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Zignature · Essence LIR Landfowl Formula · Dry food · Growth (puppy)
On the facts printed on its own label, Zignature Essence LIR Landfowl Formula scores 90 out of 100 on our rubric: top of the range we have scored. The panel opens with Turkey, and the first ingredient signal earns 20 of its 20 points. At 41% crude protein it ranks 2 of the 54 Zignature recipes we scored for protein. Crude fat reads 20.5%.
At 437 kcal a cup it sits mid range for energy, so standard portion maths applies. Its adequacy claim rests on formulation: balanced on paper against the AAFCO nutrient profiles rather than fed to dogs in a trial. Our November 2026 check of FDA records found no posted dog food recall events for Zignature.
The panel runs to 18 ingredient lines. 5 of them are animal source lines and 3 are plant lines. The first added fat appears at line 7, so 6 lines sit ahead of it in the recipe by weight. Salt appears at line 11 of 18: ingredients listed after salt are present in small amounts, a standard reading aid for long panels. The vitamin and mineral pack begins around line 10; the 9 lines from there on are mostly supplements, preservatives and functional extras rather than staple foods.
| Maker | Pets Global, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Format | Dry food |
| Life stage | Growth (puppy) |
| Full ingredient list, in label order |
|
| Guaranteed analysis | Crude protein (min) 41% · crude fat (min) 20.5% · crude fiber (max) 3.5% · moisture (max) 10% |
| Dry matter reading | With the water taken out, the same analysis reads 45.6% protein and 22.8% fat. Dry matter is how wet and dry foods can be compared fairly. |
| Calories | 3,973 kcal/kg, 437 kcal/cup, as labeled |
| AAFCO adequacy | is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth, excluding growth of large size dogs (70 lbs. or more as an adult). |
| Price | Not listed. We publish a price only when we have verified it from a dated listing, and we had not for this recipe when the label was read. |
| Signal | Points | What the label shows |
|---|---|---|
| First ingredient | 20 / 20 | Turkey, a named whole animal protein, opens the panel. |
| Animal protein depth, first 10 ingredients | 15 / 15 | 5 of the first ten ingredients are named animal ingredients. |
| Protein level for the life stage | 15 / 15 | Crude protein reads 41% as labeled, read against the growth (puppy) stage the label claims. |
| Fat level fit | 3 / 10 | Crude fat reads 20.5% as labeled. |
| Whole foods versus filler-flagged ingredients | 10 / 10 | None of the rubric's flagged ingredients appears in the first ten. |
| Artificial colors and preservatives | 10 / 10 | No artificial colors, color-retention chemicals or artificial preservatives appear in the panel. |
| AAFCO adequacy basis | 7 / 10 | Formulated to meet AAFCO profiles for all life stages, except growth of large size dogs, so it sits in the stated-stage band rather than the full all-life-stages band. |
| FDA recall history | 10 / 10 | No FDA posted dog food recall events for this brand were found in our November 2026 check. |
| Price tier | Not scored | Not scored in this round. We publish a price only when we have verified it from a dated listing. |
| Total | 90 / 100 | Scaled from 90 of 100 available points. Stars are the score divided by 20, rounded to the nearest half. The method is published in full on the dog food hub. |
Definitions below are written from AAFCO's ingredient definitions in our own words. They describe what an ingredient is, never what a brand claims about it. Names that appear in our ingredient dictionary link to it; the dictionary counts how many scored recipes carry each ingredient.
No FDA posted dog food recall events for this brand were found in our November 2026 check of FDA recall records. That is a statement about what we could verify, not proof of a perfect history.
See the full dog food recall tracker for recent events across all brands.
| Recipe | Score / 100 | Protein | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zssential Formula | 98 | 32% | Dry food |
| Zssential Small Bites Formula | 98 | 32% | Dry food |
| Puppy Formula | 97 | 31% | Dry food |
| Select Cuts Puppy with Super Grains | 94 | 26.5% | Dry food |
| Trout and Salmon Formula | 93 | 31% | Dry food |
| Trout and Salmon Small Bites Formula | 93 | 31% | Dry food |
| Turkey Formula | 93 | 32% | Dry food |
| Turkey Small Bites Formula | 93 | 32% | Dry food |
| Pork Formula | 92 | 30% | Dry food |
| Freeze Dried Zssential Entree | 91 | 38% | Freeze-dried food |
| Zssential Formula Wet Food | 91 | 11% | Wet food |
| Essence LIR Ranch Recipe | 90 | 32.5% | Dry food |
Those are the twelve highest scoring of the 53 other Zignature recipes we scored. The full comparison, flagship review included, is on the Zignature brand review.
Switch foods gradually over about a week, mixing more of the new food into the old each day. Portion by calories, not by the look of the bowl: our feeding calculator works out a daily amount from your dog's weight, and this recipe's calorie line above is the number it needs.
What that means at the bowl, for a typical neutered adult (resting energy 70 times body weight to the power 0.75, times 1.6; treats come out of the same budget):
| Dog's weight | Daily energy | Of this recipe, at 437 kcal a cup |
|---|---|---|
| 3 kg | about 255 kcal | about 0.6 cups |
| 10 kg | about 630 kcal | about 1.4 cups |
| 20 kg | about 1,059 kcal | about 2.4 cups |
| 30 kg | about 1,436 kcal | about 3.3 cups |
Puppies, pregnant dogs and very active dogs need more; older and weight watching dogs need less. The calculator linked above adjusts for those cases.
It scores 90 out of 100 on our published label rubric. The panel opens with Turkey, and the score table on this page shows every signal, its points and the label fact behind it. Crude protein is guaranteed at 41 percent.
It is written for growth: the label is a puppy recipe, so it fits puppies first. Adult dogs can eat it, but its calorie and nutrient density are aimed at a growing dog.
The label gives 3,973 kcal per kilogram and 437 kcal per cup. Portion by calories rather than by the look of the bowl.
Our November 2026 check of FDA recall records found no posted dog food recall events for Zignature. That is what we could verify, not proof of a perfect history.
No: its panel includes Quinoa, so it is a grain inclusive recipe. The full ingredient list above shows every grain line in label order.
Scores follow the rubric published on the dog food hub. This review is general information about a product label, not veterinary advice, and it is not a feeding trial: we score what a buyer can verify from the label and the public record.
Last updated: November 2026. Checked against the sources named on this page.