My dog immediately started getting sick after switching to this famous Kirkland brand, but the reviews I read afterwards really shocked me.
A Popular Dog Food Brand Sold in Washington Named High-Risk
My dog suddenly got very sick after switching to a Kirkland dog food sold in Washington State, but it was the information I learned afterward that shocked me as a pet owner. A few weeks ago, we ran out of dog food and the brand we usually buy was out of stock. My husband picked up the Kirkland brand dog food while he was at Costco, the kind with the white and blue bag. We have not tried before and after the first meal, my malamute started throwing up. After eating food for only 2 days, he won’t even come out of his cage and seems very sick. That morning I went around town and found the brand of dog food he had been eating before and fed him again. Like magic, in less than an hour he was fine and we haven’t had any problems since. I know dogs can have a strong reaction to changing their food, but have never had any problems in the 5 or 6 times we’ve temporarily changed brands. My curiosity led me to the internet where I was surprised by the information I found about dog food in Kirkland. Not only have many studies been done on the contents of food labeled “high risk”, but the reviews I’ve read are even scarier.
Costco Brands Found High Risk by Study
There are 3 different ingredient studies that I could find about Kirkland dog food made by Diamond Pet Foods and none of them have good news. The Kirkland dog food sold by Costco is made by Diamond Pet Foods Inc., which is owned by Schell and Kampeter Inc. All 3 studies I researched (dogsnaturallymagazine.com & dogfoodreviews.com) found the Kirkland dog food brand Signature Dry and Kirkland Nature’s Domain Signature to be high risk and also found the wet Nature’s Domain Signature The canned dog food as a moderate risk. The carbohydrates in this line were found to be on average 40% too high for dog food. Extremely high carbohydrates are an indicator of low quality food. The reasons they label dog food high risk include: it is very high in carbohydrates, contains too many added vitamins and minerals, added amino acids, seed oil, 3 or more plant proteins , and unnamed animal protein. Also found to be ultra-processed, contain high pesticide/herbicide foods in the top 5 ingredients, contain GMOs in the top 5 ingredients, provide no omega-6:omega-3 ratio, use ingredient splitting, and glam ingredients.
Kirkland and Diamond Pet Food Recall History
I have also found many recalls involving both the Kirkland and Diamond Pet Food brands, some of which are surprising. The list of causes found from 2005 to 2020 includes Salmonella contamination, melamine contamination, aflatoxin contamination, as well as positive tests for arsenic, lead, pesticides, and other toxic materials, which lead to in multiple lawsuits and an eventual $8 million settlement. You can see the full list and all the details for each one by clicking here. My family has shopped at Costco most of my life and have almost always been satisfied with the quality of any product we buy there. What surprises me about Kirkland’s dog food is that Costco STILL SELLS IT. If the reasons I listed weren’t enough to make you think twice before buying these dog foods, read some of the scary and shocking reviews on this brand below.
Kirkland and Diamond Pet Food Reviews Are More Surprising
The website consumeraffairs.com publishes reviews of various products and out of 589 reviews, Kirkland scores a 1 out of 10 with many of the reviews filled with horror stories of pets that get sick or die. One wrote, “Our very healthy dog became very ill from this food. It caused diarrhea and gastrointestinal issues. After running labs, X-rays and ultrasounds, we could find no health reason for her symptoms. The only thing we changed in the days before she got sick was the food. I’m not going to take advantage of this food.” This reviewer said their young pet died after, “Since our last review our wonderful family member Blue had to be put to sleep and she went the big doggie rainbow. Blue is 7 1/2 years old just so energetic and happy. got sick almost immediately after eating this dog food from Costco.” This reviewer also stated that their dog died shortly after the move saying, “We moved to Kirkland dog food on Tuesday and now our dog is dead. The dog was in perfect health before the move. After he started eating the new Kirkland dog food he started vomiting and very lethargic. Blood in (his) poop and couldn’t move this morning. Took him to the vet and put him down. I started reading other comments online and saw this happening to others dogs.” These are just a few of the amazing stories I’ve read from pet owners who have used the Kirkland brand for their pets.
My Conclusion: I Will Not Buy Kirkland Dog Food Until They Change Producers
After doing all the research, I think my dog probably got very sick because of the unhealthy ingredients found in the food. Other coworkers of mine also feed their dogs Kirkland dog food even though they use the red bag variation and don’t have any problems. Honestly, with all the past brand issues, recalls, and lawsuits, I’m surprised Costco hasn’t moved on to something else. I know until they do, I won’t buy any Kirkland brand dog foods. If you want to do some research for yourself, the study for the Taste of the Wild Dog Food can be found here, the study for the basic Kirkland dog food can be found here, and the separate studies for the other 3 Kirkland dog food brand can be found here at DogFoodReviews.com. Read all 589 reviews by clicking here on ConsumerAffairs.com.
