4health vs Diamond Naturals dog food comparison: Key differences in ingredients you should see now.

Alright, let's get into this whole 4health versus Diamond Naturals thing. Lots of folks seem to be juggling these two, figured I’d share what happened when I put 'em through the paces with my own dog.

So, the journey started 'cause I was looking for something decent that didn't break the bank. Heard about 4health, mostly saw it popping up at Tractor Supply. Seemed like a solid middle-ground option. Grabbed a bag, the chicken and rice one, I think it was.

Started the switch, you know, doing the slow mix-in like you're supposed to. My dog, he's not picky, thankfully. Gobbled it right up. First few weeks, things seemed fine. Energy was good, he was his usual goofy self. Poops were pretty consistent, maybe a little softer than his old food but nothing alarming. I thought, "Okay, this might work."

My Time with 4health

Stuck with 4health for a good few months, maybe three or four bags worth. It did the job, kept him fed and reasonably happy. But, I started noticing little things. His coat, usually pretty shiny, just seemed kinda... dull? Not bad, just not great. And maybe, just maybe, he seemed a tiny bit itchier than usual. Nothing crazy, no hotspots, but just more scratching behind the ears, chewing on his paws sometimes.

• Initial Reaction: Ate it fine, no fuss.
• Energy Levels: Stayed about the same.
• Stool Quality: Mostly solid, occasionally a bit soft.
• Coat/Skin: Seemed okay, but maybe lost some shine, slight increase in itchiness over time.

It wasn't like a disaster or anything. He wasn't sick. But I just had this nagging feeling, maybe we could do better?

Making the Switch to Diamond Naturals

That's when I started looking at Diamond Naturals. Heard the name mentioned in a few places, saw it around. People talked about it being similar in price range but maybe a step up? Who knows. Decided to give it a shot. Found a bag, again went with a chicken formula to keep things kinda similar for comparison.

Did the whole slow switcheroo again. Mixed it in bit by bit over a week or so. Again, the dog didn't complain, ate it just fine. The kibble size and smell were pretty similar, nothing drastically different right off the bat.

Settling in with Diamond Naturals

Now, here's where things got interesting, but subtly. After a few weeks fully on Diamond Naturals, I started thinking his coat looked... better. Like, the shine was coming back? It wasn't overnight, but gradually, yeah, looked healthier. The random scratching also seemed to ease up a bit.

As for the other stuff:

• Initial Reaction: No problems, ate it readily.
• Energy Levels: Still good, maybe even a little more consistent zoomies? Hard to quantify that, though.
• Stool Quality: Seemed to firm up a bit more consistently compared to the 4health. Less variation day-to-day.
• Coat/Skin: Noticeably improved shine over a couple of months, less casual scratching.

Been on the Diamond Naturals for longer now. Stuck with it mainly because those little improvements seemed to hold. The coat stayed looking good, the stools stayed consistent, and he just seems really solid on it. Price-wise, they're pretty close, maybe Diamond is a couple bucks more depending on where you get it, but for the slight edge I felt I was seeing, it seemed worth it.

So, the final word? For my dog, Diamond Naturals just seemed to agree with him a bit better in the long run, mostly showing in his coat and maybe slightly better digestion. But listen, every dog is different. I know people who swear by 4health and their dogs do fantastic. It wasn't bad food for my guy, not at all. It just wasn't the best fit for him compared to the Diamond. You really just gotta watch your own dog, see how they do, and make the call yourself. That's the only real way to know.