‘Same company that makes Costco’s’: Expert picks up a bag of Sam’s Club dog food. Then he shows what you should be looking for on the ingredients list. Does it pass the test?

You might be used to reading the label on your own food to see if it passes your personal nutritional tests. But have you ever done that for your dog?

A pet food expert behind the Paw Power Nutrition brand took to TikTok to review what's on the label for Member's Mark Limited Ingredient Beef and Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, sold by Sam's Club for dog owners who shop at the big box store.

The video, put up on Sunday, has gathered more than 316,000 views and 5,000 likes so far. He begins by explaining he's in Sam's Club and checking out the dog food to see what's on the label. With ingredients listed in order by volume, most to least, you can tell if good ingredients are predominant.

What does the expert think about Member's Mark dog food?

"We always recommend feeding your dog whole, fresh foods if you can, but if you're gonna buy a kibble, at least be knowledgeable about how to read the ingredient list," he says before noting that beef is the first ingredient—which he asserts is a good thing.

Beef meal is listed second; he says of this, "Now, beef meal is not a terrible thing. A lot of people think meal is a bad thing. It's just rendered and cooked down beef into a powder, and it does not include other body parts. It's the actual meat."

He then lists other ingredients in order, including "whole grain brown rice, whole dried peas, whole grain sorghum, dried yeast, canola oil, which I know is controversial, alfalfa meal, natural flavors, also controversial, salmon oil, great. And then salt, and then you got your vitamins and minerals."

He concludes, "It's not a bad kibble," recommending that if you do feed your dog dry dog food, you should at least add "hydration" and whole foods to it.

He also hedges that the company making food for Sam's Club makes it for Costco, but that doesn't seem to be the case. While Diamond Pet Foods makes food for Costco under its Kirkland brand, per Costco's FAQ, it appears several different companies chip in to create Member's Mark dog foods, per the Member's Mark site (though Beef and Brown Rice is not included in the rundown).

What others think

While the specific bag he looked at isn't covered in several reviews, those reviewers also regard dog food sold under the Member's Mark brand favorably.

Dogster notes, among their pros, that Member's Mark dog food is high in protein from real meat sources, contains fatty acids for healthy coats and skin, and is easy to digest. Among the cons are items you'd know by being at Sam's Club: You can only get the dog food there, and it comes in large bags that might be difficult to store.

"Member’s Mark dog food is best suited for a healthy dog without any specific medical concerns," it points out, noting that the brand "doesn’t include specific foods for dogs with allergies, kidney issues, or urinary tract issues."

Dog Food Advisor also looks at Member's Mark favorably, giving three of four varieties five of five stars, with the Chicken and Brown Rice getting 4.5 stars.

The Lamb and Brown Rice variety gets an "above-average dry product" rating, considering its balance of protein, fats, and carbs, as well as its ingredient mix.

@pawpowernutrition @Sam’s Club Members Mark beef & rice dog kibble #dog #dogfood #doghealth #dognutrition #pawpower ♬ original sound - Paw Power Nutrition

Commenters weigh in

People shared opinions in the comments section accompanying the video.

"Beef meal is horrible," asserted one. "Has no nutrients in it." Dog Food Advisor's take on this was essentially that it depends on the quality of the meat the meal was created from.

"Better meals are typically made from the meat of clearly identified sources," that source said. "Low-grade meals come from anonymous materials like slaughterhouse waste and spoiled supermarket meats — even diseased or dying cattle — or dead zoo animals." (If the specific meat isn't identified or the word "by-product" is used, those are bad signs.)

"Peas is an absolute no especially for breeding dogs," another shared, touching on an issue that The Balanced Canine tackled. "Phytoestrogens have terrible effects on fertility."

"Costco food is not good," another asserted. "Food is terrible for your dog."

"My dogs absolutely hated their salmon style dog food and turned their breath bad," reported another.

The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok direct message and online contact form and Sam's Club via online contact form.

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