Diamond Naturals (Dry)

I doubt that they use different ingredients. In fact,I know they don’t. That is why when Diamond manufactured foods are recalled, it winds up being pretty much all the foods they manufacture, because they are all being made with the same ingredients.

Absolutely!! And there are literally hundreds of reasons that a dog food can be recalled. That is a major reason I like the idea of a rotational diet. I don’t ever want to be caught again with nothing my dogs can eat.

That’s why I like to rotate brands, you never know if a food you’re currently feeding could be lacking in something. Or just as bad, be too high in a vit/min.

They had a cat food recall in that time frame though, or so I heard. I never really bothered to check it out.

Not that I’m defending Diamond but, ANY food has a chance of being recalled. Recently several different companies have had recalls for Salmonella, ect. and surprisingly, none of the recalls have been for Diamond made foods. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recalls/

Both foods are made by Diamond, but they are not the same food.

For example, the first 5 ingredients in Diamond Natural’s Small Breed formula:

Chicken
Chicken Meal
Cracked Pearled Barley
Ground Rice
Egg Product

The first 5 ingredients in Kirkland’s Small Breed formula:

Chicken
Chicken Meal
Whole Grain Brown Rice
Cracked Pearled Barley
Chicken Fat

They’re definitely similar, but not identical.

Maybe they dont like the beef flavor specifically. One of my dog’s did not eat the Lamb and rice but he eats up the chicken and rice.

You do realize that Diamond makes most of Canidae’s food, right? I believe there is only a small geographic area in which the food solid is actually manufactured in Canidae’s own plant, the rest of the country gets it manufactured by Diamond. So, depending on where you live, there’s a good chance you’re still feeding a Diamond made product.

It has had one recall that has expanded twice. Diamond, on the other hand, has had numerous recalls over the years that have killed people and their pets and as soon as people start thinking that they haven’t had a recall in a while, it might be safe to go back to them, they have another recall, proving that they didn’t learn anything from the last however many recalls. If you are informed about what you are feeding and choose to still feed it then more power to you, but people have a right to be informed.

What are you feeding your pug? On low carb kibble mine eat 2/3 – 3/4 cup total per day and still get treats.

You are aware that they just had a cat food recall, right?

Hi Patrick-
If you go to the Diamond Naturals website, you will see that they give the ingredients, calories, and guaranteed analysis for each of their varieties and flavors. Typically, if one of the varieties of a certain food rate higher, it is due to having a higher protein and fat percentage resulting in lower carbs. The other ingredients are most often very similar, just more meat. It would be very difficult for Dr. Mike to rate every variety and flavor of every brand.

PS — excitotoxins and sugar also make foods taste good which could explain why the new food isn’t as big a hit.

Thanks for the reply. That could explain it. We feed individually, at the same time and measured amounts. We found, a long time ago, that they each have favorite eating spot. Now they just expect their own bowl in their favorite spot away from each other. They rarely will eat from the other bowls even if a little is left over.

I recently found this site. I hate to admit it but we have been feeding our dogs Beneful for years. They loved it. They have never been sick. We live near a large university with a school of veterinary medicine. They are seen by an old professor from the university. We told him what we feed them. They always get the thumbs up at the annual visit. He just says to keep doing what we have be doing. Based on what I read here, we switched to Diamond Naturals. I was shocked to see that they were getting 1 star food when this 4 star is available, from our local farm store, at almost the same price per pound. They don’t like it as much but they do eat. Our dogs are 12, 6 and 5. The oldest dog will often only finish about 3/4 of her daily feeding. They have really cut down on barking, playing and overall exciteability. Since switching, they have become lazy and almost lathergic. Is this just a sign that they are more content? They don’t seem sick or unhealthy, they just aren’t the same. It’s almost time for their annual visit. It will be interesting to see whart the professor has to say.

Ahhhh I see.

I agree with you. But your comments should have been directed to Dakota, because that’s the person who made the crazy generalization not me.

So I guess my comment makes sense.

Ummmm, maybe SOME dogs, but not all dogs. You really shouldn’t make such a broad statement…

this food gives dogs diarrhea and bladder stones

LOL!! I’ve always eaten potatoes that way (the few that we eat). They literally stick in my throat if I don’t. Hubby used to ask if I “wanted a little potato with my butter”… Well yes, yes I do

Yes I noticed that part!

I’m liking this though:

“consumption of potatoes with plenty of butter or other animal fat in the context of a nutrient dense diet should be enough to mitigate the effects of phytate”

So, I’m interpreting this as meaning as long as I slather my potatoes in butter and make sure I’m taking my multi I’m all good? LOL!

OH SNAP!!!

Did you read this

“PHYTIC ACID IN potatoes , YAMS AND SWEET POTATOES

White potatoes have 0.111-0.269 percent of dry weight of phytic acid, a level approximately equivalent to the amount in white rice. Cooking does not significantly remove phytates in potatoes, but consumption of potatoes with plenty of butter or other animal fat in the context of a nutrient dense diet should be enough to mitigate the effects of phytate. Yams contain an amount of phytate equal to or less than that in white potatoes, and sweet potatoes contain no phytate at all.”

I have to eat my words about white potato!!! At least as far as phytates goes.

LOL, I think my brain has hit its capacity. Seems as I learn new things, old stuff gets pushed out.. UGHHHH Fourty-six years old and I’m losing data!!!

Oh no, another book to read!

Ha, just kidding, another good read. I’m gone to have to reread a couple more times to get it all to “soak” in.

Hi losul, the calorie count for the Chicken formula is 376 kcal/can. The Beef is slightly higher at 383 kcal/can.

I like Nature’s Logic too. And the pseudo-grains (amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat and millet) are nutritionally superior, some feel, to other grains but they too have drawbacks.

The best source of info on phytates that I’m aware of is Weston Price. NOTE – they are discussing “phytase” which is the enzyme that deactivates “phytates”. This is kind of a moot point really as I highly doubt kibble manufacturers “prepare” the grains, nuts and seeds they use but it demonstrates that millet is not exempt from some of the issues seen in “normal” grains.

“Not all grains contain enough phytase to eliminate the phytate, even when properly prepared. For example, corn, millet, oats and brown rice do not contain sufficient phytase to eliminate all the phytic acid they contain.

Phytase is destroyed by steam heat at about 176 degrees Fahrenheit in ten minutes or less. In a wet solution, phytase is destroyed at 131-149 degrees Fahrenheit.31 Thus heat processing, as in extrusion, will completely destroy phytase—think of extruded all-bran cereal, very high in phytic acid and all of its phytase destroyed by processing. Extruded cereals made of bran and whole grains are a recipe for digestive problems and mineral deficiencies!” http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/living-with-phytic-acid

On a very positive note however, the pseudo-grains do not feed candida and are a good choice for candida diets if when can’t do home prepared, commercial raw or dehydrated.
There is a lot more too it then what is posted above so anyone interested should read the whole article.

ITA, too! And, I’ve learned a valuable lesson in that you truly have to look at the merits of every food and each individual ingredient in them rather than just jump to a default sort of “grain free” list.

Agree with everything you said here!!!!

You wrote “I just don’t think people should lose focus on what really matters and that’s protein.” Especially agree with this!!!!!!! Species appropriateness…..

I agree with you about maximizing protein — you know I do… But, you don’t have to “properly prepare” potatoes or tapioca to make them edible. Potato is not going to cause a zinc deficiency. Yes, the manufacturers (I sure hope at least) add zinc to compensate for what is bound to phytates in grain inclusive foods but is it enough for every dog?

Does every manufacturer cook their food in a manner that deactivates the enzyme inhibitors in grains? I have read that potato has enzyme inhibitors as well but either their simply not as well studied or possibly not as problematic in a cooked food?

I don’t recommend Taste of the Wild cause even though the food is grain free it is still too high in carbs. But for a dog that is not reactive to potato, I would chose TotW over a grain inclusive food even if the grain inclusive had 5% more protein. It’s highly possible that that 5% came from the oatmeal or barley anyway. Extra protein is only beneficial if it is bioavailable after all.

Just my opinion though

Fromm actually has the same rating as Diamond Naturals. 4 Stars.

I have to take issue with your logic…”I could not name you a company who has had salmonella recalls who uses human grade ingredients.” I know you are referring to dog food companies that have recalls, HOWEVER…you cannot use ”human grade” food as a basis for logic…as we are ALL AWARE, the ”human foods” suffer FREQUENT RECALLS themselves from our Human Food Stores for Salmonella…

Mike, I agree with your position to just evaluate the food because it’s not if but when a food will be recalled. Our best defense really is to be informed and then act.

With the recent recall by Diamond, for example, because it was only the lamb formula we switched our dogs to beef and suspected that Diamond would rebound fast, and they did. We could not be happier with Diamond Naturals.

I came to check if you have yet rated the new DN Grain Free line and, what I see on this feed so far, I’m thinking of just staying were we are. We rotate Diamond formulas between winter and summer because our dogs activity changes. Their eyes are white, coats are rich, and they are quite alive. Don’t visit the vet often either.

Your ratings here have helped me to stick with Diamond Naturals. We found the brand when our second of 2 rescue dogs come with the LB Lamb Puppy formula. I would keep the dogs on this formula because its rated for all life stages, but the excellent vet staff at Diamond informed me otherwise. They also were quite helpful in the portions to feed the dogs, as well as to give them yogurt when ( the first dog ) started on the Brand due to soft stool and gas. I find the Diamond vets know more about dog food than all of the vets we’ve had for our dogs combined.

Keep up the great work, as I’m always forwarding your updates to my circles through email and FB.

For someone like you who feeds a diet of predominantly species-appropriate fresh and canned foods and only a very small amount of kibble – the kibble isn’t going to have a significant effect on the nutrient analysis of the overall meal regardless of the percentage of protein. So in a case like yours, I don’t think it would be a huge concern. However, for the average person who is feeding kibble as the main component of the diet, I strongly feel maximizing protein regardless of whether a food is grain-inclusive or grain-free is the smart thing to do. The risk of mycotoxin contamination can’t be avoided by avoiding grains – foods like potatoes can be contaminated with mycotoxins as well (http://health73.homestead.com/). I also know from personal experience grain-free products are not exempt from mites – I received a package of Blue Wilderness biscuits from on online order and upon opening the package found it full of mites. Feeding a grain-free food wouldn’t ensure avoidance of GMO’s either as many ingredients found in grain-free foods (especially the lower cost grain-free foods like the Diamond manufactured products) contain canola oil, beet bulp, tomato pomace, etc. which are all among the 10 most frequently genetically engineered foods.

Hi Labs –

I’d definitely go for a high quality grain-inclusive (Nature’s Logic, Dr. Tim’s, etc. etc.) over a “lower” protein grain-free food. White potatoes, legumes, tapioca, etc. aren’t nutritionally superior to grains and aren’t any more species appropriate. Dogs don’t need or process grains very well, true, but they don’t need or process white potatoes, tapioca or legumes any better. IMO – feeding dogs is about maximizing protein content. For example, the new Diamond GF formulas have only 24% protein and their Extreme Athlete formula has 32% – I would pick the extreme athlete formula. You add high protein toppers to the GF and you might get it up to 30%, you add high protein toppers to the extreme athlete and you can probably get it over 40%. This is the problem – consumers are being led to believe potatoes, peas, lentils, tapioca, etc. are nutritionally superior and more species-appropriate than grains when that’s not the case. A dog is not more likely to be munching on a white potato in the wild than they are to be eating oats.

Hey HDM, I have to disagree for a couple of reasons. The possibility of grain mites, mold, and also the fact that dogs don’t need or process grains very well. And then you also have to take into account the protein boosting effects of the grain. This is also true for the peas ect in the gf foods. Also, boosting a lower protein grain free kibble is easy. I add a high protein gf canned as well as fresh proteins. I think for people on a budget that can afford to add these extras, a lower than optimum protein gf kibble can be a good option.

I agree. Diamond’s new grain-free food isn’t any sort of improvement over their grain-inclusive formulas – purely marketing I’m sure. It’s just disappointing to me because creating a grain-free food is the perfect opportunity for companies to better their product, yet most companies are just producing grain-free products that are of equal or lesser quality compared to their grain-inclusive formulas. These companies are just trying to get a piece of the profits and, unfortunately, many will buy into it. I’ve come across so many people that think just because a food is “grain-free” it’s automatically superior to a grain-inclusive food. Sure, a dog with sensitivities or allergies to grains will benefit from a grain-free food no matter the quality, but for the average dog I’d go for a high protein grain-inclusive formula before I’d touch any of these new grain-free foods coming out from companies like Hill’s, Purina, Rachael Ray, etc. etc.

With the current “grain-free” fever that seems to be sweeping the pet food industry, I knew it would only be a matter of time before Diamond got in on it – it seriously seems like every company is trying to cash in on grain-free. Noticed on their site today that they’re launching “Diamond Naturals Grain-Free.” The line will have the same varieties as the 4Health Grain-Free line – a beef based kibble, a chicken based kibble and a fish based kibble. However, the protein levels in the Diamond line are quite a bit lower than the 4Health line – only 24%. I haven’t been able to find any websites selling it (not sure if it’s even hit shelves yet) but I’m sure it will be a budget-friendly grain-free option for those that aren’t opposed to using Diamond foods.

http://www.diamondpet.com/products/diamond_naturals_grain-free/

A friend of mine was feeding the puppy food to their GSD when they wanted me to babysit it. The food smelled so bad, I couldn’t stand to have it in my house. When they got back, I told them I would love to babysit their dog again, if they changed the food.

We got a bag and it smells awful it doesn’t even smell like dog food and I’m very afraid that if I give it to her it might hurt my dog…..

Have been feeding my 2 dogs, a German Shepherd and an Affenpinscher the lamb meal & rice for the past 3 years or so. My GSD did not do well on other foods that had lots of corn and chicken. I fed them Blue Buffalo lamb & rice but switched to this because it was a much better value.

Dr. MIke has reviewed all of Blue’s formulas. The formulas range from 3 1/2 to 5 stars. Check out the reviews and the threads with the reviews to see feedback from people who have fed the food.

HI Kan-

Sorry, but I do not play “pass the buck” Whether bad meat or contaminated something else came into the plants, ultimately its Diamond’s responsibility to perform those 100 plus quality checks they boast about BEFORE they turn those products into kibble and sell it-not after. The responsibility lies with them, no one else. They have to have recalls to ensure things don’t happen again? Get real. I don’t need to mow down a line of nuns to know that drunk driving is unacceptable, nor do I have to get arrested to know I would not do it. I say baloney. If ones standards are high, one does things to prevent the reasonable, rather than react after the damage is done. Rather than reply on recalls why not set the bar on what is acceptable and what is not? Employees perform to the standards set by the higher ups, not the other way around.

Nobody here puts people down for feeding a less expensive food. In fact, Nutri Source is one of the less expensive foods that are frequently suggested. We do try to educate people about the risks of feeding foods that Diamond makes and other manufacturers that don’t care about quality, but that is not putting people down. For what it’s worth, if some other company made Diamond’s foods, I’d use them. They have some good foods, but they can’t be trusted. Yes, they had some recalls, after the FDA started breathing down their necks. But what the FDA found at the plant when they inspected it was unexcusable to me, normal operating proceedure to them. They don’t care about the health of your pet, they care about $$ period.
I totally understand not being able to feed the best, I’ve been there. But that doesn’t excuse dog food companies for bagging up poison and selling it as healthy to unsuspecting pet owners. People often pay more for a name, instead of paying for nutrition, so I obviously don’t think buying a big name brand is the answer.
You obviously haven’t done enough reading around here if you think you have everyone pegged. By the way, I was feeding NutriSource to my dogs until just recently when I got a new pup with health problems that couldn’t handle NutriSouce, so I think you do pay what I pay. Your the one doing the judging.

Hi Kan-

I always tell people to do the best they can with what they can afford. If that is ProPac or if its raw, so be it. I do however, have a problem with people who CAN afford to feed better than Beneful, know better and choose to feed it because “its just a dog”. I rotate amongst brands, usually 4 or 5 star, but if money was an issue, I would pick one and stick with it until the money issue resolved and not feel guilty in the least as I would know I was doing the best I could, with what I had for my “family”.

With that said, due to reoccurring QC issues, there is no way I would feed anything made by Diamond, ever again. I would go with Pro Pac(corn, but no recalls).

I’d give up my dogs before I resorted to feeding anything from diamond.

It has happened to many companies, not just Diamond! Many reacalls even on your expensive brands you people buy and then put people down since they cant afford the foods YOU can afford

Hi kissesfrommattie –

Don’t feel guilty, I did the same thing with my oldest dog. Gus is about 7 1/2 years old now, when I got him I wanted to take very good care of him and that meant feeding the best food, of course. When I took him to his first vet appointment I told my vet I wanted to feed him the best food and asked her what the best food was. She told me that Purina products were the best. I had recalled seeing a commercial on TV for this super healthy looking food called “Beneful” (at this time it was fairly new to the market) – meat and veggies, it had to be good. So I asked her if Beneful would be a good choice, as it was made by Purina, and she told me it would be a great choice for my new pup. So on to Beneful Gus went – up until this point my dogs had always eaten Dad’s and I thought I was making a huge improvement. Well fast forward about 4 years and I started working at a humane society. One day at lunch we were discussing dog food and I stated – all proud that I did so well for my dog – I feed Gus Beneful. One of the techs then explained to me that it’s full of dyes, sugar, corn and by-products. I was disguised. I immediately went online when I got home and started researching – I could not believe that my vet had steered me wrong. I immediately switched him to a higher quality food – continued researching and began rotating between several other higher quality foods (3 and 4 star foods). I then began to feed grain-free foods, rotating through several of the 4 and 5 star foods. Then I started topping with canned and fresh food. Then I got my second dog – Gertie. At this point (after all my research) I wasn’t convinced kibble was the best so I put both Gus and Gertie on The Honest Kitchen and Tripett. Six months later I switched both Gus and Gertie to a homemade raw diet. I now have a third dog, Mabel, who has been on raw since I brought her home in August. Never again will I trust a vet with nutritional advice. Luckily Gus seems to have suffered no ill effects from his 4 years on Beneful and is a happy and healthy senior.

I am so upset with myself! I have been feeding Beneful to my dogs for years! The vet said it was fine, so I thought it was okay. They have been healthy, thank God, but I am not going to take a chance! I can’t believe all the commercials and seal fresh bag with meat and veggies on it and it is a 1 star dog food! The packaging and advertising is all I was paying for! Maybe use that money to make a better quality dog food. I don’t trust Purina at all. I switched to Diamond Naturals Lamb meal and Rice. It looks boring, but who cares, the bag is not as strong, no big deal! It is less expensive than Beneful, the dogs love it and it was given 4 star rating. I will never be so naive again…. I am so sorry my sweet Mattie for feeding you crap all this time! I am going to spoil my baby!
 

Extreme Athlete has more protein than the other formulas.

But in this case the opposite might be true.  The food might be a very good quality, but because the company is terrible, you just don’t know if you got a good batch or a bad one.  I, for one, can’t in good conscience recommend any Diamond product, regardless of supposed quality.

I used to cook for my dogs until we got so many that it wasn’t feasible. I loved doing it! Maybe someday! Until then, they will get Diamond Naturals.

Use the Diamond Naturals not the regular Diamond. The quality is much better. We have an animal sanctuary with 27 dogs (and other animals). We feed Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice (we have a Newf and they don’t process lamb well, so we don’t get the Lamb and Rice). Our dogs are thriving on it. Great skin and coats, small poops, healthy. I researched dog foods myself a while back and the ingredients in Diamond Naturals are much better than Iams or any of the other “high quality” dog foods.

So far i’m happy with the results, way less poop and they seem to eat less and seem satisfied and their coats seem to be better.

You go from Diamond or Nutro and downgrade to Puppy Chow? Ok then.

I decided not to use Diamond or nutro max. I think i’ll just stick with purina puppy chow they are doing good on it but their coats are dull and dry so i’m giving them a supplement. I’m tired of trying to figure out which food is good etc.

Seriously, you are taking Nutro Max off your list because of an unsubstantiated rumor of a recall, but you’re thinking about feeding a food from a company that you know for sure has had multiple recalls.

Poppyseed, Just look at the diamonds website, it will show you all of their diamond naturals line along with all of the calorie contents in the foods. If there’s ‘too much fat’ and chicken…I doubt that is the case because it is similar to all their other foods. It is more likely that the chicken doesn’t agree with your dogs. Try another version of the food, perhaps lamb. Also if your dogs gained weight, try feeding less portions each day. good luck!

My four dogs love Diamond Naturals small breed chicken and rice.  I used to feed them Pedigree, before I learned about grain and corn allergies in dogs.  My Jack Russell used to vomit a lot after eating, so I switched over to Diamond Naturals in part due to the recommendation of this site.  My dogs are all happy and healthy.  I highly recommend Diamond Naturals.  An added bonus is it is manufactured in the USA. 

Did you mean BHA instead of DHA?

Look and see if it contains fish oil as fish oil has EPA/DHA (omega 3′s).  There are other plant based sources of omega 3 like flaxseed and hempseed and chia seed but my first choice would be fish oil.  You can always give a fish oil supplement. There might also be a mention of the omega 6 and omega 3 on the back of the bag where the guaranteed analysis is.

bob, I feed my dogs according to their wasteline and not some manufactures guidlines. I am sure they would have probably done equally well on any grain-free product, but I chose orijin on the basis of the companies approach, the same way I choose my local organic farmer over Safeways etc. i am not blaming anybody for anything, and as I have said before you are free to choose who ever you want as your supplier of food.

Bob, I pay 3 times as much but feed half the amount so you can do the maths yourself. Now let us total up the vet bills for gunky ears, the worries about them not being as well as they used to be, the pain they suffer (pain meds) and last but not least the time I spent brushing their coats and vacuming the floors. I think it is a bargain. But as i said you can feed your dog whatever you want and you can gorge yorself on McD and fortified food as much as you want. I seriously don’t give two shanizels. You are on the wrong board promoting crappy food for dogs or humans. Summa summarum, I do what I belive is best for me and my dogs and you do what ever you wnat to do. You can feed them poo, diluted with pipi I so do not care, you are responsible for your dogs and your life and I am responsible for mine.

Bob, I changed them to Orijin, which is a lot more expensive, but I ultimatly feed them a lot less as well, because it is not full of grains and fillers that are not particularly usefull to a carnivor. You simply look at the ingredient list. You know just like when you shop for food for yourself. If I shop for my food and the list of ingredients sounds like a chemisty handbook, I simply don’t buy it. We as humans have survived for millenia without having high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, food coloring, soya products, stabilizers etc added to the food. I do pretty much the same thing for my dogs. In short, I do my shopping only in the periphery, where only fresh produce is sold. The only exception is salami, speck and parma ham. It is with all things in life, you gotta do some research to get the information.

We have fed our dogs for years on Kirtlands dry food and have recently switched them to a high quality brand. Yes they did not get sick, but I see a big difference in m y dogs since we switched them to a better quality product. Our dogs nearly 12 years old (90 pound Malamute and Retriver mixes) and have perked up since they have the new food. We can go on longer walks, they have less issues get up and down stairs, the coat is getting better and they loose a lot less hair. One of them had gunky ears and that has stopped. The problem for me is not essentially Diamond, although they have poor manaufacturig standarts, but rather the stuff they put into the food. However, you are free to feed your dogs whatever you want.

 Betsy – Get over it.  In 2012 there were over 3000 deaths in the US for contaminated food not mentioning how many other people were ill and may or may not have sought medical attention.  Do you think our dog food mfgs are any better than human food mfgs?  yes indeed – get over it.  Diamond makes tons of kibble daily.  Can they do better – absolutely.    I have fed Diamond Natural to half a dozen German Shorthairs the last 4 years and know several people who use Kirklands without issues.    Of course – you as a consumer can vote with your wallet.  Perhaps some of the $4.00/lb kibbles give you a better sense of safety.

I have purchased Diamond large breed two times and both times my dogs ended up very sick, my Bassett hound actually almost died.  Terrible company.  

 We have 7 rescue dogs on our quality friesian horse breeding farm . quality food is very important to us and  you have helped tremendously in the over welming sea of choices.thank you so much.
seagailfriesians.com,
gail holbrook

What is your problem with Diamond? MANY dog food companies have recalls. Get over it.

I must say, I worry a lot more over my dogs’ diet than I do my own.  But, ever since I started learning about healthy eating for dogs, I’ve been more careful of my own diet and more aware of what is in things.

I’ve often thought the same thing.

Hi Tenar,

I’m not familiar with the foods you mentioned. The list I posted came from Susan Thixton’s site, thetruthaboutpetfood.com. One thing I do know is that dog food companies can change the manufacturer of their product pretty quickly. To be sure, I’d call or email the parent company and ask them who manufacturers their products.

It is the way of free animals, that they end up costing more than twice as much as the one you paid a pretty penny for.  I hope the Diamond Naturals works for your dog, but if it doesn’t, the antibiotics and steroids your vet will put your dog on will only offer short term relief and end up doing a lot of damage in the long run.  I have a dog with the same problems and so do many of the posters here.  The cure is still with food, so come back and ask questions, because I don’t think Diamond Naturals is going to be the answer you seek.  Good Luck!!

 When we got our Goldendoodle at 2 years old, he already had skin issues and was eating Blue Buffalo.  Apparently skin issues (as well as epilepsy) are not rare for his kind of dog.  The vet did suggest IAMS.  But, he still had his seasonal allergies, and took Temeral-P until the weather cooled. But, he gets bad hot spots.  The vet suggested a food allergy, and talked about testing him.  But, the pet store (not a chain) said to try Diamond Natural.  I am going to try it, since it is cheaper than the medications, which would be antibiotics and progesterone.  My trouble is, feeding three of them different foods, it is hard to manage! 
In the past my dogs were healthy and happy eating store brand kibble for 14 and 15 years! 
My old dog who has trouble keeping on weight actually gets fat with thick fur when she eats Purina Puppy Chow, which is supposed to be worthless!  I guess there is no one can make a broad statement of what is “best” for each dog. 
(We got the Goldendoodle free, and isn’t it just the way with something free, they cost the most!)

Dogs love anti-freeze too.

Does Diamond do all of SG food or just some?

Damm and I thought solid Gold was an independent company. Our dogs love the tripe and hundchen flocken wet food.

Let’s see, good dog food, same price: Nutri Source. Oh, and Nutri Source has never had a recall.

Hi David,

I’m not certain who the “they” to which you’re referring are that believes Diamond only has one product. I would guess that most of those who post here with any frequency are well aware that Diamond produces many products AND that they’ve had numerous recalls which sadly, involves most of their products.

As of 06/06/2012, Susan Thixton (truthaboutpetfood.com) reports the follow brands of dog foods as being manufactured by Diamond:

4Health
Apex
Canidae* (recently purchased their own manufacturing plant – it is not known when they will or if they will move all manufacturing to their own plant)
Chicken Soup
Country Value
Diamond
Diamond Naturals
Kirkland
Natural Balance dry
Nature’s Domain
Premium Edge
Professional
Solid Gold
Taste of the Wild
Wellness (one variety)

Sadly, I had hoped to add Canidae to my dog’s rotation and was of the impression that all of their kibble was now being manufactured at their own plant, Ethos. Having recently learned that not all Canidae kibble is manufactured at Ethos, and is still manufactured by Diamond, I have purchased my first, and last, bag of Canidae, until ALL of the product is made at Ethos. I’ve made that choice because I do NOT TRUST Diamond’s manufacturing standards and that is MY choice, just as you have made your choice to use the products.

Please do not presume that all of us who post on DFA believe that Diamond only manufactures one food as many of us here have done quite a bit of research and have chosen what products to use, or not to use, based on more than just ingredients also.

No one is bashing Diamond because they think it only has 1 line.  And if they had only had 1 recall, people wouldn’t bash them over that either.  A lot of us don’t recommend ANY brand that is made by Diamond, because they have proven they don’t learn from previous mistakes.  They brag about all their quality control checks, but they patch their equipment with cardboard and duct tape.  I’m sorry but I care enough about my dogs that I have to trust the company I’m getting dog food from.  If that’s not a problem for you then good for you, it’s your dogs life. 

Oh by the way, reading is fundamental, you should read the rest of what the FDA found wrong at the Diamond plant in SC and read the posts from the last couple of weeks from people that are having dogs sicken and die now from another Diamond plant.

taste of the wild is actually made by diamond brand

they only think diamond has one line… thats why they bashing it… reading is fundamental… people just have to try it sometime and stop with the he say she say

Hey if your dog has allergies at all I’m telling u 100% get natural balance sweet potato and duck alergy formula…hands down best alergy formula on the market….we tried everything for our beagle who had every alergy in the book…I give my weimeriner diamond naturals because its cheaper and still grain free but if u can’t fix the problem natural balance sweet potato and duck will!

I saw a comment quite a ways down that said “dogs do not get salmonella.” I want to verify that dogs certainly do get salmonella, will shed salmonella for many days after contracting the bacteria and it is a zoonotic bacteria that can infect humans.

Phleb-

There are several good foods you can look for. What is your criteria that is driving your search? Are you avoiding certain ingredients, trying to shop within a certain price point, etc? Most of the concern with diamond foods has to do with quality control and recalls. Fromm foods is a good choice because they are a small family owned business with a solid reputation and no history of recalls. I think they are Wisconsin based. That is only one example of many choices. Check out some of the 4 and 5 star reviews for more great foods. And if you have a small pet store in your area ask them if you don’t see the food you want. They may be able to get it in for you. They often have more knowledge than the big box stores.

Good luck with your search!

Changing to this food reduced the amount and number of times our dog pooped each day. We also believe changing to thus food eliminated her “dog b.o.” which our vet believes is caused by skin bacteria.

Lizzy-

I would not say “most” I would say they make a good portion of the ” economically priced” lines. There are many others brands out there however NOT made by Diamond or the big three as I call them-Diamond, Purina, P&G

Marie-

I belive the current Aughasangel is EllesAceMom-

What? You’re incorrect. Diamond does make alot of dog food but no way do they make “most”. 

hey people the canide and most other high quaility brands of dogfood are all made by the same company as diamond.

Yeah, it’s a pain finding the “good” foods, so I totally understand being frustrated (not saying you are, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you were ready to break stuff).

Stormsmom had a good suggestion, as many online stores offer free or discounted shipping, so I’d definitely check into that. Otherwise her advice about going through the 4-5 star foods here and checking off which you can get would be good.

A couple of things to help break down the list even more though…

1. Go grain free. Whenever I hear a dog is having allergies or issues of any kind, related to dog food, I tell them to pick a grain-free food. Grains are pretty much unnecessary in a dog’s diet, and are often used as filler. By “grains” it means rice, barley, oatmeal, etc. They do have good things about them, but your dog won’t “miss them”.

2. Stay away from chicken and beef, as those are the two highest allergens among dog food. It’s not for sure that your dog is having a problem with the, but you may as well start with something like duck, bison, venison, or kangaroo. Fish is also a good choice. On that note, make sure to check the food as chicken meal is oftentimes used to boost the protein content, and if chicken is the problem then that food won’t help.

Finally, Blue Buffalo does make some grain-free foods called Wilderness, and they have grain-free/limited ingredient foods called Basics. They are good foods, and may be easier to get than ones like Fromm or Acana… two of my favorites.

Is there another food that you have tried that you can recommend? Like i said Blue Buffalo really upset my oldest dogs stomach.(and i eased her into it properly.. almost a mth to ease her into it because i was trying to avoid stomach issues). She was kept on Blue for i say 3 mth after i changed her and she always had gas and bloating.She had loose stools 90% of the time. Being military we move A LOT. So i would like to put her on something i can find anywhere. The vets around here push Iams, but both my dogs have mild skin conditions and Iams contains corn.(from what i understand that is not good for dogs) I did use a local place that made fantastic holistic dog food but they can only be found local.(Delaware Maryland areas) Since we have PCS to the Memphis area i am having the hardest time finding no corn soy or glutton free dog foods. I am not a dog Nutritionist by any means. So my bottom line question… What would be a good dog food that contains no corn, no glutton, no soy? Since my dogs have skin allergies and i have had 5 different vets in 5 different states tell me to stay away from those with dogs that have skin allergies.

So sorry on the spelling/ grammar mistake.I am sure none of you have ever done that. You may call BS on me asking vets about the dog food if you would like but you would be wrong. Especially since you dont know me. There is absolutely NO reason for any of you to be nasty on this site. Passion is fine to have, If you dont like the dog food then just dont buy it. I am sorry to say but the truth is, dog food and people food alike of any brand are poorly regulated. We all take the chance when we eat. Especially in the united states. I went to a dog show this weekend (my very first one with the breeder of my Ace). I spoke to people about what they were feeding their dogs. I heard the brand Diamond come from several of them. Now its true i did not speak to ever single person there so i can not give you a fair percentage. As far as  those of you who got upset when i said my dogs “liked” the dog food, and used dogs eating poop as a good reason to speak to me like an idiot! Do you know why dogs eat their or other dogs poop at times? It is a condition. uUually related to a condition call  coprophagia. You may google it for the definition if you would like, since i know i will just be attacked again. This site is to leave your own personal review. So this is what i have done. Have a great day.

 http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/07/fda-inspection-likely-to-further-implicate-diamond-pet-foods/#.UC30MKAn1rY

Just like a kid would rather eat a McDonald’s hamburger than a perfectly grilled and seasoned filet mignon (even with bacon wrapped around it), a dog is going to want to eat junk food before the stuff that’s actually good for him/her. 

It’s not your job to be a dog’s friend, just like it’s not a mom or dad’s job to be a kid’s friend. Your job is to be a parent to your pets, and raise them to be happy and healthy throughout their lives. I’m glad my parents didn’t allow me to eat candy bars day in and day out, and made me eat my vegetables. 

And just like I love my parents for pushing me to eat well, your pets will love you for pushing them to eat well so they live long and happy.

I have to say that I read your post, and all I could think of was the line “Rumor has it….” In this case, its not rumor, but fact. While human foods have been recalled, I have to say I never opened 8 jars of peanut butter in a row to discover that they contained three different products-none of which was the correct one. Can not say the same for a food produced by Diamond-I spoke in detail about it on the 4Health thread, back towards the beginning of the review.

For me, I have enough things to worry about. getting the wrong food, or a contaminated food should not be one that is front and foremost every time I open a bag. And for the record, I have never had a vet recc Diamond.

I’m sorry, but Diamond having a number of recalls is not “misinformation” it’s “information”. Nor is it an opinion on their recalls, it’s factual. With so many great dog foods out there, and even some around the same price as Diamond, why bother? Why not try something else?

The ONLY reason to stick with Diamond is if nothing else works. And even then I wouldn’t feel that good about it, because who knows when the next recall will happen?

Sorry, but I’m calling BS on the “I have asked many vets through the years…” thing. 

1SmartK9 – To say Salmonella is due to the sheer size if the operation is total BS.  All that proves is that Diamond has poor GMP in place.  Diamond also brags about 151 quality checks they perform on their dog food.  Well guess what – They aren’t following the 151 checks they claim to have or perhaps they need 152 quality checks. 

Sure based on ingredients and price, Diamond makes a great product for the price.  Perhaps Diamond needs to increase the price a little to do a better job with QC, GMP and supplier mgt.  Great dog food that is cheap but not edible and recalled is a problem. 

Wrong, dogs are not 100% immune to suffering the effects of salmonella. It’s rare for it to happen, but it’s not unprecedented.

And adding this recall to the many others does mean people have reason to switch. On the flip side, I don’t believe foods like Taste of the Wild are crap either. For the price I think TOTW is a fine food, actually.

 Dogs do not get salmonella poisoning think about what they eat they think nothing about eating bad meat, raw meat, your garbage there own feces on and on. the recall was made voluntarily to prevent possible contact and contamination to humans.  on factory is contaminated the other factory is  salmonella free all recalls involve the contaminated factory. these factory’s also produce. I have talked to several pet stores I trust and they have assured me these foods are safe. Brands like Ol Roys are the real crap of the world.
Country ValueDiamondDiamond NaturalsPremium EdgeProfessional4HealthTaste of the Wild

ApexKirkland Signature/Kirkland Signature Nature’s DomainCanidaeChicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul

I would get a baseline urine sample for Daisy to see what the pH is and if there are any crystals.  My adopted 8 yr old pug and adopted 5 yr old pug had small amount of crystals when they went for their checkup after I adopted them.  My vet suggested supplementing with Vitamin C to help acidify the urine.  In the meantime, I also upped the protein in their diet and took out grains. So far (2 yrs later) no issues.   As far as the vaccines go, you can ask for a titer instead of revaccinating.

http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/scienceVaccineDamage.html

http://www.victoriabenda.com/articles/jDodds/