Label analysisGrade BKibble (Extruded)

Diamond Naturals

Diamond Naturals Small & Medium Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice

Editor ingredient insight

Diamond Naturals Small/Medium Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice is calorie-dense, led by chicken, chicken meal, and white rice. I would use it for energetic puppies that tolerate chicken, not for easy weight gain or fat-sensitive stool.

Logic-based verdict

This food offers a stable basic protein structure.

Manufacturer-independentPublic-data basedIngredients · nutrition · safety

Protein source

Ingredient guide

Fresh-meat led with no plant protein support

Animal protein

Chicken (#1), chicken meal (#2), egg product (#6), fish meal (#9)

It clears the protein floor without plant-protein boosting.

This is the kind of structure a premium food should have.

Included support ingredients

Nutrient guide

Salmon oil

Skin and joint support ingredient

Chicory

Gut support ingredient

Yucca extract

Stool odor support ingredient

Probiotics

Gut support ingredient

Omega-3

Skin and joint support ingredient

Omega-6

Skin and coat support ingredient

EPA+DHA

Skin, joint, and heart support ingredient

Vitamin E

Antioxidant and skin support ingredient

View full ingredients
Solid build

Ingredient grade

B

Grade B

Top ingredient profile

Chicken
Chicken Meal
White Rice
Fresh-meat leadNo plant booster
Crude protein32%
Crude protein32%
Crude fat22%
Other 46%

Calcium

1.5%

Phosphorus

1.2%

Protein position, fat position, and calorie density position are relative to foods in the same processing type cohort.

biotechProtein position
Higher
query_statsFat position
Higher
local_fire_departmentCalorie density
Higher

Species-named animal protein ingredients stay near the top, and protein does not fall into a clearly low band. The trade-off is that this is not the same as a fresh-meat-first premium pattern.

Nutritional strengths

  • The first ingredient is a species-named fresh meat.
  • Crude protein is on the higher side.
  • Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.

What still needs work

  • Phosphorus is 1.2% on the label, at or above 1%. Senior dogs or dogs with kidney concerns should have phosphorus restriction reviewed with a veterinarian before using it as a staple food.
  • Refined carbohydrates lose fiber, vitamins, and minerals during processing, and mainly act as starch and energy sources. Because of that, our engine reads ingredient quality more conservatively than it would with whole grains.
  • Calorie density is high, so this is not the best fit when weight reduction matters most.

Alternative foods

Smart chicken alternatives

Exact protein-type matches come first, then close protein-family matches fill the comparison.

94 alternativesKibble (Extruded) · protein type/family cohort

Other recipes from the same brand

Other recipes from the same brand with a different purpose or feeding target.

Diamond Naturals

Senior Dog Chicken, Egg & Oatmeal

Senior · All sizes

Label score

3.5/5

Grade B

Diamond Naturals

Large Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice

Puppy · Large breed

Label score

3.5/5

Grade B

Diamond Naturals

Bright Puppy Chicken & Rice

Puppy · All sizes

Label score

3.5/5

Grade B

Diamond Naturals

Large Breed Adult Chicken & Rice

Adult · Large breed

Label score

3.0/5

Grade C

Brand context

Brand background availableRecall history confirmed

Founded in 1970 in the United States. This brand has a confirmed public recall history, notably tied to the 2012 salmonella event.

Ingredient analysis

The top ingredients give this recipe a strong first protein read, so the ingredient section starts from a favorable position.

restaurantIngredient Quality Analysis

B4.5/6
Ingredient Grade
Good
1Chicken
Fresh Meat · Top
2Chicken Meal
Named Meal · Upper
3White Rice
Refined Carb · Mid

Ingredient Analysis Comments

  • •Chicken is a named fresh meat ingredient. The animal source is clearly identified. It reads as an top-tier protein source.
  • •Chicken Meal is a species-named animal meal ingredient. It is rendered rather than fresh, but the species source is still clearly identified. It reads as an upper-tier protein source.
  • •White Rice is a refined carbohydrate source. It usually reads as a starch and energy source rather than a protein driver. It reads as an mid-tier carb source.
restaurantIngredient Grade BGood

Full collected ingredient list

56 ingredients
Chickenchicken mealwhite ricechicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols)cracked pearled barleyegg productdried yeastdried plain beet pulpfish mealground Miscanthus grassnatural flavorflaxseedsalmon oil (source of DHA)saltpotassium chloridecholine chloridedried chicory rootkalechia seedpumpkinblueberriesorangesquinoadried kelpcoconutspinachcarrotspapayayucca schidigera extractdried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation productdried Bacillus subtilis fermentation productdried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation productdried Enterococcus faecium fermentation productdried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation productvitamin E supplementbeta caroteneiron proteinatezinc proteinatecopper proteinateferrous sulfatezinc sulfatemanganese sulfatecopper sulfatepotassium iodidethiamine mononitratemanganese proteinatevitamin A supplementbiotinniacincalcium pantothenatesodium selenitepyridoxine hydrochloridevitamin B12 supplementriboflavinvitamin D3 supplementfolic acid.
Primary positive ingredients
Support positive ingredients
Alternative protein
Neutral ingredients
Caution ingredients
High-caution ingredients

Why did the base review land here?

Ingredient qualityNutrient disclosure levelManufacturing & trust

This review score combines ingredient composition, nutrient disclosure, manufacturing trust, and core nutrient caution signals.

Nutrient disclosure

Partial disclosure

Core guaranteed analysis is usable, but deeper rows still need a more cautious read.

Safety verification

No fails

No major red flag jumps out first, though undisclosed rows still define the limits of this safety read.

Public data trust (ETF)

D tier

Only basic guaranteed analysis is visible, so deeper nutrition comparison stays hard to trust.

Final word

This is a credible shortlist food, but the personalized step is where the final order should be decided.

Back to all foods