Diamond puppy food: label analysis, feeding chart and recalls

The three Diamond puppy formulas

Source: each maker’s own product page, read October 10, 2026. Purina and Diamond list guaranteed minimums as fed. Hill’s lists average values on a dry-matter basis, so its protein, fat and calcium are not directly comparable with the others. Prices are Purina’s own store on that date and change.

Diamond’s pages list guaranteed minimums as fed and calories as “calculated metabolizable energy”. The page does not show prices, so we give none.

What each label says

Diamond Puppy lists chicken by-product meal first, then whole grain ground corn and wheat flour. It has the highest protein and fat claims of the large-size-ready formulas (31.0% min and 20.0% min) and 441 kcal per cup. Diamond Naturals Small & Medium Breed leads with chicken and chicken meal and has the highest protein and fat of the three (32.0% min and 22.0% min), but it excludes large-size growth. Diamond Naturals Large Breed Lamb & Rice starts with lamb and lamb meal, adds taurine and L-carnitine, and has the lowest calories (414 kcal per cup).

All three say they contain live, naturally occurring microorganisms (probiotics). The labels also say the facility makes foods with other ingredients not listed, and that trace amounts may be present. If your veterinarian has asked you to avoid an ingredient, check with Diamond before buying.

Diamond’s feeding chart for Diamond Puppy

This is the maker’s chart, copied from its product page on October 10, 2026. It is in standard measuring cups per day, by the puppy’s current weight. Diamond calls it a starting point and says to adjust to ideal body condition.

Calories decide how much a cup is worth. At 441 kcal per cup, a 20 lb puppy aged 4 to 8 months on 2¼ cups would eat about 992 kcal a day (our arithmetic). Our puppy feeding chart shows the Merck calorie method for comparison. Diamond Naturals charts differ, so use the chart on the product you buy.

Recall history

In 2012, the CDC’s final update (July 18, 2012) reported 49 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis, 47 in 20 US states and 2 in Canada. Of 24 patients with information, 10 (42 percent) were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development found Salmonella on April 2, 2012 in an unopened bag of dry dog food during routine retail testing. The CDC says the recalls included 17 brands and more than 30,000 tons of dry dog and cat food produced at the facility, a single Diamond Pet Foods plant in Gaston, South Carolina.

That was more than a decade ago. In the dog-related entries of the FDA recall list that we copied on October 10, 2026, we found no Diamond or Diamond Naturals entry. Our copy covers the part of the list that mentions dogs, not all history. Check the recall tracker and the FDA page for current status.

What this page is not

This is a label analysis. We did not feed Diamond foods to dogs or test them. Salmonella can affect people who handle contaminated dry food as well as dogs, so wash your hands and the bowl. Ask your veterinarian before choosing a food. Read how we research.