Diamond Dog Food Recall – Many Pets Remain at Risk for Salmonella

by Mike Sagman
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Apparently, many pet owners are still unaware of the ongoing Diamond dog food recall event that began in early April. So, their dogs remain at risk for exposure to Salmonella bacteria.

For proof of the ongoing nature of this problem, the following video was just posted on July 9 by Cleveland, OH ABC affiliate, WEWS.

Please Help Get the Word Out

Although most of the affected products have already been removed from retail stores, some pet owners may still be unaware they are holding contaminated dog food in their homes.

For this reason, since this dog food recall affects so many popular brands produced by Diamond Pet Foods, it’s important that you share the news of this event with your friends who own dogs.

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  • Hound Dog Mom

    Monika –

    I believe the recall list is no longer available on Diamond’s site because it was so long ago. Your best best would be to contact Diamond directly, you can find a phone number on their website. You may also want to consider switching brands, if you check the comment I posed below to pitbull ambassador you’ll see I’ve posed some other brands that are comparable in quality and price to Diamond Naturals.

  • Monika

    THANK YOU for writing this my dog is seriously ill from Diamond Lite Lamb Meal & Rice formula…. where can I find the recall list to see if this is on it and WHY was this not pulled off the shelves????  I am just heart broken as to what my pet has to go through because of this…..

  • Hound Dog Mom

    pitbull ambassador –

    The recall was awhile ago and the affected products should no longer be on shelves. However, with Diamond’s history of recalls and quality issues you may want to consider switching to another brand.

    Some other foods that are similar in quality and price to Diamond Naturals are:

    Whole Earth Farms
    Hi-Tek Rations
    Healthwise
    Eagle Pack
    Pro Pac
    Fromm Classic
    Nutri Source
    Nature’s Recipe
    Simply Natural

  • pitbull ambassador

    i feed diamond naturals chicken and rice, im in the dfw texas area, should i be concerned?

  • Sheryllb

    They didn’t mention Sold Gold

  • Tina M.

     Unfortunately this is not true.  Our dog got sick (twice) on a bag from the Missouri Plant that is not on the  recalled list yet.   We found the following information and reported our bag to the FDA.

    http://petsupplies.about.com/b/2012/05/30/diamond-pet-food-saga-worsens-as-fda-investigates-second-plant.htm

  • http://www.facebook.com/Labmanmi David Duncan

    Diamond has two factory’s only one is affected shop at a responsible pet store that checks the batches and knows where they get there food from and you will be fine.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    HI Terrence,

    As I mentioned before, most amino acid supplements are actually synthesized. That doesn’t automatically make them bad.

    And many times they’re added to help achieve a particular benefit.

    For example, methionine is added to a dog food not only to increase the supply of the nutrient itself but also to acidify the animal’s urine. This is reportedly done to prevent unsightly discoloration of grass and shrubbery.

    Methionine is also used to help prevent the formation of struvite crystals in the urine. But unfortunately, it can also increase the potential for oxalate-type kidney and bladder stones, too.

    Hope this helps.

  • Terence

    Hi Mike

    I noticed that some pet foods are listed with Lysine and Methionine (both are amino acids).  Does it mean that they are synthetic?  If they are derived from the ingredients within the food, then there should be many more amino acids to be listed. 

  • doggonefedup

    Now I have to wonder how much better dog foods would be if the peas and potato were replaced with fermented and/or sprouted rice…..;0)

  • Shawna

    LOL….  I know what you mean…that is where the proper processing comes in though…  Our ancestors didn’t eat grains in the same manner we did.  They processed them (sprouting etc) to release the bad and increase the good.

    Dr. Weston Price did a TON of research (by visiting tribes all around the world) and is, imo, one of the leading experts on ancestral diets.  He has passed but his data lives on via his foundation..

    Here’s some great info called “Be Kind to Your Grains and Your Grains Will Be Kind to You”
    [Link removed by Moderator due to malware]

    Dr. Royal Lee (from the same era as Dr. Price and also deceased) is another excellent source of dietary information.. 

  • doggonefedup

    Okay, thank you, that is good to know. I wasn’t aware of the diabetes part.  Here’s the part that makes my brain hurt. The bran is where the phytic acid is but it is also the source of zinc which is needed in the diet but is consumed by the phytic acid. But the zinc in the bran is still a healthy part of the diet….its kinda got me going in circles.

  • Shawna

    Morning doggonefedup ~~ you are correct—there is less phytates in refined white rice.  Phytic acid is primarily in the bran and the bran is removed in processing.  However, the bran is also where most of the nutrients and the fiber is.  Polished rice is basically pure starch.  Because the fiber is gone to prevent rapid uptake, white rice has a more detrimental affect on blood glucose.

    The below quote is in regard to people but demonstrates the higher blood glucose thinking.

    “A study team at the Harvard School of Public Health recently found that eating five servings per week of white rice increased the risk of diabetes.”  http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-difference-between-brown-rice-and-white-rice.html

  • DebAnn

    I totally changed food to Pet Guard.  A little pricey, but it has never been recalled and is made by one company. 

  • Lynn

    Thanks for all the information on home cooking.  I appreciate the advice :)

  • doggonefedup

    Shawna,
    I have to ask. Phytic acid in rice, I am under the impression that it is brown rice that contains high or higher levels of phytic acid. And white or polished rice only contains a small portion of phytic acid that is further reduced with cooking to the point that it actually has less phytic acid than even coconuts. And if so that would make cooked white rice a good choice for controlling or helping to control blood glucose levels. Would you know if that was correct or not?

  • Joy

    I’ve always fed my dogs what I eat, and no problems, but I don’t have a kennel or large group of dogs to feed…currently have one small 9 lb dog that I show in obedience and she does well on basically what I eat….with a small amt of Orijin kibble and a multi vit tablet.

  • Shawna

    Unfortunatley chicken and rice with a supplement would be very very nutrient deficient..  Chicken is high in omega 6 fatty acids but deficient in saturated fats.  Dogs need both for optimal health.  Red meats would need to be fed too.  Rice has phytic acid in it.  Phytic acid binds with minerals like zinc and calcium and if over consumed will create a zinc and other mineral deficiency.  EXTRA minerals would need to be supplemented when feeding grains routinely.  Rice is also high in omega 6 making it even more important to include a source of omega 3.

    ALA omega 3 from flax seeds are not converted well to DHA omega 3 in adult dogs.  DHA is needed for proper eye, heart and brain health.  A animal based supplement (like fish oil) or food (like sardines) would need to be included for adequate DHA.

    It is IMPERATIVE that a source of calcium be added to balance the phosphorus in the chicken and rice.  A calcium deficiency will cause a whole host of symptoms/illnesses.  Calcium, in the blood, seeks out pathogens and surrounds the pathogen until the white blood cells can show up to neutralize the pathogen.  A calcium deficiency will affect the immune system…  The body compensates for this by causing the muscles to heat up (aka a fever) which causes calcium to leach from the bones (to supply the calcium needed in the blood).

    If there is not enough magnesium in the diet, pup can develop seizures (simply from the lack of magnesium). 

    That’s only a few examples..  Like Meeshholly, I think it is VERY important to follow a recipe (that includes multiple proteins — like Dr. Karen Beckers), use a commercial balanced product or do TONS of research on what foods provide what nutrients and incorporate that knowledge into a balanced meal plan… :)

    An easy way to do it is to use meats you supply — turkey, chicken, beef etc with a premix like the one on designed and sold by Steve Brown on his website See Spot Live Longer.  You can add veggies to this diet to reduce costs (the premix is very inexpensive but the meat can be pricey) but you would NOT want to add any form of grain or it will throw off the balance.  You would also want to include sardines (packed in water) a few times per week for the animal based Omega 3s.

  • LabsRawesome

     Oops, that should read “pallet” not palate. lol.

  • LabsRawesome

     All of the recalled product was removed and replaced months ago. This reminder was posted for people that might have bought several large bags or a palate of the food before the recall, and may still be using up the old bags & maybe never even heard that there was a recall like 3 months ago.

  • Mike

    My research has indicated that dogs are not as likely to be affected by salmonella as people are.  Dogs intestines are short, compared to humans, and their stomachs are very acidic where not much survives.  Think of what dogs eat in the outdoors, dead animals, their own and other animals’ feces, bones they may have buried days or months ago, parts of lunches construction worked thew away the day before or longer and who knows what else.  I’m more concerned about what my dogs may find to eat along the road or in the park when I take them for the walks they love to go on.

  • 2and A Half Dogs

    Some of the brands that were recalled are back on the shelf. Is it okay to purchase it now? I know it’s not the same batch but is there a risk of the new stuff as well?

  • Meeshholly

    Lynn,

    I currently feed my dog 50% kibble & 50% homemade. I spent probably 20 hrs figuring out her homemade menu (she doesn’t have any issues/problems) I followed the NRC guidelines for vitamins and mineral requirements & I still need to supplement daily with calcium – weekly with Vit B and a few others monthly. I personally don’t think it should be something that’s done willy nilly. If not prepared properly, it could cause issues down the road for your doggie.

  • http://www.prairie-creations.com/ Krissy

    Thanks Mike for the update, I’ll facebook the link to get the word out as most people on my page or from parts of the country that would be affected by the recall.

    If your going to feed your dog homecooked I would suggest doing a TON of research first.  Homecooked takes the same amount of education as feeding raw.  You really need to know what your doing and not just slap a few ingredients together and call it good.  You need to know the science behind what your feeding and why.  Most of all you need to make sure that your dog is getting enough calcium.  Hope that helps.

    Better to feed a canned or kibble diet than a bad homecooked/raw diet.  All companies are subject to a recall, but Diamond is in a league of their own just because of their business practices aren’t the greatest. 

  • Patty

    Lynn,
    I make a mixture that consist of mackerel, cooked dry beans, cooked frozen peas and carrots. I will alternate the mixture with whole grain and brown rice or oatmeal. Mix it together and I put the mixture in freezer bags using as needed. I add human grade brewers yeast to individual feedings along with giving my dogs Caltrate, magnesium and potassium and flax seed oil 1000mg. There are many recipes out there. I also feed my dogs Blue Buffalo Chicken and rice kibble, the food is holistic. 

  • Lynn

    Thank you for the reminder.  I am currently feeding my dogs the Acana dog food but since my one dog was diagnosed with Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis in February and with recalls again, I am considering feeding chicken & rice with a supplement.  I know some people that just feed their dogs what they eat and their dogs are thriving and live very long lives.  Does anyone know if dogs would get enough nutrients by just feeding chicken & rice with a supplement?