Kibbles and Bits reviews will let you make an informed decision on Kibble and Bits dog food which appears to be a fan favorite among many dog owners out there, being one of the top selling dog food brands in the U.S.A.
But, is it well worth your money? Or are there better options for you to go with when shopping for dog food for your canine?
Often you will the brand displayed as Kibbles 'n Bits but it is also often written as Kibbles and Bits so just know it is referring to the same thing.
First off, let's have a look at some of the more popular Kibbles 'n Bits dog food options and varieties you can get your hands on today.
Our Top 5 Picks Of Kibbles And Bits Dog Food
Top Pick: Kibbles 'n Bits Mini Bits, Small Breed Dry Dog Food
Pick #2: Kibbles 'n Bits Beefy Bits Savory Beef Flavor Dry Dog Food
Pick #3: Kibbles 'n Bits Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Turkey, Wet Dog Food
Pick #4: Kibbles 'n Bits Homestyle Dry Dog Food
Pick #5: Kibbles 'n Bits Original Savory Beef & Chicken Flavors Dry Dog Food
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*Note: The links in the table above, as well as several links in the remainder of the article below, will take you to over to Chewy.com where you can find out more information about the products, such as current prices and customer reviews.
Introduction To Kibbles N Bits
Kibbles 'n Bits dog food, first introduced to the pet food industry in 1981, is manufactured and advertised by a company called Big Heart Pet Brands Inc. (formerly known as Del Monte Foods), headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Many of you reading this will resonate with the "joy for your dog in every bite" advertisements Kibbles 'n Bits dog food is very well known for.
As of 2015, Big Heart Pet Brands was bought out by J.M. Smucker. However, if you visit the Kibbles 'n Bites dog food website, you'll still find its stated that this dog food brand is a product of Big Heart Pet Brands.
Kibbles 'n Bits dog food can be found in both dry dog food and wet dog food (canned) forms.
Here are Kibbles 'n Bits different dog food formulas, recipes and varieties as of this writing:
- Kibbles ’n Bits American Grill Beef Steak
- Kibbles ’n Bits Original Savory Beef & Chicken
- Kibbles ’n Bits Bistro Meals Grilled Chicken & Spring Vegetable & Baked Apple Flavors
- Kibbles ’n Bits Home Style Grilled Beef Steak & Vegetable
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Homestyle Roasted Chicken and Vegetable
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Bistro Meals Oven-Roasted Beef Flavor with Spring Vegetable & Baked Apple
- Kibbles ‘n Bits ‘n Beefy Bits dog food
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Small Breed Mini Bits Savory Chicken & Beef Flavor
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Weight Maintenance Roasted Chicken & Vegetable
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Tender Cuts With Real Beef & Vegetables in Gravy
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Hearty Cuts with Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Burger Dinner With Real Bacon & Cheese Bits in Gravy
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Meatballs & Pasta Dinner with Real Beef in Tomato Sauce
- Kibbles ‘n Bits Light and Tasty
Kibbles And Bits Reviews
Even though this might not be what many of you want to hear, but Kibbles 'n Bits dog food is very far from being a good choice for your dog to eat.
As you'll see in our next section below, and despite the fact that the manufacturers won't directly admit to these things, but Kibbles 'n Bits dog food is filled with many of the factors and ingredients that make up a low-quality dog food, such as:
- Cheap and useless filler (such as corn and soybean meal).
- Artificial additives (artificial coloring such as titanium dioxide).
- Chemical preservatives (such as BHA).
- By-products.
- No inclusion of probiotics whatsoever (which greatly help your dog when it comes to their digestive system), whereas other premium dog foods out there are packed with probiotics.
- Similar to the exclusion of probiotics from the ingredient list, no mention of chelated minerals is made, which means that the minerals found in this dog food are much harder for your dog's system to absorb that those found in other dog food that has chelated minerals.
Kibbles 'n Bits Original Savory Beef & Chicken Flavors Dry Dog Food Review
In this product review, we decided to cover one of the most popular dog food products Kibbles 'n Bits has to offer, Kibbles 'n Bits Original Savory Beef & Chicken Flavors Dry Dog Food.
First off, let's begin with the list of ingredients this particular flavor has.
Ingredients: Corn, Soybean Meal, Beef & Bone Meal, Ground Wheat, Animal Fat (BHA Used As Preservative), Corn Syrup, Wheat Middlings, Water Sufficient For Processing, Animal Digest (Source Of Chicken Flavor), Propylene Glycol, Salt, Hydrochloric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Caramel Color, Peas, Sorbic Acid (Used As a Preservative), Sodium Carbonate, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Choline Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Wheat Flour, Carrots, Green Beans, Titanium Dioxide (Color), Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, BHA (Used As a Preservative), Blue 1, DL-Methionine.
Just by taking a quick glance at the first 7 ingredients on the list above, you'll find that they are all catastrophic. Ingredients on the list are listed in descending order according to how prominent they are in the dog food in hand, and to see the first 7 ingredients on the list as such is a very bad sign.
First off on the ingredient list, we have corn. And, as we've said time and time again in various different articles on this website, Corn is nothing but a cheap and useless grain filler that provides no nutritional value whatsoever for your dog. Sure, it might provide them with some energy since it's a source of carbohydrates, but no nutritional benefits come from it whatsoever.
In the second spot on the ingredient list, you'll come across soybean meal. Soybean meal is a by-product that results from the production of soybean oil, and is definitely not something we would like to see in the top spots on the ingredient list. We would much rather see something like meat meal in the #2 spot on the ingredient list that would provide dogs with much more proteins and nutrients that their bodies actually need.
Beef and bone meal makes its way at the #3 ingredient spot on the list. Beef and bone meal is a rendered, dry product that results from beef tissues. Again, and even though beef and bone meal is known to be rich in protein, we would have liked to see something like a meat meal in the #3 spot instead of beef and bone meal, since the latter is not nearly as nutritious as meat meal.
The #4 ingredient is wheat, which is (again) nothing but useless, cheap filler used to bulk up dog food products and provide no nutritional benefit whatsoever to dogs. Worse off, if your dog is allergic to wheat, expect some major allergies coming your way.
As for the #5 ingredient on the list, it just says "animal fat". But what exactly does that mean? Nobody knows, expect for the manufacturers, of-course. "Animal fat" per se is a by-product that could come from a million and one unknown sources. It could be from roadkill, it could be from a dead house pet, it could be from meat that's long past its expiry date, it could be from a million and one other sources that we don't even want to think about, and no one knows these sources other than the manufacturers because they haven't properly stated them. I don't know about you, but I'd never feed my dog a by-product from a meat source I know nothing about.
The #6 ingredient on the list is corn syrup, which is again a very controversial ingredient that arguably has 0 nutritional value to dogs. Not only that, but its very high in sugar and calories, both of which spell no good to dogs.
And, to finish off the first 1-7 ingredient spots on the list (which are all catastrophic, save #3's beef and bone meal which isn't as bad as the others), we have wheat middlings. These are, again, nothing but inexpensive filler that are by-products processing cereal grains, and are notorious for being included in the lowest-of-quality dog foods.
We should also point out that the #9 ingredient on this list is animal digest, which is a chemical mixture of animal by-products that's applied onto the dry dog kibble your dog eats in order to give it a better taste. I don't know about you, but whenever I hear about such chemicals, I run away as fast as I can.
Not to mention the fact that this dog food contains a food moisturizer called propylene glycol which has been banned by the FDA when it comes to being included in cat food. Since it's banned from being included in cat food, why would we ever want to take the risk and have our dogs eat it? I won't be waiting for a ban from the FDA against it being included in dog food, I'll take up that matter by myself.
Kibbles And Bits Recalls
If you're reading this section in this article for the first time, then please note that we're constantly monitoring for potential future recalls that Kibble 'n Bits dog food may (or may not) encounter.
As far as the recall history of Kibbles 'n Bits dog food, this brand had a recall in 2018 for low levels of pentobarbital and was considered by the FDA to not be a serious health risk to your pets.
Smucker took responsibility and issued a statement that a single ingredient from one supplier in one plant contributed to the issue.
Below are the recalled dog food products:
- Gravy Train with T-Bone Flavor Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910052541
- Gravy Train with Beef Strips, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 791052542
- Gravy Train with Lamb & Rice Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910052543
- Gravy Train with Chicken Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910034418
- Gravy Train with Beef Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910034417
- Gravy Train with Chicken Chunks, 22-ounce can, UPC 7910051645
- Gravy Train with Beef Chunks, 22-ounce can, UPC 7910051647
- Gravy Train Chunks in Gravy with Beef Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910034417
- Kibbles 'N Bits 12-can Variety Pack – Chef's Choice American Grill Burger Dinner with Real Bacon & Cheese Bits in Gravy, Chef's Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Turkey Bacon & Vegetables in Gravy, 12 pack of 13.2-ounce cans, UPC 7910010377, 7910010378
- Kibbles 'N Bits 12-Can Variety Pack – Chef's Choice Bistro Hearty Cuts with Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy, Chef's Choice Homestyle Meatballs & Pasta Dinner with Real Beef in Tomato Sauce, 12 pack of 13.2-ounce cans, UPC 7910010382, 7910048367, 7910010378
- Kibbles 'N Bits 12-Can Variety Pack – Chef's Choice Homestyle Tender Slices with Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy, Chef's Choice American Grill Burger Dinner with Real Bacon & Cheese Bits in Gravy, Chef's Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Beef & Vegetables in Gravy, 12 pack of 13.2-ounce cans, UPC 7910010380, 7910010377, 7910010375
- Kibbles 'N Bits Chef's Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Beef & Vegetables in Gravy, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910010375
- Kibbles 'N Bits Chef's Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Turkey, Bacon & Vegetables in Gravy, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910010378
- Kibbles 'N Bits Chef's Choice Homestyle Tender Slices with Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910010380
- Ol' Roy Strips Turkey Bacon, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 8113117570
- Skippy Premium Chunks in Gravy Chunky Stew, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 79100502469
- Skippy Premium Chunks in Gravy with Beef, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910050250
- Skippy Premium Strips in Gravy with Beef, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910050245
Consumers can reach Smuckers at 1 (800)-828-9980 with questions or to request a refund or replacement product.
This the only recall that we are aware of at this time so please check back on a regular basis to updated.
Where Can I Buy Kibbles And Bits Dog Food?
If you want to buy Kibbles 'n Bits dog food, you can find this brand in some of the largest retail stores like Walmart and Amazon, the majority of grocery stores out there, as well as some smaller retail stores or pet stores.
With that said, you have to ask these smaller stores if they have Kibbles 'n Bits dog food as part of their stock first, because of the fact that many of them don't sell it since they consider it to be a very sub-par pet food.
Here are some of the more popular Kibbles 'n Bits dog food options and varieties available for you to buy on Amazon.
The Top 5 Kibbles 'n Bits Dog Food Options
Top Pick: Kibbles 'n Bits Mini Bits, Small Breed Dry Dog Food
Pick #2: Kibbles 'n Bits Beefy Bits Savory Beef Flavor Dry Dog Food
Pick #3: Kibbles 'n Bits Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Turkey, Wet Dog Food
Pick #4: Kibbles 'n Bits Homestyle Dry Dog Food
Pick #5: Kibbles 'n Bits Original Savory Beef & Chicken Flavors Dry Dog Food
Conclusion On Kibbles N Bits Dog Food
To sum it all up, the manufacturers of Kibbles 'n Bits dog food have a good reputation to their name, while Kibbles 'n Bits dog food doesn't exactly hold up to that standard.
Kibbles ‘n Bits is certainly no new-comer to the pet food industry, and it's name is very well known to many people, who will gladly argue that this dog food is amazing and their dog is doing very well eating from it.
However, other dog owners argue that Kibbles 'n Bits dog food is probably one of the last options you'll want to go with when looking for a top-quality dog food brand to feed your furry friend.
Not only are the protein levels in this dog food (23%) way below the industry standard, the carbohydrates (54%) are also way above industry standard, both of which are signs of low-quality dog food.
This dog food brand is also filled with useless filler like corn, wheat and soy, is full of artificial additives and is loaded with chemical preservatives, and you can expect your dog to develop a world of allergies if you start to feed them Kibbles 'n Bits dog food without knowing how well your dog can or can't handle this stuff.
In the end, it depends on which side you're on.
Check out this video to learn what to look out for in dog food to get the best choice for your furry friend!
If you're on the side of Kibbles 'n Bits dog food, then feel free to go with one of their formulas that you think will suit your dog. However, Kibbles 'n Bits dog food is not getting a recommendation from us.
Meanwhile, if you're on the side that doesn't quite rate Kibbles 'n Bits dog food very highly, there are much better dog food options out there other that will have your dog thrive when it comes to their health.
Have a look at some of our best alternative dog food recommendations in the list below.
Top 5 Alternatives To Kibbles And Bits Dog Food You Can Buy Online
Top Pick: Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food, Hi Prairie Canine Formula
Pick #2: Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food
Pick #3: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Grain Free Dry Dog
Pick #4: Orijen Adult Dog Food
Pick #5: Diamond Naturals Dry Food For Adult Dogs
Kibbles ‘n’ bits killed my parents three dogs all three ate the same food and in two yrs they developed all kinds of health problems then died so I don’t think that’s a good dog food to feed your dog
My 10 year old dog has been having seizures for the past 6 months, my golden retriever passed away this past June.. I have been feeding them kibbles n bits homestyle for about 9 months.. My friends rabbit got into her dogfood (same as mine) it died and her dog had a seizure. She had just switched to kibbles n bits homestyle last week (its more affordable than dog chow) I think that kibbles n bits needs to look into that homestyle dog food before anymore animals suffer!! It has got to be the food.
Tuesday night i bought a bag of kibbles and bits home style from walmart in phila. Fed the dogs it Wednesday . Late Wednesday night Thursday morning 3 of my big dogs had developed diarrhea and vomiting. This afternoon (Friday) one of the dogs spewed blood from his nose and mouth. He is now deceased. They eat out of separate bowls and drink out of separate bowls.
I have been feeding both of my girls kibbles and bits (mini bits) for a few months. I have a husky that is a super picky eater and it is one that she will eat. I went to feed them this morning and there was a huge lump of something in the food. I have noticed that my bulldog has been vomiting after eating more and more lately but just chalked it up to her eating too fast. Now I am not so sure!
January 2018 is kibbles and bits bad to feed dog now. I think I will get Rachel Ray dog food. Healthy
Opened bag and moths flew out…still dealing with the tiny moths however gave the complementary Manufacture coupon they sent us to our local the shelter.
Was any kibble and bits dog food recalled yesterday feb 13th or today feb 14 for possible contamination.
I bought a bag about a week and a half ago as my budget was tight for that week. Totally regretting it as it has ended up costing me way more in vet bill. Since my dog has been eating it his belly started blowing out to the point he was very uncomfortable and lethargic.All test results came back normal. I have limited his diet last few days and making my own homemade bland diet for him and seems to be improving. I am definitely contributing this to kibbles and bits. Will be throwing rest off bag out. No matter my budget next time will stick with my previous brand.This brand should be ashamed of themselves !!!!
I have been feeding my dogs ( 5 over the years) kibbles n bits for 40 years. I never had a problem and ALL the dogs (from great pyrenees to norwegian elkhounds were healthy.
my current 12 yr old elkhound is very healthy and loves KnB
so i don’t understand the problem
for 40 years i have fed my dogs (from great pyrennes to norwegian elkhounds KnB dry food. never a problem. al very healthy dogs including my current 12 yr old elkhound
Totally disgraceful thing about poisoned dog food… Kibbles and Bits!!! Look forward to a law suit if anything happens to my dogs for eating this garbage.. My dogs are the best thing that ever really happened to me!!!!
what about recall on kibbles and bits dry food
my dog went into seizure kibbles and bits 02/17 18 had to put him down vomiting out of control could not walk
calling lawers now class action
what kind of kibbles & bits is recalled I need to know I feed my dogs kibbles & bits
I fed my Rottweiler puppy kibbles and bits maybe 4 times. He just started having runny poop, laying down all day and he threw up twice which was food! I have switched back to Purina puppy chow but has anyone’s puppies gotten through this and actually lived?
Below are the recalled dog food products:
Gravy Train with T-Bone Flavor Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910052541
Gravy Train with Beef Strips, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 791052542
Gravy Train with Lamb & Rice Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910052543
Gravy Train with Chicken Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910034418
Gravy Train with Beef Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910034417
Gravy Train with Chicken Chunks, 22-ounce can, UPC 7910051645
Gravy Train with Beef Chunks, 22-ounce can, UPC 7910051647
Gravy Train Chunks in Gravy with Beef Chunks, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910034417
Kibbles ‘N Bits 12-can Variety Pack – Chef’s Choice American Grill Burger Dinner with Real Bacon & Cheese Bits in Gravy, Chef’s Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Turkey Bacon & Vegetables in Gravy, 12 pack of 13.2-ounce cans, UPC 7910010377, 7910010378
Kibbles ‘N Bits 12-Can Variety Pack – Chef’s Choice Bistro Hearty Cuts with Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy, Chef’s Choice Homestyle Meatballs & Pasta Dinner with Real Beef in Tomato Sauce, 12 pack of 13.2-ounce cans, UPC 7910010382, 7910048367, 7910010378
Kibbles ‘N Bits 12-Can Variety Pack – Chef’s Choice Homestyle Tender Slices with Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy, Chef’s Choice American Grill Burger Dinner with Real Bacon & Cheese Bits in Gravy, Chef’s Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Beef & Vegetables in Gravy, 12 pack of 13.2-ounce cans, UPC 7910010380, 7910010377, 7910010375
Kibbles ‘N Bits Chef’s Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Beef & Vegetables in Gravy, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910010375
Kibbles ‘N Bits Chef’s Choice Bistro Tender Cuts with Real Turkey, Bacon & Vegetables in Gravy, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910010378
Kibbles ‘N Bits Chef’s Choice Homestyle Tender Slices with Real Beef, Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910010380
Ol’ Roy Strips Turkey Bacon, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 8113117570
Skippy Premium Chunks in Gravy Chunky Stew, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 79100502469
Skippy Premium Chunks in Gravy with Beef, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910050250
Skippy Premium Strips in Gravy with Beef, 13.2-ounce can, UPC 7910050245
Thanks for sharing
I have been feeding my granddaughters dogs kibbles and bits Bistro for about six months, the first two bags, there were no problem, dogs liked them, but something was wrong with the third one, which I opened about two weeks ago dogs started having throwing up and their belly got swallowed like gases, the last time Hannah ate this food she started throwing up something white and kind of foamy, she passed away the following morning, I never though was the food since I already fed them with. this week gave the one other dog the same food he refused to eat, but I though he was not hungry, until he started with the same symptoms, I checked and found out about the recall, it was pretty strange that it was not made public, so we can be aware of and take proper care of our pets.
Is the dry dog food recalled. Please. Answet
I fed my dogs this till this morning I got on face book and seen a post about a lady she opened her bag and was confused because she seen something black that looked like hair in the dog food so I picked up my dogs bowl and looked and I found the same damn thing and it looks and feels like plastic or metal so I tried the magnetic test and the little strans stuck the the magnet just a heads up for people that use pedigree and kibbles in bits it’s in both of them I’ll no longer be buying this and if my dog gets any sicker than what she is right now I’ll be taking y’all to court and I have bags of the food with the metal or plastic bull shit y’all put in it y’all will be paying my dogs vet bill is she gets sicker thanks
I bought my little man a bag of the original kibbles and bits about two weeks ago. On July 3rd, we noticed him having mucusy poops, which smelled of parvo, and at his age, it’s really rare for him to get it. Lucky he had a vet check up one the 5th. We took him in, and the vet confirmed he had an intestinal infection from possible foods he has been eating. The only thing that has changed with his food was the different brand of dog food. I am not bashing the food, for the fact that my little one really does love it. Just maybe this bag was part of a bad batch.
He has refused to eat food out of this bag, we are just going to throw it away. A shame :/ we only used about 25% of the bag for his feeder.
Sorry to hear that but thanks for sharing with us.
I fed my dog kibbles and bits original, beef and steak and the bistro. Just to give him a variety. It’s the dry dog food. Is there any recall on the dry food. My dog is 2 years old. I need to know if there are any recalls on these 3 dry dog food I have described, if I gotta change his food again well, I guess I got to.
I have a nephew that had a lab that lived 19years on this all his life. His other lab is still going strong. Kibbles and bits is the only thing he feeds them.
Connie Thanks for sharing!
My dog has ate kibbles and bits for 2 weeks now and have had several instances of vomiting and diarrhea will be going out to get her new food today she is approx 8 yrs old so not a puppy
Glad this was helpful!
I just noticed these tiny little black hairs in my dog’s food (small breed mini bites, also have pics of the kibbles) today as I was about to feed my pups. I came across your site, does anyone know what they are by chance? I didn’t feed them the food and now I wonder if it has anything to do with my smaller pups seizure he had back in June of this year. : (
We’ve been giving our dogs kibble n bits for awhile now and today I noticed something shiny in the food. (Mind you 3 of my dogs haven’t been feeling well) My husband smashed a handful up on our counter and used a magnet and sure enough there’s metal shavings in the dry dog food. I’m extremely upset about this.
That’s a Huge Food Quality problem – did you contact the company?
I will look to see if any new recalls have popped up with this issue.