Zignature is a premium brand of dog food that specializes in limited ingredient diets. The company only uses the highest quality ingredients to formulate recipes suitable for dogs with a variety of difficult sensitivities.
This brand has gained popularity in the pet food industry by using unique alternative ingredients rarely found in other formulas. Many loyal Zignature customers claim that these recipes are the only dog foods their sensitive pups can thrive on.
I’m a former vet tech who is passionate about helping pet owners find the best diet for their furry best friends. So I researched Zignature dog food to help determine if this premium brand is worth the extra cost.
Keep reading this Zignature dog food review to learn more about this company, its unique ingredients, and recent controversies.
About Zignature
Zignature’s philosophy centers around using simple recipes of high-quality ingredients to create a complete canine diet without fillers or common allergens. They also strongly emphasize feeding dogs a meat-based diet that is biologically appropriate.
The first ingredient in every Zignature formula is real meat. Most of their recipes have a high protein content to ensure that dogs consume all of the amino acids they need.
Zignature products are also made with low-glycemic binders that are suitable for overweight dogs or pups with diabetic concerns. Many of their recipes are grain-free, potato-free, and chicken-free.
The unique proteins and reduced filler content make Zignature dog food one of the most expensive pet food brands available. But Zignature customers often believe that their products are worth the extra money.
Zignature History
Zignature is part of Pets Global Inc, an independently-owned holistic wellness company that manages a family of pet food brands.
Pets Global products include Zignature, Inception Pet Foods, and Essence Pet Foods. But Zignature is their most popular product line.
Pets Global launched Zignature in 2012 to produce a pet food that helped address common food sensitivities. The company’s founder became interested in limited ingredient diets after managing the dietary restrictions of his pet boxer.
Today, Pets Global works with BSM partners to develop the safest and most nutritionally complete formulas available.
BSM is a premier research company that specializes in helping pet food manufacturers develop safe formulas that meet nutritional requirements.
Where Is Zignature Dog Food Made?
Pets Global is a US company based out of Southern California. Zignature’s parent organization works with over 8,000 retailers throughout the globe to distribute their products worldwide.
All Zignature formulas are made in the United States. Two facilities in Perham, Minnesota and Mitchell, South Dakota produce every Zignature product.
Although Zignature is manufactured in the US, the company does source some of their ingredients from abroad. Most companies import ingredients to save money. But Zignature uses the best sources where they can find the highest-quality fresh ingredients.
Zignature sources its kangaroo from Australia, lamb from New Zealand, duck from France, and other fresh meats from North America.
My favorite thing about this dog food brand is the unique meats that they use from the best sources available throughout the world.
Zignature Brand Lines
Zignature offers a variety of dry and wet foods to meet the different tastes and dietary restrictions of individual dogs. Always consult your veterinarian before making any changes to your dog’s diet.
Zignature Select Cuts
The Select Cuts product range is Zignature’s collection of grain-inclusive formulas. These recipes exclude legumes, making them ideal for dogs with heart health concerns.
Sensitive dogs without grain allergies can also enjoy these recipes. Select Cuts do not contain any potatoes, eggs, chicken, corn, wheat, or soy. Wholesome grains included in these recipes include oats and millet.
Like other Zignature formulas, real meat is still the first ingredient. Dog owners can select from formulas based on lamb, turkey, and trout.
But, these recipes have a lower protein content than other Zignature lines. So they may not be suitable for dogs with extremely active lifestyles.
Zignature Zssential Multi Protein
The Zssential Multi Protein formula from Zignature offers a high protein diet with multiple sources of animal meat. Most Zignature recipes use a single source of protein.
Single protein sources are ideal for avoiding food allergies. But multiple protein sources can help ensure that your dog gets a broad range of essential amino acids. The variety of meat used in this product also provides different rich sources of vitamins and minerals.
My dog doesn’t have any food allergies, so I like to feed her a multi-protein diet to provide a greater variety of nutrients. The meats used in this recipe include turkey, salmon, lamb, and duck.
This brand line is available as wet and dry dog food. Both varieties have limited additional ingredients after the animal protein sources.
These grain-free recipes use peas for carbohydrates and salmon oil as a source of healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
Zignature Limited Ingredient Formulas
Zignature Limited Ingredient Diets are the brand’s most popular product line. These grain-free formulas use simple recipes to eliminate common allergens from the diets of sensitive dogs.
Dog owners can choose from 16 formulas based on different novel proteins to find the best recipe for their dog. Sensitive dogs often develop allergic reactions to common animal proteins and can’t eat other brands that use beef or chicken.
Other common allergens eliminated from the LID line-up include corn, soy, dairy, and wheat. These recipes are also ideal for picky eaters who enjoy unique flavors. And wet food varieties can offer a more appealing texture to fussy pups.
Instead of grains, these formulas use peas and chickpeas as sources of low-glycemic carbohydrates. These ingredients are also high in fiber, which can help regulate digestion.
But the high legume content of these recipes may not be suitable for dogs with heart disease risks.
Zignature Small Bites
Zignature Small Bites is a product line of dry dog food designed specifically for the unique needs of small breads.
Toy dogs are notoriously sensitive and picky. Zignature’s recipes are ideal for small breeds, but most tiny mouths can’t chew the large kibble of standard formulas.
Toy breed owners can buy the same iconic Zignature kangaroo recipe and other flavors with a smaller kibble size designed for tiny dogs.
Most small breed dog foods are grain-inclusive. Small dogs have faster metabolisms and need a diet that provides extra energy in a small serving size. Zignature uses peas and chickpeas to meet the carbohydrate needs of smaller pups.
Healthy fats from sunflower oil and flaxseed also offer extra energy for small dogs. Fat sources boost the caloric content of this dog food and can help promote healthy skin and coat.
Ingredients Quality
Zignature offers premium quality ingredients in simple recipes that use unique protein sources. Many Zignature dog food reviews refer to ingredient quality as one of the company’s biggest strengths.
Zignature formulas have an above-average protein content that promotes healthy muscle development. All canine diets should be based on high-quality animal protein to ensure that dogs consume enough amino acids.
Real meat is always the first ingredient. Some lower-quality brands use plant protein as a primary ingredient. But dogs can absorb more protein from animal sources in an omnivorous diet.
What sets Zignature apart from most brands is its use of unique animal meat. Most pet food brands depend on beef and chicken for animal protein. But Zignature has formulas that use kangaroo, venison, and guinea fowl.
These novel proteins are critical for dogs with dietary restrictions. Sensitive dogs can easily develop allergic reactions to common ingredients like chicken.
Most Zignature products have a moderate fat content. Although fat is an excellent source of energy for dogs, excess fat can contribute to weight gain.
Most high protein diets also have a high-fat content. But the lean proteins used by Zignature help moderate crude fat content.
Yet, Zignature formulas still contain plenty of sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega fatty acids help support immune and skin health in dogs who suffer from allergies.
This brand has a lower carbohydrate content with many grain-free formulas. Zignature also excludes alternative carbohydrates with high glycemic indexes, like potatoes. Most of the carbohydrates in these recipes come from peas and chickpeas.
All Zignature formulas meet the nutrient profiles recommended by AAFCO. Simple limited ingredient diets feature added fortification to ensure they provide adequate nutrition.
Zignature Dog Food Recalls
Zignature has never had to recall any of their dog food products. They are a young company, so having a history of recalls would be concerning.
Although the FDA included Zignature on their list of brands with a potential link to heart disease, they did not initiate a recall. Research about the influence of grain-free diets on canine heart health is ongoing. If your dog has heart concerns, consider the Select Cuts product line.
Legal Issues and Controversies
I did not discover any recalls of Zignature products during my research. However, Zignature has been involved in a recent legal controversy.
In 2019, the FDA investigated a potential link between certain dog foods and heart disease. Zignature was one of 16 pet food brands identified by the organization with an increased risk of contributing to heart problems in dogs.
Most of the pet foods included on the FDA’s list are grain-free. Some studies blame excess quantities of potatoes and peas used as alternative carbohydrates in these formulas as the culprit. But Zignature does not use potatoes in their recipes.
After the FDA investigation, Zignature began working with BSM partners to develop formulas with balanced nutrition and safe ingredients.
BSM scientists recently published a peer-reviewed paper that did not find a link between grain-free diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy. But, the paper received intense criticism for their business links with Zignature, a brand that the FDA linked to heart disease.
Is Zignature a Good Dog Food?
Zignature offers an impressive lineup of premium dog food formulas with unique proteins. Few other companies can offer the same variety of animal meats as this brand.
I highly recommend Zignature dog food for pets with food allergies. When I worked in a vet clinic, several of our clients struggled to find recipes suitable for their sensitive pets. The variety of unique proteins used by Zignature means there’s a formula for every dog.
If you are struggling to find a diet that doesn’t upset your four-legged friend’s sensitive tummy, consider Zignature. Your pup may discover new favorite meat.
If you’re looking for dog food similar to Zignature, check our Zignature alternatives.
