Which Zignature Recipes Get Our Best Ratings?

Zignature canned dog food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The Zignature product line includes the 11 limited ingredient canned dog foods listed below.

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

Recipe and Label Analysis

Zignature Lamb 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 lamb. Lamb is considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered” lamb and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.¹

Lamb is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is lamb broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common addition component in many canned products.

The third ingredient is lamb liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient includes 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 lists dicalcium phosphate, likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

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

The seventh ingredient is alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), it can be less common to find it in a dog food recipe.

The eighth ingredient is agar agar, a natural vegetable gelatin derived from the cell walls of certain species of red algae. Agar is rich in fiber and is used in wet pet foods as a gelling agent.

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, this recipe includes alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.

Next, 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.

In addition, 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.

And lastly, 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.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Zignature canned dog food looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 32%, a fat level of 30% and estimated carbohydrates of about 31%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 41% and a mean fat level of 30%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 21% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 74%.

Which means this Zignature product line contains…

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

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, chickpeas and alfalfa meal, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing a significant amount of meat.

Our Rating of Zignature Dog Food

Zignature is a grain-free, limited ingredient canned dog food using a significant amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Zignature Dog Food Recall History

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

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 (Dry)