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Please be aware that Hill’s is voluntarily recalling some canned dog food due to potentially elevated levels of Vitamin D. More information here.
Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein is a high-priced dog food with exceptional quality. This product has no controversial ingredients and zero artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. It has well-balanced amounts of protein, fat and carbs with excellent meat and fat quality. Zignature has a below-average number of recalls compared to other dog food brands and was very transparent when answering our questions. Watchdog Labs highly recommends this product.
Read the Full Review BelowLearn what makes a great dog food and get expert advice on how to choose the best food for your dog.
Learn MoreThis dog food review was created by experts who love dogs. Find out more about our team and mission.
About Watchdog LabsThis food has well-balanced amounts of protein, fat, and carbs. Diets that are high in protein and fat, with moderate to low carbs, are ideal for most dogs.
To evaluate dog foods, we first calculate out the moisture. This is called the “dry matter basis” and shows you only the solid ingredients in the food. These estimated “dry matter” numbers are different from the food label, but a better way to understand the real nutritional value of the food. We also calculate the carbs. Find out more
Min. Protein 50.00%
Min. Fat 22.73%
Min. Carbs 18.18%
Max. Fiber 4.55%
Max. Ash 9.09%
Max. Moisture 0.00%
Min. Protein: 11.0%
Min Fat: 5.0%
Min Carbs: N/A
Max Fiber: 1.0%
Max Ash: N/A
Max. Moisture: 78.0%
392 Calories per Can
This product has an above average amount of calories for wet food. It’s important to understand how many calories you are feeding to prevent under or overfeeding. Based on your dog's current weight and activity level you may want to feed more or less than the recommended amount.
Grain-Free Dog Foods
This is a grain-free dog food. The FDA is investigating a potential connection between grain-free diets and canine heart disease. There is not enough evidence yet to affect our ratings but we've created an article for you explaining the topic.
Learn MoreTurkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Broth, Salmon, Lamb, Chickpeas, Duck, Peas, Lamb Meal, Agar-Agar, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Carrots, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Tricalcium Phosphate, Cranberries, Blueberries, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid).
The average dog food we reviewed has 39 total ingredients, with 1 controversial ingredient. This product has 0 total controversial ingredients, nice.
Top 5 Ingredients
Dog food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. So when looking at dog food label, take a close look at the first 5 ingredients. They make up about 80% of the total weight.
Controversial Ingredients
No controversial ingredients found in Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Grain-Free Canned Dog Food.
Country of Origin
Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula is made in the USA, that’s great because of the rules and regulations that exist in the United States.
Meat & Fat Quality
What do Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Broth, Salmon, Lamb, Duck and Lamb Meal have in common? They all clearly show what animal they are made of. That’s great and a sign of transparency. There are no added oils in this dog food, so the fats come from animal and plant ingredients.
Artificial Preservatives
This product contains no controversial preservatives. It’s good to know that not all artificial preservatives are bad. That’s because they serve an important purpose, which is to prevent food from spoiling. However, we consider 11 artificial preservatives controversial because of their potential link to cancer and other serious health conditions.
Artificial Colors
Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Grain-Free Canned Dog Food has no artificial colors.
Artificial Flavors
Just like for artificial preservatives and colors, this product does great when it comes to artificial flavors. That means it doesn’t include them at all. Fantastic!
Zignature has a below-average number of dog food recalls compared to other brands.
We love dog food brands that are committed to transparent business practices. If you make quality dog food you should be willing to openly talk about how it’s sourced and produced. That’s why we reached out to pet food companies, asking questions about all their brands and products. Each company had three weeks to reply to our messages.
How Easy Was it to Reach the Company?
Zignature is owned by Pet Global and did not respond to the first email, but they did respond to the second email that was sent one week later. After one additional follow up email they completely answered all questions.
Does Zignature have a veterinary nutritionist on staff? If so, who are they?
We contract a full-time off-site PhD, Animal Nutritionists as well as a professional team of several Food Scientists, Organic Chemists, DVM's with BSM Partners. We also
use regulatory experts and nutritionists. Gary Crosslin, PhD, Nathan Thomas, David Pere. Dr. David Dzanis, DVM, PhD, Contracted Regulatory Expert.
Knowing who the specific professionals are working on the product is very insightful and inspires confidence in the product and brand.
Who formulates your recipes, and what are their credentials?
All of our diets are formulated with the full support of BSM Partners. Credentials include Master Degree in food service, Organic Chemistry, PhD, Animal Nutritionist, & DVM's.
Do you test your products using AAFCO feeding trials? Why, or why not?
Our diets are tested by both, nutrient profiles by formulation and by analysis of the finished product.
(Follow up email answer)
Yes, we do the AAFCO feeding trials.
The first response felt too generic and could have meant anything. We asked for clarification and the follow-up email was very specific.
What country are your products manufactured?
USA
Can your manufacturing facilities be visited?
You would need to contact the manufacturing facility directly in regards to visiting the facility.
What quality measures do you use to assure consistency and quality?
Pets Global requires all our manufacturing partners to test all ingredients that go into the making of our products. All products are tested prior, during, and after production
Not a very detailed answer, but it does provide some insight.
Does Zignature (Pets Global) own its manufacturing facility? If it is another company, what company is it?
Our dry recipes are manufactured with our partners in Perham & Brainerd Minnesota. Our canned formulas are manufactured with our partners in Mitchell, South Dakota.
Do any parts of your product come from China?
None of our ingredients come from China.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1242073/
https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/proposition-65-list
https://petfood.aafco.org/Nutritional-Labeling
https://petfood.aafco.org/Labeling-Labeling-Requirements
https://petfood.aafco.org/Calorie-Content
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/ucm047120.htm
http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/miscellaneous/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf
http://www.acvn.org/nutrition-resources/
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/Products/AnimalFoodFeeds/PetFood/ucm2006475.htm
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2011-N-0922-0489
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/ires/
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/safety-loophole-for-chemicals-in-food-report.pdf
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/pubhealth/roc/index-1.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8493816
Linda P Case, MS; Daniel P Carey, DVM; and Diane A Hirakawa, PhD, Canine and Feline Nutrition A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, Mosby-Year Book, Inc.