Rating: 
Diamond canned dog food receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
The Diamond product line includes three canned dog foods. We found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the Diamond Pet Foods website.
- Diamond Dog Food Beef and Rice
- Diamond Dog Food Lamb and Rice
- Diamond Chicken and Rice Formula
Diamond Lamb and Rice canned dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Diamond Lamb and Rice Formula
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Lamb, lamb broth, lamb liver, rice flour, dried egg product, fish meal, dried beet pulp, lamb meal, vitamins and minerals
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food lists lamb. Lamb is considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered” lamb and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1
Lamb is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second item is lamb broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The third ingredient lists lamb liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.
The fourth ingredient is rice flour. Rice flour is made from either white or brown rice and is considered a good gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.
The next ingredient is dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The sixth ingredient is fish meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. The term “fish” does little to properly describe this ingredient. What species? What parts?
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item2 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.
Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The vitamins and minerals added to this product are not detailed sufficiently here to permit us to judge their quality.
Diamond Canned Dog Food
the Bottom Line
This Diamond canned dog food product boasts a simple design with no glaring flaws.
Judging by its ingredients alone, this dog food appears to be an above-average wet product.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 41%, a fat level of 27% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 24%.
Since all the dog foods in the line exhibit the same percentages, the figures taken together suggest a carbohydrate serving size of 24% for the overall product line.
Average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs… as compared to a typical canned dog food.
With no evidence of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a canned dog food containing a notable amount of meat.
In addition, it’s important to acknowledge here the absence of any critical Red Flag items.
Bottom line?
Diamond dog food is primarily a meat-based canned product using a notable amount of chicken, beef or lamb as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a nice quality kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Diamond Naturals dry dog food.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
01/07/2010 Original review
08/13/2010 Review updated
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.