Food irradiation is a process in which foods are exposed to radiant energy, including gamma rays, electron beams and x-rays to eliminate foodborne pathogens. We do not irradiate Diamond products. Food irradiation is not guaranteed to kill 100% of pathogens present and could accelerate the oxidation of the fat, making it spoil faster. If used incorrectly, irradiation has proven to negatively affect vitamin activity, especially vitamin B1 or thiamine. A deficiency of this vitamin in cats can cause several health problems including neurological disorders.
Diamond Pet Foods sources all ingredients from vendors that do not use ethoxyquin.
Phytonutrients are nutrients derived from plant material. Vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes, peas, garbanzo beans, potatoes, blueberries and raspberries provide a spectrum of phytonutrients.
The first ingredient in each formula is real beef, real chicken or real fish. These protein sources provide dogs with the amino acid building blocks necessary for a healthy and lean body condition and give Diamond Naturals Grain-Free formulas the great taste dogs love and the nutrition pet owners appreciate.
*The facility in which this food is made also makes food that may contain other ingredients, such as grains. Trace amounts of these other ingredients may be present.
Dogs and cats require salt in their diet. Sodium and chloride are important minerals for pets, especially for young puppies and kittens. Dietary sodium helps with growth and reproduction. If we didn’t add salt, we would not meet the minimum requirements dogs and cats need. Although our diets are not “salt restricted” like some prescription formulations, they are certainly not high in salt.
At this time we do not have any vegetarian diets. We believe strongly in the value of quality animal proteins for a healthy and lean body condition. We offer a variety of formulas with a variety of animal protein sources to appeal to many different pets and their owners. The blend of amino acids that are found in animal protein sources better meet the nutritional requirements for dogs and cats. This does not mean that a balanced vegetarian diet is not possible, but we have decided to stick with quality animal protein sources for now.
The number of cups in each bag of food will vary by the formula. The kibble in a formula like Diamond Puppy is small and dense due to the high protein and fat content in the formula. This makes it a heavier product than a formula like Diamond Naturals Light Adult Dog. There will be fewer cups of a heavier product because bags are filled by weight.
Diamond Pet Foods offers a diverse line of pet foods, and there is a formula available to meet the needs of every pet. If you would like personal advice on which formula may best meet your pet’s needs, reach out to us via the Contact Us page, and we will work with you on a specific recommendation.
It is best to store any remaining food in the refrigerator no longer than two to three days after opening the can.
We know that sometimes pets, especially small dogs and cats, don’t consume very many calories a day and therefore they may not always eat a full can in two to three days. To not waste your canned food, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray and once frozen, put the cubes in a clearly marked freezer bag or container. When you want to feed your pet, take out a cube, let it thaw to room temperature and feed to them. This also makes a great treat.
Our foods remain freshest when stored in a cool, dry location. The food can be stored in the bag, but make sure to protect it from pests that may be attracted to the food (or hungry pets that may take an extra meal). Many customers choose to dump the food into a bin or container. This is certainly a reasonable way to store the food, but make sure to follow these simple steps:
1. Finish all of the food from one bag before adding another bag into the bin. If you have a small amount left, you can transfer it to a plastic bag so that you can proceed to step #2.
2. Wash the bin with hot, soapy water and dry thoroughly before adding a new bag of food.
3. Cut out the production code and “best before” information from the bag and tape it to the top of the bin so that if you have any questions or concerns, you can provide this information to the customer support department.
4. Store the bin in a cool, dry location. Extreme heat can cause the food to spoil and excessive moisture can lead to mold growth in the bin.
Our foods are not hypoallergenic. There are very few truly hypoallergenic pet foods in the market, and the ones that are, are only available through veterinarians. There is also the option to feed a limited antigen diet where only one protein source and one carbohydrate source is fed. Usually, the protein source is something unique that many pets have not been exposed to before. An example would be a fish and potato diet.
Although Diamond does not have any hypoallergenic diets, or true limited antigen diets, sometimes changing to a diet that contains different ingredients than the one you are currently feeding can eliminate some skin problems. All of our foods contain omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, which help protect the health of the skin and decrease inflammation. Talk to your veterinarian to determine which type of diet is best for your pet.
Mini/Small Breed (up to 25 lbs) Medium Breed (up to 70 lbs) Large Breed (over 70 lbs)
You will find that we add glucosamine and chondroitin to many dog formulas. The levels that are added to the senior dog and large breed dog formulas are higher than the levels in the regular adult dog formulas. This may not be enough to treat a dog with arthritis, but it is enough to provide relief to pets with mild arthritis. Helping your dog maintain a healthy body weight is another very important factor in minimizing arthritis symptoms. Overweight dogs are much more likely to develop arthritis and to suffer from extreme pain associated with the disease.
This is a behavioral problem, not a medical concern. Dogs that eat their own feces or — more commonly, the cat’s feces — are doing so because they like it, they’ve seen another dog in the household doing it and don’t want to miss out or maybe they are bored. Walk your dog on a leash, immediately pick up the feces, and separate your dogs when they go out after meals to help break the cycle. As far as keeping them out of the litter box, the best you can do is put the box somewhere that is not accessible to the dog.
Diarrhea or soft stools is a common complaint from pet owners, especially dog owners who walk their dogs on a leash and cat owners who are responsible for cleaning out the litter box. Dietary intolerances can certainly cause digestive upset, leading to vomiting and/or diarrhea. However, if your pet is not tolerating something in their regular diet, you would expect to see signs of digestive upset everyday, not every once in a while.
For dogs that have occasional diarrhea, the most likely culprit is something they ate that was not part of their regular diet. This could be a treat or it could be something tasty that they found in the yard or on your walk around the neighborhood. It is nearly impossible to prevent a dog from eating something that they shouldn’t. Some dogs do this very infrequently but other dogs may do this on a daily basis. If the diarrhea occurs every time you feed a certain type of treat or a certain type of people food, try stopping this and see if the problem persists.
If your dog seems to occasionally suffer from a bout of diarrhea, talk to your veterinarian about adding a probiotic into your routine or switching to one of our Diamond Naturals formulas that are enhanced with K9 Strain Probiotics. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that support digestive health. Diamond’s K9 Strain Probiotics is the only species-specific probiotic available. These probiotics, found in our Diamond Naturals dog formulas, are developed from bacteria strains found in the canine GI tract, which help reduce the risk of irritation and allergic reaction.
Cats with diarrhea are a bit trickier. Intermittent diarrhea is not that common in a cat. Stress may cause diarrhea, but it more typically causes blood in the stools. If your cat has diarrhea one day and then is fine for months, there is probably not anything that needs to be done. However, if your cat is having intermittent diarrhea, a trip to the veterinarian may be warranted.
Dogs and cats will often “graze” as a normal behavior. There are various types of “cat grass” that can be purchased for indoor growing to offer your cat something appropriate to chew on instead of your household plants. If dogs are grazing excessively to the point that they are vomiting, you should contact your veterinarian. Your pet might be suffering from an upset stomach.
Diamond CARE Urinary Support Formula for Adult Cats is formulated for cats suffering from bladder problems, including urinary crystals. As always, please consult your veterinarian before making any changes to your pet’s diet.
You can mix a dry product and a canned product if you like to feed a mixture of these types of foods to your pet. We do not recommend feeding your pet a mixture of two dry products. If you are interested in feeding only dry pet food we recommend finding one of our dry products that meets your pet’s needs and feeding it consistently.
It is not required to add supplements into your pet’s diet. All of Diamond’s pet foods are complete and balanced to provide your pet with the nutrition they need. However, you can decide to add supplements into your pet’s diet if you wish. Keep in mind that in most cases, supplements will do no harm, but human supplements may be harmful to pets. Consult with your veterinarian prior to giving your pet any supplements.
Your senior pet may benefit from a low calorie diet, especially if your pet is not very active or is overweight, but they may benefit from a high calorie diet depending on their lifestyle and body condition.
It is very important to closely monitor your pet’s body condition. Your veterinarian can show you what a “healthy, lean” body condition is and help you keep your pet in this condition. Consult your veterinarian before making changes to your pet’s diet.
Some nutrients in the food are diminished by the cooking process. Since this happens, Diamond adds higher than necessary levels of these particular nutrients so that the finished product provides excellent nutrition and meets our guarantees.
There are feeding guides on every package. It is important to remember that the amounts listed on the package are expressed in the number of 8 ounce measuring cups (a standard kitchen measuring cup) to be fed per day. So, for example, if the chart says to feed 2 cups per day, and you feed your dog twice daily, each meal should be 1 cup.
However, each pet is different. They have different metabolic rates and different activity levels. Some pets will need more food because of higher activity levels and some will need less food because of their less active lifestyle.
It is best for your pet’s health to be kept in lean body condition. Feed the amount of food that keeps your dog lean and fit, and remember it might not be the amount that is listed on the package. Consult your veterinarian when making any diet changes.
Your pet should have free access to fresh water at all times. Most pets will consume the amount of water they need based on their level of activity and the environmental conditions. If you feel that your pet is drinking an excessive amount of water, contact your veterinarian right away as this can be a sign of a medical problem.
We recommend portion-controlled feeding in a set number of meals per day using the recommended amounts on the back of your bag. Portion-controlled feeding allows you to monitor how much and how well your pet is eating. However, we understand in some cases, “free-choice feeding” is preferred because of busy schedules or the pet has the ability to pace themselves.
This is really a matter of personal preference, but also depends on your pet’s age and lifestyle. For instance, if you have a very young puppy, less than 4 months old, you may want to consider feeding 3 to 4 meals per day, when they are 4-6 months of age, change the number of meals to 2-3 per day, and after 6 months of age, feed 2 meals per day.
For specific feeding recommendations for the age and lifestyle of your pet, please consult your veterinarian.
When transitioning your pet to a new food, we recommend a gradual introduction of the new formula over a seven day period. For pets with sensitivities, extend the transition period to 10 to 14 days. Start by adding a small amount of your pet’s new food to his or her current food. Gradually, increase the new food amount and decrease the current food amount at each feeding until you are feeding only the new food.
It is really best if you do not feed your pet table scraps. Some individuals choose to add human foods to their pets diet for variety, freshness and flavor. This is not necessary, but is not necessarily harmful as long as you choose wisely and your pet still eats adequate amounts of a complete and balanced diet so that nutritional deficiencies do not result.
The problem with table scraps is really the way that we cook. We often use seasonings that are too strong or even potentially harmful to pets. Garlic and onion are two things that pets should not consume. The way we prepare our meats is also problematic because of the high fat content. When veterinarians suggest feeding meat to a dog because of an upset stomach, we always say that the meat should be boiled. This gets rid of most of the fat in the meat. Rarely do we boil meat that we are going to be eating for our evening meal.
Feeding from the table encourages begging during meal times. Feed your pet his own healthy meal during your regular meal time. This will ensure that he is satisfied and will not be begging for a morsel from the table. Feeding table scraps also encourages finicky behavior. Your pet may begin “holding out” for the stuff that comes from the table. You may interpret this as your pet not enjoying their food as much when this is not really the case. They are just not as hungry because you are feeding them from the table and they know they might get something if they just skip that kibble in the bowl.
Do yourself and your pet a favor and feed a healthy, balanced diet that is designed for pets and stick with it. If you want to give a treat, try a spoon of canned food, a treat or biscuit, or even a dental treat to help keep the teeth clean.
The guaranteed analysis lists the amount of each nutrient guaranteed in the formula. Once you understand how to read it, you will be much better equipped to compare different varieties of pet food.
By AAFCO regulations, the guaranteed analysis is only required to list four nutrients:
However, Diamond adds additional guarantees not only to provide you with more information about the food, but also as a mark of quality. Added guarantees mean that Diamond works very hard to manufacture a precise formulation each and every time and you can be reassured that bag to bag, the product will likely be more consistent than a product that only guarantees the four required nutrients.
Ash is the non-combustible portion of the diet. This means that when a sample of the food is burned in a special oven called an ash oven, the portion that remains is ash. We do not add an ingredient called ash to the food, but our foods and all other pet foods do contain ash.
Ash comes primarily from the bone content of the dry protein ingredients, such as chicken meal. Chicken meal is made from chicken meat and bone and is a source of essential minerals. Dry protein ingredients such as chicken meal typically contain 70% protein. Fresh meats contain only 20-25% protein because of their high water content. This ingredient is also made up of fat, moisture, fiber and ash.
Ash levels in pet foods should be controlled, especially in adult or senior diets. Excess ash will contribute excess minerals to the diet, potentially leading to health problems. Although many pet owners choose not to feed pet foods that contain by-product meal to their pets, by-product meals are much lower in ash than chicken meal or lamb meal.
Requirements for dogs are based on the stage of life. The recognized life stages of dogs are: growth, gestation, lactation and maintenance. So, puppies fall into one group, pregnant bitches into a second group, nursing mothers into a third group and all other life stages into the fourth and final group. In order for a product to be labeled as “all life stages” it must meet the requirements and be appropriate to feed for every one of these life stages.
There are different requirements for these different life stages; the highest requirements correlate with the most demanding life stages (i.e., gestation, lactation, and growth), while adult maintenance requirements are lower because the pet’s nutritional needs don’t require rigorous changes.
Just because there are foods out there that can meet the needs of all life stages, feeding a puppy formula to a puppy and an adult formula to an adult and a senior formula to a senior, will offer nutritional benefits to your pet. For example, the nutrient requirements of puppies are higher than adult levels, so puppy foods typically contain higher amounts of protein, fat, fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins to aid in the growth and development of the animal. They also contain DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty acid that comes from fish oil. It is a critical nutrient and helps promote the proper brain and vision development in puppies.
You don’t have to choose a puppy formula for your puppy, but it is a wise nutritional choice for your puppy if you do.
Probiotics can help your pet live a more active, healthy lifestyle. Probiotics help your pet digest food more efficiently and support a healthy immune system.
You can feed just canned food to your pet; however, it is not recommended for pregnant or nursing dogs or cats. If you are going to feed only canned food, we recommend you introduce a small amount at a time to ensure it agrees with your pet’s digestive system.
Note for cats: If you are feeding your cat canned food, we recommend you feed at room temperature as they don’t always like cold food from the refrigerator.
Diamond Naturals canned food is made with real meat protein. Select canned formulas also include superfoods to help provide more complete nutrition for your pet.
You can use canned food as a treat for your pet, but be watchful of the calories. Canned food often is higher in calories than dry formulations, so you may need to reduce the amount of dry food to ensure you are not overfeeding your pet.
Diamond Pet Foods is manufactured in the U.S. in our state-of-the-art facilities. We are committed to product safety and quality, and adhere to stringent and scientifically advanced food safety protocols. We are constantly monitoring and testing our raw materials, production environment, processes and finished products. By continuously improving performance with the latest advancements in science and technology, we’ve developed a comprehensive food safety system. Here are a few of the ways we ensure quality:
Get an inside look at what it takes to create quality products. Click here for a tour of our state-of-the-art facilities.
We have six manufacturing facilities, all located in the United States. Two facilities are located in California, one in Missouri, one in South Carolina, one in Arkansas and one in Kansas.
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