Consolidating Condensed Balance Sheet Based on Company's Understanding of SEC's Interpretation (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 28, 2015	Sep. 27, 2014	Mar. 29, 2014	Sep. 28, 2013
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 11,943	$ 78,676	$ 16,748	$ 15,156
Restricted cash	12,583	14,283	0
Short term investments	0us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments	9,990us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments	14,220us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments
Accounts receivable, net	321,765us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent	193,729us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent	323,183us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent
Inventories	382,328us-gaap_InventoryNet	326,386us-gaap_InventoryNet	402,720us-gaap_InventoryNet
Prepaid expenses and other	58,251	48,488	55,882
Total current assets	786,870us-gaap_AssetsCurrent	671,552us-gaap_AssetsCurrent	812,753us-gaap_AssetsCurrent
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	163,207us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet	166,849us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet	185,354us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Goodwill	209,089us-gaap_Goodwill	208,233us-gaap_Goodwill	205,756us-gaap_Goodwill
Other long term assets	113,842us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent	102,093us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent	90,484us-gaap_OtherAssetsNoncurrent
Intercompany receivable	0us-gaap_DueFromRelatedPartiesNoncurrent	0us-gaap_DueFromRelatedPartiesNoncurrent	0us-gaap_DueFromRelatedPartiesNoncurrent
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total	1,273,008us-gaap_Assets	1,148,727us-gaap_Assets	1,294,347us-gaap_Assets
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	139,821us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent	88,428us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent	142,152us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent
Accrued expenses	83,442us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent	84,379us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent	80,886us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
Current portion of long term debt	289us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent	291us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent	303us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent
Total current liabilities	223,552us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent	173,098us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent	223,341us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent
Long-term debt	514,924us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent	449,948us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent	545,032us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent
Intercompany payable	0us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesNoncurrent	0us-gaap_DueToRelatedPartiesNoncurrent
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other long-term obligations	44,549us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent	39,228us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent	40,470us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent
Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders' equity	489,186us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	484,723us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	484,301us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Noncontrolling interest	797us-gaap_MinorityInterest	1,730us-gaap_MinorityInterest	1,203us-gaap_MinorityInterest
Total equity	489,983	486,453	485,504	470,024
Total	1,273,008	1,148,727	1,294,347
Parent [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	6,159	63,471	8,001	5,438
Restricted cash	12,583	14,283
Short term investments		9,990	14,220
Accounts receivable, net	86,569	41,235	81,577
Inventories	95,564	79,199	106,858
Prepaid expenses and other	26,013	26,092	25,151
Total current assets	226,888	234,270	235,807
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	57,093	63,059	75,320
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other long term assets	34,187	25,230	20,331
Intercompany receivable	44,855	16,906	41,540
Investment in subsidiaries	1,017,461	983,413	955,388
Total	1,380,484	1,322,878	1,328,386
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	47,277	28,937	49,181
Accrued expenses	39,061	34,151	32,409
Current portion of long term debt	259	261	270
Total current liabilities	86,597	63,349	81,860
Long-term debt	514,841	449,855	544,917
Intercompany payable	288,423	323,315	215,634
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other long-term obligations	1,437	1,636	1,674
Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders' equity	489,186	484,723	484,301
Noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total equity	489,186	484,723	484,301
Total	1,380,484	1,322,878	1,328,386
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	4,309	12,806	6,819	7,003
Restricted cash	0	0
Short term investments		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	17,099	8,268	17,792
Inventories	19,429	15,210	22,158
Prepaid expenses and other	901	816	740
Total current assets	41,738	37,100	47,509
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	3,590	3,649	2,583
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other long term assets	3,999	4,244	3,614
Intercompany receivable	0	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total	49,327	44,993	53,706
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	10,169	3,542	13,414
Accrued expenses	2,857	1,868	2,775
Current portion of long term debt	0	0	0
Total current liabilities	13,026	5,410	16,189
Long-term debt	0	0	0
Intercompany payable	50,117	45,014	45,360
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other long-term obligations	0	0	0
Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders' equity	(14,613)	(7,161)	(9,046)
Noncontrolling interest	797	1,730	1,203
Total equity	(13,816)	(5,431)	(7,843)
Total	49,327	44,993	53,706
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,475	2,399	1,928	2,715
Restricted cash	0	0
Short term investments		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	218,097	144,226	223,814
Inventories	267,335	231,977	273,704
Prepaid expenses and other	31,337	21,580	29,991
Total current assets	518,244	400,182	529,437
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	102,524	100,141	107,451
Goodwill	209,089	208,233	205,756
Other long term assets	81,263	83,713	72,061
Intercompany receivable	293,685	351,423	219,454
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total	1,204,805	1,143,692	1,134,159
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	82,375	55,949	79,557
Accrued expenses	41,524	48,360	45,702
Current portion of long term debt	30	30	33
Total current liabilities	123,929	104,339	125,292
Long-term debt	83	93	115
Intercompany payable	0	0	0
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	14,104	7,594	8,047
Other long-term obligations	48,719	48,686	44,318
Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders' equity	1,017,970	982,980	956,387
Noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total equity	1,017,970	982,980	956,387
Total	1,204,805	1,143,692	1,134,159
Eliminations [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Short term investments		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0	0
Inventories	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other	0	0	0
Total current assets	0	0	0
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other long term assets	(5,607)	(11,094)	(5,522)
Intercompany receivable	(338,540)	(368,329)	(260,994)
Investment in subsidiaries	(1,017,461)	(983,413)	(955,388)
Total	(1,361,608)	(1,362,836)	(1,221,904)
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	0	0	0
Accrued expenses	0	0	0
Current portion of long term debt	0	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0	0
Intercompany payable	(338,540)	(368,329)	(260,994)
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	(14,104)	(7,594)	(8,047)
Other long-term obligations	(5,607)	(11,094)	(5,522)
Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders' equity	(1,003,357)	(975,819)	(947,341)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total equity	(1,003,357)	(975,819)	(947,341)
Total	$ (1,361,608)	$ (1,362,836)	$ (1,221,904)

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of liabilities incurred (and for which invoices have typically been received) and payable to vendors for goods and services received that are used in an entity's business. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19

-Subparagraph a

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682