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Review Summary
Diamond Naturals is one of the many pet food lines produced by Diamond Pet Company, a second-generation, family-owned manufacturer. Made entirely in the USA, Diamond Naturals is also sold in 100 countries around the world. With a commitment to producing quality dog food at affordable prices, Diamond Naturals is an excellent option for pet owners looking for a diet that won’t break the bank but still contains many ingredients commonly found in more expensive foods.
We found Diamond Naturals to be a fairly high-quality dog food brand, with a few recall issues and some over-reliance on ingredients with potential links to heart problems that should be suitable for pups with many tastes and diet considerations.
At a Glance: The Best Diamond Naturals Food Recipes:
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Diamond Naturals Beef Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Dog Food |
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Diamond Naturals Grain-Free Whitefish & Sweet Potato Dry Dog Food |
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Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food |
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Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete Formula Dry Food |
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Diamond Naturals Skin And Coat Formula All Life Stages Dry Dog Food |
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Diamond Naturals Dog Food Reviewed
Who makes Diamond Naturals and where is it produced?
Diamond Naturals is manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods, a completely U.S.-based company. Their original production plant opened in Missouri in 1970. As the company expanded, it opened additional facilities in California, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Kansas.
Which type of dog is Diamond Naturals best suited for?
Diamond Naturals is best for healthy dogs that thrive on quality, basic diets without the need for specialized food. This food can also accommodate dogs with some minor food sensitivities because of its fish-based recipess.
Which type of dog might do better with a different brand?
Diamond Naturals is short on options for dogs with true food allergies and pups with sensitive stomachs, especially those that don’t like the taste of fish-based diets. For canines with sensitive stomachs, Purina ProPlan Specialized Skin And Stomach With Turkey And Oat Meal could be a better option. Dogs with severe food allergies may have better luck with the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein recipe.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)
- Meat and Meat Meals: Diamond Naturals relies on real meat and meat meal ingredients as its primary protein sources. Chicken, beef meal, lamb, and lamb meal are all the first or second ingredients in each recipe. Diamond Naturals largely avoids using meat by-products, which are a cost-effective protein source but are considered low quality by some pet owners.
- Fish and Fish Meals: For diets without meat protein, Diamond Naturals uses fish and fish meal. Fish is considered healthy in pet food as long as low mercury varieties are chosen. Whitefish and salmon are both low in mercury.
- Rice, Barley, and Oatmeal: For its grain-inclusive diets, Diamond Naturals avoids using wheat and corn. Rice, barley, and oatmeal are examples of the grains they use, which tend to be easy to digest.
- Fruits and Vegetables: Diamond Naturals includes a variety of fruits and vegetables in all of its meals. Unlike cats, dogs are omnivores that can process and utilize the nutrition from plant sources. Diamond Naturals include unusual fruits like coconut and papaya and superfoods like blueberries and kale.
- Potatoes, Peas, and Lentils: These ingredients are common in grain-free recipes and even some skin and coat foods. The FDA has cautioned pet owners that these ingredients may be linked to the development of a heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM.) Research into these suspicions is ongoing, but it is a point to be aware of.
Where Does Diamond Naturals Source Its Ingredients?
Because of ingredient safety issues regarding ingredients sourced from overseas, particularly in China, many pet owners like to know where their dog food suppliers are located. Diamond Naturals is made in the USA and claims to maintain strict food testing and safety standards. However, they don’t get all their ingredients from America. Europe, North America, New Zealand, Australia, and China are all listed as potential ingredient sources.
Is Diamond Naturals Good For Dogs With Allergies?
For an over-the-counter dog food brand, Diamond Naturals offers decent options for dogs with potential food sensitivities, especially chicken. They have several recipes made without chicken and avoid using wheat and corn in all their foods. However, they don’t offer a limited-ingredient meal, and the only novel protein option they have is fish, which may not agree with all dogs.
A Quick Look at Diamond Naturals Dog Food
- Meat and meat meal protein source, no by-products
- Made in the USA by a family-owned company
- Reasonably priced but uses some ingredients found in more expensive diets
- Decent options for dogs with food sensitivities
- Some ingredients sourced from China
- No true limited-ingredient diet
- Grain-free diets contain legumes and potatoes
Recall History
As we mentioned, grain-free diets are potentially problematic. However, Diamond Naturals was not one of the 16 brands listed on the FDA’s initial list of foods possibly linked to DCM cases. However, Taste Of The Wild, which Diamond Pet Foods also produces, is included on this list.
Diamond Pet Foods has had several recalls and two major class-action lawsuits. However, the last recall occurred in 2013, suggesting that Diamond learned from their mistakes and improved the food safety protocols.
In 2013, Diamond Naturals cat food was recalled for low levels of the nutrient thiamine.
An extensive recall happened in 2012 involving Diamond Naturals and other brands produced by Diamond Pet Foods, including Taste of the Wild, due to salmonella contamination at the South Carolina plant. Humans and pets alike fell ill during this outbreak, leading the company to settle a giant class-action suit.
The worst recall occurred in 2005, also involving the South Carolina plant. In that instance, the plant failed to follow testing protocols and manufactured numerous batches of food using corn tainted with a toxic mold. Several brands were involved, and the recall was wide-ranging because the dangerous products were shipped worldwide to over two dozen countries.
The tainted food caused liver disease and damage in very young dogs, leading to the death of potentially over 100 pets. Diamond Pet Food also settled a large lawsuit in response to the recall.
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Reviews of the 3 Best Diamond Naturals Dog Food Recipes
Now, let’s look at three of our favorite Diamond Naturals recipes in more detail.
1. Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food
Large Breed Puppy Formula is made for large and giant-breed puppies and contains real lamb and lamb meal as the primary protein sources. It has protein-packed grains like brown rice and quinoa as well. It’s highly digestible, so the puppy can absorb as many nutrients as possible, and it includes fatty acids, antioxidants, and probiotics. This recipe contains some ingredients from China.
- Meat and meat meals are the primary protein sources
- Highly digestible
- Contains fatty acids, antioxidants, and probiotics
- Some ingredients from China
2. Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete Formula Dry Food
Made for working dogs and those involved in canine sports, Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete Formula is packed with protein from chicken and egg products. Fruits, vegetables, and grains like white rice add even more nutritious energy and fuel. Like other Diamond Naturals recipes, this one contains live probiotics, fatty acids, and antioxidants for overall health. Because it includes chicken, this is not the ideal diet for pups with food sensitivities.
- High in protein from multiple sources
- Designed to fuel working dogs and athletic pooches
- Not ideal for dogs with food sensitivities
3. Diamond Naturals Skin And Coat Formula All Life Stages Dry Dog Food
For dogs with food sensitivities, this recipe is chicken-free and made with wild-caught salmon, gentle on the stomach, and full of fatty acids for skin and coat health. Free of common allergy triggers like corn, wheat, chicken, and egg, this food is high in protein and contains probiotics and antioxidants. This diet does contain potatoes and legumes, ingredients potentially linked to DCM.
- Free of common allergy triggers
- Fatty acids for skin and coat health
- Gentle on the stomach
- Contains potatoes and legumes
What Other Users Are Saying
Here’s a quick look at what some Diamond Naturals users say about the products.
Chewy: “This food (Skin And Coat) was great for my Lab with dry skin when I couldn’t afford the high-end food they had her on”
- “Picky eaters may not like it”
- “A great deal”
Diamond Naturals website: “I have been using this product since 2001…(my dogs) are full of energy, great coats, healthy”
- “Good quality dog food for an affordable price”
- “Our dogs love it!”
Amazon: Checking Amazon reviews can be a valuable source of information for pet owners. You can read these by clicking here.
Conclusion
Overall, we think there’s a lot to like about Diamond Naturals. We appreciate that it’s made by a family-owned company committed to making higher-quality food at an affordable price. For the average, healthy dog, Diamond Naturals offers multiple recipe options.
This company has a problematic recall history, but they seem to have learned from their mistakes and re-committed to food safety over the past decade. Superfoods, real meat, and meat meal are commonly found in more expensive diets, but Diamond Naturals makes them more affordable. Dog owners concerned with food quality and affordability should find Diamond Naturals well-suited to their needs.
See Also:
Featured Image Credit: Diamond Naturals
