Stick with Diamond or..

[TM964x4]

I recently switched my 3 yr old EP from canidae chicken and rice to Diamond naturals extreme athelete. He is doing well on the diamond i.e his coat is a lot shinier and softer. My only concern is the recalls diamond has had in the past. Just wondering what others thought about the food. After seeing the recalls Im thinking of going back to canidae to the grain free ALS for the higher protein to fat. He is very active and needs the extra protein/fat. thank you

[Shadow]

been using Diamond Hi Energy for over two years- adults and pups- I buy it 500lbs at a time- never had any trouble-

[Birddog3412]

I tried the Diamond extreme athlete last year, I really cannot say anything bad about it. I quit feeding it because i did not feel it was any better than the cheaper feed I was feeding.

As for the recalls, I would say there are very few dog foods that have not had recalls. Some you just hear about more.

[ezzy333]

I tried the Diamond extreme athlete last year, I really cannot say anything bad about it. I quit feeding it because i did not feel it was any better than the cheaper feed I was feeding.

As for the recalls, I would say there are very few dog foods that have not had recalls. Some you just hear about more.

Pretty much true. Recalls aren't all bad. Most respomsible companies try to recall a product if it fails to meet a standard eith they or the governmemt has. Others just let it go and hope no one notices. Diamonds recall was from one plant that recieved some corn with a mold you can't see but their testing should have caught it before it was unloaded. They let it get through and contaminate the product from that palnt. It was caught when some people had trouble with it and they recalled everything that was out to make sure nothing slipped through. To bad it happened and it shouldn't have but they did the right thing when it was discovered and also changed their QA policies so it shouldn't happen again.

Ezzy

[mcbosco]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it did happen again and Diamond never even put it on the website..creating cognitions is dangerous

[ezzy333]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it did happen again and Diamond never even put it on the website..creating cognitions is dangerous

Show us when and where there were two incidents of aflotoxin getting through their QA controls? Believe you are wrong. Cognitions are dangerous if not based on facts.

Ezzy

[birddogger]

FWIW, I would have no problems feeding Diamond products, in fact, if I were to switch, it would be one of my top considerations.

Charlie

[bossman]

It seems like the Diamond your feeding actually has more fat content than the Canidae. I may be wrong, but if your concerned about weight I'd be looking for a higher fat content. If his coat is better, if he is maintaning the same level of energy or more, if the clean up is as easy or easier and if your feeding him the same amount or less...Why go back. Too many knowledgable dog people feed Diamond. I wouldn't worry about past recalls. Now if you drive a Toyota..That's a whole different deal...

[mcbosco]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it did happen again and Diamond never even put it on the website..creating cognitions is dangerous

Show us when and where there were two incidents of aflotoxin getting through their QA controls? Believe you are wrong. Cognitions are dangerous if not based on facts.

Ezzy

The cat food recall was what I was referring to. Oooops the vitamins weren't complete.

[birddogger]

There have been recalls on just about everything you can think of and I am glad there is such a thing. There have been many recalls over the years on certain foods we eat. BTW, my wife drives a Toyota and I would not hesitate to buy another one.

Charlie

[mcbosco]

There have been recalls on just about everything you can think of and I am glad there is such a thing. There have been many recalls over the years on certain foods we eat. BTW, my wife drives a Toyota and I would not hesitate to buy another one.

Charlie

That is true but the FDA investigation on the aflatoxon recall also uncovered that the company knowingly used a variety of other ingredients that were not up to its own specifications, albeit not dangerous.

Now if it turns out Toyota knew all along the gas pedals were faulty and only came clean after the problem became so big, would you still buy another?

[birddogger]

There have been recalls on just about everything you can think of and I am glad there is such a thing. There have been many recalls over the years on certain foods we eat. BTW, my wife drives a Toyota and I would not hesitate to buy another one.

Charlie

That is true but the FDA investigation on the aflatoxon recall also uncovered that the company knowingly used a variety of other ingredients that were not up to its own specifications, albeit not dangerous.

Now if it turns out Toyota knew all along the gas pedals were faulty and only came clean after the problem became so big, would you still buy another?

That is a good question, but I don't know if they knew about it all along. I remember one time, years ago, when certain models of Fords were jumping out of park and into gear. A woman was killed when one of these vehicles ran her over. People are still buying Fords and love them. I drive a '99 Chevy Silverado, it has had a sticky gas pedal from the day I bought it [not the same as the Toyoto problem] I took it in to be repaired several times, which would last for a couple of weeks. I had one of the mechanics tell me that it was common for that model. That tells me that they new about it, but since the problem never became that big, they didn't do a recall. I have still had many recalls on it over the years and I finally just started ignoring them. I love the truck and it is probably the best vehicle I have ever owned.

I wish I had never brought it up, since this is a gundog forum. I was just trying to make a point.

Charlie

[bossman]

No Charlie..I'm sorry. I mentioned Toyota only in an attempt to show that is a current issue. My wife also drives a Toyota and loves it..The Diamond recall was a few years ago and seems to have been resolved to the satisfaction of many experienced people on this board that like the food. Based on their knowledge and the information presented so far...I would still recommend he stay with Diamond.

[TM964x4]

Thank you all for the great information you provided. I will see how he does on this bag and then determine where to go from there. So far so good!

[birddogger]

No Charlie..I'm sorry. I mentioned Toyota only in an attempt to show that is a current issue. My wife also drives a Toyota and loves it..The Diamond recall was a few years ago and seems to have been resolved to the satisfaction of many experienced people on this board that like the food. Based on their knowledge and the information presented so far...I would still recommend he stay with Diamond.

bossman, please don't be sorry, I knew you were being amusing, in fact, I hesitated putting the Toyota comment in my post because I was afraid you would take it the wrong way. We are on the same page.

Charlie

[ezzy333]

Thank you all for the great information you provided. I will see how he does on this bag and then determine where to go from there. So far so good!

Stop and remember that probably every responsible company that has been in business over ten or 15 years has had a recall. It is not all that unusual in the market today where we are pressed to make sure the feed is fresh and it gets shipped before all of the lab work is completed. And it happens in every industry. Our cars, meat, sea food, baby beds, toys, peanut butter. Because we have good Quality Assurance programs today there are many more recalls plus they are better publicized. I am not saying ignore the fact but make sure you keep it in perspective. I sure wouldn't base my choice of feed on who had a recall in the past 5 to 10 years. If those problems had not been resolved they wouldn't still be in business. We are still driving cars and they all have had many many recalls.

Ezzy

[M1Tanker]

All of the Beagle Trialers I know up here feed Diamond High Energy and a few of the bird doggers do also.

I tried it and my dogs got runny stools so I went back to the previous food.

[birddogger]

All of the Beagle Trialers I know up here feed Diamond High Energy and a few of the bird doggers do also.

I tried it and my dogs got runny stools so I went back to the previous food.

This is after the fact, so it won't do you any good now, but you may have switched over too fast, or you could have maybe cut down on the amount fed. Also, the high energy formula may have been a little too hot for your dog. Just some thoughts, but hey, if everything was going well with the previous food, why switch anyway?

Charlie

[M1Tanker]

I mixed the Hi-Energy with the other (Pro Plan Performance) for two weeks and figured the amount should be the same...a friend of mine said he has always had the soft stools from it due to the beet pulp...so I just went back to PP.

[ezzy333]

He may have had soft stools but not from the beet pulp. I just switched to the High Energy and had to reduce the volume of feed and the stools stayed firm once I cut them back a little. But you will get a softer stool if you over feed it. I purposely said volume since I haven't wieghed how much they are getting and I know the High Energy is denser.

Ezzy

[nanney1]

Ezzy: I have some questions regarding the Diamond Hi Energy. I believe you were previously feeding the Greed Bag 26/18 Premium. Is that correct?

From the Diamond website, the Premium is listed as having 435 kcal per cup while the Hi-Energy is listed as having 400 kcal per cup. I know that kcal per cup is usually a meaningless number due to the size and density of the kibble. However, the Premium is listed as 4,310 kcal per kg calculated metabolizable energy whereas the Hi-Energy is listed as 3,820 ME. I'm missing where the the Hi Energy is a more dense food.

I know the Hi-Energy has 20% fat listed on the guaranteed analysis versus 18% on the Premium. But from the numbers, it looks as if the Premium is the higher calorie food. Based on coversations I've had with the folks at Diamond, the Premium is a lower ash food at 5.5% max, and should have lower stool output. They don't list the ash content of the Hi-Energy, so I'm guessing it is much higher than the Premium.

I know what the Premium kibbles look like but I've never seen the contents of a bag of Hi-Energy. Are the kibble pieces smaller in the Hi-Energy?

Also, I'm dealing with numbers and trying to make an assumption versus looking at an actual dog that has been fed both products. Keep us updated if you have any change in condition or weight of the dog(s) being fed.

[cjuve]

I recently switched my 3 yr old EP from canidae chicken and rice to Diamond naturals extreme athelete. He is doing well on the diamond i.e his coat is a lot shinier and softer. My only concern is the recalls diamond has had in the past. Just wondering what others thought about the food. After seeing the recalls Im thinking of going back to canidae to the grain free ALS for the higher protein to fat. He is very active and needs the extra protein/fat. thank you

I just switched from Origin to the Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete for a couple of reasons.
1. Cost - Diamond is less than half of the cost I was paying
2. Fat Content - I wanted to try a higher fat content to see if I could put a little more weight on the dogs
3. Ease- The Diamond is easier to find and I don't have to go to a doggy boutique to get it.
I have noticed a softer stool but I have reduced the ammount of food I am feeding by about 30% in order to try to firm them up which is working.
The dogs have also started to put on a little weight which is one of the reasons that I wanted to try it in the first place. I am not at all concerned with the past recalls and believe that the food is doing what I wanted it to.

[TM964x4]

Once again thank you all that replied. He seems to be doing great on it. His coat is softer and and isnt shedding as much. Stools seems just fine and he doesnt have to eat as much food. Thanks again

[bossman]

tm964x4..Thanks for the update!..Good to see things are working out.. I'd really be interested if you could give us an update in about 30-60 days to see if your still happy..Cjuve..I'd also be interested in your opinion in about 30 days or so..Thanks

[MikeB]

There are a couple of other Diamond foods to try like the Diamond Professional 30/20 Black bag at 448 k-cal - or the Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete 32/25 Orange Striped bag at 470 kcal per cup. Just some other options to consider.