Iams vs Kirkland dog food how do they stack up on nutrition and price? Get the easy breakdown right here.

Okay, let's talk about dog food. I recently went through the process of comparing Iams and Kirkland Signature dog food for my own dog, and I figured I’d share what happened.

Starting Point: Why the Switch?

So, we were using Iams for quite a while. It was fine, you know? My dog ate it, didn't have any major issues. But I kept hearing folks talk about the Kirkland brand from Costco. People seemed to really like it, and honestly, the price difference got me thinking. I wasn't unhappy with Iams, but I wondered if maybe Kirkland offered better bang for the buck, or if my dog might even do better on it. Curiosity, mostly, and trying to be smart with the budget.

Making the Change

I didn’t just dump the new food in his bowl. That’s asking for trouble, usually an upset stomach. Nah, I did it slow. Over about a week, maybe 10 days, I gradually mixed the Kirkland food into his usual Iams.

• Days 1-3: Mostly Iams, just a little bit of Kirkland (like 75% Iams, 25% Kirkland).
• Days 4-6: Went about half and half.
• Days 7-9: Mostly Kirkland, just a little Iams left (like 25% Iams, 75% Kirkland).
• Day 10: Fully switched over to Kirkland.

During this time, I watched him close. Any weird poops? Eating okay? Acting strange? Seemed fine, so we continued.

What I Noticed: The Comparison

Once he was fully on the Kirkland food for a few weeks, I started comparing notes mentally from how he was on Iams.

On Iams:

• His energy was pretty normal. Average energy for his breed, I'd say.
• His coat was okay. Not super shiny, but not dull either. Shedding was standard.
• His stools were consistent but maybe a bit larger in volume sometimes. Nothing alarming, just noticeable.
• He ate it without fuss, but wasn't crazy excited about mealtime.

After switching to Kirkland:

• I felt like his energy levels picked up a bit. Maybe a little more pep during walks and playtime. It wasn't a huge night-and-day difference, but I noticed it.
• His coat seemed to get glossier after about a month or so. Maybe a bit softer too? Hard to say definitively, but it looked healthier.
• The biggest difference: Poop patrol got easier. Seriously, the stools seemed firmer and definitely less voluminous. This was a clear change.
• He seemed genuinely more excited to eat the Kirkland food. Go figure. Maybe he just liked the taste better.
• No digestive upset, no gas, nothing negative during or after the switch.

The Decision

So, after keeping him on the Kirkland Signature food for a good couple of months, I decided to stick with it. Iams was a decent food, no doubt about it, it served us well. But based on my observations – the slightly better energy, the improved coat, the noticeably better digestion (judging by the output!), and the fact he seemed to enjoy it more – Kirkland just seemed like a better fit for my dog right now. Plus, the cost savings were a nice bonus. It just worked out better for us in the end. Every dog is different, of course, but that was my experience going from Iams to Kirkland.