Taste of the Wild FAQs

We offer several grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes that do not include chicken as a main protein source. These include:

Pine Forest Canine Recipe, Appalachian Valley Small Breed Canine Recipe, Southwest Canyon Canine Recipe, Sierra Mountain Canine Recipe, Pacific Stream Canine Recipe, Pacific Stream Puppy Recipe, Ancient Stream Canine Recipe and Ancient Mountain Canine Recipe.

It’s important to note that these recipes contain natural flavor, an ingredient added for enhanced palatability that is derived from chicken. This ingredient is developed through a process that reduces the size of the protein molecules and is less likely to trigger allergies in pets.

Our canned recipes are a combination of pieces of meat and vegetables, which include necessary vitamins and minerals. All of this is combined in a delicious gravy to give your dog a nutritious meal.

The kibbles in our adult canine and All Life Stages recipes are a flat, round disc shape and approximately the diameter of a dime. The kibbles in our small breed recipe (Appalachian Valley) and puppy-specific recipes are barrel-shaped and about the size of a pencil eraser. The kibbles in our feline recipes are shaped like a round disc and are about the size of a pencil eraser.

While we do not have a large breed-specific recipe, all of our recipes meet the nutritional needs of large breed adult dogs. However, only our puppy-specific and All Life Stages recipes meet the nutritional needs of large breed puppies.

Our Appalachian Valley Small Breed Canine Recipe is specifically formulated for small breed adult dogs. This recipe has a smaller kibble and is more energy dense with higher protein and fat ratios, meaning your adult dog can eat smaller portions to meet their nutritional requirements. While our Appalachian Valley Recipe was developed specifically with small breed adult dogs in mind, all of our recipes will meet the nutritional requirements of small breed adult dogs. For small breed puppies, we recommend our two puppy-specific recipes, which also have a smaller kibble, or any of our All Life Stages recipes.

To learn more about these recipes, please visit their individual product pages.

- High Prairie Puppy with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison

- Pacific Stream Puppy with Smoke-Flavored Salmon

- Pine Forest Canine with Venison & Legumes

- Southwest Canyon Canine with Wild Boar

- Sierra Mountain Canine with Roasted Lamb

- Ancient Stream Canine with Smoke-Flavored Salmon

- Ancient Wetlands Canine with Roasted Fowl

- Ancient Prairie Canine with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison

- Ancient Mountain Canine with Roasted Lamb

While we don't have a kitten-specific recipe, our three feline recipes — Rocky Mountain Feline, Canyon River Feline and Lowland Creek Feline — are all formulated to meet the nutritional needs for cats at all stages of life, including kittens.

We have two great puppy-specific recipes in the Taste of the Wild line: High Prairie Puppy and Pacific Stream Puppy. In addition to our puppy recipes, you can also feed your puppy any of our All Life Stages recipes, which are recipes developed to meet the nutritional needs of dogs at all ages, from puppy to senior. Our puppy-specific recipes fall under the All Life Stages recipe category but have smaller kibbles. Both our puppy and All Life Stages recipes include specific nutrients, like added DHA that aids in brain and eye development, to help your puppy grow to their full potential.

Our All Life Stages recipes include:

- Sierra Mountain Canine with Roasted Lamb

- Pine Forest Canine with Venison & Legumes

- Southwest Canyon Canine with Wild Boar

- Ancient Stream Canine with Smoke-Flavored Salmon

- Ancient Wetlands Canine with Roasted Fowl

- Ancient Prairie Canine with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison

- Ancient Mountain Canine with Roasted Lamb

The kibbles in our dog recipes are a flat, oblong disc shape and approximately the diameter of a dime. The kibbles in our cat recipes are shaped like a round, oblong disc and are about the size of a pencil eraser.

Yes! All of our PREY recipes are All Life Stages recipes, meaning they’re formulated to meet the nutritional needs of dogs or cats of all ages, from puppy or kitten to senior.

Taste of the Wild PREY is a line of limited ingredient recipes, created with your pet’s native diet in mind. Our dog recipes contain four key ingredients and our cat recipes contain three key ingredients. They are:

1. Protein: The first ingredient in every recipe is pasture-raised Angus beef, cage-free turkey or trout raised in spring-fed waters. There are no rendered meats or by-product meals.

2. Lentils: This superfood is packed with protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates and essential nutrients.

3. Dried Tomato Pomace: Found in our canine recipes, this is an excellent source of fiber and antioxidants.

4. Chicken Fat: A healthy fat that is rich in omega fatty acids.

In the wild, an animal’s diet was simple, consisting primarily of the prey they hunted. But finding a simple yet complete food for your domesticated canine or feline shouldn’t be a challenging hunt. That’s why we created Taste of the Wild PREY limited ingredient diets: a simplified approach to pet food based on the native diets of dogs and cats. Our PREY line consists of three dog recipes (Angus Beef Recipe for Dogs, Turkey Recipe for Dogs and Trout Recipe for Dogs) and two cat recipes (Angus Beef Recipe for Cats and Turkey Recipe for Cats).

Each recipe contains four key ingredients or less and is fortified with vitamins, minerals and nutrients to ensure that, despite having a limited number of ingredients, your pet receives the balanced nutrition he or she needs.

The grain-free recipes* contain GMO-free ingredients, and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives are added. The recipes are also free of by-product meals and rendered meats. All PREY recipes follow Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines for complete and balanced pet foods, and are suitable for all life stages. *The facility in which this food is made also makes food that may contain other ingredients, such as grains. Trace amounts of these other ingredients may be present.

Our PREY limited ingredient recipes are a simpler approach to pet food based on the native diets of dogs and cats. Each recipe contains four key ingredients or less with a single animal protein source. Lentils serve as the sole carbohydrate source, and dried tomato pomace and chicken fat provide fiber, antioxidants and omega fatty acids.

In contrast, our Taste of the Wild recipes offer a wide variety of proteins, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables that provide many options for unique flavor combinations.

All our recipes provide complete, balanced nutrition and feature our proprietary probiotics.

Ancient grains — including grain sorghum, millet, quinoa and chia seed — are high in protein and have been trusted sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and omega fatty acids, which help support strong, healthy dogs at all life stages.

Small breed dogs usually weigh less than 25 pounds as adults. Large breed dogs typically weigh 70 pounds or more as adults.

All Taste of the Wild feeding guides should be read based on the current weight of your puppy or dog.

The number of cups per bag varies slightly depending on the recipe. Below are the approximate number of cups in each bag size.

Taste of the Wild and Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains:
28lb: 112 cups
14lb: 56 cups
5lb: 20 cups

Taste of the Wild PREY:
25lb: 100 cups
15lb: 60 cups
8lb: 32 cups
6lb: 24 cups

In order for puppies to properly grow and develop, they require more calories, protein, fat, minerals, and amino acids than adult dogs do. As they mature and their rate of growth slows, their metabolism also decreases. For these reasons, an adult dog will require less food than they did as a puppy.

We find many cats love Taste of the Wild dog food, and dogs love our cat food. However, the recipes contain ingredients to best meet the specific nutritional needs of each species. We highly recommend you work to ensure your pet primarily eats his/her own food.

The guaranteed analysis gives you a breakdown of the recipe and what is included. By Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) regulations, the guaranteed analysis is required to list four nutrients: crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber and moisture. To learn more about guaranteed analysis, click here.

An All Life Stages recipe meets the nutritional needs of dogs or cats of all ages and at all stages of life, from puppy or kitten to senior. A maintenance recipe only meets the nutritional needs of adult dogs or cats.

Yes, many pets enjoy the variety they receive when you feed more than one recipe. Be sure to monitor the calories to ensure you're not overfeeding.

Many pets enjoy eating more than one recipe. To avoid digestive upset, we recommend limiting your rotation to two recipes and gradually mixing both recipes over a couple of weeks. When you transition between recipes, slowly reduce the amount of the old recipe and increase the new recipe.

We recommend a gradual transition between recipes over a period of 7–10 days. You can do this by starting with 25% of the recommended feeding portion of the new food mixed with 75% of the recommended portion of the current diet for 2–3 days. Then, 50% of each for 2–3 days, followed by 75% of the new with 25% of the current for 2–3 days before feeding the new food entirely.

As a general guide, we recommend transitioning puppies to adult food at about 10–12 months of age. For large or giant breeds, between 12 and 18 months of age is a good time to make the transition to adult food. However, if you’re feeding an All Life Stages recipe, your dog can continue on the recipe indefinitely.

The frequency at which you feed your pet is a matter of personal preference, but also depends on your pet’s age and lifestyle.

For Dogs:
- Puppies less than 4 months of age: consider 3–4 meals per day
- Puppies 4–6 months of age: consider 2–3 meals per day
- Puppies 6 months and older: consider 2 meals per day
- Toy breed puppies: consider 3–4 meals per day until they are 10–12 months of age

We do not recommend feeding one meal per day or free-choice feeding for large or giant breed dogs because it can lead to stretching in the ligaments that support the stomach. Over time, this will make the stomach more likely to twist if the dog bloats. It is also more difficult to monitor eating habits.

For Cats: Both free-choice feeding and set meal times are acceptable for cats. However, having set meal times allows pet parents to control and monitor portions.

For additional feeding information, click here to create your personalized feeding guide for your pet.

Our feeding guides are listed on the back of every package as well as on the individual product pages of our website. The amount listed in the feeding guide is the recommended total number of 8-ounce measuring cups (standard kitchen measuring cup) that your pet should eat per day. Feeding amounts can be adjusted based on the age, breed and activity level of your pet. You can also get your personalized feeding guide here by answering a few questions about your pet!

Our meat suppliers are USDA inspected and approved. We routinely test and monitor our manufacturing processes and work closely with our supply chains to confirm ingredient safety. Our ingredient suppliers are approved through a process intended to validate commitments to food safety and ingredient quality. You can be assured that we are committed to product safety and quality and adhere to stringent food safety protocols. If you have any questions, please contact us.

The meats in Taste of the Wild come from different sources, depending on the type of meat. All of our meats are chosen to meet our precise recipe specifications, and are USDA inspected and approved. We routinely test and monitor our manufacturing processes and work closely with our supply chains to confirm ingredient safety. Our ingredient suppliers are approved through a process intended to validate commitments to food safety and ingredient quality. You can be assured that we are committed to product safety and quality and adhere to stringent food safety protocols. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Like humans, dogs and cats have both “good” and “bad” bacteria in their digestive systems. Probiotics help maintain balance in the digestive system by suppressing bad bacteria and helping the body break down food and distribute nutrients more efficiently. They also help support a healthy immune system. Our canine recipes are enhanced with K9 Strain^® Probiotics and our feline recipes are enhanced with Viables^® Probiotics. Read our blog to learn more about the benefits of probiotics.

For our dry recipes, the food will stay fresh until the “Best By” date, which can be found in the production code box. To help ensure freshness, we recommend you store your food in a container in a cool, dry location. Be sure to make note of the “Best By” date before you empty the bag into the container so you know how much time you have to use the food. For our canned recipes, we don’t recommend leaving an open can out for more than 30 minutes. Partially eaten cans should be covered or put into an airtight container in the refrigerator and kept no longer than three days after opening.

The recommended storage method is to keep the food in its original packaging, in order to keep vital information handy in case you have a problem, emergency or question. You may store the entire bag in a closed container as well. Food should be kept in a cool, dry location as excess heat or moisture may cause the nutrients to break down. For more tips on how to store your pet’s food, visit our blog.

Our bags are BPA-free. Our canned foods were tested and found to contain non-detectable levels of BPA. At times, very small amounts of BPA may migrate from packaging into foods or beverages. However, studies pursued by FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) have shown no effects of BPA from low-dose exposure.

Our bags are designated as a #7 in the Resin Identification Code system used by manufacturers and recyclers. This means the bags are manufactured with a plastic resin, similar to other plastic containers. Check with your local recycling center to see if they accept this type of plastic.

Taste of the Wild is and has always been a wholly owned brand of Diamond Pet Foods, a family owned and operated business.

There have been no recent recalls on any of our recipes. Out of an abundance of caution, Taste of the Wild had a voluntary recall in 2012 due to potential product contamination. Further product testing revealed that no Taste of the Wild product was contaminated. We are committed to product safety and quality, which is why we adhere to stringent and scientifically advanced food safety protocols. We test and monitor our manufacturing process: pre-production, production, and post-production.

In order to ensure the safest and most nutritious food possible, we conduct feeding trials when necessary for nutritional content and palatability. These trials are observational in nature, non-invasive, and cruelty-free, and all of our recipes meet both U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines.

Yes, food safety is our top priority, which is why our facilities adhere to stringent quality guidelines, have a dedicated quality assurance and safety staff, and follow “Good Manufacturing Processes” protocols.

We are committed to providing quality products. If you have any questions or comments, please call us at 1-800-342-4808 or contact us through this form.

Taste of the Wild and PREY are family-owned brands and have been since their creation. Our family believes pets deserve the best nutrition and pet parents deserve a fair value. We don’t produce anything we wouldn’t feed our own pets and hold everything we produce to this standard.

We have six manufacturing facilities, all located in the United States: two in California, one in Missouri, one in South Carolina, one in Arkansas and one in Kansas.

Yes, we do have a breeder program. To learn more about this program and the qualifications needed, please contact our product specialists.

Yes, taurine is added to all of our recipes.

Taurine is not an essential nutrient for dogs because they manufacture their own taurine from other amino acids. However, taurine is included in our recipes because it provides many benefits, such as immune system, brain, eye and heart support.

If your pet is not feeling well, we recommend you contact your veterinarian immediately. Dogs who show symptoms of DCM will often have a heavy cough, weakness, lethargy or a reduced appetite, and/or show signs of difficulty breathing. However, multiple other conditions can also cause these same symptoms, so your veterinarian is the best resource to diagnose and treat your pet.

We are so sorry to hear of your dog’s diagnosis. We take your concern seriously and we would like to have our veterinary team contact you so they can gather all the information about your dog’s situation. It is important also that you submit this case to the FDA for their research if you have not already.

As a member of the Pet Food Institute, we have participated in funding a committee of industry scientists working on this and other issues. Additionally, our veterinary and nutrition teams are open to further collaboration with researchers as appropriate.

We recommend you reach out to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directly for information on their investigation. Should you have any questions or concerns about your pet or pet food, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us or your veterinarian.

All of our recipes are complete and balanced and meet both the FDA and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines. It’s not necessary to supplement your pet’s food. If you have any questions about your pet’s specific nutritional needs, it is best to talk with your veterinarian.

After exhaustive investigations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not received sufficient data to establish a causal relationship between diet – including Taste of the Wild – and DCM in dogs. As they note, it is a complex issue with numerous factors to consider, such as breeds that have a genetic predisposition for developing DCM. We continue to monitor this issue closely and support ongoing research efforts. If you have any concerns, we encourage you to consult directly with your veterinarian.

After exhaustive investigations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not received sufficient data to establish a causal relationship between diet or ingredients to DCM, therefore we are not planning to remove these ingredients. It is important to note that legumes and pulses have been used in pet foods for many years, with no evidence to indicate they are inherently dangerous.

Our pet nutrition and veterinary experts select all of our ingredients with the health and well-being of pets in mind. Peas, legumes, lentils and potatoes are included in our grain-free recipes because they are great sources of protein, fiber and antioxidants, and they help to make those recipes complete and balanced. All of our recipes meet both the FDA and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines and are complete and balanced.

After exhaustive investigations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not received sufficient data to establish a causal relationship between diet and DCM in dogs. As they note, it is a complex disease based on many factors, including genetics and underlying medical conditions. We continue to monitor and support ongoing research efforts, as our top priority is, and always will be, to provide pets with quality, safe food that meets all federal and state regulatory guidelines.

DCM is a condition that results in an enlarged heart. As the heart and its chambers become dilated, it becomes harder for the heart to pump and heart valves may leak, leading to a buildup of fluids in the chest and abdomen. DCM will lead to congestive heart failure if left untreated. In some dogs, heart function may improve with appropriate veterinary treatment and dietary modification, if caught early.