said he was to young. My dog did get the runs from this food but I still think it is a good product. You should feed him puppy food for at least one year. Don't worry about the beet filler because it is way down on the list, which means their isn't much in the food.


Kirkland Signature Range Lamb and Rice Adult Full Ingredients List:

Lamb,lamb meal, whole grain brown rice, rice flour, white rice, egg product, cracked pearl barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and Vitamin E), beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder,potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, taurine, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulphate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin k activity), riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

JackRussell Mom, any kind of meat meal is good, it is the meat by-product that isn't very good. The bad ones are corn, wheat, glutens or soy. Ethoxyquin is very bad and this is what some manufactures use to preserve fisn.


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## Stormy (Jan 24, 2010)

My German Shepherd dog loves Kirkland Lamb and Rice. I would not feed him anything other than Kirkland's Lamb and Rice, or Kirkland's Chicken and Rice. 
Brewers Yeast is good to help keep the fleas and other bugs away from him. I have been adding Brewers Yeast to his food for years he is almost 3 years old. In my life most of my dogs have had Brewers Yeast added to their diet. He also gets the tablet form of brewers yeast in the Summer. His buddy (Another shepherd dog (he liked fruit added to his diet also))lived to be 13.5 years old and loved Both types of Kirkland. He did not like to be changed to other brands of chow. He was on Kirkland most of his life. I feed him very little table scraps, he would rather eat his Kirkland's dog chow. 

12 stars Kirkland's Dog Food.


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## Stormy (Jan 24, 2010)

I vote 12 stars Kirkland dog chow. Better than other big name brands.


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## forestfaery77 (Nov 30, 2009)

I tried Kirkland, but also Dad's - this was actually recommended by a vet - right now I am mixing them and will probably go with Dads because of the cost.


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## Jan1 (Jan 29, 2010)

Great dog food ingred. are commparable to top selling dog foods for much less money all the dogs have beautiful coats and are very healthy.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

forestfaery77 don't do it.. Dads is down right aweful and I wouldn't feed this brand to the crows. Kirklands is 500% better. This is whats in Dads

Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Wheat, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Beef Tallow (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Beef, Water, Animal Fat (Preserved with BHA), Calcium Carbonate, Propylene Glycol, Salt, Flaxseed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Brewers Rice, Potassium Sorbate (a Preservative), Peas, Carrots, Iron Oxide, Phosphoric Acid, Carboxymethyl Cellulose

Ground Yellow corn as the No.1, it can't get any worse. Soybean meal, geez another just aweful ingredient. Corn GLUTEN, IT really doesn't get much worse that corn and GLUTEN in the same food. Whole wheat, unbeliveable, wheat is really really bad for dogs. Then they use corn again, Dear god, please help the dogs that eat this crap, it isn't their fault. 

I would put this as one of the "10 worst" dog foods you can buy. STAY WITH KIRKLANDS do what you must to get up the money diference.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Oh my god I just noticed they use BHA, YOU MIGHT AS WILL POSION YOUR DOG..


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## Nancy3 (Jan 29, 2010)

Be ware of the new grain free coming out for Kirkland. I have had several reports that it is grain free, but it is testing high on the carb levels...50% range. So even though the ration sounds good, find out the whole picture and find a knowledgeable feed store or pet store that can get you a better picture. Most grain frees on the market now are testing 20-25% carb...FYI.


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## Tracy2 (Feb 1, 2010)

I am surprised that Kirkland is manufactered by Diamond. I used Diamond many years ago and wasnt impressed. I have 4 dogs of different breeds and sizes and everyone likes this feed. Even my fussy intact boy. He seems to eat when convenent for him. I have show dogs and their coats are beautiful. The food is highly recommended by other show peeps. No everyone can spend big bucks for a label.


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## jeff3 (Feb 1, 2010)

Am i the only one who feels out of place here how have i stumbled upon this madness are we making each other feel good about what we feed our dogs their are dogs for petes sake they eat their own crap reeat their own vomit have been scrounging on whatever carcuss they could come upon since the beginning of doggie existence corn meal chicken, meat byproduct seriously i bet some of yall spend more money feeding your dogs than yourselves well ive got news for ya im getting out of this craziness cause ive fed my dogs cheap ol pedigree all their lives and all my dogs live to be 10 or older and if they dont like pedigree than they can try my grass


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## dogsled (Feb 2, 2010)

Switched to Kirkland weight control dog food a couple weeks ago and our Lab has been having episodes of excessive salivation and gas. He held up fine during the switchover from Iams Weight Control, when we were mixing foods, but now once the ratio of Kirkland went higher than the Iams, he started with this occasional drooling and gas. It's not every night. He's had maybe three episodes in the last two weeks. He's also very, very thirsty. Drinks from his water lick for long turns, every time he goes outside. I'm thinking the Costco food doesn't really agree with him. Anyone else have this experience?

Our guy tends to have a fussy gut--for example, Iams Weight Control agreed with him, but Iams Large Breed caused middle-of-the-night diarrhea. The ingredient list was identical, but with a swap in order somewhere in the first three ingredients and the fat content was 2 grams higher in the Large Breed. Our poor dog is outside for the night again tonight because he's producing gallons of drool--slimed the whole back porch. These symptoms definitely came on with the onset of feeding the Costco dog food.


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## Jan1 (Jan 29, 2010)

I am a breeder of GSD's have used several top brands of dog foods that were sold out to big companies and formula was changed. I read many comments on Kirland dog food and decided a couple yrs ago to try it out. All my GSD's are doing wonderful on it the ingred compare to some of the top sold dog foods for half the price. I just put two of our older dogs on their older maintance dog food it will take awhile to see how that works. We have also used Kirkland can dog food/Kirkland milk bones they are also of top quality. We use the Chicken/rice formula I highly recommend Kirkland dog food. Our dogs could not have better coats and be more healthy. This dog food produces nice firm stools for easy maintance.


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## Melissa_Sanford (Feb 12, 2010)

I am LIVID right now! This dog food is complete and utter garbage. We've always fed our three Australian Cattle Dogs Eagle Pak Holistic Select dog food but it's SO expensive. So, I researched the Kirkland food and since the ingredients sounded better than the pricey premium food, we decided to give it a try.

We started all three of our dogs on the chicken and rice formula about a week ago. Since then they have alld developed very loose stools and the most toxic, nasty gas I have ever smelled in my life. We just figured it was the transitioning and it would go away. Well, yesterday one of my dogs became incredibly sick! She has vomited at least 12 - 14 times in the last 18 hours and the vomit is disgusting. It looks and smells worse than any vomit I've ever dealt with. My dogs never get sick so I know it's the Costco food. I am so angry and I feel like such a bad mother! Now that I've read that other people have had the same kind of issues I will be raising hell about this at Costco. They should pull this garbage off the shelf.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Melissa Sanford,If you are looking for a new dog food,you should try "Dog Food Analysis" I don't know weather or not you are fimiliar with this site but they do product reviews based on ingredient lists.They tell you which ingredients are not good for dogs, I think it is a good place to start,they rate foods on a scale from 1 to 6. It is one of the websites I used in my search for a new food. I hope this info helps you! By the way you may already know this but,Boiled chicken and rice will help with the tummy upset and loose stools.


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## Anne_Featherstone (Feb 20, 2010)

I've been using Kirkland dog food for about 5 years and my dogs haven't had any problems. For the price I think it's very good.


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## Anne_Featherstone (Feb 20, 2010)

I should also say, they haven't had gas problems either.


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## VitaHound (Feb 27, 2010)

Our staff at VitaHound has been very interested in the nutritional value of Kirkland's dog food based on the price. The ingredients seem to fit the recipe many upper tier dog foods include. The actual manufacture Diamond a supplier known for quality. Our objective is to find a dog when combined with a dog dietary supplement provides a extremely economical health source of nutrition. Our staff believes this forum's opinions can provide valuable suggestions. We will check back often to see what people our recommending for commercial dog food.


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## denise3 (Feb 25, 2010)

I have dalmatians, & I've just started using the Kirkland dog food which came highly recommended from one of the dog rescue's. We just bought our membership @ Costco to give this dog food a try. So far we haven't had any trouble with this food, our dogs are very important to us & we want them to have the best. Will give update in next few months. thank-you


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I do not have a problem with this food, for the money it can't get any better. The only thing you should do is add a little meat now and then raw or cooked (NO SPICES), maybe a little cottage cheese now and then and an egg or two once a week.
I save a bundle getting my gas from Costco and it is darn good gas, pretty decent meat also, but to bad for Costco because I live near a great butcher shop. Oh by the way you gotta TRY THEIR ROTTICERY CHICKEN, MAN IS IT GOOD.


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## Sue_Stack (Feb 25, 2010)

I have been feeding all my dogs Kirkland's Chicken and Rice for years. Was taught that corn, wheat, soy, and by-products were not the best. Since this brand didn't contain those ingredients, I thought I was taking the proper care of my dogs. Well, I just lost my 3rd dog to the exact same symptoms. They were eating dirt and I should have realized something was wrong. Yes, dogs do need some corn and wheat but should not be the first ingredients. If you are feeding your dogs Kirkland, then purchase Atta Boy and mix a little in. Or Sam's Club has a brand Exceed that is pretty good and it contains some corn and wheat. Stay away from any food that has food coloring as that can cause Cancer.


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## Lindsay1 (Mar 7, 2010)

In response to the lady whos cattle dogs got very very sick........February 26th I purchased kirkland chicken/rice, adult dog dry food. Better on the budget. February 28 early morning I found my sweet girl wolf/husky mix, dead in our yard...totally unexpectedly. there was some diarrhea in the back yard, but there was no sign of anything else. She wasn't old enough to die, we don't know what happened. I also do not know how to contact Kirkland about this....they need to know. I notice your message was just 1-2 weeks before i bought my bag. I just don't know how to feel. I am devastated, am in pain...I miss my girl! tears. Does anyone know how to contact this company?


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## denise3 (Feb 25, 2010)

HI Lindsay, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. On the back on the dog food package there is a 1-800 phone #.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Sue you are 100% wrong dogs DO NOT NEED corn or wheat.!.! Atta boy is one of the worst dog foods produced today.

AND IF YOUR DOG IS EATING DIRT IT MOST LIKEY becuse he is lacking minerals.You should always be adding some vittys/mineral supliments to a dogs diet, ALWAYS.

Here is a list of good foods.....

Artemis*
Blue Wilderness*
Go
Horizon*
Evo**** 
Innova**
Instinct**
Orijen*****
Taste of the Wild**
Wellness
Acana***
Fromm*
Merrick
Canidae
Evanders
Earthborn
Natures Variety
Natures logic
Solidgold
Pinnacle
Timberwolf
Blue Buffalo
Halo
California Natural**
Healthwise**
Karma**


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

This is a good site to start learning about dog food

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Aside from Jess, these are some of the worst comments I've seen on here in awhile about dog foods.....Atta boy? Exceed?

It's not the food coloring that is causing the cancer, it's the by-products. By products can be euthanized pets. Not that food coloring is good for anyone though.

Corn and wheat in a dog food do nothing to the dog and nothing for the dog. The dog cannot digest corn, so it just goes right thourgh them and into your yard.

My only discretion with Jess is that I feel his list needs to get a little shorter.


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## Gary_Wing (Mar 9, 2010)

I have 2 Border Collies and have been feeding them what they call Kirkland Super Premium dog food since I got them (they're 3 and 5 years old). I swap the chicken with rice and Lamb with Rice, and give them about 1/3 of a can of Kirkland canned food with the kibble. They seem to do do fine on it. Healthy, shiny coats, tons of energy (but they're B.C.s so that's what you'd expect). Stool is usually medium firm, occasionally one has soft poop, but he also drinks a lot out streams on out daily walk. Anyway they seem to do just fine., I compared the list of ingredients on the bag to what's in IAMS product and it was identical in teh identical order, but that could just be smart packaging. I even compared the taste of the Kirkland and IAMS myself - identical.


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## Oregon27 (Aug 17, 2010)

We have used Kirkland lamb and rice for 17 +years for the dogs in our family that are normal canine chow hounds. Healthy, shiny, poops easy to pick up and ABSOLUTELY, NEVER A PROBLEM! We feed Wellness fish and sweet potato to our seizure Skip and he has never had a seizure on it as well as the wonderful return to a healthy liver and this with not using phenbarb RX after being 6 years on it. Yoda is now 11 years old.We have 2 skips age 11, a GSD age 7, a standard poodle age 4, a pit bull age 2, a rat terrier age 3, a lab age 3 and a pekinese age 8. WE feed ATTA boy to the racoon NOT the dogs!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Their is no way a dog just falls over dead from dog food unless someone posioned the food. But then again Diamond has had a awful lot of recalls, if you did not know that, thats who makes Kirkland, OK Eric, it would really be Menu foods. Usually they get tumors like mine did over a period of time.
This is one of the reason's I feed more than one brand and I feed quality brands at that.
Eric, guys like us need to help educate people like these, it is almost our duty to do so and I think the best way is to leave links so people can read it on their own.
How did I know you were gonna say that Eric? and you are right(about the list) but remember you have to have some options for people as far as their pocket book goes. Not everyone can aford Evo and Orijen. I have been meaning to get a price list made up, but everytime I go the the dog food store I have Tony and he just wants to eat all the cats. The pet store is also a rescue home for Kittys and man they have them everywhere.


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## Brie_B (Mar 16, 2010)

I just adopted a 7 year old terrier and started off with Beneful for the first week or so without incident. I switched to Kirkland and about a week later, he began to have terrible (and I mean terrible) gas and diarrhea. His stool consistency has improved somewhat but he still farts quite often (sometimes audibly)! Also, just yesterday he vomited several times, despite the fact that we do not feed him table scraps... My vet thought at first that it was due to the switch between brands, but it's been over a month since I switched to Kirkland with nearly no improvement. After reading that a few other owners have had these issues, I'm going to switch as soon as the bag is finished, probably back to Beneful or Purina One. I'm guessing that certain dogs have problems digesting certain brands/ingredients since the majority of reviews here are positive. I love the pricepoint and have no real issue with the quality, but my pup's stomach unfortunately doesn't feel the same!


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## The_Fuzzy_White_Dog_Pack (Mar 20, 2010)

we've been eating costco food for at least the past five years and love it.

firm poop, no gas - except for klondike but he's been a known tooter since we got him four years ago - and we've never been sick 'cuz of the food.

costco's treats are made of the same stuff we think and are awesome.

last year, our human converted us to their senior formula 'cuz we're old farts - or so he thinks. that chicken stuff is just as good, probably better, than the lamb food we were on for years.

we love that costco place.
sunny, sasha and klondike the rescue samoyed fuzzy white dog pack


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## imaduner (Mar 23, 2010)

I have been feeding Kirkland signature chicken to my Labs and small Munsterlander for a few months and really like it. I fed Eukanuba sporting breed for years. Good coats and no dry skin !! Stools are good as well. Like the chicken as it has higher protein. Thanks Costco !!!


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## Wingsfan26 (Mar 25, 2010)

I've been Feeding Kirklands Signature Chicken to my 6 year old Husky and 2 year old Italian Mastiff for the last 2 years. No issues at all! Both dogs are extremely healty and very athletic. I really do believe it is the best bang for the buck. A high quality food $21.79 for 40 lbs. Cost is a factor when you have a Mastiff. I can't afford $2/lb for dog food. I free feed both dogs, the Husky is around 50 lbs, and the Mastiff is a slim 105 lbs, but still has about 25 lbs of filling out to do.


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## Vizslaville (Mar 27, 2010)

Gary Wing - I don't know what bag of IAMS dog food you picked up to compare the ingredients to, but I would challenge you to find ANY bag of IAMS with an actual meat listed first (meals and by-products do not count!), and without corn or wheat. You clearly have not LOOKED at the ingredients lists you refer to.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL., Here's liams lamb right off their website I only took the first few lines but you get the message

Lamb Meal, Brewers Rice, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Corn Grits, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Monosodium Phosphate, Caramel,

Lol brewers rice-not good,Corn meal-BAD, Ground whole Grain sorghum-BAD, Chickenby-products meal-BAD,LOL

Now Kirkland

Lamb,lamb meal, whole grain brown rice, rice flour, white rice, egg product, cracked pearl barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and Vitamin E), beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder,potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, taurine, vitamin 

Boy night day between the two, Brown rice is a quaility grain rice flour and white rice are OK , pretty good really.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Opps, I missed the Corn grits, Brewers Dried Yeast and "salt" all very bad. Plus, Ground Whole Grain Barley is the worst of the barelies because includes the hulls.


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## SDrakkan (Apr 3, 2010)

Vizslaville: One issue I have with requiring a non-meal or by-product as the first ingredient, is often it is followed by grains. If it says Chicken, Lamb, ect that is the whole ingredient WITH water BEFORE processing. So when it's been processed, the actual content of that meat will be after those grains. So if we have whole meat, followed by meals, then we have a true meat focused food. 

Now Kirkland I have mixed feelings about. My dogs which have corn allergies, nothing else, had issues with the Lamb and Rice formula. Once I moved to another brand keeping the lamb and rice but a different mix, their itching stopped. But other clients of mine have dogs on it that are just balls of energy and their coats are great. I don't fully trust Diamond as their track record hasn't been great...but when the dog needs to eat and you do as well, this is a great choice.


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## Sandra (Apr 3, 2010)

I have 3 German Shepherds(2 are police dogs) and have always feed them Pro Plan. I decided to try the kirland because it is half the price. The first week I gave them half of the kirland mixed with their old food, as to not startle their digestive systems. Then I started on the kirland. My one dog had diarhea so bad, and the smell was aweful and they all had gas bad. I thought maybe he had a flu bug or something, so i put him on just rice and water for a week or so, and he got better...Well this week he is back on the food, and this morning he vomitted everywhere. The most god aweful smell came out of him. I`m not sure what is in this food....But I think I`m going back to the pro plan...I can see him dying from dehydration if I continue with the kirland....It`s too bad because the ingredients listed on the bag look good. I do notice that the food is more potent in smell then Pro plan also..As soon as I open the bag, I gag alittle. Hope this helps someone else. Thanks


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## Melanie1 (Apr 4, 2010)

I've used the Kirkland brand for years (both chicken and rice and lamb and rice)...and I feel it's a good brand. I stopped using the canned brand Costco sells, "Lean Cuts" because it has onion powder in it...too bad..the rest of the ingredients were great.I mix both dry and wet...after all, our dogs deserve to love their dinner, too. I'm looking for a new brand of reasonably priced canned food...President's choice lamb & rice looks good...lists the kind of meats, no by-products, but does have "salt". I've researched and there's some debate that a little salt is needed in the dog's diet. We never feed junk food, etc., so I know that they're not getting "extra" salt anywhere, but since there's salt in the Kirkland brand...I'm hoping to find a canned brand with no salt. I also add the omega 3 capsules (Wild Alaskan salmon capsules) to their dinner, and they also get a couple of tablespoons of organic natural yogurt a week. Our vet raves about their coats ...so soft and shiny. Can anyone recommend a good canned food to supplement their dry with? Cay-dawg and Wyatt thanks you in advance...(Lab x and German Shepherd)


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## Glenn (Apr 4, 2010)

WOW I can not beleive some of the comments I am reading. I had a Rottweiler for 12 years(yes 12 years which my vet said is and amazing life span for a rott) that ate Kirkland food almost her entire life and was the healthiest dog. Even up into her later years she still had excellent muscle mass, shiny coat, and was very healthy. In fact we started her on solid gold and flint river for about the last year of her life and then she developed liver problems and couldnt recover from it. I am not blaming the food, it is old age that took her. We had a small mutt as well that lived 11 years and ate the same food. 

We now have another mutt and an American Bull dog. We started off feeding them solid gold, switched to flint river, and now to kirkland because of the cost savings with no issues at all.

Even with the "so called" best foods the dogs farted, ate poop, and hold on to your hats!!... even have diarreha every now and then. There dogs for crpa sakes!! They are in our yards eating dirt, and bugs, and grass, and paper sticks, and who knows what else. Don't we all get upset stomachs and diarreha from time to time.

If your not happy with the food don't buy it. Costco is not forcing you to buy it. They are not hiding anything about the food. They show the ingredients like everyone else. 

Lindsay, I am sorry for your loss but it is hard to beleive any dog food would do enough harm to kill a dog in only 2 days of using it. I beleive there had to have been other issues there.


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## Pam4 (Apr 6, 2010)

I am a breeder and have put all my dogs on this food even the puppies, all the dogs have done well on this food except one. Our husky seems to have loose stool so we switched her. I think the problems is that some dogs develop food intolerance and food allergies, food intolerance will cause vomiting and diarrhea. So it doesn't always mean the dog food is bad. The dog just simply could not tolerate or process that food. Just like my husky she doesn't tolerate the food well but all my other breeds do great on this food. I recommend it to all my customers because I have had great results from my dogs.


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## Angela_Roach (Apr 8, 2010)

Kirkland dog food for small dogs and Senior dogs is not good food. Our dogs developed terrible gas and our senior dog developed hot spots on her face. This caused relentless scratching that resulted in a vet visit. We threw out the food and wouldn't buy it again.


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## CRAIG2 (Apr 10, 2010)

I HAVE BEEN AN ENGLISH BULLDOG BREEDER/PITBULLS FOR MANY YEARS AND I HAD MY DOGS ON KIRKLAND DOG FOOD FOR A FEW YEARS SEVERAL YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF THE GREAT PRICE AND ACCORDING TO THIER INGREDIENTS IT LOOKS TO BE A GREAT FOOD, BUT MY DOGS STOOLS WERE LOOSE AND WAY TO MUCH! SO I THINK THEY ARE NOT TELLING THE TRUTH ON THIER INGREDIENTS! SINCE THEN I FOUND GREAT DOG FOODS BUT THEY ARE EXPENSIVE-I GUESS YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

INSTINCT-EXCELLENT!
PRARIE-EXCELLENT!
EAGLE PACK HOLISTIC SELECT-EXCELLENT-( DONT GET SUPER PREMIUM!)-CORN!
SOLID GOLD-I THINK MAY BE EXCELLENT-BUT DIDN'T USE IT LONG ENOUGH TO BE SURE?
BLUE(PETSMART) -1 STEP DOWN-BUT STILL REALLY GOOD!
CANADAE -LOOSE STOOLS AND LOTS OF GAS-SUCKS!
CHICKEN SOUP-CRAP!
LOTS OF OTHER BRAND'S THAT ARE CRAP TOO MANY TO LIST -MOST EVERYTHING YOU CAN BUY AT PLACES LIKE PETSMART AND PETCO.


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## CRAIG2 (Apr 10, 2010)

ALSO KEEP IN MIND IF YOUR DOGS ARE CRAPING TO MUCH THE FOOD IS GOING RIGHT THRU THEM SO YOU NEED TO FEED THEM MORE SO ADD THAT INTO YOUR COST AND I HAVE HAD UP TO 40 DOGS ON KIRKLAND DOG FOOD FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY ALL CRAPPED WAY TO MUCH AND MOST OF THEM HAD LOOSE STOOLS-SUCKS BECAUSE IM DOWN TO 8 DOGS NOW AND IM TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO SAVE MONEY BUT I GUESS I WILL STICK WITH EITHER PRARIE OR EAGLE PACK HOLISTIC SELECT!!!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

No one is gonna take you seriously with your caps on, I won't even read your post. You look like an uneducated nit-wit with the caps on, it's like you are yelling.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

If they "crap" to much....feed them more???? It is going right through them???


Let's start over. If their stools are enormus, they are not consuming the feed because the feed is most likely full of fillers which cannot be consumed OR you are feeding way to much and the body has consumed what it needs and will deficate which it does not need. So...either cut down on your portion or buy better food.


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## Roy_Cagle (Apr 13, 2010)

Blue Buffalo Pet Food (dog and cat) is by far the best on the market! Go to bluebuff.com and do the comparison of other pet foods with Blue. Roam around their website and in particular go to the "nutrition" section and do some reading. It is full of info you should know about when selecting a food to feed your best friend (cat or dog)! Whatever food you choose - please stay away from corn, wheat, soy, and any chicken or poultry by-products. The FIRST ingredient in any Blue Buffalo food is WHOLE MEAT - either CHICKEN, FISH, TURKEY, SALMON, etc. It is holistic and all of the ingredients are HUMAN QUALITY!


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## Iris (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm reading a lot of "well in MY experience..." comments here, and I just have to comment. 
Much like us humans who do not all thrive on the same diet, not all dogs do well on the same diet either. Lots of dogs develop allergies to corn, wheat, and soy, but also to chicken or fish or a specific protein source. So it could just be your specific dog's reaction and not the food's fault. The only way to know what food is good for your dog is to read the ingredients and TRY the food with your dog. There isn't a universally good food where every single dog who ever eats it will do well. Also, some dogs are picky and just plain won't eat a certain kibble because they don't like the taste. It's not really a great food if you can't get your dog to ingest it, no matter how high quality the nutrients are.
That being said, my personal rule of thumb is that most "famous" brands who advertise loudly on TV/Radio and are commonly sold all over, even in grocery stores are NOT really good formulas. They gotta pay their marketing teams somehow  You can find plenty of good stuff at feed stores and pet specialty stores.
Do RESEARCH on dogfoodproject and dogfoodanalysis, for starters. READ ingredient labels (meat being the 1st ingredient doesn't guarantee that it's a good food). Then TRY the food with your dog- don't buy a 40lb bag of something you've never fed him/her before just because you "heard it was good." Also, some gas is normal in our dogs. We fart, they fart; it's biology! 
I am not loyal to any one brand. I don't think it's right to say "_____ brand is head and shoulders above the rest!" There are some good foods and a lot of terrible foods. Then you have those people who feed Raw and say that it's far superior to all kibble. So you really can't say one thing is "The Best." 
I switch my dog's food every 3-4 months to vary the protein source and I've tried about 8 different brands so far, all of which worked great with my dog. I definitely avoid dyed foods (the dye is purely for us owners, the dog couldn't care less) and foods high in meat/poultry by-products and fillers like corn and wheat (oatmeal and potatoes are better sources of carbs). I do like grain-free foods, but it's not for everyone's budget. You can find fairly good foods with low grain contents.
Also, check the ingredients of the treats you feed your dogs. They often contain unsavory ingredients as well, and if you're going to bother feeding a good food, you may as well feed good treats, too!


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Iris I agree with you -about the ones who advertise on TV-Radio-And guess who I have seen advertising on TV-Blue Buffalo.I would NEVER buy any food that is sold in Petsmart or Petco.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL, Michelle I would feed Blue Wilderness and thats at petsmart and I am not sure but one of the 2 might sell Wellness. After I cantacted all these companies Wellness was one of the honest ones I came across. But I agree 98% of the stuff they sell is crap. I just gave a guy at the dog park a little education on dog food and that day he bought a bag of California Natural Puppy. He was feeding Nutro Max. He was petting Tony and he kept saying how soft he was(he had a young shepherd), then we switched our conversation to dog food. He reminded me of myself a year ago, when I really had no clue about dog food. It always feels good when you know you just helped out a dog.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Iris, I agree for the most part, but their is absolutly nothing wrong with brown rice, in fact I think it is better than potatoes and such. It's just to bad most manufactures can't just leave it at brown rice. It is why I like Ca. Nat., sure it has rice and is a lttle weak on meat, but it has none of the other crap dogs don't need. Even my 3 favorite dog foods (Evo,Horizon L. & Orijen) has stuff in them that dogs don't need.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Okay Jess you might like their wilderness but -I really wouldn't have anything good to say about the rest of their foods.Also I have been seeing commercials for Blue Buffalo and Nature's Recipe on TV-And I feel like that should be a dead giveaway that they are lower grade dog foods.JMO


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

LOL, Blue Buffalo has to be the best dog food aired on TV today in commercials. Would I feed it, very doubtful. I'd have to be on a very tight budget and it would have to come way cheaper than Health Wise and Cali. Natural. Health Wise is my choice for the Low budgets. Tony did not accept this food (Kirkland).

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=532&cat=all


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Here's Nature's Recipe's top of the line. Didn't look to bad until I saw your favorite ingredient. I just can't figure out why they do that. But it's still better than Purnia,Abady,Beneful,Eukanuba,Science Diet and all that crap. 

Turkey, turkey meal, ground rice, barley, chicken fat, (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, potato protein, cranberries, apples, peas, carrots, animal digest, tomato, pomace, sodium tripolyphosphate, flax seed, potassium chloride, salt, vitamins (vitamin e supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin c), inositol, niacin supplement, vitamin a supplement, d-calcium pantothenate , thiamine mononitrate, beta-carotene, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, vitamin d3 supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin b12 supplement,), minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite) yucca schidigera, choline choloride, rosemary extract.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Jess-besides the Menadione,it also contains ANIMAL DIGEST-that's disgusting enough but when you notice it doesn't NAME what Animal-that's even worse-that could be Euthanized pets!Also Natures Recipe has been recalled several times and so has Blue Buffalo.All the Blue Buffalo (except Wilderness)And Natures Recipe don't have enough meat content their more grain based.I think Nat.Recipe is really a more low grade dog food.JMO


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Geez, my eyes really are getting worse.

My 10 month old GSD and myself were attacked today by 3 worthless pit bulls, god I really do hate those dogs. They were breed to kill and kill only they are good for absolutly nothing else. I read somewhere that their was 27 human deaths last year caused by these dogs and untold amount of attacks. I never thought much about that, UNTIL IT HAPPENED TO ME. It really is one scary thing to have happen, THREE SETS OF TEETH AND JAWS TRYING TO RIP YOU APART. This is the 5th attack by these dogs I've seen this year and it is only April. It was really scary because they weren't just going after him they were attacking me also. We were awfully lucky, I got a light scratch, OK minor bite and Tony got bite in the face. Man, Tony really was defending me I couldn't believe a 10 1/2 month old dog could do that.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Holy Sh*t!!That had to be really scary!My crazy neighbor has a pit bull-And she thinks that it's funny when people are afraid of it.Theirs really something mentally wrong with that Lady.Anyway her dog was snarling and growling at my dog -thru a fence,when I asked her to put her dog on a leash-she flipped and called me every name she could think of.She always lets her dog run loose.Until recently-someone finally called the cops on her.I'll tell you one thing if that dog ever attacks my 5 year old son-I will own her house.Anyway where were you when that happened?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

We were walking to the park after getting out of my truck. The dogs and owners had been thrown out. I kinda wondered why everyone was standing by the fence looking my way. If those guys would not have been looking in my direction no telling what could have happened, because those dogs were biting at me also just as much as Tony. They all came running out to help but man those pits had no intentions of stopping. I won't tell what one guy did but it stopped the dog and he was the most agressive.
Tony was a real trooper and he made alot of friends, well Ok everyone new him before, but he got a lot of respect. I have to admit the adrenaline was pumping big time and we just left. I did talk to the animal control lady and she said they would try to watch the park better.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

What person in their right mind would bring an agressive dog to a dog park? Especially an agressive pit bull? It really makes you wonder what goes through some peoples minds?!Completely Idiotic and senseless.Rachael Ray(from TV)has a pit bull that was in the news recently for walking up to another dog and biting it's ear off as they walked by.She is totally in denial-the dog has attacked several times now-completely unprovoked.If you ask me her dog should be put down.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Yeah, ever checked out her dog food??? Total crap, just like her, she is so phony. Just because they are on TV doesn't make them smart, just lucky.
I am concerned Tony might be a different dog now and I am worried about the whole dog park thing. He just loves playing with other dogs and has so much fun there.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Jess & Michelle, hello, been a long time since I posted. Been away and quite busy since being back. Sorry to hear about your dog being attacked. I owned Pit Bulls for a number of years, and sadly most people that have Pit Bulls have a hybrid or oversized mutt that is purely for ego. I will agree that most pit bulls do have natural animal aggression (prey drive), so a smart owner would definately avoid dog parks (regardless of what Cesar Milan states). Pit Bulls when bred properly are fine dogs, (Pending the owership), but sad enough there aren't enough responsible owners these days, that's kind of the reason I got a Doberman now. You might want to avoid the dog park a little while with Tony as he might be prone to attack quicker from this incident.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

You are correct and we are not going to the park today.

Tony is pretty sore and he slept from 6 last night until about 8 this morning and he is back sleeping now(10). He was pretty active when he was up but it isn't normal for him to be back sleeping already. I have to say it was pretty intense and scary. I couldn't find any more bite marks on his body just the 2 on his face and a little swelling.
You know this is the 5th pit bull attack I've seen this year and not all of the owners were punks. Just think 5 attacks that I have seen in 4 months, how many have their been I haven't seen and how many more well I have to see? Some dog parks in this area have banned pits. It's to bad but it must be done for the safety of all the other dogs.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

I hope your boy feels better soon, normally the soreness from bite and cuts take a day or so for the sniffness to subside a bit, kinda of the same for us when we get a cut or bruise. You know back when I owned pit bulls a lot of the newer pit bull fanciers use to say mine were not pure bred b/c they didn't weigh 80-90lbs LOL. My dogs generally ranged from 35-55lbs max, but they were definately pure bred. I like many others feel the damage has already been done to the pit bulls and at this point it might be a bit too late, unless some very knowledgeable individuals take control of the situation and their breeding. Unfortunately anytime we here about a pit bull attack it's generally a very large bulldog mix that's doing the attacking and not a purebred.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I just googled Pit Bulls not a real pretty picture.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Attacks+by+pit+bulls&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GPEA_enUS293


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Tony is feeling a little better he was in the back yard a little while ago doing his fav. thing, digging. Only for about 15 minutes and he is now back sleeping. He'll be OK.

http://3toestony.shutterfly.com/


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

What did you do google attack by Pit bulls or something? LOL seems every thread was dealing with attacks


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

YEP.... But U caught me..LOL, but it still is pretty sad about the % of bites by pits.
I just found out one of my favorite dogs at a different park has been banned. His name is George, we all thought he was an American Bulldog. I just found out George attacked a little poddle and they had to put the poddle down from the injuries. George was not an American bulldog, he was a Big Pit Bull. The lady who owns George is really bummed and told me she has to put George down because she can't trust him around her other dogs. She said the attack was over a throw rope.


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## Donna_Velez (Apr 23, 2010)

Dogs are dogs. Most pit bulls are good guys but some are not family pet material due to the owners and their apathy and ignorance. In cases where pit bulls attack, you will find an owner who does not understand basic dog behavior and how to train and socialize a dog, and frankly does not care or want to learn. Dogs must be taught how to live among humans. Unbelievable to some, they aren't born already socialized and trained. Here is a small sample of some of the dogs I have rescued from horrible situations. They were housetrained, evaluated, and adopted as family pets. 

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=16423a0abcc1049a93d5ca&skin_id=701


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## Lisa11 (May 4, 2010)

I have been feeding my dog the Kirkland Signature Adult Dog Chicken, Rice and Vegetable formula since he was 5 months old. I bought this food because it seems to be the healthiest and most affordable dog food I can find around Northern Virginia. In the last bag that I bought, I poured it into the dog food container like I always do. As I was scooping the food out, after the 4th or 5th time, I found a candy wrapper. I did not know how it got in there as we do not have that kind of candy at our home, but I did not think too much more about it. The next day I found 2 miniature butterfingers wrappers so I started digging and then found a purple chocolate foil wrapper and 3 mini milky way wrappers. Again, we don't eat that kind of candy at our home and I never did ask any of my family. Then 4 days later, my dog got sick and was sick for a week. I fed him boiled chicken and rice for 2 weeks just thinking that he must have a bug or ate something in the backyard that made him ill. Tonight, as I scooped out more food for him, I found a candy wrapper (like one you would find in a Whitmans chocolate box) so I scooped through and found one more black wrapper. I talked to my family about it and they have no idea how these wrappers appeared in here either as none of us eat any of those types of candy. We eat chocolate, but just not those types so the only other possible reason for those wrappers being found in there is if an assembly worker was not very careful. I would like to continue to feed my dog this food as he has a very temperamental stomach and switching dog food on him would take about a long time. However, I would like to know that the workers are being more careful!
Oh and while I am on here, I found out some useful information: I used to alternate between the lamb and the chicken and he had the most horrendous gas I have ever smelled and his anal glands were constantly blocking up and letting off a horrible dead fish smell. I stopped feeding him the lamb and only feed him the chicken now and all of those horrible smells are gone. I am not sure if it is just with big dogs or mastiffs as I have a mastiff, but I just wanted to let you all know in case you have the same issue with smells.
Thank you,
Lisa


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

You might want to look into California Natural, easy on the pocket book and on dogs systems.

By the way Costco would really want to know about this and I am sure they would want the candy wrappers. And knowing them they would make it right with you. I would never feed that bag of food to my dog and I would be very hot, to say the least.


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## Lisa11 (May 4, 2010)

Thanks Jess! Unfortunately, we threw the bag out before trash pick up already because we just pour the food from the bag into the dog food container. 
I will have to look into trying the California Natural though, thank you.


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## Dawn7 (Jun 7, 2010)

I put 3 dogs on Kirklands about 3 months ago. They all started out with loose stools and were very gassy. 2 of them seem to have adapted, but my boy has had terrible diahrrea so I'm switching him again. I don't blame the dog food, I just think he has a more sensitive stomach and I just have to keep searching for the food that works for him.


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## Don1 (Jun 16, 2010)

I gotta say. I've been feeding this to my 90lb rescue dobbie and he's been doing very well on it. And if anyone knows dobbies they know what sensitive tummies they have. Now I also mix in some Blue Buffalo or now Taste of the Wild (about a 4:1 ratio) but his poop is pretty solid and well formed, he seems to like the taste and everyone comments how impressive his coat is. In my opinion a 40lb bag of Kirklands premium dry dog food for $25 is about the biggest bang for the buck.


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## Dani1 (Jun 26, 2010)

Hey Jess with the shepherd. Ever care to look at how many german shepherds attack people? They are used more frequently to go and attack people. "pitbulls" used as a term not a breed, rarely bite people naturally. Pitbulls include the breeds: American Pit Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, American bulldog, presa canario, dogo argentino, mixed breeds, and many other types of bulldog or boxer type dogs. American pit bull terriers and Amstaffs were bred to love people and kill other dogs. A true apbt or amstaff will not attack a human even if incorrectly socialized. A shepherd will because they are a protective breed, apbts and amstaffs are horrid guard dogs.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Dani, I have no idea how this came into play.

But I well give you some info. Pitbulls kill more people every year than all the other breeds put together, WHICH IS A FACT, Rotwiellers were no. 2. I BELIEVE the number was 17 kills for pitbulls, 2 for rotwiellers and 1 by a mixed GSD.. AND THERE ARE NO FACTUCUAL NUMBERS ON BITES ON PEOPLE OR DOG ATTACKS ON OTHER DOGS. Certain states do keep numbers and pitbulls are out lawed in many counties, to include Turkey and are ALSO out-lawed in MANY cities. And yes GSD's have a lot of bites every year and they always well as long as people like you have dogs. If a pitbull is caught runnimg loose in Everett, WA. their is no second chance and the dog is put down(I disagree with that). Now I can tell you this, me and my dog were attacked by 2 pitbulls and I thank god Tony was there. I have a scar on my leg to prove why I was glad he was there and it was very close to the family jewels. I have to inform you the 2 pits who attacked us, attacked and killed a boxer and the owner(the owner was not killed but was hospitalized OVERNIGHT). It's sad they both had to be put down. Tony goes to dog parks almost every day and has never had a problem, except with certain pitbulls. Tony is my ""eighth"" German Shepherd and all have lived long lives, which might give you a clue about how old I am. I have breed many GSD'S throught out my lifetime, so I am well aware of what this breed is all about. 
The German Shepherd dog is by and far the most used dog in helping out mankind. Should I tell how and why? It would be a LOOOONG post.
I have no idea what brought this on, because this is a dog "food" site not a, WHAT BREED IS BETTER SITE.
Go check out his site, notice his two buddies on the couch?? 

http://3toestony.shutterfly.com/


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## AJ (Jun 27, 2010)

Just reading all the comments for this product and others has made me wonder how my family pets survived on the old fashioned dog food we fed when I was little. Hmmm!
"nuf said, I have fed both high quality dog foods and lesser quality, when you consider the ingredients and such. I agree that once a pet food manufacturer messes with the ingredients and changes the formula, pets may get quite sick. We experienced that two weeks ago with a Nutro product. I have been feeding the Kirkland Lamb and Rice with no problems. Add a little Nutro, and the dogs have the runs! And how would I know that the manufacturer had changed their formula? Seems unfair to us and for the poor dogs who suffer. 
I know all this talk about fillers and additives that are not good for the dog's nutrition must be true, but like I mentioned in my first sentence, how did our dogs ever survive as we were growing up in the '60s? Makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Good luck to everyone trying to find the right diet for their dog. Until mine get the runs or turn their noses up at the Kirkland, I'm sticking with it.
Wuf!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Hey their is nothing wrong with the Kirkland brand!!! One of the best foods for the money on the market today.. But keep your eye out for Evo, Innova, California Natural and Heath Wise because they are coming to Costco.


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## Kristy (Jul 23, 2010)

I work for a supplement company and have read research on canine nutrition, and yes it does make a difference what you feed them. Some dogs will do fine on anything, but others will be greatly affected by what they eat. I was feeding my dogs the very best foods I could find, they even got some Stella and Chewy's mixed in for a while. Since my husband was laid off I was forced to find more cost effective alternatives. I am not willing to feed them a food whose main ingredients are corn and byproducts. Kirkland brand is the best bargain with the least amount of compromises. I have been quite happy with it. I do have to say that, once I can afford it again, I may switch back to some of the more expensive premium brands. (California Naturals is quite a bit more expensive when feeding two large dogs by the way)


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Kristy, I am proud of you. You did your homework and you are helping your dogs in the best way you can. My statement about C.N. and the rest is based on the fact P & G supplies Costco with a lot of products and a lot of pet stores are dropping C.N and the rest. So I think they well push those products om Costco.


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## Nicole_Lenart (Jul 25, 2010)

I just took my dog to the Vet this week and he had a double ear infection. Turns out the pricey dog food we have been feeding him is made with beef, corn and wheat which can give some breeds ear infections. I was shocked to find out one of the foods she recommended was Kirklands, as it's made with rice, vegetables and lamb or chicken. We are starting him on it ASAP and will blend the 2 foods for a while so we don't upset him stomach. And I'll save some money!!!


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## Helen_Fowler (Aug 8, 2010)

I started feeding my Australian Cattle Dogs Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice once they were adults. They did really well on the food. But cost became an issue, so I researched alternatives, and found Nutra Nuggets Lamb and Rice...virtually the same ingredients, and half the cost. However, as my dogs got older, they gained weight, (that didn't seem to respond to exercise...one dog takes a thyroid supplement) and the vet recommended a diet food. NN does not have one, so I went back to Natural Choice Lite formula. They did well on it, but I just finally couldn't afford it, as it went up to over $50 for 30#! More research and a recommendation from my son for Kirkland dry food. I picked the one for overweight dogs, and gradually switched them over and they seem to be doing well except for the most vile gas that they have ever had! Even they get up and move away! They seem fine otherwise. 

BUT, my brother has a bunch of dogs, all sizes and types, and was feeding Kirkland Lamb and Rice. A couple of days ago, FOUR of his dogs got really sick, vomiting and pooping everywhere, horrid smelling and they were horribly sick. The vet diagnosed pancreatitis, said it was caused by the food, and all their dogs were immediately taken off that food and fed chicken and rice for now. Even the ones that didn't get sick. That started me researching again, which led me to this site and the comments which all seem to be centered around the Lamb and Rice formula, irrespective of size, age or breed of the dogs eating it. 

My son lost a sweet young dog a couple of years ago to symptoms like these. I will have to find out if he was feeding it this food, or if the dog ate too much of his toy rope or something else (as we assumed at the time) ...he was a chewer, so it could have been a blockage, too. But given that my dogs are emitting this foul odor, frequently and often loudly, I am going to switch them before something bad happens. All dogs pass gas, but this is truly the most rotten, room-clearing odor ever emitted from any dog I have ever been around. I can no longer honestly tell myself that a food that produces that bad of a smell can be in any way good for my dogs. My brother's dogs seem to be recovering okay and quickly, and I am sorry for those who have lost theirs, and I think that my instinct should be heeded to find a new food quickly, regardless of cost. It's cheaper than a vet bill, and why put my dogs through an illness? Thanks to all who wrote pro and con about this food.


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## Hailey1 (Aug 9, 2010)

I fed Kirkland lamb/rice for 3-4 months to my little pack including my 10 month old female dobie. The Kirkland dog food has beet pulp in it. My dog went nutso for about an hour after each feeding. We switched and now she is back to her calm self...be careful of beet pulp in dog foods if you want a content dog.........


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hailey-this is what the Great Dane Lady says about beet pulp. http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/beet_pulp_myth.htm


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

This is from The Dog Food Project, scroll down the page until you come to Fiber,and she talks about beet pulp there. http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betteringredients


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Beet pulp really isn't anything more than fiber to keep your dogs poo firm. Hailey,, it had nothing to do with how your dogs act or acted.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Dogs normally do get a little extra energy after they eat, THAT WOULD BE NORMAL. I would be very concerned if my dog didn't try to rough house with me after eating. What are you feeding, I hope it isn't some cheap crap full of corn and wheat bought from a grocery store or wal crummy.


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## anonymous (Aug 13, 2010)

I have seen so many people recommend Natura products such as California Natural, Evo and Innova. You would be so much better off with Kirkland. P&G just bought Natura in June and the ingredients are bound to change, and what's even worse is by law they don't have to change what the label says for 6 months! Do not buy these foods.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

anonymous-you are right about Natura being sold to P&G.And Kirkland is an OK dog food,but their are much better foods on the market and some aren't that much more than Kirkland,but if it is the only one in your price range you can feel good about feeding it.


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## Konstantina (Sep 2, 2010)

Dear Moderator,
Please remove these idiotic and ignorant posts attacking Pit Bulls from a review about dog food! Dog owners, and dog owners alone, are the ones responsible for their dogs. Raising attack dogs, or neglecting or refusing to train a high energy loyal breed like a pit bull or rotweiler is the fault of HUMANS. Pit Bulls were NOT bred to be aggressive towrds humans, the fault lies with the HUMANS who should have control of their pets, not the breed. I hope these people aren't racial profiling the way they are breed profiling!


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Actually Konstantina, pit bulls were originally breed to kill and are the only breed ever bred to kill. They are originally from Spain and were in fact breed to kill the bulls after they (the Spaniards) had half killed the bulls. Now, they have been bred with different breeds to get where they are today. This is why when they attack it can be so vicious and is the reason some go after old people, sad but true. We used to go to dog parks but we have been attacked 3 times by pits and I have a scar just below my groin area to prove it. If it wasn't for Tony I would have been damaged big time because their was 2 of them. It seems every time we have gone to a dog park their is a issue of some sort with a pit. Now don't get me wrong because I like all dogs, but it is hard to over look the facts. Just last month their was an attack by a pit that put an old lady in the hospital for a month in my area.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Jess, we agree on many things but I have to disagree on the myth about pit bulls and human aggression. I can give you facts, stats, or other documents as you wish, but PURE bred American Pit bull terriers, were bred NOT to have human aggression, in the sport of dog fighting if a dog turns and bite a handler while in the pit the money is forfeited so you can see why this would not be a desired trait. Also the dogs original from the ORIGINAL english bull dog, and was crossed w/ the now also extinct black & tan terrier, as well as other small terriers, to give us the bull & terrier or half and half dogs of the late 1800's. Once the dogs arrived in the USA from England and Ireland other breeds domestic to North American have since been mixed to fancy different attributes desired by the breeders of that particular strain or bloodline.


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## SkyeonPhyre (Sep 3, 2010)

Actually pit bulls were originally used as a war dog. They were used because of their high tolerance of pain. They were used and if bombs went off and they were injured they would continue on their mission to death. They were shot and injured and fought on. Which people than took this information about these beautiful, loyal dogs and used it to inproperly train them as guard dogs and abused them as such.
This is a dog food review site. How people manage to take it to these extremes amuse me. People are so ignorant and if ignorance is bliss there are an awful lot of blissful people out there. 
As far as the site goes, I was considering Kirkland brand for my doggie, however she has a sensitive little belly and is gassy already, so I will certainly continue my research and thank you everyone for your input regarding the food.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

@SkyeonPhyre: PitBulls original purpose was not in war. The 1st time a known American Pit Bull Terrier was in war was during World War One, Sgt. Stubby was the Dog's name. PitBulls were around long before WWI, there original purpose was ratting, catching, and fighting. But human aggression was NEVER a desired trait nor is it desired by GOOD breeders now. The original war dogs were Mastiffs used by the Romans. But I agree w/ your last statement this is a site about dog food and not about people's OPINION about a certain breed of dog b/c if it were it would be ironic that the only dog to bite me was a German Shepherd 8mth old owned by a friend of mine. (True Story), but I know all Shepherds are not like that, it just happened to be a isolated incident not sure what triggered the dog to bite me that day, b/c it never happened again after that.


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## Donna4 (Sep 18, 2010)

Currently I feed my dog food from a local pet store I think it is the Canadie ( I know it sounds bad but I go by what he package looks like) I was feeding him the California Natural which he did great on just got tired of eating after a year or two so time to change. My brother feeds his dgos the Kirkland dog food so I was looking for the nutritional info. Don't have to pay tons of money but not looking to feed him anything with corn as the main ingredient either. Not all expensive dog food is good food! Some of the more expensive brands have corn fairly high up in the ingredient list and some reasonable ones don't have any corn at all. Just like with anything... it pays to shop! And my dog actually usually likes to lay down & take a nap after he eats. Go figure. He used to be hyper for a short bit and then crash but now... he's 8 or 9 so now he skips the hyper bit & pretty much just goes straight for the nap most of the time. LoL. Thanks for all the great comments!


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## Jennifer8 (Oct 2, 2010)

I have to agree with many of you regarding pitt bulls not being aggressive dogs. We have a pit and a english bulldog, and I have to say that my english is way more aggresive then the pitt(and she isn't aggressive). Most people hear about a pitt attacking someone and they do a search and that is all that comes up is badly bitten people. I am sure that you want see as many bad bites with other breeds b/c well people just don't talk about it as much. Most of the pitts that bite others it is b/c either they are not taught how to behave properly or that they are trying to play and don't realize their strength. The only thing my pitt will try to do to ANYONE is hump or lick them to death. 

As for the dog food I recently was doing a search on dog food to see if I could find a more price effective food for my english and found out that the food that I was feeding her (Sportmix) was one of the worst food I could give her. So with a little time and research I learned that you want a food that lists a meat first on the ingredints and has no soy, corn or wheat in it. So my husband and I went to the local tractor supply and started reading the side of the dog food bags and found out that most of the "name brand" foods have corn listed on them first. After spending about an hour in the store we found Diamond Premium Adult dog food, which is actually a little more then the sport mix we where getting, has none of the bad ingredints in it. So we are trying that with her now. She seems to like it well so far.


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## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

Jess, 

I'm sorry you and your dog got attacked, but pit bulls are generally not aggressive. They're #1 on the bite list because of many breeds being classified as "pit bulls" (American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Presa Canario, Dogo Argention, Tosa-Inu, Mastiffs, Boxers, Bulldogs, etc.). One of their original purposes was dogfighting, and that's one reason why the media loves their attacks. You never hear about a Golden Retriever attacking someone, do you? It has happened before, though (not hating on Goldens; I actually have one, but they're really getting overbred these days by backyard breeders and puppy mills). Many pit bull dogs do have a stronger bite as well, although "lock jaws" don't exist, which increases the severity of attacks. Also, many people seem to think that a pit bull would make a good guard/protection dog. Although I'm sure a dog would not just sit there if its owner was being physically threatened, real personal protection dogs cost a lot; to the ten thousands. Trying to make a guard dog out of normal pet-quality dog will only be teaching it that it is okay to be aggressive, which will lead to problems. And many pit bull type breeds ARE high-energy and do have physical requirements, which will lead to problems as well if not met. Then there's overbreeding, by the irresponsible, where things like temperament issues could occur (why I'm concerned about the future of the Golden Retriever). 

It seems like German Shepherds have actually been affected by BSL (Breed Specific Legislation, which ALWAYS has a bunch of pit bull type dogs) in some areas actually includes them, too, because of some attacks. 

I really don't think it's fair when people group by breeds. I like to go with the well-trained and the untrained/owned by idiot owners/temperamentally challenged.


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## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

*Dogo Argentino; ugh, I can't spell today. 
Anyway, main point is that pit bulls are not a breed, they are a quite common classification, which is why you hear about so many attacks.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Did you know that 1/3 of all dog bites are caused by pit bulls?? It just seems every time we see or have a issue with dogs fighting or attacking, it always involves at least one pit. I don't hate the breed, I just think their is something wrong with them. We used to go to certain dog park and Tony used to play with a pit named George. One day we went and the lady was there without George, making a long story short, George attacked a killed another dog. We knew George since it was 12 weeks old and the dog it killed it had known for a long time. So it is not always the owners, as some want you to believe. I have personally seen 7 attacks by pits. And as I have said I don't hate them, it's just you have to be much more careful around them.


Though dog advocates would dispute it, our fear was justified. According to the Centers for Disease Control, dogs bite 4 million to 5 million Americans every year. Few attacks are fatal (25 in 1996), but serious injuries—everything from a gash in the arm requiring a few stitches to severed hands and fractured skulls—continue to rise and now stand at more than 750,000 annually, up nearly 40 percent from 1986. Dog bites are one of the top causes of non-fatal injuries in the nation.

Children are the most frequent victims, accounting for 60 percent of the dog bites and 20 of the 25 dog-bite fatalities in 1996. Dog attacks are now the No. 1 reason that children wind up in hospital emergency rooms. Incredibly, nearly half of all American kids have been bitten by the age of 12. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that more than $100 million gets spent yearly treating dog bites in the nation's emergency rooms, and U.S. insurance companies paid out $250 million in dog-bite liability claims in 1996.

Pit bulls and pit-bull crosses (not always easy to distinguish) have caused more than a third of the nation's dog-bite fatalities since 1979 and a comparable proportion of serious injuries. The rising number of attacks, and the unease pit bulls and other dangerous dogs cause in public spaces, have spurred many municipalities to crack down with legislation ranging from muzzle laws to bans on pit bulls and certain other breeds.

THIS CAME FROM MY AREA.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Police-shoot-pack-of-pit-bulls-after-attack-on-teen-104059623.html


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Jess, 

I don't dispute that some pit bulls are aggressive, but w/ that being said NOT all pit bulls are human aggressive as I have said many times before GAME dogs would have been culled if they showed any form of human aggression as this would have cost the owner/handler, thousands in the pit ring if the dog turns and bite a handler. Also that study for the Center of Disease Controls is not accurate, the information was accurate nearly 12 years ago, but that study was done between 1979 and 1998, meaning that for the past 12 years that has not been a accurate trend of data collected on the subject. I think w/ all of the BSL that's been going on like a witch hunt in the past 7 years, current breeds that would lead this list would be more of your common household type variety, like labs, poodles, chi's etc... Amazingly enough the only time I've been bitten by a dog it was my friends 8mth German Shepherd pup. And even then it only happened once. I work in the IT dept for a Pediatrics hospital and Dog bites are not the leading reason for hospital entry, normally it's playground injuries and trauma that leads this category, with airborn pathegic (cold/flu) coming in a close 2nd. I think you are a passionate guy when it comes to the overall state of K9's, but please don't black ball one specific breed based on a isolated incident. The American Pit Bull Terrier faces enough racism and scutiny as it is. I know you mean well, but please don't put that particular breed in anymore danger than it already is. If you look at past studies, you will see that society has always placed a witch hunt on specific breeds, normally it depends on the popularity of that breed during that specific time. During the 70's it was the German Shepherd that got the bad rap, during the 80s it was the Doberman, during the early to mid 90's it was the Rottweiler, with the pit bull taking over in the late 90's to the current date as being the bad popular dog.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

airborn pathigens <--- my spelling sucks it's early.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Not to take a shot or dispute information again, but I would also like to point out that while there are many links available showing trends on specific information, it's important that people realize that the majority of information made available online is just opinion. There are no laws or regulation regarding who, and what information is made available to the general public. While certain links can provide convincing arguments for certain issues, we still have to remember that the information provided can be skewed in by the author to gain favor of his/her personal idea or philosophy. It would be no different than if I were to publish a website tonight and put up charts and graphs, showing that Pugs are the most aggressive dogs currently in Bucktooth, Georgia or some crap. If enough people read that information eventually the myth will become true. Trust me I have saw this many times, my daily profession is Information Technology. But again with all that being said, I guess the only point I'm trying to make is, let's remember the issues with dog attacks on humans is bad, but let's not point the finger at a dog who is the responsibility of a IRRESPONSIBLE owner.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Antonio, that was a quote off A GOVERNMENT STUDIES SITE..It can't be disputed because it is US Government studies(LOL), I could never write anything like that.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

It can’t be disputed because it is US Government studies(LOL), <--- "no comment" LOL, I think you and I both have previous gov backgrounds LOL we won't elaborate on that one LOL. BTW, I took some updated pics of my Dobie since his 1st month on the Precise I'd like to upload them and show them to you and whoever else is interested, tell me what you think of the initial coat, and body looks. Is there a way we can upload jpegs on this site?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Get one one these sites, it's pretty easy after you figure it all out. It really was pretty easy, if I can do it anyone can. You can get a photobucket site also, then you can post those anywhere. Both are FREE. Which is GOOD I love free stuff.


http://3toestony.shutterfly.com/


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Good call Jess, here's Zmans Shutterfly page link. I created it in less than 10 mins... http://fisherszman.shutterfly.com/


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## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

Why are 1/3 of bites caused by pit bulls? Because many different breeds count as pit bulls! It's not just one single breed like others on the list. I think you may have reread my first comment.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I have always liked dobies, you have a nice looking boy. No more on pits.


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## Raquel_K (Oct 6, 2010)

I have a male pitbull purebred. Hes the biggest baby ever.. He was a rescue from the pound. 7 yrs old and would never hurt a fly.. BUT I believe these dogs are definetaly unpredictable to say the least. As an owner I think we just need to be extra careful when our dogs are around other dogs. That's all there is to it.. there are jack russels and shitzus out there that would take your leg off in an instant.. so why harp on the bullies?


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## Patrick2 (Oct 7, 2010)

Thanks for the info on Kirkland foods...I'll look a little closer to the label next time in Costco. I presently feed my 3 GSD's a mix of Royal Kanin (GSD Formula) and Purina chicken/rice. I'm not too happy with the Purina anymore as it seems they change their formulas to match market prices (cost of fish meal and corn meal). I feed raw meat as well so the kibble is just basically a filler but I want a nutritious one for the dogs.

Thanks.


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## sassyloga (Oct 10, 2010)

How to grade your dog's food:

Start with a grade of 100: 

1) For every listing of "by-product" , subtract 10 points 
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points 
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points 
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points 
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (I.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points 
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points 
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points 
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points 
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points 
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points 
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points 
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points 
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points 
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point 
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point 

Extra Credit: 
1)	If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points 
2)	If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3)	If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points 
4)	If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5)	If the food contains fruit, add 3 points 
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points 
7)	If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points 
8)	If the food contains barley, add 2 points 
9)	If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10)	If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point 
11)	If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point 
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point 
13)	If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point 
14)	If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point 



Score: 94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 and below = F 

Here are some foods that have already been scored. 

Dog Food scores: 
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+ 
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F 
Canidae / Score 112 A+ 
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+ 
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F 
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B 
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A 
Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+ 
Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+ 
Foundations / Score 106 A+ 
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B 
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D 
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+ 
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+ 
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+ 
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B 
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B 
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F 
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+ 
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F 
Purina Dog / Score 62 F 
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F 
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+ 
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+ 
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A 
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F 
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F 
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+ 
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Healthy Ingredients


Turkey & Turkey meal
Chicken & Chicken meal
Fish & fish meal
Lamb & Lamb meal
Vegetables
Eggs
Vitamin & Mineral supplements

UNHEALTHY Ingredients

By Products
Corn Gluten meal
(any) digested Glandular (anything)
Meat & Bone meal
Salt
Sugar
BHA &BHT (preservatives)
Ethoxy]quin (preservatives)

Filler Ingredients
(any) bran, flour, gluten meal
Cellulose
Oats
Peanut hulls
Soy
Wheat
Corn


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

This is gonna sound odd but I agree and disagree. Numbers 5, 6 are one's that could be taken wrong. Totally disagree with numbers 11, 14. Corn, wheat, soy should be -5--. Extra credit is odd 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8 I disagree with. Only Orijen has enough glucosamine and chondroitin to make any kind of impact. I see no real use for vegetables in a dogs food.

Chicken Soup Senior, Canidae, Van Patten’s Natural Balance Ultra Premium, Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables,, are all OK, but are "far" from being A+ dog foods. Anything pro plan, Royal Canin or Authority are awful. So your system has some major flaws.

Sadly Innova has begun having issues.

Dog food manufactures who produce their own foods should be scored +50 to start with.

HERE ARE THE 12 BEST MADE TODAY

1.	Orijen
2.	Acana, Harvest, Pacifica & Grassland only.
3.	Blue Wilderness
4.	Wellness Core
5.	Go, Grain free only.
6.	Acana, the rest of Acana products.
7.	Taste of the Wild, wetlands & prairie only, Grain free
8.	Artemis
9.	Fromm
10.	Evo
11.	Merrick, before grain.
12.	Horizon Legacy

AND THE WORST

1. Ol Roy
2. Pedigree
3. Beneful
4. Purnia
5. Alpo
6. Friskies
7. Liams
8. Science Diet
9. Nutro
10. Royal Canin
11. Kibbles and Bits
12. Abady
13. Eukanuba
14. Bil Jac
15. Pro Plan
16. Authority
17. Nutra
18. Cesar Millan
19. Pro Pac
20. Ultra


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

HERE IS,,,, Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+,,, LOL, HOW COULD THIS EVER BE AN A+ DOG FOOD???

Chicken meal, rice, brown rice, oatmeal, soy protein isolate, rice flour, chicken fat, natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp (sugar removed), anchovy oil (source of EPA/DHA), soya oil, salt, calcium carbonate, dried egg product, fructo-oligosaccharides, potassium chloride, sodium tripolyphosphate, taurine, potassium citrate, L-tyrosine, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), D-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride, DL-methionine, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), Trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite], tea (green tea extract), chondroitin sulfate, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols (source of Vitamin E) and citric acid, rosemary extract.


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## ken3 (Oct 17, 2010)

I just bought a 9 week old American bull terrier and have kids young as 3 yrs.
just wanted to know how much I should be feeding it. But reading some of the posts about them biting people is kinda a drag ., My dog is an angel and going to keep it on a leash .Will try Kirkland dog food,


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

I just bought Kirkland Healthy Weight dog food for my dogs, and will be slowly transitioning them to it. I always mix in a little bit of canned dog food with their dry food OR give them a little boiled chicken/homemade broth with it. 

I know some of you really research this stuff, so can someone explain the ingredients in this to me compared to the ingredients in Chicken Soup Lite (I know they are both made by Diamond...I've used Diamond too). The Kirkland Healthy Weight's 1st 5 ingredients are: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Peas, Cracked Pearled Barley, and Millet. Chicken Soup Lite's 1st ingredient is Brown Rice, but is followed by meats. So...how much meat is actually in each of these products? 

The dogs have been losing some weight with diet and exercise. If all goes well with the Kirkland Healthy Weight after a bag or two, I would like to see how they do on Nature's Domain. 

Also, if anyone out there is looking for a good deal on "better" foods, I only paid about $20+ for 40 pounds of Kirkland Healthy Weight at Costco. The regular Kirkland Chicken formula was $22+. The Nature's Domain was about $30 for 35 pounds. While I was buying my Kirkland, a couple was stocking up w/2 big bags of Pedigree--each bag was more than what I paid for my food.

Another tip: Check out Tractor Supply's website for a $5 off coupon if you spend $25 or more. You can walk out of there with a big bag of Diamond Naturals or 4Health for what you'd pay for a big bag of low quality food. 

To anyone answering my question about the dog foods, thank you.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

First off it is "all" the ingredients before the first fat or oil that make up the majority of the dog food, NOT THE FIRST 5. The first ingredient should be the largest amount of any ingredient in a dog food AND SO ON MOVING DOWN THE LIST. The first list is by and far the one with more meat, which would be Kirkland. Named meats like Chicken and Turkey really are 3-4 ingredients down the list because they are named before being processed and during processing they lose a lot of weight. Chicken of the soup has nothing on their website about not using euthouxquin so I would not feed that food.

Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearl barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and vitamin E), egg product, beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, millet, 

Whole grain brown rice, chicken, turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, cracked pearled barley, millet, powdered cellulose, egg product, potatoes, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, duck, salmon, potassium chloride, choline chloride, dried chicory root, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dri


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Ok Jess, thanks for the explanation. Glad to know the Kirkland contains more meat. I only listed the 1st 5 ingredients of the Kirkland to compare it to the review on this site for Chicken Soup Lite--they broke down the 1st 5 ingredients before listing all of the ingredients. Again, thanks for your time.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Thought you might find this letter I received on July 17 from Diamond’s staff vet, Dr. Janet Rettenmaier reassuring:

We are now using naturally preserved fish mean in all of our products. Even prior to the transition to natural mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), there were absolutely no health risks involved with feeding any of these foods. The switch to mixed tocopherols to preserve our fish meal was a response to customer demand. Fortunately, we were able to secure a supply of naturally preserved fish meal and shelf life studies have proven that we are able to maintain the product’s freshness throughout the shelf life of the product.

Homeland security does outline preservation using ethoxyquin, however alternative methods of preservation are available by special request. Our supplier has obtained all the required permits in order to use the natural preservative instead of ethoxyquin.

Janet L. Rettenmaier, DVM, MS
Director of Veterinary Services
Diamond Pet Foods

This information goes for all the products made by Diamond. Hope this helps.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Michelle,

Yes, that information is good to know and makes me feel better about my purchases. I appreciate it--thanks.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Does anyone out there have any comments on the Kirkland canned foods? I bought a 24-pack (12 cans of Chicken & Rice Formula and 12 cans of Lamb & Rice formula). I just mix a small amount of it in with my dogs' dry food at feeding time, and they seem to like it. Just wondered if anyone heard anything good or bad about this food.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I have never looked at the ingredient list and I can't seem to find it anywhere. In 2007 they did have a recall but that was almost 4 years ago.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Here is the list of ingredients of Kirkland Chicken & Rice Formula right off the can:

Chicken, Chicken Broth, Poultry Liver, Brewers Rice, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Fish Meal, Dried Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Sodium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine, Mononitrate, Manganous Oxide, Biotin, Calcium Pantotenate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Cobalt Carbonate. 

*Manufactered using the same equipment that processes products containing wheat, barley and rye.

Let me know if you see anything I should be real concerned about. I'm using the Kirkland Healthy Weight dry food too. Probably won't use this canned food long term--just wanted to try it out. Will probably go back to using my own boiled chicken (or beef, organs, etc.) as a mix-in after this canned food is gone. The dogs only get a small amount of this canned food each day as 2 of them really need to drop a couple more pounds. They're doing good with portion control, long walks and no (or VERY limited) table scraps.

Thanks.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Brewers Rice is low quality, but not bad. Dried Beet Pulp, hummm I wonder why they have a stool stiffener in the food. Fish Meal most likely contains ethoxyquin.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

I didn't know that's why they used beet pulp in the food, but I suppose that is why I noticed better stools in my one dog when he ate the not-so-good brands.

Do you think it's dangerous to use this canned food for a short time? They only get about a tablespoon or so mixed into the dry food at feeding time.

Well, once this stuff is gone, I will just go back to feeding them cooked meats (along with dry food). Thanks.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Heck no, it's fine.. I am most likely gonna feed it in the future, but then again a can lasts me 3 days and my dog weighs 103 pounds. If you didn't know you should never keep canned dog food longer than 3 days. Beet pulp is not bad, it just doesn't add anything to a dogs diet but the stool fix. You can't beat home cooking and table scraps are fine, as long as it isn't spiced. It's the spices that can hurt dogs because their digestive systems can't tolerate them. Another good one to know is if your dog has runny stools, canned pumpkin dog food is the fix (read the directions)and if the doesn't fix it take him to the vet. GSD's are notorious for having stool issues so I keep a couple of cans around at all times. Every time we go to the beach he gets into something or drinks a little salt water and here comes the bad stools, every time, LOL.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

If you do feed that canned Kirkland in the future, it's pretty cheap--$15 for 24 14-oz. cans. I occasionally used the canned Chicken Soup dog food, and would get it on sale at the pet store for about $1 per can. I noticed that Tractor Supply sells the 4 Health canned food for 99 cents a can. 

I feed my 3 dogs 3x per day, and mix in a small amount of canned w/each meal. This method appears to be working well w/their weight loss plan--revs up their metabolism. So..I use up a can in a couple days this way. I've used the canned pumpkin in the past too. I don't spice up their meat when I cook it either.

My oldest dog is 4. He's possibly a Corgi(or Jack Russell)/Husky (??) mix. I'm actually going to do a DNA test on him to figure this out LOL. He always has a firm stool, yet had a lot of anal gland problems. I know it's from corn/wheat. He was a rescue--we got him when he was approx. 1. 

My other 2 are "twins" LOL. We adopted a 1 yr. old black lab/terrier mix in February. After feeling guilty for a month, we went back and rescued his sister. They had a lousy life--both locked in a small cage together for 23 hrs. per day for the 1st 10 months of their lives--they couldn't even stand up or turn around. Makes me mad thinking about it. 

I need to read up on this ethoxyquin as I don't know anything about it.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Here is a link to what I and many others consider the best site on the net. On the right side below the picture is a list of all kinds of informative stuff.

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Thanks for the link. Boy do they ever put a lot of JUNK in some of these dog foods!! Poor dogs....


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Jess-The fish meal in Kirkland and all Diamond products is now naturally preserved,Thought you might find this letter I received on July 17 from Diamond’s staff vet, Dr. Janet Rettenmaier reassuring:

We are now using naturally preserved fish mean in all of our products. Even prior to the transition to natural mixed tocopherols (vitamin E), there were absolutely no health risks involved with feeding any of these foods. The switch to mixed tocopherols to preserve our fish meal was a response to customer demand. Fortunately, we were able to secure a supply of naturally preserved fish meal and shelf life studies have proven that we are able to maintain the product’s freshness throughout the shelf life of the product.

Homeland security does outline preservation using ethoxyquin, however alternative methods of preservation are available by special request. Our supplier has obtained all the required permits in order to use the natural preservative instead of ethoxyquin.

Janet L. Rettenmaier, DVM, MS
Director of Veterinary Services
Diamond Pet Foods

This information goes for all the products made by Diamond. Hope this helps.


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## darrell (Nov 25, 2010)

where besides costco can i buy kirkland dogfood.i live in alberta canada.vermilion to be exact.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Darrell, I got this info right off of the Wikipedia site:

Kirkland Signature is Costco's store brand, otherwise known in the retail industry as an "own-brand," "house brand" or "private label." It is found exclusively at Costco's website and Costco warehouses and is trademarked by the company.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

I found a website for Costco's Kirkland Signature foods. http://shop.costco.com/In-The-Warehouse/Kirkland-Signature-Pet-Food.aspx


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

I found a site with info on Costco's Nature's Domain dog food: 

http://www.naturesdomainpetfood.com/about-natures-domain


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## myrna (Dec 17, 2010)

Just used a 40 lb bag of Chicken/rice Kirkland adult, it gives my dog gas, why when the ingredients are very close to Buffalo Blue, which is much more expensive. I have an 80lb Weimaraner.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Just bought my 2nd 40 lb. bag of Kirkland Healthy Weight. I'm very satisfied w/this food for the price, and recommend it. My dogs are doing well on it, and they LIKE it.

The Costco in my area just started carrying the Turkey/Sweet Potato Nature's Domain. It's only $26.99 for 35 lbs. The Fish/Sweet Potato is $29.99.


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## Rosalie_Ohlsson (Jan 8, 2011)

Could anyone tell me whether they had a problem with persistent diarrhea after transitioning their dog over to Kirkland Chicken & Rice? 

I wasn't sure about the quality of this dog food since it is so inexpensive. I haven't tried this food yet for my two dogs because I am afraid they will have diarrhea.


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## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

Hi Rosalie. I called Diamond before, and they told me the reason Kirkland is so reasonable is because Costco buys such large amounts of it, and they don't have to pay to advertise or spend a lot on fancy packaging. My sister's dog was on the Chicken & Rice formula, and didn't have diarrhea from it. She did however have to switch to Nature's Domain as her dog has had allergies/skin problems, and the vet wanted her to go to a different protein. I also suggested she go grain-free in case it was a grain allergy. My 3 dogs have been using the Kirkland Healthy Weight, and they never have diarrhea. It's a good value, and the ingredients are a lot better than a lot of things out there that cost twice as much. So..if you try it, just transition to it properly in hopes you won't have any problems. 

Someone above stated that the Kirkland Chicken & Rice gives their dog gas. Again, I am using a different formula, but none of my dogs ever have that problem. I was hesitant to use Chicken Soup dog food before because I read a review stating the same thing. Again--was never a problem for us. I guess every dog is different. Good luck.


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## Lori4 (Jan 28, 2011)

I feed my 3 dogs Kirkland brand dog food and they do very well on it. One of our dogs is Mastif-Greatdane, and he has allergy problems to food. He can eat Kirkland just fine. None of them have diareah. They seem to go through less food with this brand also. Coats are very soft and shiny. I vote highly for this dog food.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

For the money it can't be beat. I was just at Costco and I noticed that the adult lamb is 2 dollars more now. Actually both were 2 bucks more.


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## Rosalie_Ohlsson (Jan 8, 2011)

I heard when you feed dogs the more expensive dog foods they poop less because they are absorbing more of the nutrients. Do you think that is true? What about when the dogs are on Kirkland, do you find they poop more?


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## Helene (Feb 18, 2011)

I have been using Kirkland dog food (chicken and rice) for about a month. I switched from Purina One because of the high rating and ingredients But although I did a gradual change my dogs bowel movements are still very soft and frequent. For 5 days, I mixed the dry food with rice which helped but now we are back to soft stools. Any ideas??


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Pumpkin is the answer. You can buy it at good pet stores or you can get 100% pure pumpkin with NO SUGAR and NO SALT. Libbys makes some. Now it would be best to get some at your pet store because it well tell you how much to feed. I have a 105 pound German Shepherd and I give him about 3 tablespoons, maybe a little more before and after his feeding. On the can of Nummy Tum-Tum it says "1 Tablespoon per 10 lbs weight daily as a food supplement". It also say to store in a different container and only for 3 days.


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## Coltyn_Z (Mar 17, 2011)

I really would not recommend Kirkland food for any pet. It tends to have the least amount of the proper proteins, omegas and antioxidants that are required for healthy pets. I have had a lot of luck with the Prominence brand and great reviews from my friends and family that I have shared it with. Prominence isnt a brand that is found in stores, it is only sold to exclusive poeple that want to share it with their pets.


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## Jim3 (Mar 23, 2011)

I will not buy another can of Kirkland Dogfood. It is TOO hard to get out of the can, and will not slide out, as do most other canned dogfoods....even after popping a hole in the bottom (top) and while can is inverted....the product just is too hard to get out o fthe can into the bowl without scooping it out with a spoon.....then I gotta deal with dogfood on spoons...and I do not have to deal with that with other dog food brands...


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## Ali8 (Mar 25, 2011)

We have been using the Kirkland Puppy chow and really love it. We use to use Nutro, but it cost twice as much and since it got bought up by another company has REALLY gone down hill!
I have one recommendation....since Kirkland doesn't contain pro biotics, try giving your dog some yogurt....my dog especially Loves the plain greek yogurt....but they also have goat yogurt available at Trader Joe's or Sprouts.


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## Mary14 (Mar 28, 2011)

I have two Pembroke Welsh Corgi's. The five year old male has been putting on a little weight as these short stocky dogs tend to do. Our six-month-old female was just spayed. I am totally confused as to which dog food to be giving them. I've seen so many differing opinions. I live in a small mid-western town and most of the higher rated brands are not available here. My sister lives in a larger city and is a member at Costco so I could get her to buy Kirkland for me. Most of you seem to have a pretty good feeling about it. Any suggestions?


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Jim,if you like paying for a can of watery soup,that just falls out of the can,be my guest.It's really not all that hard to take a spoon and scoop out some canned dog food.....unless you are LAZY.Kirkland makes a fine product,and it's a good way to add a meat based protein to your dogs diet.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Here's a tip for you Jim,if you open both ends of the can,you can use the lid from one end to push the contents out of the can.Problem solved,NO SPOON REQUIRED!! I figured this out when I was 5 years old,and was responsible for feeding my collie.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Jim, you are unbelievable. I have never heard that someone did not like a dog food because it had to be spooned out. That is a first!! YOU SHOULD HAVE TO DO THAT, other wise you are just paying for water.....


Mary, Kirkland is a pretty good dog food. Are you on a budget?? If so are is a list I made up of some decent dog foods for someone on a budget but you won't find this at the grocery store.

1.	Chicken Soup for the dog lovers soul, 42 bucks a bag.
2.	Kirkland (Costco) - About 25 bucks for 40 lbs.*****
3.	Whole Earth Farms - About 35 bucks for 30 lbs.
4.	4Heath - About 30 bucks for 30 lbs. Tractor Supply carries this!
5.	Natures Domain(Costco) - About 35 bucks for 30 lbs.
6.	ByNatural – About 40 bucks for 30 lbs.
7.	Nutri Source - About 45 bucks for 30 lbs.
8.	Healthwise – About 39 bucks for 30 lbs. 
9.	Diamonds Premium Edge/Naturals – About 35 bucks for 35 lbs.
10.	TOTW, is now not that good of a deal after raising their price.
11.	Eagle pack
12.	Chicken soup
13.	Fromm
I want to point out that I do not like the Diamond Brand product and so it must be one of these two. The last 3 are here because they seem to go on sale quite often.


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## Brooke1 (Apr 13, 2011)

For those not aware, the following four foods:

Kirkland
Diamond
Chicken Soup
Premium Edge

are ALL made by Diamond Brands. If you reasearch them closeley, they are actually the same basic food with a couple of modifications for each formula. Diamond label is their lowest quality, Chicken Soup their medium quality, and Premium Edge their best quality food.

The formula of the Kirkland food is nearly identical to the Chicken Soup - it's basically the same food at a much lower price.


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## Antonio1 (Apr 22, 2010)

Brooke you are correct in some ways, but fail to miss other premium feeds made by the same company like Natural Balance, Canidae, Taste of the Wild, and I believe they also manufacture a few Wellness formulas, or have in the past.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Brooke, it is up to the quality control personal of each company to oversee Diamonds manufacturing of their product. I talked and e-mailed TOTW on many occasions about how they go about their quality control. I feel fine with the answer(s) I got from them. Basically they have personal their when ever their product is be produced. I was also informed that they do not use many of the suppliers that other companies might use. If you aren't 100% sure about any company, you need to e-mail and telephone them. Do both and see if you get the same answers.


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## Jeff_Roberts (May 17, 2011)

Tainted Dog Food?
Last week my dog, Molly, had two seizures within an hour of eating Kirkland Signature Super Premium Chicken and Rice wet dog food. I had purchased the product some time ago, but it was still within the usage date: (A) Best By Jan 27 12. 
I skipped a feeding using the Costco dog food between the two days that she had the seizures, and that day she did not have a seizure. I figured out the connection between the seizures and Molly eating the food on the third day--she has not had a seizure since.
Costco refunded the money for the remainder of the product--I filled out an incident report, but so far they have not been willing to look into my requests to have the food tested. 
I know that Costco voluntarily recalled this exact same dog food back in 2007 with a Best By date in 2009. 
Has anyone else had an issue with their dog by using this product? 
They were not even able to say, "I'm sorry"


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## Keri4 (Jun 3, 2011)

Has anyone had a problem with their dogs liking Kirklands canned food and then just stop eating it the next. We think that maybe we have gotten a bad batch or something. All of a sudden they have just stopped eating this food, but will eat another brand on hand.


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## Art (Jun 3, 2011)

Same problem here. First they seemed to be really enjoying it . Now they won't even try to eat. Don't know what to do.


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## diane_u (Jun 11, 2011)

Was giving the dogs Fromm's Gold but to save money I tried Kirklands puppy and adult food sold only @ Cosco. Within two weeks my dogs coats looked terrible, so back to Fromm's! While it is alot more expensive its worth it!


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## Eleanor (Jul 7, 2011)

For years I fed Canidae and/or Wellness, known to be very good dog foods. I have a Doberman, Mini Schnauzer and a Schipperke all with very different needs. But when life became tough I had to find a good dog food that I could afford. My friend, a breeder of Border Terriers recommended Kirkland, and with great hesitation I bought a bag. Well I am still feeding it 18 months later, all of my dogs look and feel great! Now I tell my other friends about it and they are happy too.


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## Eleanor (Jul 7, 2011)

BTW, I AM TALKING ABOUT KIRKLAND DRY FOOD


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Kirkland's dog food rocks! Seriously, it is the best budget brand.


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## Anna_Kalbarczyk (Jan 16, 2012)

My dogs pretty much like the canned dog food ..Kirklands from Costco.. howerver, as of late, with in the last two months, I have opened up a few cans and the smell is enough to choke a horse.. both dogs turned away from it... has there been a bad batch... or what, Im wondering where this dog food is made as there is no information on the can.


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## suzanne4 (Feb 6, 2012)

AS FAR AS KIRKLANDS DOG FOOD GOES I WOULD SAY NO A BIG NO! PLEASE DO THE RESEARCH YOURSELF.www.dogfoodanalysis I WOULD GO WITH WELLNESS OR BLUE WILDERNESS BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU COMMERCIAL DOG FOOD WILL CAUSE YOUR DOG SERIOUS HARM.


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## Brent (Mar 20, 2012)

I don't feed my dogs Kirkland, but I know people who do and there dogs are fine. I think everyone should find a brand that is best suited for their dog. Suzanne and other contributers on forums like to scream and holler about how bad commercial grade foods are, but I know dogs that have lived 15 years beyond on Alpo, and dogs that have had horrible reactions to 5 Star ranked foods on DogFoodAnalysis.com like Artemis or Wellness. My dog is a Mastiff Cross, did great in Eukanuba, poorly on Wellness and Blue Buffalo. Bad gas, soft stool, vomiting, and very lethargic. After a clean bill of health from the vet, I moved him to a brand called Acana made in Canada and he's back to his old self. It's about finding what's best for your dog. A good, unbiased, logical, and honest website is DogFoodAdvisor.com. The other site mentioned above overreacts to some ingredients and likes to use scare tactics when it comes to specific commercial foods. Use this site, I use to be so intimidated by what foods to get before I found it. They breakdown every major ingredient, talk about why some ingredients are controversial, and why some bad ingredients, aren't really all that bad.


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## Raymond_Escobar (Mar 21, 2012)

ok i try a few dog food is this kirkland any good


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

My 2 dogs do great on Kirkland dry and they love the new Kirkland cuts in gravy canned. Seriously this food rocks!


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

I would not feed Kirkland Signature dry dog food. You think because it's available from Costco, it's a great food at a reasonable price. WRONG!

It is not a good food. It's probably as good as the cheap commercial dog food you find at the grocery store. 

My dogs were on this food for the last 8 yrs. They all got sick and one died recently. Diamond, the manufacture of Kirkland Signature, is not cooperative in helping you. So if you lose your dog to this food or they get sick, then maybe you'll switch to a dog food where they back up the quality of ingredients.


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

This food has problems now. I would not recommend feeding it to your dogs. All mine got sick and one died!


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

doglover, Sue, S Stack,I know that you are all the same person. It is easy to go by different names and spread lies about Kirkland dog food.You are totally discredited in my book. I don't even believe you have a dog. Were you recently fired from Costco and now acting childish and looking for revenge? SO LAME, FIND A NEW HOBBY!


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

I think your a jerk LabsRawesome. You probably work for Diamond and hiding behind your name. What's you real name and who do you work for? Or, should we call you Michelle? You could have at least changed the picture. What a dumbass!


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Sue you are a very RUDE person! That is an old post from November of 2011. I changed my name in December of 2011, and have gone by LabsRawesome ever since then. You change your name on a daily basis to try and make it look like multiple people are having problems with food. STOP PLAYING GAMES! You are the one that is acting like a jerk. You probably work for Purina!


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

If I worked for Purina, I'd get free food and won't have bought the Kirkland food. You are the dumbass! Why did you need to change your name?


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

You are so lame you give yourself 5 stars that is for OTHER people to read your post and vote on it. Who's the DUMBASS? YOU ARE A TROLL!


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

LabsRawsome aka Michelle. Go PMS elsewhere!


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi TROLL, why don't you go post somewhere else. OH NEVERMIND YOU DO UNDER MULTIPLE NAMES ! AND IT'S ALL LIES. GO AWAY TROLL!


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

Wow! Someone comes on here for help, and to tell their experience of a particular brand of dog food, and they get attacked. MICHELLE, why is it that you take bad experiences with Diamond (specifically Kirkland) so personally??? It's like you'd defend this food to the death...The first time I ever posted on this site about my experience with this food (Do you remember "grain mites and feathers") and all my dogs were sick at the same time, ALL 5, you called me a TROLL!!!! I am getting extremely annoyed with your constant inflammatory, rude, bashing comments. Having your dog(s) sick or dying for whatever reason is frightening, and I hope you certainly never have to go thru it, but if you do, know that I would NEVER call you a troll for sharing your story and reaching out for help when it feels like no one has the answers.


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

Michelle aka LabsRawesome.I think you have issues and it has nothing to do with this forum. So unless you have valuable info about a product, I suggest you take your frustrations out elsewhere. Let's keep this forum professional and stop bashing me.


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

This was just released today. Diamond recall - 

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/diamond-dog-food-recall.html

Do not purchase Diamond made products right now. There is more to this.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Diamond Pet Foods Voluntarily Recalls Limited Number of Dry Dog Food Bags Due to a Potential Health Risk.
Recall is limited to one formula of Diamond Naturals distributed to 12 states; no illnesses reported.

Yeah there is a recall on DIAMOND NATURALS- NO ILLNESS REPORTED-NO OTHER PRODUCTS ARE AFFECTED. SO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH KIRKLAND. The same thing happened with Merrick several times, I still use their products too.Both my dog LOVE Merrick. I bet there is salmonella in your meat and eggs in your fridge, and mine too. They found it in either Jif or Skippy peanut butter awhile ago too.

Consumer Contact: 800-442-0402
Media Contact: 816-255-1974

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 06, 2012

Diamond Pet Foods is voluntarily recalling Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice. This is being done as a precautionary measure, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No illnesses have been reported and no other Diamond manufactured products are affected.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Please read this, it talks about raw and kibble and salmonella.  This is discussion purely about bacteria and your dog. If you are looking for a discussion about dogs spreading bacteria to humans, go here.

Yes, the bacteria in raw meat might hurt your dog IF the dog already has an immunocompromised system or some underlying problem. Raw diets have also been blamed for causing things like pancreatitis and kidney disease, when in reality the underlying disease was already there and was brought to light by the change in diet. Dogs are surprisingly well-equipped to deal with bacteria. Their saliva has antibacterial properties; it contains lysozyme, an enzyme that lyses and destroys harmful bacteria. Their short digestive tract is designed to push through food and bacteria quickly without giving bacteria time to colonize. The extremely acidic environment in the gut is also a good bacteria colonization deterrent. People often point to the fact that dogs shed salmonella in their feces (even kibble-fed dogs do this) without showing any ill effects as proof that the dog is infected with salmonella. In reality, all this proves is that the dog has effectively passed the salmonella through its system with no problems. Yes, the dog can act as a salmonella carrier, but the solution is simple—do not eat dog crap and wash your hands after picking up after your dog.

Even kibble-fed dogs regularly shed salmonella and other bacteria. Most of the documented cases of severe bacterial septicemia are from kibble-fed animals or animals suffering from reactions to vaccines. Commercial pet foods have been pulled off shelves more than once because of bacteria AND molds that produce a deadly toxin. The solution? Use common sense. Clean up well and wash your hands. And think about your dog—this is an animal that can lick itself, lick other dogs, eat a variety of disgusting rotting things, and ingest its own feces or those of other animals with no ill effects. The dog, plain and simple, can handle greater bacterial loads than we can. Can dogs get sick from the bacteria? I suppose they can. But it is rare and usually indicative of an underlying problem, especially when one stops to consider how much bacteria that dog probably comes in contact with every single day. One must ask "Why this dog? Why now? What has made this particular dog susceptible to bacterial overgrowth?" Something is not 'right' regarding the dog's health—a healthy dog does not suffer from bacterial infections or bacterial septicemia. That is just common sense. A dog suffering from "salmonella poisoning" is obviously not healthy, especially when compared to a dog that ate the same food with the same salmonella load but is perfectly healthy and unaffected. The first dog has suffered a 'breakdown' in its health that allowed the bacteria to become a problem; if one is talking in homeopathic medicine terminology, this is simply one more symptom that shows the dog is suffering from chronic disease (see the Vaccines page for more information).

I put forth that it is the kibble, not the raw meat, that causes bacterial problems. Kibble in the intestine not only irritates the lining of the bowels but also provides the perfect warm, wet environment with plenty of undigested sugars and starches as food for bacteria. This is why thousands of processed food-fed animals suffer from from a condition called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, or SIBO (Lonsdale, T. 2001. Raw Meaty Bones. pg 85). Raw meaty bones, however, create a very inhospitable environment for bacteria, as RMBs are easily digestible and have no carbohydrates, starches, or sugars to feed the bacteria.

Can raw-fed dogs make other dogs sick? If the other dog has a suppressed immune system or some underlying problem, then perhaps a raw-fed dog can make another dog sick. But keep in mind the inordinate amount of bacteria dogs usually ingest anyway, not to mention the plaques of bacteria covering the teeth and gums of the kibble-fed dogs. People recall raw-fed dogs being the only dogs at dog shows that did not get sick with some communicable disease of some sort, and then instantly assume that it was those dogs that got all the other dogs sick. A more plausible explanation is that the raw-fed dogs have a much stronger immune system and are thus better equipped to fight off diseases and "canine common colds" that circulate at shows (and possibly that they have been vaccinated less than their kibble-fed counterparts, which results in a stronger immune system). For a more in-depth discussion of how processed foods suppress the immune system, please refer to Raw Meaty Bones.

Just some final thoughts on bacteria and raw: this is what finds its way into the "sterile" kibbled commercial foods:
"Meat products not intended for human consumption, such as inedible tissues, condemned portions of carcasses, and entire carcasses of condemned animals (eg, animals found to be dead, dying, disabled, or diseased at the time of slaughter), are also used for dog food. Because of the inherent nature of these products and the less stringent handling requirements, compared with products approved for human consumption, these products may contain high levels of bacterial contamination." (LeJuene, J.T. and D.D. Hancock. 2001. Public health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets to dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 219(9): 1222.)

And as for commercial foods being "bacteria free" (an assumption that is often inferred when people put down raw diets because of the bacteria):
"Pet foods, commercial or homemade, provide an ideal environment for bacterial proliferation." (LeJuene, J.T. and D.D. Hancock. 2001. Public health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets to dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 219(9): 1224.)

So do not be fooled into thinking kibbled, commercial pet food is a sterile, bacteria-free source of food! The starches, rancid fats, and sugars in kibbled foods provide much better food sources for bacteria than the proteins in raw meat.


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## doglover2 (Mar 31, 2012)

I still would not buy any Diamond manufactured products. Just because they haven't release anymore info about the other products, doesn't mean it's safe.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

I just opened a new bag of Kirkland Chicken and rice last week, and my dogs are just fine. The limited recall is on DIAMOND NATURALS Lamb and rice. No other foods or formulas are affected.


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## Lindy1 (Apr 23, 2012)

I stumbled onto this forum because my 2 dogs have been sick for a few days. Trying to examine what they both ate to make them this sick, I've come up with the Kirkland chicken and rice canned food. I really don't think their dry food is responsible because they have since refused to eat the canned and will now nibble at the dry. This is really BAD. Is it going to hidden information if this stuff is bad...or...WHAT? Do I have to throw the whole case out? (it's NOT cheap)


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Lindy, I would take it back to Costco. They will give you a refund. The food you bought in GREEN shrink wrap is the chicken and lamb, it is made by American Nutrition. My two dogs LOVE the new Kirkland cuts in gravy, in the BROWN shrink wrap. It is made by a totally different company, Simms pet care. It comes in chicken and beef. You should try that one, my 2 love it.


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## Dukesdad (Apr 25, 2012)

We got Duke as a 5 year old boxer. He looked ok but was somewhat overweight. We were given a bag of Old Roy dog food by the previous owners. A friend recommended Kirkland brand. After just 6 weeks Duke's weight dropped to a healthy 68 pounds, his coat developed a shine and he has the muscle tone of an athlete. I've used high end foods with past dogs but I really don't see any benefit over the Kirkland brand.


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## DogLover3 (May 3, 2012)

I logged on to this site because I need to find another food for my lab and all I read are comments from these women fighting with each other... I'm wondering what it has to do with dog food!!!!! Furthermore if you want to fight don't do it on a public forum!!!!! People use this to find out information about DOG FOOD not peoples petty differences.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Doglover, let someone call you a DUMBASS and see if you defend yourself, like Sue did to me, she also accused me and others of working for Diamond. She was an inflammatory TROLL.If you keep clicking "older comments" you can go back to the peaceful posts before the idiot called Sue showed up.


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## Jennifer18 (May 4, 2012)

isn't there a moderator for these forums for people who harass other people and obviously have too much time on their hands. i don't even feed my dog kirkland but i've spent the last 15 minutes just looking at silly comments between two people bickering. this site needs a moderator!


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## eugene1 (May 31, 2012)

it wont matter what you feed your dog sooner or later the vets
are going to rob you blind VULTURES


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## Barbie_Dahl (May 31, 2012)

I used Kirkland food on my previous dogs for many years. One dog ate this food for about 2/3 of her life, and the other ate it for his entire life. They each lived to be teenagers, passing away at 16 and 14 respectively. They were big dogs, and most big dogs pass away around the age of 12 or 13.

When they died, both dogs were healthy. They had great looking coats, and their fur was shiny.

In fact, the oldest of the two, when we rescued her, she had rubbed the fur completely off her back. She had hot spots and severe itching. Her previous owners were taking her for Cortisone shots and just didn't feel like dealing with her skin issues anymore. AFter a short while on Kirkland's food, her hair grew back and she never had bald patches or hot spots again. She continued to have mild seasonal allergies, but this food did wonders for her. I liked it because it was a decent quality food for a single income budget.

We recently adopted two dogs from the shelter, and I plan to transition them to this food, as well.


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## cerusich (Jun 8, 2012)

Im going to be brutally honest. When I switched the kirkland and compared it to true blue I thought it was incedible that they could manufacture a product with such high quality ingredients for such a low price. BUT, once again I got a bag of food that was recalled. I JUST bought another bag 6-1-2012 and my dogs are refusing to eat it and have thrown up multiple times and seem lathargic and very apathetic. Not sure why some people on here are acting like they are a CEO for kirkland. If you had a good experience with the food thats badass. (As aforementioned, what they are offering is incredible for the price). I've read comments about people using it for their entire dogs life. 

For me, I dont think its acceptable that I go get a bag of dog food playing russian roulette and hoping that its ok. At the end of the day, the cheap dog foods with by-products probably arent the healthiest thing for your dogs but they've also never made my dogs sick.

Oh and you're not a dumbass. You're just being incredibly egocentrically closed-minded. IF your dogs had gotten a bad bag of food, like many other peoples did I wouldn't be vexed at you for complaining. Thats no different from you getting food poisoning from a retaurant and me listing to you fifty people that went there and were ok and berating you for not going back.

.....and im out.


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## Margie1 (Sep 4, 2012)

Barbie
What kind of kirklands did you feed your dog. I have Mastiff and am not happy with food he is on even though breeder was feeding him that as a puppy.
Thanks, Margie


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## Jackman (Sep 20, 2012)

Anyone seriously thinking about purchasing either Kirkland or Nutra Nuggets dog foods, sold by Costco, should review the history of those products and the manufacturer with the FDA. As I am writing this I am watching my irish setter suffer end stage salmonella poisoning. Because I no longer have the bag of food, Kirkland Lamb and Rice to verify the production codes and confirm that they were included in the last recall I cannot say with a certainty that the batch that I have been feeding was contaminated. However,the only foods that my dog has eaten for the last several years have been the Diamond products. Unfortunately, I didn't know about their history until very recently. I am going to be turning my Costco membership in, in the next few days. Right after I bury my dog.


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## Gretchen1 (Dec 12, 2012)

Jackman...so sorry about the loss of your dog


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## Joe5 (Dec 13, 2012)

I have a 12 lb miniture Schnauzer which I have been feeding for the last 5 months Kirkland Signature lamb and rice. I chose the food after reading many excellent reviews on various websites. My dog ate 1 cup per day and went to the bathroom 4 times a day. He always had mild body odour, even after bathing.
Changed the food to Eukanuba Adult Maintenance. Store clerk told me to mix both foods together 50/50 at the beginning as the new food could upset his stomach. Dog ate only the Eukanuba and left the Kirkland.
I have now been feeding my dog the Eukanuba for 2 weeks. We noticed he has more energy, stool samples are half the size and only twice daily. He eats 3/4 cup versus 1 cup. And after just one week NO MORE BODY SMELL. It may cost a little more, but remember you get what you pay for.


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## Mary_Cris_Kohn (Aug 12, 2013)

I'm wondering what you think about Earthborn Holistic grain-free in comparison to Origen grain-free. Thanks!!

Mary Cris


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## Todd2 (Oct 22, 2013)

Mary Cris Kohn, what most people and REVIEWERS do not realize, is that chicken meal and other meat meals are 80% bone. If you doubt me go to Tyson and check out their meal and they supply a lot of dog food companies. I used to believe that meal form meat was better, because it was added dry. I now know and feel that SOME whole meat is mandatory in my dogs food. Primitive Natural contains no whole meat. It also contains tomato pomace and sodium selenite, 2 ingredients I stay away from. Orijen does not contain any bad ingredients and some real meat. With that said, you should add some real meat in your dogs diet no matter what you feed. Kirkland is made by Diamond and I would never feed anything made by Diamond or Natura pet..


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