Diamond Brand Dog Food

[Molly&Douglas]

Hi, I have kinda been paying attention to all the talk about good dog foods.  We currently feed our Aussie and Goldendoodle Eukanuba brand.  BUT, all this talk about Grain Free has me thinking.  I looked around at the store to see what types of grain-free foods they had and found Diamond Pet Foods varieties.  Particularly thought the LARGE BREED ADULT DOG lamb meal and rice formula sounded good because it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, anti-oxidant formulation, Omega fatty acids, precise protein and fat levels and L-Carnitine.  Has anyone heard of this brand?  It costs surprisingly less than Eukanuba.  

Is the grain-free more for dogs with digestive problems or is it just better over-all?

Thanks!! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I strongly urge you not to feed Diamond. They outsource their ingredients from China and have had more recalls than any other company out there. Do a Google search to see the depth of the problem with this company.

Please choose a brand from our Recommended Brands List. A lot of work and research has gone into it, so that our members can make safer food choices. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, yes, we are very familiar with Diamond Foods. There is no company that has had more recalls than Diamond Pet Foods. If you do a Google search, you will quickly see why we do not recommend any of their products. 

There are several issues here. One is the brand/sourcing, manufacturing and another is the type of formula itself. Another issue is cost. All of these topics have been discussed in great detail in dozens of discussions here in The Food Group. 

Have you looked at our Recommended Brands List? Every brand on the list has been researched to be sure that their products do not contain harmful chemical preservatives or ingredients, and that they source their ingredients from North America. If a brand is not on the list, there's a reason why, and that includes both Eukanuba and Diamond. 

Regarding cost, you cannot determine whether one food costs less than another simply by looking at the price of the bag. There is a wide variation in calorie density from one formula to another. If you have to feed twice as much of the less expensive food, it ends up costing more than the one with the higher price. We also have cost comparisons of many of the foods in several discussion here in TFG, if you do a search or just browse through them, you will be surprised at how much more a "cheaper" food can cost over time.

Regarding grain-free formulas, rice is a grain, so a lamb and rice formula is not a grain-free formula, anyway. Grains include rice, oats, barley, rye, as well as corn and wheat. 

None of the foods that we recommend contain corn or wheat. Some do contain what we refer to as "healthy grains" such as oats or rice. The Recommended Brands list groups the formulas by those that contain grains and those that do not, to make it easier for you. 

Some dogs do fine with a food that contains some grains; others do not. It's often not so much a matter of the food containing grains, but of the foods containing too much grain, which then results in a low protein content. Some grain is fine for many dogs; but a food that is grain-heavy is usually too low in protein. 

It's really not possible to talk about grain-free foods versus food with healthy grains in terms of "better" or worse. Every dog is different. Grain-free foods are also not just for dogs with digestive problems. There are formulas that are specifically made for dogs with digestive problems that do contain grains, usually oats. It's a fairly complicated topic.

I would say that if your dogs are doing well on a food that contains healthy grains, there is no reason to switch. But I would definitely choose a different brand than Eukanuba. 

[Shanen Sadowski]

Where's the "Recommended brands list"?

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Here you go!

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/recomme...

If cost is an issue Blue buffalo or Wellness are probably your best bet.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The list is linked right on the main page of this group for easy access. Right at the top. 

[Molly&Douglas]

Woah!  Glad I asked. Thank you.

[Julie and Charlie]

I think a reasonable question is: why do we recommend Taste of the Wild when it is manufactured by Diamond? Do they source the ingredients differently?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, they manufacture the foods for several other brands, but in those cases, they have nothing to do with the purchasing, it is only their facilities that are used under contract, as most smaller companies do not have their own manufacturing facilities. The company whose brand it is does their own purchasing and decides what will go into the food. And even there, there have been recall issues due to contamination at Diamond's plant. :(