Diamond Dog Food (Dry)

Rating:

Diamond dry dog food receives the Advisor’s below-average rating of two stars.

The Diamond product line lists six dry dog foods… four designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance and two for all life stages (Puppy and Premium Adult).

• Diamond Maintenance Adult Formula
• Diamond Premium Adult Formula
• Diamond Performance Formula
• Diamond Hi-Energy Formula
• Diamond Original Formula
• Diamond Puppy Formula

Diamond Premium Adult dry dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken by-product meal… a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed.

In a nutshell, chicken by-products are those unsavory leftovers usually considered “unfit for human consumption”.

This stuff can contain almost anything… feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs… anything (that is) but skeletal muscle (real meat).

On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The next two ingredients are corn and wheat. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, corn and wheat aren’t necessarily bad ingredients.

However, although there’s no way to know for sure here, the corn and wheat used in making many pet foods can be similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.

And that can sometimes be problematic.

What’s more, corn and wheat are commonly linked to canine food allergies¹.

For this reason, we rarely consider these two grains to be preferred components in any dog food.

The fourth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The fifth item lists brewers rice. Brewers rice represents the small grain fragments left over after milling whole rice.

This is an inexpensive cereal grain by-product and not considered a quality ingredient.

The sixth ingredient lists beet pulp. 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 seventh 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 eighth ingredient is flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seeds are rich in soluble fiber.

However, we find it unusual to see flaxseed here in its whole seed form. Whole flax seeds are almost impossible to digest (at least for us humans) unless they are first ground to a usable meal before they’re consumed.

Following the natural chicken flavor, we find fish meal… another high-protein meat concentrate.

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.

In checking the list, we find no evidence of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

Finally, this food contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Diamond Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Diamond dog food appears to be an average kibble.

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 29%, a fat level of 20% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 43%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and an average fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate serving size of 44% for the overall product line.

Average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs… as compared to a typical dry dog food.

With no evidence of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing an average amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Diamond dry dog food is primarily a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of meat or chicken by-product meal as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand two stars.

Not recommended.

Those looking for a better 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 a specific health benefit for your pet.

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

01/06/2010 Original review
08/11/2010 Review updated

Tagged as: active, adult, all life stages, dry, maintenance, puppy, senior