Who Makes Kirkland Dog Food at Costco — And Is It a Good Deal?

When it comes to dog food, sure, you want to make sure your pet is getting the best quality. But value is also important: Dogs can eat a LOT, and you need to be able to afford the dog food you decide to commit to. I took a deep dive into Costco’s Kirkland brand dog food and discovered it's a pretty good buy, and it even makes the cut onto most veterinarians’ lists of recommended foods.

But who makes Kirkland dog food? Spoiler alert: a name-brand company is behind the Kirkland dog food manufacturer, and they sell their name-brand stuff on Chewy for 38% more!

Now, this doesn't mean Kirkland dog food is the cheapest on the market. But it's certainly not the most expensive when you look at the price per pound of each variety (we did all that math for you!).

While you're loading up on dog food during your next trip to Costco, also keep an eye out for other fan-favorite Kirkland brand products. You may also be surprised to learn who makes Kirkland vodka (it’s not Grey Goose, but it’s still top shelf) and all the name brand Costco clothes they sell.

For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, download the KCL app or text HACKS to 57299.

Who makes Kirkland dog food?

Kirkland Signature dog food is made by Diamond Pet Foods, a name-brand pet food manufacturer. Diamond Pet Foods has five manufacturing facilities in the U.S., including locations in Arkansas, California, South Carolina, and Missouri.

You can find the Diamond pet food brand for sale on Chewy.com, where a 40-pound bag of Diamond Premium Adult dog food costs $46.99, or $1.17 per pound. At Costco, the equivalent formula and size of Kirkland dog food is $33.99 ($0.85 per pound) if you shop in store — making the Costco version 38% cheaper.

KCL TIP: Kirkland Signature is a Costco brand, so it's important to note that you can only buy Kirkland dog food from Costco.

Is Kirkland dog food a good deal?

There are several different formulas of Kirkland dog food to choose from once you get inside a Costco warehouse. The cheapest option we’ve found is the Kirkland Healthy Weight formula, which costs $29.99 for a 40-pound bag, or $0.75 per pound.

If your eyes tend to glaze over with my talk of price per pound, let me put this into perspective. If you shop on Chewy.com, you can expect to pay around $1.50 - $3.44 per pound of food for name brands like Purina One, Blue Buffalo, or Hill's Science Diet. That makes Kirkland dog food a whopping 50% - 78% cheaper per pound than top competitors.

In general, you’ll pay less per pound with the adult or mature formulas, since these tend to come in the larger 40-pound bags. The small breed and puppy formulas are mostly sold in 20- and 35-pound quantities, so you’ll pay more per pound for those.

KCL TIP: Always buy Kirkland dog food in-store to get the lowest price. While Costco is known for having higher online prices than in the store, their dog food in particular has quite a steep markup. For example, a 40-pound bag of Healthy Weight Chicken & Vegetable dog food costs $29.99 in store vs. $49.99 on Costco.com — that's a 67% markup.

Is Kirkland dog food good?

Once we established who makes Costco dog food, we looked at the ingredient list to get a feel for the quality. We found that most of the Kirkland formulas do include grains, but not any grains that are fillers, like wheat, soy, or corn. Instead, the grain used is typically rice.

As for the reviews, many sites give Kirkland food 4.5 to 5 stars for quality. For example, Dog Food Advisor gives Kirkland dog food a 5-star rating out of 5, while Wag! rates it at 4 paws out of 5. The Kirkland line also appears on many veterinarians’ lists of recommended dog foods, like we saw on Veterenarians.org.

Michael Thompson, founder and leading veterinarian at Pets Food Safety, says he recommends Kirkland brand dog food for pet owners looking for a quality product.

"Costco's dog food range includes formulations that cater to different life stages and dietary needs," he says. "In particular, I would point out that the grain-free options and omega-3 fatty acids support healthy skin and coat, and promote overall well-being in dogs."

Additional Dog Care Deals at Costco

Now that you know who makes Costco dog food, I should tell you that you can also find great deals on treats, toys, beds, and even pet prescriptions at Costco. Consider these deals as additional ways to squeeze more value out of your Costco membership.

Cadet Toro Bully Hide Rolls

Costco has one of the best prices on bully sticks, hands down. You can buy a 12-pack of Cadet Toro bully hide rolls for $56.99 at most stores, which comes out to about $4.75 each. This price even beats Chewy, who sells sets of four Cadet bully hide rolls for a regular price of $25.99 (about $6.49 each).

Buying the Cadet hide rolls at Costco saves you $1.74 per stick (27%) — or $20.88 on each 12-pack. That means you can make up your $60 membership fee after buying just three bags! Costco shoppers also like Cadet’s clear packaging, so you can see the quality of each stick before you buy it.

Pet Prescriptions

Costco has some of the lowest prices on pet medications like Apoquel and Simparica Trio. Some of the price differences can save you up to 40% off what you’d pay at a retail pharmacy. See the full list of pet medications on Costco.com.

Dog Toys

As any dog owner can tell you, toys can get destroyed pretty quickly. A two-pack of Jumbo Squeaker Dog Toys costs $34.99 at Costco. That makes each squeaker toy $17.49. The exact same toy is regularly priced at $22.99 at Chewy. That’s a savings of $5.50 per toy (24%), or $11 when you buy the two-pack.

Dog Beds

Kirkland brand dog beds start at less than $35 and have excellent ratings online, with customers raving about their softness and durability.

You’ll find major savings on brand name dog beds like a La-Z-Boy dog sofa at Costco for $229.99. The exact same La-Z-Body dog sofa at Petco is $339.99 — which means you'll save $110 (32%) by buying from Costco. This one single purchase could help you make up for Costco membership fees alone!