Zignature Dog Food Review (Dry)

Rating:

Which Zignature Dry Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

Zignature Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Zignature Dog Food product line includes the 17 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product	Rating	AAFCO
Zignature Pork Formula	4.5	A
Zignature Duck Formula	4.5	A
Zignature Goat Formula	4	A
Zignature Catfish Formula	4.5	A
Zignature Salmon Formula	4	A
Zignature Zssential Formula	4	A
Zignature Whitefish Formula	4	A
Zignature Venison Formula	4	A
Zignature Kangaroo Formula	4	A
Zignature Trout and Salmon Meal	4.5	A
Zignature Lamb Formula	4	A
Zignature Turkey Formula	4.5	A
Zignature Small Bites Lamb	4	A
Zignature Small Bites Turkey	4.5	A
Zignature Small Bites Trout and Salmon Meal	4.5	A
Zignature Small Bites Zssential	4	A
Zignature Small Bites Kangaroo	4	A

Recipe and Label Analysis

Zignature Turkey Formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

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Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is turkey. Although it is a quality item, raw turkey contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

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

The third ingredient includes chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. Like peas, beans and lentils, the chickpea is a nutritious member of the fiber-rich legume (or pulse) family of vegetables.

However, chickpeas contain about 22% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The fourth ingredient lists peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The fifth ingredient is flaxseed, 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.

After the natural flavor, we find turkey fat. Turkey fat is obtained from rendering turkey, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

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

The eighth ingredient is dicalcium phosphate, likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

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

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 Zignature product.

With 4 notable exceptions…

First, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

Next, we find dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.

In addition, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

And lastly, this food includes 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, Zignature Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 40%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 33% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 44% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 48%.

Which means this Zignature product line contains…

Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, chickpeas and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Our Rating of Zignature Dog Food

Zignature is a grain-free dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.

Highly recommended.

Zignature Dog Food
Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Zignature through September 2023.

No recalls noted.

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

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More Zignature Brand Reviews

The following Zignature dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

• Zignature Dog Food Review (Canned)

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References

05/01/2023 Last Update