Review Summary

Inspired by their own dog, Ziggy, Zignature, was founded to feed dogs with food sensitivities to reduce itchiness and digestive issues and provide them with a more comfortable and safe life. The brand continues to focus on animal welfare with the help of animal nutritionists and food scientists. Together, they create limited ingredient formulas that contain novelty meat protein as the main ingredient and use low glycemic carbohydrates, removing common food allergens while giving your dogs the nutrients they need.

Produced by a family-owned business in the United States, Zignature is widely accessible and trusted by many customers that are looking for high-quality, premium dog food for their pets. However, this food comes at a high price and may fall beyond your budget. Continue reading to discover Zignature for yourself, and you can decide if this food is worth its price—we think it is.

At a Glance: The Best Zignature Dog Food Recipes

Zignature Dog Food Reviewed

Who Makes Zignature and Where Is It Produced?

Zignature is made by Global Pets, Inc., which is based in California and is also the manufacturer of Fussie Cat, Inception Pet Foods, and Essence Pet Foods. They make dry cat and dog food as well as canned food. They are a family-owned business and play a huge part in the manufacturing, sourcing, and processing surrounding their brands with the help of nutritionists and food scientists. They care about animal welfare and claim to place quality over profit.

Zignature is a relatively new brand, having only been founded in 2010. Their products are made in the United States in Brainerd and Perham, Minnesota, as well as Mitchell, South Dakota. They source some of their high-quality ingredients from France, New Zealand, and Australia, but their pork, turkey, salmon, trout, whitefish, and catfish are sourced locally. You can find their products locally at most retailer specialty stores and online on Chewy and Amazon.

Which Type of Dog Is Zignature Best Suited For?

Zignature has a variety of recipes that are nutritionally complete and balanced. They all contain meat, poultry, or fish as the main ingredient in each of their tasty recipes. Each recipe has a different animal protein which can change up their diet and keep even picky eaters eager for their next meal. Some of the animal proteins used are turkey, trout and salmon, pork, duck, whitefish, lamb, catfish, venison, and kangaroo.

Due to their limited ingredients, this brand is excellent for dogs that suffer from sensitive stomachs and food allergies. Dog food with limited ingredients helps sensitive dogs by cutting out potential food allergens and aids in gentler digestion. Most of their recipes are free from beef, chicken, and potato. These high-quality recipes fuel your dog with all the nutritional goodness they need and leave out all the fillers. Zignature provides both grain-free and grain-inclusive options within their lines of dog food and is suitable for most types of dogs.

Which Type of Dog Might Do Better with a Different Brand?

Zignature is a premium dog food, which naturally comes at a high price. Unfortunately, Zignature may not be the best option for pet owners on a budget. The good news is that there are many great dog foods that are suitable for dogs with allergies on the market that can be purchased at a more affordable price. Some great options are:

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

The Zignature recipes all boast a decent amount of named animal protein that make up the first two ingredients, the first natural and the second a high-quality meat meal. Most of the meats used are lean and low in fat but high in nutrients, providing your dog with good protein and essential amino acids. They also contain vitamins, minerals, and omega-fatty acids.

The next two ingredients are generally types of legumes, typically chickpeas and peas. Legumes are high in protein and contribute to the overall protein content in each recipe. They are high in fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals but should be avoided in large quantities. Unfortunately, large quantities of legumes in dog food have a potential link to heart disease in dogs and are under investigation by the FDA.

Another ingredient that makes it on the primary ingredient list is sunflower oil. Although not as good of an option as canola or flaxseed oil, it is high in omega-6 fatty acids and vitamins and minerals that keep your dog’s skin and coat hydrated and looking its best.

Limited Ingredients

A recipe with only a few ingredients doesn’t necessarily classify it as a limited-ingredient dog food. It needs to be free of certain ingredients that cause problems to allergic dogs and high-quality novel proteins and carbohydrates. Dogs can’t be allergic to ingredients they’ve never eaten before, and, therefore, Zignature uses less common meats in most of their recipes that are easy to digest.

Most dog foods use chicken and potatoes in their recipes, so Zignature stays away from both ingredients and offers a variety of different ingredients instead, like kangaroo and venison, while still providing your pup with all the nutrients and flavor they need.

They also stay away from wheat, corn, eggs, soy, and gluten which also tend to cause upset stomachs in allergy-prone dogs.

Few Fruits and Vegetables

A wider range of fruits and vegetables could be a nice addition to the Zignature recipes as they’re quite limited, but that goes in line with Zignature’s brand objective—to keep the ingredients limited. However, a few whole fruits and vegetables will provide more nutrients than a few supplements. But it does contain chelated minerals that are easier to absorb.

Variety

Zignature has a good variety of dog food products and flavors. They have their limited ingredient line, as well as their Select Cuts and Small Bites lines. Their limited ingredients line has similar nutrient profiles, which allows you to swap between flavors without a long transition period, which will keep your dog interested and excited for mealtime.

Price

Of course, like many high-quality dog foods, Zignature isn’t cheap. Your dog will receive nutritionally complete and balanced premium food, but you should be aware of the cost before getting too excited. However, many dog owners are willing to pay the price for a healthy dog, free from uncomfortable triggers due to the allergens in their food. Also, Zignature has so much faith in their product that they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, allowing you to return the food for a refund if your dog doesn’t eat it.

A Quick Look at Zignature Dog Food

Recall History

All of Zignature’s loyal customers—and potential new ones—can feel safe knowing that their products have never been recalled. Although the brand is still relatively new, a clear recall history is an indication of good research, well-balanced nutrients, and tight food safety measures within the business.

Reviews of the 3 Best Zignature Dog Food Recipes

We’ve mentioned Zignature’s wide variety throughout this review, but now is the time to discuss a few of their popular options to help you decide which option would best suit your furry friend.

1. Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Dog Food

Free of corn, wheat, soy, chicken, and dairy, the Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a healthy choice for dogs that suffer from common food allergies. This recipe’s main ingredient is turkey, which is farm-raised in America. It’s low in fat but provides your dog with Riboflavin and Phosphorus, which help with digestion and organ function. This recipe has a high crude protein content of 32% and a crude fat content of 15%.

Turkey meal, chickpeas, peas, and sunflower oil are listed next. These ingredients provide your dog with the protein they need as well as the omega fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Other than these limited ingredients, you won’t find any other fruits and vegetables in this recipe.

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2. Zignature Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Trout & Salmon

For a fishier flavor, consider the Zignature Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Trout & Salmon Meal Dry Dog Food, with boasts trout as its main ingredient and salmon meal as its second. Both fish proteins are from the USA and are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Most dogs love the strong odor this food emits, but it may not suit pickier eaters. This recipe contains a crude protein content of 31% and a crude fat content of 14%.

It also contains Alfalfa meal which is excellent for reducing gas in dogs, aiding in digestion and is a natural anti-inflammatory. Once again, this limited ingredient recipe’s sole vegetable is peas. However, legumes do provide your dog with antioxidants, fiber, and carbohydrates to fuel their bodies.

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3. Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Grain-Free Dog Food

If one source of protein isn’t enough for your pooch, consider Zignature’s multi-protein recipe, which includes turkey, turkey meal, salmon, lamb meal, duck meal, and dehydrated alfalfa meal. This variety is impressive, to say the least, and tops the range of many competing dog food brands.

With so many high-quality protein sources, it’s no surprise that the recipe’s crude protein content is high at 32%. It also has a fairly high crude fat and fiber content, making it a great option for active dogs but not overweight dogs needing to lose a few pounds. This dog food is nutritionally balanced and packed with omega fatty acids, vitamins, and nutrients such as riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, and phosphorus. And, of course, this premium option comes at a high price.

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What Other Users Are Saying

You can’t go wrong with hearing the informative thoughts and opinions of others on the product you’re considering buying. We’ve listed some of the most helpful sites with reviews discussing Zignature and how the product impacted their dogs.

Wrapping Up

If you’ve got an allergic dog that seems to react to just about all dog foods, consider transitioning them onto Zignature’s limited ingredient line. Many customers have been pleased to observe their once sick dogs become healthy with improved digestion and no more itchiness since changing to this dog food brand. Zignature has many flavors to switch between, and the ingredients are of high quality. Made in the United States, this wholesome brand is family-owned and has strict food safety measures, which has resulted in no product recalls.

However, with the limited fruit and vegetables, high quantity of legumes, and price point, it’s not ideal for every type of dog and budget. But, in contrast to all the goodness packed inside, it’s hard to go wrong with Zignature.

• See Also: 9 Best Hypoallergenic Dog Foods – Reviews & Top Picks