Is Kirkland Dog Food Contaminated and Making Dogs Sick?

There’s a rumor going around that Kirkland’s Signature dog food (sold at Costco) has killed a dog and made others very sick.

The specific food in question is the lamb and rice mixture as well as the grain-free variety, Nature’s Domain.

This is just a rumor. There has been no recall issued on this brand of food.

You can make up your own mind, but my opinion is that it’s safe to continue buying Kirkland’s dog food if that is what you’re currently feeding.

Costco has more than 50 million members, according to its web site. How many thousands of pets must be eating this food without getting sick?

Where the Kirkland Dog Food rumor got started

The rumor seems to have started when “Larry Gejdos” posted on his personal Facebook page a photo of his mastiff Moe and a message that said Moe passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 2. This info is not private and is visible to all Facebook users.

“After having his food laboratory tested it was found the reason he passed away to be from salmonella poisoning from his dog food,” the post said. “We were feeding him Kirkland’s lamb and rice mixture purchased from Costco.”

He then goes on to ask pet owners to stop feeding Kirkland’s food to dogs and cats.

So far, the post has had at least 99,767 shares.

Here’s a screenshot of the post from Jan. 22:

What Costco is saying about Kirkland Dog Food

I reached out to Costco and asked if there is any reason for pet owners to be concerned.

“At this time, there is no recall or safety concern that we have been notified of regarding any of the Kirkland Signature pet foods,” said Andrea C. of Costco’s member service center. “Should a recall be issued, Costco will immediately pull any product in question and notify all members who have purchased the product.”

[quote_center]”At this time, there is no recall or safety concern that we have been notified of regarding any of the Kirkland Signature pet foods.”[/quote_center]

She said Costco and its vendor rigorously test its pet foods to ensure their “wholesomeness” and safety.

“Our vendor and our internal resources are investigating the source of the new posts on both social media sites,” she said. “The vendor is on a strict test and hold of all finished goods. Although we have no findings of adulterants, we fully investigate each individual concern.”

There are many messages posted to Costco’s Facebook page with concerns over Kirkland’s lamb and rice variety as well as Nature’s Domain.

Costco has been responding with a response similar to what I received.

Here is a screen shot of one of the messages from Costco’s Facebook page:

What Kirkland is saying

I asked Kirkland Signature Pet Foods if there is any reason for dog owners to be concerned about its products. The company sent me a statement from Diamond Pet Foods, which is the manufacturer of Kirkland’s pet food.

The statement said Diamond Pet Foods spoke to the Gejdos family last week about the death of their dog Moe and that “our hearts go out to the family.”

Diamond Pet Foods said it has an extensive food safety program in place, and that all Kirkland Signature Pet Food products to through a “test and hold” program conducted by a certified, independent laboratory.

“No product is shipped until it receives final safety verification,” according to Diamond Pet Foods. “After confirming the food’s code date provided by the Gejdos family, we conducted an internal review of the independent laboratory tests. The results reaffirmed there was no presence of salmonella at the time of shipping.”

There are many reasons beyond diet that could cause a dog to become sick or even die, Diamond Pet Foods said.

“We welcome full cooperation with these serious matters, and always recommend that a pet owner consult with their veterinarian when a pet’s health is in jeopardy.”

Are you concerned about the rumors about Kirkland’s dog food?