Kirkland Signature Dog Food Review (Dry)

Kirkland Signature dry product range consists of six recipes with ratings varying from 3.5 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 5 stars.

Dry formulas that list real meat or meat meals as their primary ingredients. Specific recipes are formulated for puppies and small breeds.

The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice and Vegetable was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this recipe is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.¹

Chicken is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third item is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The next ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fifth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The sixth ingredient is egg product, an unspecified (wet or dry?) form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries – from eggs that failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The seventh ingredient is beet pulp, which is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

The next ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The ninth ingredient is fish meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.²

Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other inclusions.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Costco product.

With four notable exceptions…

First, flaxseed is one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

We note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.

In addition, chicory root is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.

And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice and Vegetable looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29.9%, a fat level of 18.5% and estimated carbohydrates of about 39.3%.

As a group, this Kirkland brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 15.8%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 41.7% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 54%.

Which means this Kirkland product line contains…

Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to other kibbles.

Kirkland Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Kirkland through September 2026.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

Our Rating of Kirkland Signature Dry Dog Food

Kirkland Signature dry is a grain-inclusive dog food using a notable amount of named meat and meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Highly Recommended

About

Kirkland Signature pet food is made by Diamond Pet Foods, a company established in 1970 by brothers-in-law Richard Kampeter and Gary Schell, and has been around for more than 50 years.

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