Diamond Dog Food (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★½☆☆

Diamond dry dog food receives the Advisor’s below-average rating of 2.5 stars.

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

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

  • 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.

Diamond Premium Adult Formula

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 29% | Fat = 20% | Carbs = 43%

Ingredients: Chicken by-product meal, whole grain ground corn, wheat flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), brewers rice, beet pulp, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis26%18%NA
Dry Matter Basis29%20%43%
Calorie Weighted Basis24%40%36%

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”.

In addition to organs (the nourishing part), this stuff can contain almost anything — feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs — anything except quality skeletal muscle (real meat).

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

In any case, although this item contains all the amino acids a dog needs, we consider chicken by-products an inexpensive, lower quality ingredient.

The second item is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The third ingredient is wheat. Wheat is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).

For these reasons, we do not consider corn or wheat 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 ingredient includes brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

By the way, contrary to popular belief, brewers rice has nothing to do with the process of brewing beer.

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. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

Following the natural chicken flavor, we find fish meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1

Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.

We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item2 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With two notable exceptions…

First, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

And lastly, this recipe 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.

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

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Diamond dry dog food is a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken by-product meal as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 2.5 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.

Special Alert

Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been 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 analyze each product, please 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 qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

To learn how we support the cost of operating this website, please visit our public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.

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
05/24/2012 Last Update

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
  2. Diamond Pet Customer Service, 8/11/2010 ↩
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  • Rhinomn

    The grain free dog food people that put down dogs and owners that feed their dogs diamond are weak from the start from show dog breeders. I have a lab and a German shepherd. I feed them diamond and never had a problem. I can tell how good the food does when I pick up the waste. I switch from dog chow, diamond, taste of the wild, Kirkland, science diet, and pro plan. I feed them leg quarters, chicken back, turkey necks. I switch to what I decide. They can adjust to dry, raw, or little left overs. My dogs don’t get sick. My dogs are dogs. Some people have weak dogs because they have helicopter dog owners. Switch up dont feed the same stuff to your dogs. Remember treat your dog like dog.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Thanks Shawna, fresh it is!!

  • Shawna

    While we are on this topic :) I found a paper once that showed the benefits of four different plant extracts against heartworms. In order to find the paper I googled the scientific name for garlic and the scientific name for heartworm “allium sativum dirofilaria immitis”. Ginger “extract” (in vitro) was 100% effective within a few hours of killing heartworm. Garlic was also 100% effective but took 4 hours. Since then (about 5 years ago) the paper has been changed to read all worms not just heartworm..

    I just googled again to see if may they had changed again or if there was some other info. Didn’t find that but did find additional info on ginger and heartworm.

    “Dogs, naturally infected with Dirofilaria immitis, were treated with the residues of the alcoholic extracts of the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale (ginger). Twelve subcutaneous injections of the extract given at 100 mg/kg reduced microfilarial concentration in blood by a maximum of 98%. Fifty five days after the last injection there was 83% reduction in microfilarial concentration suggesting partial destruction of adult worms. Half of the treated dogs showed some lethargy at the beginning of treatment possibly due to the mass annihilation of microfilariae in blood.” http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1719512
    NOT suggesting people use ginger extract for heartworm instead of normal preventatives, just thought it was interesting..

  • Shawna

    No, I think you will lose a lot of benefit when freezing.. The most active ingredient in garlic from my understanding is called allicin. Allicin forms only when the clove is damaged (crushing, grating or being eaten by a bug). Allicin is garlics protection mechanism..

    Once activated (created actually) allicin has a short lifespan. Some suggest as short as 30 minutes. I don’t see how we could grate the garlic, mix it in the food and have it frozen through in that time frame. Not to mention the time involved in defrosting, prepping and feeding too.

    Because of this, in my opinion, it is best to feed the garlic freshly crushed/grated. Or to by a flash frozen product that is guaranteed to have active allicin.

    For those that like to research — when googling use allicin in the search criteria instead of garlic.
    This research paper states that garlic is effective at killing giardia, “multidrug resistant” strains of ecoli, candida and others. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10594976

  • Pattyvaughn

    Next garlic question
    I make batches of homemade raw sometimes and freeze it. Am I damaging the garlic too much by freezing it, should I only add it fresh after thawing right before feeding or do you think fresh grated, mixedin then immediately frozen is good enough?

  • Shawna

    Morning Mary :)
    Ummmmm, I haven’t tried coconut oil as mine is almost always solid and it takes me about 30 minutes to feed the dogs as it is.. But yeah, I imagine it would work too… And gives more benefit then olive oil—especially to dogs.

    Because I have 8 dogs (and 2 grand kids), work full time, give classes etc etc I try to find time savers where I can.. I make my own supplement for the dogs using a variety of herbs, enzymes etc. I add unsweetened coconut flakes/powder to the mix that gets put on their food with ever meal. They get coconut oil too — just not regularly.

    We came into contact with pink eye.. Myself and the kids got infected but our immune systems kicked it before it developed into “pink” eye (more below regarding my exposure). However my daughter had full blown “pink” eye. She used garlic to treat it.. Unfortunately she had consumed all the olive oil treated garlic and when my eyes started feeling itchy with debris there was no garlic… Ughhhh… The itching was pretty intense and I didn’t want to put oregano oil or garlic in my eye so I decided to try coconut oil… All be darned if the coconut oil not only relieved the itching but it also helped my immune system kill off the bacteria and I never fully developed “pink” eye. Took two days to fully clear. Good stuff!!!!!

  • holy_grizz

    I’m assuming coconut oil would work just the same right with coating? That’s what they already get with their feeding.

    I love watching the “kids” go bonkers over meal time when I pull out the jar.

  • Shawna

    OMG, LOL :) Thanks Patty :)
    If you are giving fresh grated, raw garlic I think 1/2 clove 3 to 4 days per week is good for that weight. Going up to 1 clove (especially if a small clove) won’t hurt from the recommendations given by Dr. Shawn but when using regularly I think garlic has a synergistic affect so more may be more then is needed. If pup comes down with something then you can increase to 1 clove per day…
    The olive oil trick works with the dogs too. Haven’t had one yet (including all the foster dogs) that wouldn’t take it that way. With them, you can even grate the garlic in enough olive oil to cover and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes then mix in with food and serve. :)

  • Pattyvaughn

    OK Shawna
    You just convinced me that I have been far, far too conservative in garlicing my dogs. So if I’m giving them garlic 3-4 days a week, how much should I give my 40lbs dogs per day? 1/2-1 clove each? And thanks for the olive oil tip, that’s genius! I’m sure glad you get to rambling;-)

  • holy_grizz

    Oh yeah…

    Grizz, Grizzy, or whatever works.

    I may be blessed but certainly not of the Divine nature. Nor immaculate or even very pious. ;) Although, my name IS Mary. Hehe. (Mary works too).

    Or if you want to continue with holy_grizz, that’s just fine. I’m perfectly comfortable sitting on my high horse atop a pedestal… ;)

    Thanks again!

  • holy_grizz

    Ah, you truly are a Godsend. Thank you! And no worries about your “ramblings”, trust. I’m a forever learner and always enjoy expanding my mind on any subject.

    I will definitely add those links and Goldstein’s work you provided to my ever-growing list to things to read. Did I mention I’ve got at least 2 bookcases devoted solely to books I have yet to read, then there’s what’s on my ereader, now add to that the vast world of what is called the internet…lol.

    Will definitely check into the ELISA test so I have a better understanding of that, as well.

    And I love garlic, luckily! It’s just when it comes time to munching on that raw clove that causes a little problem. Never thought about storing it in olive oil, maybe I’ll try that. Glad to know that it keeps.

    All right, I’ll have to end it here as I’m ready to crash. Dang pup thought 3 am was a good time to start wildin’ about and stayed that way anytime I thought about getting some shuteye.

  • Shawna

    Round two :) I’m the queen (I think) of rambling :) ..
    My family uses garlic for everything.. My daughter was having her guts come up and mine was going down — not sure if food poisoning or what but we both ate raw, fresh garlic and we both were clear after several hours. I continued one more dose and my daughter did not. She apparently didn’t clear enough of whatever and she started getting ill again a day later. More garlic and she too cleared the bug.
    We also use garlic for pink eye, ear infections, flu/cold symtpoms etc… We RARELY go to the doctor.. I’ve gone once in probably the last 7 or 8 years and that was when I broke my foot last Christmas..
    Peel garlic (or buy already peeled) and put the garlic in a jar filled with olive oil (enough to cover the garlic). This will keep it from drying out and going bad. Can be stored this way for quite some time. The olive oil cuts the bite significantly and doesn’t seem to damage the effectiveness. Take it out as you need it. My 2 year old grand daughter will eat garlic (raw garlic) this way..
    Garlic is WONDERFUL when used as a salad or veggie dressing. Olive oil with a clove or two (or more if you’re like me :) freshly ground into the oil (I use a chocolate grater — EXTRA fine) and spices (we like Braggs Sprinkle). Use the dressing within 20 to 30 minutes of making for the most benefit (the most allicin). We like it on salads and fresh steamed green beans or brussel sprouts.. YUMMMMMMM
    Garlic has inulin and FOS so is a prebiotic to the good gut bacteria (while killing the bad guys). Garlic stimulates the immune system (the macrophages if I remember correctly) for several days after eating. Kills MRSA, yeast etc..
    Of course, it is counter indicated in cases of anemia or if surgery is expected it should be discontinued before the surgery..
    We grow wild garlic in our back yard :) ..
    See, I told you I was a good rambler :) …

  • Shawna

    Hi holy_grizz :)

    Thought you might find it interesting to know that Dr. Martin Goldstein in his book “The Nature of Animal Healing” refers to garlic as a pancea (or “cure all”)… :)

    Dr. Shawn discusses quantities on his website. I think his recommendations are higher then what is necessary (at those amounts the dogs may have some intense garlic breath :) .. I give my 5 to 14 pound dogs 1/4 to 1/2 clove daily for 4 days then I discontinue for 3 days. Or you could give garlic every other day. I also quit for a bit in the winter and give sporadically or as needed. I’ve used it successfully to treat kennel cough, giardia and coccidia. Sorry, getting side tracked — here is the link to Dr. Shawn’s site http://www.petcarenaturally.com/articles/natural-supplements.php

    Although Dr. Shawn doesn’t feel there is benefit for pest control, Dr. Becker does and I found data on Colorado State Universities Extension office site showing benefit for mosquito control. Here’s Dr. Becker’s page
    http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/03/31/dangers-of-flea-and-tick-problems.aspx

    I wanted to note that the test performed on the dog is important. The ELISA test does not distinguish between vaccination or infection — in other words a vaccinated but non-infected dog will test positive. Keep the below in mind after booster is given…

    “The enzyme-linked immunsorbent assay (ELISA) performed by our collaborates in the Diagnostic Laboratory of the College of Veterinary Medicine is very useful if the dog has not yet been vaccinated against Lyme disease – many vaccinated dogs develop antibodies that the ELISA and other tests cannot distinguish from a dog’s antibody response to tick exposure.” http://bakerinstitute.vet.cornell.edu/animalhealth/page.php?id=1101

    In that same webpage above it states “The proportion of infected dogs that develop clinical disease is far smaller than it is for humans. Serological studies suggest that while more than 75 percent of the dog population in hyper-endemic areas may be exposed to infected ticks, only about five percent of those exposed actually develop clinical signs that might be attributable to Lyme disease.”
    I think there are likely cases where symptoms are present but not attributed to lyme disease—-at least until more recent years.. However, I will also say that a family member was REALLY ILL for years until she was diagnosed with lyme and treated holistically. The odd thing, her family (she was a teen at the time) was tested and brother and both parents also showed lyme infection but to this day have not been ill. Are healthy immune systems able to keep the bacteria in check?? The answer seems to be yes.

  • holy_grizz

    Thanks for this post Shawna. I am going to continue to research on garlic and its antibacterial properties. While I don’t think it will be a cure-all, it may be beneficial. During this year’s check-up, my Australian Shepherd was diagnosed with Lymes Disease. My heart just broke…

    We live in the midwest, in a pretty heavily infested tick area. Up until now, he was considered healthy. Fortunately, he does not suffer from any of the physical ailments associated with Lymes. He’s as spry as ever. He just finished his round of Doxycycline and got his first booster.

    But considering that he’s a winner, along with eventually going raw, I think we’re going to prevail.

    We’ve also got ourselves a 3 month Malinois. At her last visit, the vet asked if we were planning on giving her the Lymes booster. I decided to withhold for now, at least until I can do some more research on the topic, as this has been my first run-in with Lymes. I’m also a little bit of a naturalist at heart, and not too fond of shots, injections, and other treatments that may not be necessary.

    I’ve heard contradicting opinions on whether garlic is good for dogs. Does anyone have an opinion and/or know what’s a safe amount to give?

    I recently read on here that when an owner feeds their dogs a more healthy diet, that in turn, influences us humans to reexamine our health and lifestyle, usually for the better. So true! LOL.

    It’s totally reminded me about the many benefits of garlic for us human folk including against cardiovascular disease, reducing cholesterol, resisting parasites and viral infections, and um, keeping those pesky vampires away ;) Eating a clove, can sting like a mother… though!

    Anyway, pardon my rambling. And thanks again for your help!

  • InkedMarie

    Hello. Mine get Darwins, a pre made raw, in the mornings and Brothers Allergy in the afternoon.
    (I have fed The Honest Kitchen dehydrated with good results as well as Acana, Orijen and Nature’s Variety’s limited ingredient turkey, all with good results.)

  • Pattyvaughn

    I’m not Marie, but I feed Brother’s and raw.

  • Classeymassey2

    hello. i would like to know what you feed your dogs?

  • BryanV21

    I’m now laughing at you too. You’re talking about letting dogs be dogs, but you’ve already said you feed them food that is far from natural for dogs. We’re not trying to change dogs into eating grains and such… YOU ARE.

    You want the truth? You’re wrong… get over it.

  • InkedMarie

    I can only speak for me but I am against Diamond as a company, because of the recalls. I looked above, at the ingredients (which is one way I judge a dog food) and mine will not eat this because I do not like by product meal in my dogs food. I also don’t like all the grains. I do not have a foo foo pooch, I have dogs. Mine just happen to eat top quality foods, which I think is important. Mine also have an owner that does not insult others on a website. That’s a plus for them too. 

  • Shawna

    I wasn’t going to include this but I can’t help myself :0)

    Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria carried by the tick.  Allicin (a chemical in garlic) is known to be one of the most powerful antibacterials around (even kills antibiotic resistant MRSA).  Between a healthy dog’s own immune system and a small but regular dose of garlic — lyme bacteria don’t stand a chance.

    I haven’t found any scientific evidence supporting garlic for lyme disease but there is anecdotal evidence like this here (lymes in people (which is much more prevalent))  http://www.betterthangreens.com/For-Lyme-Disease-Dept/241/

  • Shawna

    I like this Dr. Becker video ;)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgiTnBlmp28

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Alexandra –

    I have been giving my dogs “No More Ticks Herbal Tick Remedy” (10 drops morning and evening in their food, Sundays off). It’s supposed to help ward off ticks and if they do get bit helps prevent the dog from contracting tick borne diseases, I get it from pethealthandnutritioncenter.com. I also use Sentry Natural Defense topical (cinnamon oil, peppermint oil, lemongrass oil, thyme oil)every two or three weeks. With the raw food and these products I’ve found no ticks (and I live in an area with a lot of deer and a lot of lyme disease), also just be really diligent about checking them as long as you find the tick before it’s been on there for too long and remove it properly it shouldn’t transmit anything.

  • Alexandra

    HDM and Shawna,

    Hi. I am so happy that you posted this. :-)

    My dogs are on Brothers Complete for one meal and they get raw for the other. This year I decided to skip chemicals and have been bug free. My friend has an American Mastiff and she eats Earthborn and raw tripe. We make tripe for our dogs every few months. Anyway her dog tested positive for Lyme and I have been concerned with my crew as she is five minutes up the road, so similar environments. Any suggestions?

  • Shawna

    And to add to your comment HDM — a “species appropriate” raw diet prevents fleas. 

    I have a girlfriend who has raw fed HIGH quality raw meats (organic, grass finished etc) for years.  BUT, she used a premix with high amounts of grain in it (NDFS I think is the name).  She’s had HORRIBLE problems with fleas in past years..

    I finally convinced her to ditch the NDFS and use Preference and Steve Brown’s premix.  One of her pups went through a significant cleansing crisis (HIGH liver enzymes etc — luckily her vet is Dr. Jean Dodds and Dr. Dodds recognized it was a cleanse and had her stay the course).  Dodds had her wait three months and then do a second blood panel — ALL numbers are way down or normal again.  :)    This season (she is in California so the season is long) her pups are considerably better however I’m guessing it will be a full year before they are all healthy enough to be completely flea free…  She refuses to (and never has) use chemicals so it can be a major battle for her. 

    Species appropriate raw diets — you can’t beat em in my opinion :)

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Shawna –

    Just a comment on the flea and tick thing…it’s really amazing how healthy/raw fed dogs don’t require flea and tick meds. I always had my dogs on Advantix and would still have flea problems. The last summer before I switched to raw my dogs and cats were infested (note they were all on topical AND oral flea medications and I was spraying the house with knockout weekly, I ended up having to hire an exterminator). This summer since I had had them on raw over a year I decided to go chemical free and I’ve found no fleas and no ticks and my dogs are outside in the woods and the yard a lot. The fleas and ticks are horrible this year because of the mild winter and I’m having no issues. I haven’t found any ticks but I’ve already had two snap tests done this summer just to make sure and they both turned up clear (I know of three people that have their dogs on Frontline or Advantix and have had them test positive for lyme…and my vet told me she has already had numerous lyme positive dogs). I’m so thankful I was able to cut out the chemicals – with even better results!

  • Shawna

    Bigbluram ~~ your ignorance about dogs is quite amusing.  A “real dog” that is not a “genetically challenged breed of dog n try a real dog like a beagle”..

    HAH — Beagles are genetically predisposed to an IgA deficiency.  Which makes them far more suseptible to allergies and intolerances.  This is quoted from the Merck Vet Manual

    “Dogs with IgA deficiency, like their human counterparts, suffer mainly from chronic skin infections, chronic respiratory infections, and possibly allergies. The IgA deficiency of Beagles appears to be due to a defect in the secretion of IgA, because IgA-positive cells are present in normal numbers.”

    Better get your facts straight before you go dissin on my “foo-foo pouches”.  :)

  • Shawna

    You act like ALL us dog OWNERS are also breeders..  GUESS WHAT — we aren’t :)

    Additionally, if you are so concerned about keeping dogs in their natural state — then why the h-ll are you feeding them KIBBLE..  How unnatural is kibble…..  AND CORN. 

    News for you :) , my chihuahua is on a much more “natural” diet and likely MUCH MORE HEALTHY then your dogs..  Here’s one way we can test this — do your dogs require flea/tick meds?  Mine don’t — they are healthy enough to not attract parasites to begin with :) ..  Truth hurts!

    Please watch your language too.. Young adults are on this site.

  • Bigbluram

    All I’m sayn is if people would stop treating dogs like they r human and let them b dogs they would be much more tolerant to illness. By breeding dogs to act the way people want a pet to act instead of letting nature have its way people have bred too many weak traits into most breeds. I don’t have any of the health issues with my hounds others I kno have with their purebred cunt dogs . My dogs are purposley bred to hunt n not b sick all the time and it works. Ask anybody with deerhounds that hunt them hard and they will agree with me . If yall really loved dogs so much u wouldn’t breed such weak animals… I kno the truth hurts but get over it…

  • melissa

    Bigbluram-

    If I were not laughing so hard, I could probably respond better and take you more seriously : ) If your hunting breed could not handle running in the field, then I would be very concerned over the quality of the dog. However, since genetically this is what they were bred to do, I would most certainly expect them to handle field work over say a chihuahua or doxie.

    If you like Diamond products, then good for you-however, many of us are sick and tired of the recalls, and we choose to feed a much higher quality food to our dogs.

  • BryanV21

    Yeah, that’s a great way to try and make a point… insult people and their pets. Good work, and thanks for the insight. *rolls eyes*

  • Bigbluram

    I don’t know y everybody is so against diamond dog food, that is all we feed our deer hounds n they all do great. Maybe hall should stop gettineg inbred genetically challenged breeds of dogs n try a real dog like a beagle or walker. I promise u my dogs will run ur foo-foo pooches into the ground as they run 20 to 30 miles a day during hunting season n never seem tired. Must b the shitty food I feed them….

  • Crystalske

    I recently switched to Diamond “thinking” I was upgrading to a better food.  I switched the proper way, over the coarse of a month and two and a half months later, my Shepherd suddenly  seems lethargic, his coat is dull and has extreme loose stool.  I even thought he was starting to get hip dysplasia. After some research and talking to a nutritionist I have switched him to Earth Born and in the last month his coat is great, his stool is smaller and firmer and his energy is back. I will never buy Diamond again.

  • doggonefedup

     yeah I think a great dane saved him from the penguin or the catwoman or something like that and he was so greatful…..well you get the picture.. :-)

  • Eve’sHumanMom

    I wondered whatever happened to Burt Ward, aka Robin.  Now we know : -)

  • doggonefedup

    One more point about dog foods. My grandparents had a German Shepherd dog that lived a long healthy life of 16yrs on nothing but Strongheart canned dog food. 
    Also Gentle Giants dog food web page is  http://www.gentlegiantsrescue.com
    As you can see Gentle Giant dog food profits go to support  the Gentle Giants dog rescue and adoptions organization, and you can get it in Walmart…They don’t just donate to a dog shelter, they ARE a dog shelter, and the largest of its kind.

  • doggonefedup

    Hi Allie,
    I’ll apologize now, but I have to chime in here and add my two cents about dog foods.
     some years back a dry food became very famous and highly saute after because it produced a very soft and very shiny coat on dogs. It was a mink food called Eukanuba designed to do exactly that, produce soft shiny fur to be used to make mink coats! Many dog breeders used it for their show dogs for that spectacular looking coat in the breed ring at shows. The side effects of that food dramatically shorten the life of those poor dogs. It also caused many other problems with bones and digestive systems of dogs. It was suspected of causing several other problems too.  So I wouldn’t put too much in the condition of the dogs coat from any food!
     In Humans with diabetes both type one and type two the first rule is low carb diet to control insulin levels in the blood.  Darford’s carb count is 42 which is on the high side! That will increase the amount of insulin your dog will need to keep blood sugars stable. Sounds to me like you may be just loving your dog to death!!!!  I have been using Diamond dry foods for more than ten years most recently Taste of the Wild. I mix with fresh home cooked meats and my 11yr old German Shepherd is just as healthy, active, and playful as my 3yr old German Shepherd and is showing no signs of slowing down. Hows that for a track record? I rotate the types and brands of dry food on a regular basis. How would you like to eat nothing but pizza and tomato juice every meal 3 times a day for the rest of your life? You would get sick of it both physically and mentally. Well the same goes for dogs. They need a periodic change of food also.
     I’m not saying anything bad about the food you are using but if your dog is diabetic you would be best off adding enough fresh lean meats to your dogs food to lower the carb count to below 35 and the fat count to below 11 and see how your dog does on that. You may find he will need to depend a lot less on insulin.
     In all honesty you should change the foods your dog gets all the time, just like if he were out in the wild. Just stay away from the “meat-by-products” and vegetable glutens and you can go from the cheap $0.50 /lb to the $90.00 /lb foods and your dog will be just as healthy as the dog that survives only on the $75.00/lb dog foods.
     Want to try a food that has a better track record than Darford?  Google Gentle Giants dog food. Burt Ward makes this food for dogs and grows all the veggies on his own farm and only uses human grade meats, all in his own quality controlled manufacturing facility. He has great danes that are  18 and 20 years old on that food. Oh and by the way it costs about one third of what Darford costs!
    NUFF-SAID!

  • melissa

     Hi Allie-

    I see you have fed your dog this food for perhaps 3 1/2 mths-prior to that, you fed him Rachel Ray-he is 10 yrs old. RR has not been around for 10 yrs, so what did you feed him prior to the Rachel?

    YOu really do not need to respond-its simply to point out that you did NOT feed high quality food PRIOR to your dog becoming diabetic-that means you have fed him many years worth of crap yourself. Please do not lecture people on what they should  not feed and think that because you suddenly “saw the light” that every one else is something less than a loving pet owner.

    Also, I just googled their “plus one ” program- it does NOT say for every bag bought a BAG will be donated. It says for every bag bought, a MEAL will be donated to a shelter or rescue dog-So I wonder how many bags have to be bought to equal a full bag worth’s of meals?

  • Erich

    Allie, you sound surprisingly immature, even for a dog food message board.

    Spend some time thinking what you may have done to cause your dog to become diabetic, and warn people about that.

  • Eve’sHumanMom

    Allie, it’s clear that you are thrilled at having found a great food for your diabetic dog.  Just don’t get so carried away that you put down others for not making or not being able to make the same choice.  Some of us who visit this site are just trying to find the best possible food within our means.  If, for instance, that means I am feeding a three star food, so be it.  I don’t want to come here and be blasted for trying to find the best three star food I can afford. 

  • LabsRawesome

     Allie, It’s not about loving your pets, it’s about budgets. It’s not nice to accuse people of not caring about their pets based on what they can afford to feed. We get it, you are in love with Darford. That’s great. But don’t put people down that can’t afford expensive dog food. That is very rude. I help homeless pets every day. I adopted 4 from a kill shelter, 3 cats & 1 dog. You need to come back to reality, and stop thinking that you are better than everyone else, just because you pay 4 bucks a pound, for highly processed kibble.

  • Allie

    I did alot of research to find the Darford Turkey and Chicken Zero/G food. With all the recalls, don’t you think that is a smart thing to do!!! Keep feeding your dog this crap and it will die. I love my dog.

  • Allie

    I did not mean to offend you. I am very concerned about dog food. It does cost more to make good food with good ingredients. Certainly everybody knows that. And when you buy one bag of dog food for your dog, a bag of dog food is donated to a shelter. Darford helps feed homeless dogs until they are adopted. I spend less on me so my dog can have better food. And if you can put all them ingredients in the food you make and feed another homeless pet, have at it. 

  • Marie

    Wow, that’s a rambling Darford manifesto if ever I saw one…

  • LabsRawesome

     Allie, Do you feel better about yourself after you rip on people? It’s great, that you can afford to spend 4 dollars a pound for dog food. Most people can’t. So good for you. Personally, if I were able to spend that amount, I would feed raw, because kibble is the most inappropriate thing that you can feed your dog. It is highly processed food pellets. Canned food is actually more species appropriate, and cheaper.

  • Allie

    You all are crazy feeding your dog this food. It has been known for years the problems with this food. You all talk about how cheap it is. DAAAAAAA!!! Known fact you get what you pay for. Do you eat cheap crapy food, probably not!! But you will feed cheap food to your best friend. I never fed any of this food to my best friend. I fed him Rachel Ray for awhile (cheap, but never had a recall). Now I feed him Darford Turkey and Chicken Zero/G dog food. Full of nutrition, he loves it. It is a little costly, but he is 10 yrs. old now, has diabetes for 3 1/2 months and needs nutrition. It’s great for his BG’s and his skin and fur are very healthy again. I wish I would have known about Darford dog food before my dog got diabetes. Live and learn. I’ll stick with Darford dog food (no recalls and good ingredients). Give it a try, your dog may thank you in the long run. lol I must tell you I am so glad that when my Cosmo got sick with diabetes and the Vet wanted me to put him on WD I said NO!! I will find a better dog food. WD is crap (NO NUTRITION WHAT SO EVER IN THIS DOG FOOD) also on the recall list, made at the same factorys as so many other name brand dog foods all on the recall list. I did my research and found Darford. Yay, for once in my life I used my head. My husband said to me 2 days ago, my goodness honey Cosmo’s fur is looking really shiney did you just give him a bath with some new shampoo or something. I said no honey its the Darford dog food you spend $20.00 for 5 1/2 pounds of. He said well I guess its worth it. I’ve never seen Cosmo shine like that. Never told him how much I spend on it until then. So this is a huge part of my every day life trying to keep my diabetic best friend alive!!! ^_^ Google Darfood dog food. See what ya think and good luck with your furry friends… I think we should band big dog food companies that buy a name brand dog food, change and cheapen the ingredients and don’t tell the people but keep the name. So wrong and sad our government allows it… I will check often to make sure Darford does not do this… Best to all and your furry friends… Darford is also on facebook!!!  

  • Cdy61006

    I agree. Their staff was so unsympathetic. I have a 3 month old human baby and was freaking out as I had a bad lot number. They not only didn’t care but were rude. Last year I found something that looked like a smashed mouse in a bag. I sent it to them. They said it was a string from a bag with fuzz on it. The pet store said no food produced in that facility uses strings. They are not to be trusted. I’m finished with them!

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  • GyFy

    May 4, 2012 (date corrected): The CDC has issued a salmonella outbreak warning regarding Diamond Pet Foods (of Meta, Mo) dry dog food (the bacteria strain is the rare salmonella Infantis).  Diamond has issued recalls of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food; Diamond Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula; Diamond Puppy Formula.  Humans who have been contaminated with salmonella are located in Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.  No deaths have been reported.
    http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/04/11542826-recalled-dog-food-tied-to-salmonella-outbreak?lite

  • GyFy

    May 5, 2012: The CDC has issued a salmonella outbreak warning regarding Diamond Pet Foods (of Meta, Mo) dry dog food (the bacteria strain is the rare salmonella Infantis).  Diamond has issued recalls of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food; Diamond Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula; Diamond Puppy Formula.  Humans who have been contaminated with salmonella are located in Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.  No death have been reported.
    http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/04/11542826-recalled-dog-food-tied-to-salmonella-outbreak?lite

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  • Jan_Mom2Cavs

    You are right Scitex, they have had recalls and they do make private label pet foods for other companies.  But, just so you know, Chicken Soup is actually a Diamond company brand.

  • Scitex

    Diamond has had recalls before. They make many private label pet foods too, such as, Kirkland and Chciken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, etc.

  • Scitex

    Diamond makes Kirkland.

  • tnlabowner

    I was feeding my Lab puppy the Large Breed Puppy Lamb and Rice formula.  She became ill with diarrhea and, after two vet visits and two negative fecal tests, learned of the recall.  She improved within 24 hours of stopping the food.  What really bothers me is that Diamond is insisting the puppy formula is not in the recall and is refusing to consider that the it may be contaminated.  It is too coincidental that my dog was fine, at the food, became sick and is fine again once the food has stopped.  Things happen, recalls happen – I will NEVER trust this company again based on how I have been treated by both their customer service dept and staff vet.  

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4YOUNPFLYBMVQ5VWRAYIN2DS2Y Sharkvictim

    Dude, please read my review there has been a major recall on Diamond dry kibble.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4YOUNPFLYBMVQ5VWRAYIN2DS2Y Sharkvictim

    Diamond Dog Owners Beware!!  Orlando is reporting that Diamond Pet Foods said it is recalling it Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal and Rice dry dog food as precautionary measure, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No illnesses have been reported and no other Diamond manufactured products are affected.
    Individuals handling dry pet food can become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
    Pets with salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
    The product, Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice, was distributed to customers located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, who may have further distributed the product to other states, through pet food channels.
    Product Name Bag Size Production Code & “Best Before” Code
    Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice 6lb DLR0101D3XALW Best Before 04 Jan 2013
    Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice 20lb DLR0101C31XAG Best Before 03 Jan 2013
    Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice 40lb DLR0101C31XMF Best Before 03 Jan 2013
    Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice 40lb DLR0101C31XAG Best Before 03 Jan 2013
    Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice 40lb DLR0101D32XMS Best Before 04 Jan 2013
    Consumers who have purchased the Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice with the specific production and “Best Before” codes should discontinue feeding the product and discard it.
    For further information or to obtain a product refund please call at 800-442-0402 or visit [link removed by moderator]
    Just a little FYI and a lot of people donot know this but DIAMOND MAKE TASTE OF WILD!!

  • bluemoonpitty

    I recently started my dogs on Lamb and Rice and I will never by a Diamond product again!!!!!  My dogs are all in amazing shape and after feeding this product they have been having major issues….loss of hair, vomiting, bloating, and the list keeps going.  One of my dogs go so sick that I have to bring him to the vet and get him on an iv drip!  I changed to a different lamb and rice brand and within a week my dogs where getting better.  Beware of this product!

  • S Stack

    Please email me at s.stack@comcast.net Trying to put together a list of customers that have had problems with the Lamb and Rice. Thank you!

  • S Stack

    I have purchased Kirkland Lamb and Rice for years. Recently all of my dogs were sick and one had to be put to sleep last Mon. There is something going on with the Diamond manufacturing company because when I called, the vet said they have received no complaints. THEY LIE!!! Even Costco corp is dragging their feet. Beware of Costco pet food for right now until this is investigated.

  • Jonschroeder96

    bought a bag of diamond lamb and rice formula. my dog of 12 years kept getting sick after eating it. took to vet and had to   put bob to sleep. Just adopted another dog and fed him the same. he is getting sick also. like an idiot it took me to long to put it together to stop feeding bob the food. hopefully my new dog buddy will be ok.  I’ll never feed diamond food to my friends again!

  • Sirgarruovl

    Dawn,
       You can make your own dog food cheaper and you actually know what they are eating….  I pressure cook chicken legs and thighs  till they are mush so they can eat bones and all…I add brown rice, eggs, mixed veggies, tuna or salmon, apple sauce, vogart or  cottage cheese, brewers yeast, a little molases.. I make it fresh twice a week…then i give them  a little cheap k ibble…just so they have something to crunch on…they look beautiful and makes me feel very content.

  • Jkpatrek

    I recently purchased Diamond Senior and cant beleve  the different kinds of food they have in 1 bag, it looks like pieces of Kibbles & Bits mixed in!! This is the 2nd bag in a row like this! Dont waste you money, buy a different brand

  • Jan_Mom2Cavs

    Does the bag say “Naturals” anywhere on it?  If so, then that’s the answer.  If not, then maybe they took out the corn in the small breed puppy formula of regular Diamond, Idk?

  • Indianasnow

    I have a bag of small breed puppy and it doesn’t have corn in it. is this a new formula or just this kind of diamond food?

  • Bartman322

    corn is not bad for a dog unless it has an allergy.. everyone falls for the claims saying this is bad or that is bad. By products are not bad either, may be gross but not bad. Look what a dog would eat in the wild, it eats everything.
    I have shepherds and had them for 40 years. I raised 3 shepherds on 3 dog foods throughout their lives to see if there really is a difference. One was on Diamond premium adult (they all started on Diamond large breed puppy), the other was on pedigree and the third was on Taste of the Wild. Let me say all three are identical in health, appearance and energy etc. They are littermates and if you saw them you would have NO idea which dog was on which food. The vet comments at how well they look and are doing. They are 12 and 1/2 now, not a pup by any means for a shepherd and I never had them to the vet except for shots. The only difference is my pocketbook. THe money I save on Diamond and Pedigree is huge. That savings goes into an emergency vet fund.

  • Mackdaddyo

    Kirkland is made by Diamond…

  • Anonymous

    Smiley…….

    I bet your gorgeous rotts, could get even more gorgeous on a grain free(white potato free too) diet.
    dogs dont do well on grain. your dogs are strong,
    they need meat! down the road the sugary grains will
    make them sick. my black lab is a monster, now that he’s on grain free. good luck.

  • Smileydagirl5

    I started my male and female rotts on Diamond Puppy. They ate that for two years, now they eat Diamond Maintenace, Lamb and Rice, or Diamond for large breeds. Lately we have been feeding them Kirkland due to the boiler explosion at the Diamond factory. Needless to say these 5year old dogs took to the Kirkland dog food immediately. Also, I have to add that I jave received a ton if compliments on how gorgeous they are. I attribute their looks to the upbringing they received from Diamond products.

  • Smileydagirl5

    I started my male and female rotts on Diamond Puppy. They ate that for two years, now they eat Diamond Maintenace, Lamb and Rice, or Diamond for large breeds. Lately we have been feeding them Kirkland due to the boiler explosion at the Diamond factory. Needless to say these 5year old dogs took to the Kirkland dog food immediately. Also, I have to add that I jave received a ton if compliments on how gorgeous they are. I attribute their looks to the upbringing they received from Diamond products.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jay… Check out my review of Red Flannel by visiting the Search by Brands link on the left sidebar of the DFA website. Hope this helps.

  • Jay

    just want to no if red flannel is good for my pitbull thanks

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Ooh, you’re right Mike. I confused them too! Too bad! It would have looked better for them if they had cleaned up their regular line…

  • Natalie

    I have to feed large breed…looks like it must be the natural line. I just grab what my feed store “Pet Club” carries, didn’t realize how significantly different the ingredients are. Apologies, my bad. It’s a great food though (DN)! For the price, my fur-kids are happy, healthy, beautiful, and no allergies! :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Sorry, my ‘helpful’ auto correct is at it again! That should say, “There’s a few ingredients in there that I’d avoid,…”

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Hi Natalie, I’m glad to see they dropped corn,… But that’s still a lot of carbs in the first 10 ingredients:
    Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, white rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, dried plain beet pulp, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal,…

    There’s a few in greens in there hat I’d avoid but,
    I’ll be interested to see how the new review stacks up, when Mike gets to it. :-)

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Natalie… Just checked the Diamond website against my review here and I find they are an identical match. And my review is up to date.

    Have you confused Diamond Dog Food with the company’s other product line, Diamond Naturals? It’s easy to do.

  • Natalie

    Hi – you should consider updating the food ingredients list for Diamond dry dog food. It is actually quiet different than what you have listed here. Their website has specific info provided. My research, and knowledge of the product is actually pretty good. I was surprised it had such low rating here. It should probably be updated to reflect more accurately.

  • http://www.adomesticfriend.com Sharon

    Hi Alissa
    I agree with you I think DN is a very good food. I have a friend that changed from Pedigree to DN and her dogs hasn’t looked better. Buying food from a retailer I would go with DN.

  • Alissa

    I have been feeding Diamond dog food to my border collie and shi-tzu for about 3 or 4 months now and have had great results. Before I made the switch, I was feeding them Pedigree, which my border collie seemed to be getting sick on. The Diamond food helped out a lot! Both my dog’s LOVE the food, and my border collie hasn’t gotten sick since switching to it. And they’ve both got a ton of energy now. I would recommend this brand to anyone.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sharon… When it comes to food, dogs are a lot like us humans. They don’t always like everything we offer them. Waiting until your dog is hungry enough to eat might not be the answer. Do you really want to wait until your dog is starving? Maybe your puppy simply doesn’t like his food. Why not try something else. Raw food? Or topping his food with a canned topper? Or why not try a different kibble? Hope this helps.

  • Sharon

    I my 7 month old black lab puppy on the puppy formula lamb and rice. for some reason he seems that he dose not want to eat it unless it has flavor put on top of it like cicken flavoring. Why would that be? he will eventualy eat it if it sits there all day…

  • Robin

    Thank you Meagan and Melissa.
    It’s very helpful to hear your responses. If you have fed it for some time I’ll stay with the brand (at the higher quality). That was just the day after the first visit. If it doesn’t work….any 2nd suggestions?

    Robin

  • melissa

    Robin-

    If there is a potential for allergies, I would go with the Naturals-corn/wheat/soy free rather than the lower end line of just Diamond.

    Melissa

  • Meagan

    Robin- Try diamond Naturals they have a lamb and rice formula and the Diamond Naturals line is rated four stars. My dogs loved it!

  • Robin

    Hope this isn’t a repost…it just doesn’t show. Just wondering if Diamond is the best lamb/rice choice as our vet suggested a “brown” food of this mix for our 4 year old Dalamatian?

    Thanks

  • Robin

    We just recently switched our 4yr. old dalmatian to regular Diamond Lamb and Rice after a suggestion from a vet that his ongoing ear issue might be an allergy to the dye in Beneful and said to try a “brown” lamb/rice formula. After reading this review I’m not sure what to do. Any suggestions as he is a most beloved member of our family and we want to do whatever is best for him even if that is a more expensive food?

    Thank you.

  • Debbie

    I don’t think you read the ingredients part on Diamond web it tells what kind of fish they use and an explanation of their ingredients. Don’t you think you should do your research before putting down a product I feel like the other guy we put to much into dog food. They try to drive you crazy thinking you aren’t doing enough for your dog, I have seventeen as I live where there are not shelters and I have to feed them the best I can and worry about price. Diamond makes better food than market brands and I am happy with it I am not going to let people make me think I am not doing enough for my dogs this is a money racket, I did do research on dog food and almost let it drive me crazy. Like the other reader said dogs eat garbage and even their own poop!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Frank… As you already know, we select a representative example from each product line for our review. However, in some cases, when we find what we refer to as an “outlier” (a product dramatically different in its ingredients and meat content than the others), we review that recipe in its own separate report.

    Here, the ingredients used in the Performance formulation do not appear to be notably different than our example (Premium Adult). The reported protein content differs on a dry matter basis by just 4% (which it should, of course, for a performance-type dog food). So, we do not consider these variations to call Diamond Performance Formula an outlier and entitle it to its own review.

    Jonathan’s suggestion of a 2+ or 3- is spot on for my feelings, too. But we’re splitting hairs.

  • Jonathan

    Frank, it’s lovely that your dogs do well on it. but here is the food you are touting.

    Chicken, chicken by-product meal, whole grain ground corn, wheat flour, egg product, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), beet pulp, fish meal, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

    Protein: 30% Fat: 20%

    It’s the same ingredients. Just higher amounts of the fat and protein. That doesn’t overcome the poor quality of wheat, corn, and by-products. I would say that since this product line contains no chemical additives, it does look more like a 2+ or a 3-.

  • http://www.bayoumagicretrievers.com Frank Price

    After trying several of the prominent name foods we switched to Diamond Performance. For the past 5 years Diamond Performance has delivered very good results for our working and competitive dogs. We compete in AKC retriever trials which are very demanding on canine athletes. Those same dogs are used extensively for waterfowl hunting and some upland hunting in tough conditions. Our dogs have earned Field Champion, Amateur Field Champion, and Master Hunter titles competing at the highest levels of the sport. To collectively rate Diamond based solely on one of their products in my opinion skews the rating unfairly. Please rate the Performance on it’s own merits. I understand that time is a premium. Your efforts are appreciated!

  • Cindy

    Sorry, I just realized that Extreme Athlete is actually listed under the Natural which I didn’t see earlier! I will repost there! Thanks…

  • Bob K

    Cindy – Check out Diamond Naturals available at some Menards and Tractor Supply Company (TSC) and other places, or Kirklands available only at Costco. Both are 4 star foods.

  • Cindy

    I’m wondering if anyone is feeding Diamond High Athlete? It seems to be comparable to TOTW. I’m thinking about switching from Pedigree which I now realize is a horrible food but I’ve had all my dogs on Pedigree and no one has had problems except for one GSP who I can’t keep weight on. I’m putting him on Taste of the Wild. The others are rescue dogs and I have 14 so I can’t afford to feed them all TOTW. Any suggestions? Also on TOTW do you actually feed less? Cuz if so, then that might be an option. Thanks in advance for your help!

  • Nakita

    I currently have my 5.5 month old American Pit Bull Terrier on the Diamond puppy formula, mostly because it was the best food I could find locally. I settled for it with slight reluctance when I read the ingredients, but the breeder gave her to me with a bag of Iams Naturals so I figured it was at least better than that for less money. And it’s about as sub-par as I expected – she has large stools and (very) bad gas. She also sometimes smells yeasty, and when she got her adult coat in it started shedding very badly and feels slightly oily.
    So I checked out Tractor Supply to see what kind of selection they had for kibble, and another customer there recommended 4Health to me. I bought the 18 lb. bag of the puppy formula and I’m going to start mixing it once her bag of Diamond is eaten down a little more. I’m hoping she does better on it! The most recent reviews on the 4Health food have made me a little apprehensive, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that those cases were just flukes!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Diane… I get the impression from reading your question, “what has happened to your product” that you might believe you’re writing to the manufacturer of this food. I only review dog foods here. I don’t make or sell them. It’s best to contact Diamond Pet Customer Service to ask them your question. Hope this helps.

  • murphy

    I have been feeding diamond for a quite few years now I am very disappointed in it, it not the same. I feed the green sack,premium adult. it was the best I could find, but now it has change, it dose have no meat smell it also change in color more like corn, lots of corn,no oil in it at all,as before it did, lots of poop to clean up now my dog dont seam to like it as much I raise yorkie I like the small bite that all. I looking to change brand. my daughter also raise puppies she feed it also she is not please with it also to much poop to clean up, it also gone up in price also. would you please tell me what has happen to your product that I was please with before. thank Diane

  • Jonathan

    Haha! I type slow. you beat me by two minutes!

  • Jonathan

    You must be looking at this food at the store…
    http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/diamond-naturals-dog-food/
    This is Diamond’s “premium” food, and as such, it is corn, wheat, and soy free. and it’s a pretty good food!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Dawn… Since so many folks are now abandoning their pets, I’d like to thank you for doing what you can to take care of your your dogs’ needs in these difficult times. What may be causing the confusion here is that Diamond actually makes two different product lines… regular Diamond Dog Food (covered in this review) and another known as Diamond Naturals. Maybe that’s why you’re seeing two different lists. Hope this explains your issue.

  • Dawn

    Hi, we are looking for an affordable dog food for our two family pets…one I think has skin allergies to corn or wheat or something. So we switched to Nutra Source…she has been doing good on it…but we are in a financial crunch…and my own food has to suffer, sorry, the dogs has to as well. I can’t have steak, neither can they.
    We are looking at the Diamond brand…and the bags said no corn, wheat or soy fillers…is this not true…cause you are saying that they have them in it.
    Would like your thoughts on this, thank you.

  • Jaret

    Hello Mike…thank you for your explanation and I do appreciate all the time and effort you put into your work. It is still very helpful. Thanks again

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jaret… I can see where you would feel these two foods are similar. But they’re not. Diamond Naturals (not regular Diamond) represents the Diamond product line similar in quality to Kirkland. The Diamond products you speak of here use lower quality (and cheaper) sources of meat and wheat by-products in their recipes.

    By the way, the primary reason we rate by product lines rather than individual products is simply a matter of time and value. Our database of over 400 product lines has taken (so far) two years of daily effort to create and contains over 2,000 dog foods. And the recipes are constantly changing. I wish I could find the time to rate each and every product on the market. But unfortunately, at this time, I can’t. Thanks for your thoughtful suggestion.

  • Jaret

    Not sure how you can rate Diamond lower than Kirkland when its basically the same thing. Diamonds Performance formula is almost identical to the Kirkland Adult Dry that I use..It seems you rate these foods on a whole and not break it down by the indvidual formulas that are available.. While I appreciate your reviews it would be much more helpful if you rated indivdual formulas and not pick just one and then rate the whole brand based on that one formula. thanks

  • Ellen

    I have been feeding Premimum for over 20 years without any problem to German Shepherd Dogs and also particular dogs when I had a boarding kennel. I also show my GSD’s and their coats are in good condition, their weight is good and they eat it readily dry or moist if I choose to do so for something different. I have had not any adverse effects, bloat, tortion, stools for the most part are good. I do feed it to my puppies also, but sometimes feed them something else that doesn’t have as much fat/protein. I feed not supplements. Price is great and product is also. Some of these other foods are so highly priced and are in the same catagory!

  • Kay Nine

    Humans make too much drama over anything. I mean, come on, they are dogs.

    Dogs dig thru trash cans to get to the chicken bones from the Humans’ gorge from KFC 3 nights ago. They eat raw eggs and don’t get salmonella. Beef blood and fat gets gobbled up too with out any concern over E-Coli.

    Dogs roll in the dirt & lick their balls. They are not going to know the difference in a $10 bag of food and a $60 bag of food.

    If Pup’s not suffering… then it the food they are eating is okay.

  • Jonathan

    If they just relaced Chicken By-product meal with chicken meal, or even at least used chicken meal AS WELL AS the by-product meal, this food could be a 3 star food, me thinks. They should get on that.

  • Megan

    I have a 3 year old american pit. I have had him for two years and have always fed him diamond natural lamb and rice with no corn or soy. He is in wonderful shape, nice bone structure, and no health problems. I would reccomend diamond natural dog food to anyone.

  • Lisa

    I have been feeding Diamond adult premium for about 8-10 yrs, I have anywhere from 8 to 10 dogs at any given time. I show these dogs and they are in great shape, Nice healthy coats, good stools and they love it. I don’t do anything but dry. I even start my puppies on it, and never have had pano, or joint problems. So I think that this dog food craze is getting a bit crazy, As dogs eat everything in the wild and I think we have more problems with dogs at younger ages,because of all the human interventions. Not saying I never supplement, but alot of this stuff just doesn’t help your pet, getting puppies from good breeders, help most of all. Not your local pet store.

  • Mark

    Thanks Mike! I’ll be looking forward to your review!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Mark… Don’t believe all the hype over beet pulp. You’ll find it in some of the better dog foods. On rumor suggests the ingredient turns a dog’s tears a reddish color. Since beet pulp is made from sugar beets, it is white (or cream) in color, so how can it do this rumored dirty work?

    All the foods you mention here appear to be of good quality. So, you can’t really go wrong. Be sure to buy a small bag at first just in case your dogs don’t do well on your new food.

    By the way, we’re planning to cover Professional Dog Food soon. So, stay in touch and set up a feed to your email box for all the latest.

  • Mark

    I’ve been looking for reviews of Professional Chicken and Barley dry dog food, but I’ve been having a hard time finding anything. Since it’s made by Diamond Pet Foods, how would it compare to the reviews here? I have two pit bulls that I’m looking to switch from Purina One to something a bit better, but I’m nervous when I see dried beet pulp listed as an ingredient. At this point, we may have it narrowed down to Annamaet, Professional, or Blue Buffalo. Any thoughts?