Performance All Life Stages 30/20 for Highly Active, Hard Working & Athletic Dogs Dry Food, 40-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Diamond Performance All Life Stages is a dry dog food formulated for highly active, hard-working, and athletic dogs, with chicken and egg product as primary proteins.
This formula offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like chicken fat and salmon oil, which is a marine oil providing EPA and DHA. The carbohydrate sources are also considered high quality and include fermentable fiber.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for highly active, hard-working, and athletic dogs of all life stages. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) . Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus fish meal at position 8.
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 71/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 18.5 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Secondary contribution comes from fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). The 4-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in protein quality (18.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 5% for DMB fat in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (22.2%)
- Bottom 4% for crude fiber in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (3.3% DMB)
- Top quartile for DMB protein in Diamond's lineup (33.3%)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Diamond Naturals Senior Formula Dry Dog Food, 35-lb bag
Scores 7 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Diamond Maintenance 22/12 for Moderately Active Adult Dogs Dry Food, 40-lb bag
$0.95/lb vs your seed's $1.17/lb (19% less) at a comparable score.
Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Lamb instead of chicken, 3 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken by-product meal
Ground organs, bone, and tissue. Nutritionally dense, especially the liver and gizzard fractions. Named species ('chicken') is what matters. Generic 'poultry by-product meal' is the one to worry about. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3grain sorghum
Same as sorghum. Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4wheat flour
Refined wheat, usually used as a binder. Cheap, not harmful, not a nutrition contributor.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5protein animalegg product
Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile. See why →
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 12. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16probioticdried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product
- 17probioticdried bacillus subtilis fermentation product
- 18probioticdried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
A probiotic strain. Whether the dose is high enough to actually colonize is debated, but it's a real beneficial bacterium.
- 19probioticdried enterococcus faecium fermentation product
- 20dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product
- 21vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 22mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 23mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 24mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 25mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
Showing first 25 of 41. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.