# Kirkland (Costco) Puppy Food?



## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Cooper is coming home in one week and one day from today, and I'm super excited! I got everything for him. A leash, crate, collar, lots of toys, lots of treats, bowls... I'm just missing one thing.

Food!

I asked my breeder what she was feeding the pups, and she said she was feeding them Purina Puppy Chow... I've read a lot of things about that brand and I really think I may switch him off (unless someone convinces me that it's good) and I was looking into dog foods and I found the Kirkland brand.

We have a Costco's about 5 minutes away, and they're very affordable (I think it's like 50$ for a 50lb bag? I don't remember off the top of my head) and I just wanted to know if Kirkland was a good dog food brand?

I know it depends more on the dog and less of what the "best" dog food is. My friend has recommended Blue, Wellness, and I think the other one was named Pro Plan? 

Any suggestions on food would be helpful, tbh! And how big of a bag should I get? Should I buy a huge 50lb bag and risk Coop not enjoying it/not adjusting well to the food and letting it go to waste? Or should I buy smaller, 15lb bags for now until I find a food both he and I enjoy?

Thanks for the help!

I decided to attach a photo of him below that the breeder sent to me today. He'll be 7 weeks old tomorrow!


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## Oakley's Momma (Apr 28, 2016)

We use Pro Plan focus large breed puppy. It was highly recommended by my vet. She stated that purina brand has a lot of testing. 
My boy is 17 weeks. He's super healthy, lean and the food settles with him great. His stools are perfect. I highly recommend it. 


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## Oakley's Momma (Apr 28, 2016)

Cooper is super cute by the way 
Best of luck with him. 


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Are you sure the breeder is feeding Puppy Chow and not another Purina product? Many people love the Purina Pro Plan sport. I'm not positive if they make a puppy version. I'm not a fan of the Kirkland dog foods, they're produced by another company and have had some recalls. I suggest a large breed puppy food, and whichever food you do decide to try, make sure you transition over slowly. It should take about 2 weeks.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

ArchersMom said:


> Are you sure the breeder is feeding Puppy Chow and not another Purina product? Many people love the Purina Pro Plan sport. I'm not positive if they make a puppy version. I'm not a fan of the Kirkland dog foods, they're produced by another company and have had some recalls. I suggest a large breed puppy food, and whichever food you do decide to try, make sure you transition over slowly. It should take about 2 weeks.


I was talking to her on the phone today cause I called to ask a couple of questions about what food she's feeding him, what the feeding schedule is, etc etc, and she said she's feeding him Purina Puppy Chow. I don't think she mentioned anything about Purina Pro Plan.


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## Figtoria (Apr 19, 2016)

Very cute!!! He looks adorable!!


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Yeah, I would get off the Puppy Chow- Pro Plan is a much better product and their puppy version is called Focus I think. 
I would get a smaller bag to start, just to be sure he likes it (Super Cute, btw!) and then go to a larger bag.


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## Figtoria (Apr 19, 2016)

I've read some breeders want you not to use puppy food, only adult.

But if you're using Pro Plan, which has the slow-grow formula, can you use the large breed puppy, or should you stick to just large breed?


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I don't know much about Kirkland except that it is produced by diamond and have had some recalls. Try purina pro plan large breed puppy food. Start with a small bag. Also pick up a small thing of puppy chow to mix with it for about a week. Gradually increase the proplan so in a week or so it is all proplan. Purina proplan makes their food in their own factories.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Figtoria said:


> I've read some breeders want you not to use puppy food, only adult.
> 
> But if you're using Pro Plan, which has the slow-grow formula, can you use the large breed puppy, or should you stick to just large breed?


Use the large breed puppy. For at least six months to a year.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

ArchersMom said:


> Are you sure the breeder is feeding Puppy Chow and not another Purina product? Many people love the Purina Pro Plan sport. I'm not positive if they make a puppy version. I'm not a fan of the Kirkland dog foods, they're produced by another company and have had some recalls. I suggest a large breed puppy food, and whichever food you do decide to try, make sure you transition over slowly. It should take about 2 weeks.


They do. We bought Eukenbua(what the breeder is feeding her) and then a bag of Purina Pro Puppy Large Breed Focus(what a mouthful!) so we can gradually get her used to the PP. 

Lots and lots and lots of research- mostly on here- says the purines pro is awesome and it's not insanely priced either!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

I'll def try the Pro Plan, then! Especially since I've heard a lot of good things about it.

Are there any links on this site that has tips for introducing a puppy to a new type of food? I know you have to mix it in with the food they're currently eating, but how long should I do it for? The breeder is going to give me a bag of puppy chow, but I'm not sure it'll be enough to last for more than a couple of days, so I assume I have to go out and buy a small 5-10lb bag of the Puppy Chow and then another bag of the Pro Plan and mix the food together.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Krissi2197 said:


> I'll def try the Pro Plan, then! Especially since I've heard a lot of good things about it.
> 
> Are there any links on this site that has tips for introducing a puppy to a new type of food? I know you have to mix it in with the food they're currently eating, but how long should I do it for? The breeder is going to give me a bag of puppy chow, but I'm not sure it'll be enough to last for more than a couple of days, so I assume I have to go out and buy a small 5-10lb bag of the Puppy Chow and then another bag of the Pro Plan and mix the food together.


Our breeder gave us a big gallon size ziploc bag of the food they were feeding. We mixed it until the bag the breeder gave us was gone. Probably took 1.5 to 2 weeks. I wouldn't buy any puppy chow until you see how much the breeder gives you. They don't eat much at 8 wks


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## novamae (May 20, 2016)

I don't recommend the Kirkland dog food because I had my golden and also my Doberman on it for a few months which gave them super bad dandruff to the point where they were itchy. I then switched them to blue and it helped a lot! Blue isn't the best brand but it is good compared to other brands you would just pick up at the grocery store 

If I had to recommend a brand of dog food I'd say blue or orijen they're really expensive but I believe it can prevent future health issues


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## Max's Dad (Apr 23, 2012)

Max's breeder also fed Purina Puppy Chow. Max had large, soft stools on it. We switched to Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy food right away. He did great on it and ate it until he was about 15 months old. Kirkland dog food is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods--never been a fan.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

I've found a specialty dog store that only carries top quality foods. They keep up with recalls and changes with the manufacturers. They have holistic products as well and have been a great resource for me. 
I also will refer to this website to look into foods I hear about as it's very detailed. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/
I try to stay with a 4 or 5 star food for my dogs. Grain-free. No chicken. Human grade ingredients. Conscientious of the carb, protein, and fat percentages. Research shows that the quality of food fed has a correlation to cancer in dogs. I'm trying to do the best I can where I can.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

I'm a big fan of the Purina Pro Plan product line. Noah was raised on the Large Breed Puppy formula, and as an active teenager (16 months old) is now on the Purina Pro Plan Sport 30/20. 

The only thing about the dog food advisor site is that it is written by a human dentist, with no background in dog nutrition, so be aware of that when using it as a resource. 

And here's some information regarding the grain free "fad" that dog food companies are marketing to: 

https://www.smartcookietreats.com/b...n-free-food-raw-diets-and-other-pet-food-fads

Paleo Dog: Does Grain-Free Dog Food Create a Healthier Pet? - Dr. Axe


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

This article has some good info including the importance in diet for cancer prevention. It states processed grains should be avoided. I'm sure you can get articles that say conflicting info however I haven't read any that say going grain-free increases cancer. 


Why Do Some Dogs Get Cancer More Than Others?

As far as the website for dog foods he states he gets his info directly from the labels the companies provide. Plus how is his profession any different than asking random people on a dog forum? At least his site has facts he obtained from the manufacturers. IMO. Like I said I also seek advice from my specialty dog food store that specializes in quality products.


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## MilesToEmpty (Sep 3, 2015)

I would have liked for our 10month to have been able to use the ProPlan, but she is allergic to Chicken and corn. Instead we spend $60 a month on a red meat based food by Fromm. My neighbors use the Costco, and their cocker has bad dandruff. I suggested changing foods but they said its not the food. Their american bulldog has no issues on it though.

Our cats do really bad on the Costco food. One actually gets chin acme, so we switched them to Victor and Ive been impressed so far. Our other cats are on Blue Wilderness.

Point of the matter is that one thing that works for us, might not work for you, so dont get discouraged. Take advantage of the "Satisfaction Guarantee" on the food, you'll get a full refund and can donate it to the shelter etc.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Thank you everyone for all the helpful articles and advice! I will definitely do some in-depth research this week and get the food a day or so before he comes home. At least hopefully doing research on dog food for the next few days will help time fly by just a little quicker!

I've taken the Kirkland brand off my list. I'll look more into Pro Plan, but I'll look at other options as well to give myself some variety just in case Cooper doesn't agree with the Pro Plan food.


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## GoldenFocus (Feb 28, 2016)

I feed the Kirkland Organic kibble to my dogs now for a year. They are really healthy with no skin issues. I do supplement the feedings with all kinds of veggies and meat so that will skew my results.


For me I like organic food. Feel better about the lack of residual pesticides and the like.


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## CashStringer (Aug 17, 2015)

We have our puppy on Purina Pro Plan - we've always been really happy with it! However, we have our 1 year old on the Kirkland grain free salmon. He's done really well on it and it seems to be a good food (especially given the price). We initially had him on the Merrick duck and sweet potato but the price of it was almost three times the Kirkland. I think the Kirkland lacks a bit of the vitamins and Omegas that Merrick had but I chose to supplement with Grizzly Salmon Oil, Nupro, veggies, and the occasional egg. It seems to be working for our two boys ....


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## GoldenFocus (Feb 28, 2016)

CashStringer said:


> We have our puppy on Purina Pro Plan - we've always been really happy with it! However, we have our 1 year old on the Kirkland grain free salmon. He's done really well on it and it seems to be a good food (especially given the price). We initially had him on the Merrick duck and sweet potato but the price of it was almost three times the Kirkland. I think the Kirkland lacks a bit of the vitamins and Omegas that Merrick had but I chose to supplement with Grizzly Salmon Oil, Nupro, veggies, and the occasional egg. It seems to be working for our two boys ....


I just ordered some of that Nupro joint and immunity support and am hopeful it is beneficial. 0


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

MilesToEmpty said:


> I would have liked for our 10month to have been able to use the ProPlan, but she is allergic to Chicken and corn. Instead we spend $60 a month on a red meat based food by Fromm. My neighbors use the Costco, and their cocker has bad dandruff. I suggested changing foods but they said its not the food. Their american bulldog has no issues on it though.
> 
> .


Pro Plan has some lamb and salmon formulas that might work for you. (Though they may well have corn meal in them).


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## CashStringer (Aug 17, 2015)

GoldenFocus said:


> I just ordered some of that Nupro joint and immunity support and am hopeful it is beneficial. 0


That's exactly what we use! I figured it never hurts to give them a little help if it might avoid some issues in the long run! I'm pretty sure the dogs eat better than I do!! = )


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## UWmad (Apr 25, 2016)

All the reviews I have read state that the Kirkland dog food is actually fairly decent...especially for the price. I have a 13 year old Golden that has been on it for over 8 years. Never had any issues with the food. We have a new pup that we are picking up next weekend and I am planning on using the Kirkland puppy. Of course, if the puppy has issues with it I will look into other options but going to at least try it out. The whole recall issue was a while back...been good since. Look at all the food recalls out there on human food...it happens (unfortunately). In my opinion, it's not the best but if you have a tight budget...it's a great alternative!


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Sweet Girl said:


> Pro Plan has some lamb and salmon formulas that might work for you. (Though they may well have corn meal in them).


Chloe doesn't do well on chicken. She is on the grain free lamb and egg. It has chicken meal but it isn't the main meat source and she does well on it and it doesn't bother her. Also has no corn in it.


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## Gleepers (Apr 20, 2016)

We just brought our puppy home a couple weeks ago. She came home on Pro Plan sport. I bought a little bag of the PP puppy and she doesn't seem to like it as much (ingredients are similar). I'll buy another bag of the sport when I'm done with the current bag. She is doing well on it so I see no need to switch. 
I thought about And researched Kirkland and it seems that they had glowing reviews but at some point last year many dogs started getting sick. If you start scrolling and not just looking at total stars (several sites). It really seems to have changed abruptly.


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

GoldenFocus said:


> I just ordered some of that Nupro joint and immunity support and am hopeful it is beneficial. 0



My dogs all LOVE Nupro. It makes into a gravy and they gobble it up.


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## MilesToEmpty (Sep 3, 2015)

Is this the nupro stuff?
Nupro All Natural Dog Supplement, 5-lb jar, 80 scoops - Chewy.com


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## CashStringer (Aug 17, 2015)

MilesToEmpty said:


> Is this the nupro stuff?
> Nupro All Natural Dog Supplement, 5-lb jar, 80 scoops - Chewy.com


That would be it! Except we use the silver one (the joint one). It is the same as that one but has added joint support.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Alright so I'm gonna go to Petco tomorrow and see if they have Pro Plan. 

One last question; what flavor is "best"? I've heard to stay away from anything that has to do with chicken, but I know they have lamb and rice flavor too so would that be best for him?


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Krissi2197 said:


> Alright so I'm gonna go to Petco tomorrow and see if they have Pro Plan.
> 
> One last question; what flavor is "best"? I've heard to stay away from anything that has to do with chicken, but I know they have lamb and rice flavor too so would that be best for him?


Petco carries it, and I'd recommend starting him on the Large Breed Puppy - it is chicken based, and Noah did just fine on that.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Krissi2197 said:


> Alright so I'm gonna go to Petco tomorrow and see if they have Pro Plan.
> 
> One last question; what flavor is "best"? I've heard to stay away from anything that has to do with chicken, but I know they have lamb and rice flavor too so would that be best for him?


The large breed puppy is chicken based. The only lamb one they make is the adult grain free. That's the one Chloe is on because she doesn't handle chicken as main ingredient.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

There is nothing wrong with chicken for dogs - unless they have an allergy to it. 

The Large Breed Puppy is chicken-based, as are many of their adult formulas. Many, many dogs do very well on it.


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## Lise123 (Jan 1, 2014)

rabernet said:


> And here's some information regarding the grain free "fad" that dog food companies are marketing to:
> http://draxe.com/grain-free-dog-food/


My golden (almost 2.5) developed an allergy to grains at the 18-month mark. He became itchy and had daily diarrhea. It's a pretty common allergy for goldens, so I wouldn't dismiss it as a "fad." 

I'm just grateful he's not allergic to something difficult to remove from his environment, like the cat.


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## Lise123 (Jan 1, 2014)

UWmad said:


> All the reviews I have read state that the Kirkland dog food is actually fairly decent...especially for the price. I have a 13 year old Golden that has been on it for over 8 years. Never had any issues with the food. We have a new pup that we are picking up next weekend and I am planning on using the Kirkland puppy. Of course, if the puppy has issues with it I will look into other options but going to at least try it out. The whole recall issue was a while back...been good since. Look at all the food recalls out there on human food...it happens (unfortunately). In my opinion, it's not the best but if you have a tight budget...it's a great alternative!


Our breeder okayed it as a decent cost-effective alternative, in addition to the fancier foods she recommended. My puppy loved it and didn't have problems on it. And we also vetted it through the dentist's website.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Lise123 said:


> My golden (almost 2.5) developed an allergy to grains at the 18-month mark. He became itchy and had daily diarrhea. It's a pretty common allergy for goldens, so I wouldn't dismiss it as a "fad."
> 
> I'm just grateful he's not allergic to something difficult to remove from his environment, like the cat.


Chloe can't have chicken. At least when we switched her to pro plan at six months. It gave her yellow mushy stools. Proplan didn't make a lamb in the regular line so we had to go with the grain free. Her itching also stopped so something in the nutro that wasn't in the pro plan grain free was making her itch. Was it the chicken or the soy bean oil or the grains. Have no clue but it stopped with the grain free pro plan.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Just be aware that the Costco products are made by Diamond. Personally, after all their recalls, I would not use a Diamond manufactured food. Proplan or Fromm are my go-tos for pups and adults.


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Just be aware that the Costco products are made by Diamond. Personally, after all their recalls, I would not use a Diamond manufactured food. Proplan or Fromm are my go-tos for pups and adults.


Yeah, after doing a little more research and hearing personal stories from people who have used the food, it seems that the bad reviews outweighed the good. I've decided to go with Pro Plan instead.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Cpc1972 said:


> Chloe can't have chicken. At least when we switched her to pro plan at six months. It gave her yellow mushy stools. Proplan didn't make a lamb in the regular line so we had to go with the grain free. Her itching also stopped so something in the nutro that wasn't in the pro plan grain free was making her itch. Was it the chicken or the soy bean oil or the grains. Have no clue but it stopped with the grain free pro plan.



They just came out with Lamb and Oatmeal in the Sensitive Skin and Stomach forumula if you're interested in getting a small bag to see how she does on it! 

https://www.proplan.com/dogs/products/focus-adult-sensitive-skin-stomach-lamb-oat-meal-formula


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

rabernet said:


> They just came out with Lamb and Oatmeal in the Sensitive Skin and Stomach forumula if you're interested in getting a small bag to see how she does on it!
> 
> https://www.proplan.com/dogs/products/focus-adult-sensitive-skin-stomach-lamb-oat-meal-formula


Thanks. The grain free is expensive and only comes in 24 lb bags. I will check it out


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## DoreenB (Sep 19, 2014)

*No Problems*

Heard Kirklands had some issues a few years back that they have since rectified. Our breeder recommended Kirkland puppy chow. Finbarr wagon that for about 5 months when I switched him too Kirkland's Nature's Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato. He's 14 months and does fine on it.


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## hoffmalr (Feb 19, 2016)

Cpc1972 said:


> Thanks. The grain free is expensive and only comes in 24 lb bags. I will check it out


We feed the Pro Plan Focus Puppy in lamb and rice - it's not LBP but I was satisfied by the calcium and phosphorus ratio and calorie content. Our pup had soft stools on Fromm's LBP (duck and chicken) and Fromm's adult (similar ingredients minus duck), so I wanted to try a different main protein, though the ingredients do include a poultry meal. He has great stools now. We buy it at Petco - it has a pink label.

He is almost 7 months so I'll probably try the SSS lamb and oatmeal version when we switch him to an adult food later this year.


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## msaly (Jan 1, 2016)

I don't know much about Kirkland brand as we don't have a Costco near us so I never researched that brand!

We feed our golden orijen adult dog. Its pricey, we buy the 15lb bag for $24.99 at a local dog bakery (I think chewy.Com has it for a little cheaper) and it lasts about a week. If I buy the larger bag it goes stale quickly (even in a Tupperware container) and she won't eat it. So essentially we pay $100 a month in food. It is worth it as we tried every type of food we could find and it is the ONLY one we could get her to eat.

She was on science diet puppy but she would only eat a like a handful each day so vet told us to switch to adult food (I can't remember for sure but she was around 8 months). Orijen also makes a puppy food and a large breed as well. I would suggest getting a small bag of whatever food you decide to get just in case he won't eat it/has an intolerance to something. 

Petco and Petsmart will allow you to return open food if there is still more than 1/2 left!


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## Ksdenton (Mar 17, 2013)

I notice a difference in serving size with the brands. Looks like Pro Plan would have me feeding 4 cups a day to mine while our food is half that serving size. Might not be as big a price difference in foods as initially thought.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Ksdenton said:


> I notice a difference in serving size with the brands. Looks like Pro Plan would have me feeding 4 cups a day to mine while our food is half that serving size. Might not be as big a price difference in foods as initially thought.


I don't follow label recommendations. Noah gets 2 cups a day of the ProPlan. A little more on particularly active days, and a little less on couch potato days, or days that we're training and he's getting other treats. 

I let his body condition be my guide on how much we feed. He's a lean and muscular guy at 64 lbs (at his last vet visit a couple weeks ago) and 16 months old.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Shala gets 2 cups of Pro Plan plus about a half cup (sometimes more, sometimes less, based on activity), and she is super active. But 4 cups would be way too much.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Chloe also gets two cups a day. Sometimes she will get a half cup at lunch. She only ate four cups for a very short period of time when she was around 4 months I think.


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## DogOwner (Jul 30, 2015)

Just want to clarify.

Costco's Grain Free Dog food is called Nature's Domain. There are 3 flavors, Salmon, Turkey and Beef in 35lb bags ranging from $29 to $33 (approx.) The only Organic Nature's Domain is the Chicken and Peas. The Organic Chicken Flavor is in a 30lb bag for just under $40. (These are prices in Southern California). There is a Nature's Domain Puppy Version Sold online. Nature's Domain is produced by Diamond and is similar to Taste of the Wild (but a bit downgraded). 

The recalls have been with the Kirkland Brand which is the Grain Based Foods.
Kirkland is the regular food with Grains. Kirkland Dog Food Recall


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