If you’re a pet owner on the hunt for Diamond Naturals pet food lately, you’ve probably noticed bare shelves or “out of stock” messages online. For a lot of people, these shortages are more than just a minor annoyance. We’re talking about pets’ diets, so unexpected supply problems can trigger some real frustration or even panic.
Diamond Naturals has built up major trust among pet lovers over the years. It’s seen as a reasonably priced food that takes nutrition seriously and it’s available at a bunch of local stores and independent pet shops. So, when the shelves started emptying, people instantly wanted to know: what’s really going on?
Demand Running Way Ahead of Supply
The simple truth? More people are trying to buy Diamond Naturals than the company can currently produce. Dog and cat owners, especially those who rely on affordable, quality recipes, are snapping up bags and cans fast. This surge cropped up over the past year, partly from loyal customers and partly thanks to newcomers shifting away from pricier or less reliable brands.
The company says it all boils down to too many orders and not enough inventory, especially when it comes to canned formulas. That’s where things get especially tricky. Diamond’s website puts it plainly: canned recipes are arriving at stores in “small quantities,” if at all. Even if your local shop places a big order, they might only get a tiny portion of it or none some weeks.
Kibble isn’t immune, either. Dry food, in 30- or 40-pound bags, has been flying off shelves as well. Across formulas whether you’re looking for “Lamb and Rice” or grain-free varieties it’s not uncommon to see lots of empty spots where Diamond once sat.
Canned Food Bottleneck: Supplier Constraints
Canned pet food is a story of its own. Right now, Diamond Pet Foods’ canned options are especially scarce, and it’s not just a matter of the company choosing to make less. Their suppliers who handle the canning process are running into bottlenecks, too. That means Diamond can’t even get enough product from those plants to ship out to stores.
So, this isn’t just about your neighborhood retailer ordering too late or not stocking enough. At the supply chain level, there are simply not enough cans being made to meet all the requests. If your pet is hooked on, say, the Chicken Dinner canned formula, you might find it’s hit or miss week to week.
Diamond has noted this themselves on their public FAQ page, hinting that they’re just as eager as you are to fix it. They don’t sugarcoat the numbers: only small shipments are flowing out, and there’s not much extra to be found in warehouses or back rooms.
The Manufacturer’s Plan: Building for Bigger Demand
Okay, so what’s Diamond doing to work through all the demand and supply shortfalls? They’re putting money into long-term changes. The company is currently building a new manufacturing facility that should make a big difference once it’s done.
This new plant is scheduled to be finished by 2025, and it’s supposed to boost Diamond Pet Foods’ overall output. The hope is that after that, shortages like these will be a lot less likely meaning more product available for everyone, whether you shop at small stores or big-box chains.
That’s good news for people who want consistency, especially since Diamond hasn’t faced these kinds of mass outages before. Until this increased capacity comes online, though, it sounds like the rollercoaster of sporadic outages might just continue.
No Recalls Behind This Shortage
Whenever there’s a food shortage, people understandably start to wonder if there’s a problem with the product itself like a recall, or some safety issue. But in this situation, that’s not what’s happening. Diamond Pet Foods hasn’t issued any new recalls tied to these shortages.
Just for context, the last major recall was way back in 2013. That incident involved some isolated reports of low thiamine levels and even potential salmonella contamination. These events pushed Diamond to tighten safety protocols. Since then, the company says it’s stepped up its standards significantly. There’s been no recent recall that’s affecting supplies.
So, if you’re nervous about why a bag or can isn’t on the shelf, it’s not because it’s been pulled by officials or watchdogs. It’s just that Diamond can’t make or ship enough to fill every order right now.
How Retailers Are Handling the Supply Crunch
Let’s talk about where things stand for pet stores and online sellers. The “out of stock” issue isn’t identical everywhere. Some stores seem to have a better supply of certain Diamond Naturals recipes, while others can’t get anything in for weeks.
For example, you might see bags of one formula at Pet Food Express but not at a national chain. Online, a few variants could pop up for quick shipping one day, then totally disappear the next. Canned varieties tend to be the hardest to track down, with lots of pet owners swapping stories on social media about which flavors are totally missing from shelves.
According to several retailers, it’s the specific and specialty recipes like “Skin & Coat” or limited-ingredient formulas that are most likely to be out. These products serve pets with particular dietary needs, so it’s no surprise that customers worry when they’re not available.
Still, it’s worth checking with your local shop or trusted online sellers. Some locations still receive deliveries, even if it’s just a few cases at a time. The situation can literally change overnight depending on what comes in on a truck.
Diamond’s Quality Promise: Keeping Standards High
While all of this is happening, Diamond Pet Foods is stressing that quality hasn’t taken a back seat. The company has long touted its strict quality-control systems, and those are still in place through the shortage. These controls are one reason the company isn’t just churning out as much as possible; they want to avoid rushing production and putting out something sub-par.
All Diamond Naturals recipes are made in the United States, with production mainly in Missouri, South Carolina, and Arkansas. That’s unusual compared to some brands out there, and the company says it helps them uphold stricter standards. But, as we’re seeing, U.S.-only manufacturing can mean limited capacity in the face of a surge in demand.
Diamond points out that the current supply crunch isn’t about a drop in quality or shortcuts on production. Instead, it’s about making sure every product that does hit the shelves is up to the standards pet owners expect.
What to Do If You Can’t Find Your Formula
If you’re affected by the shortages, what’s your best move? The advice from Diamond and many pet nutrition experts is to check back often both at your usual store and nearby spots you might not have tried yet. Calling ahead is smart, especially before making a trip across town.
Some online retailers can give you stock alerts or let you join a waitlist. If you’re open to switching recipes, you may have more luck if your pet is flexible about flavor or type. But if you have a dog or cat with severe allergies, changing suddenly may not be an option without talking to a vet. This can make things stressful for you and your pet, but the hope is that these bumps won’t last too much longer.
It’s also a good idea to look out for messages directly from Diamond Pet Foods. The company posts updates to its website and often addresses concerns on their social media channels. They’ve made it clear they aren’t ignoring customer concerns and they definitely know lots of families are eager for normal supply to return.
For more tips on finding your favorite brands even during a shortage, sites like The Business Hustler sometimes feature practical guides to deal with these sorts of retail headaches.
Diamond’s Message: Help Is on the Way
So, while things might look bleak when you walk down the pet food aisle, Diamond says more stock is coming as soon as they can make it. The big takeaway is that this isn’t a safety or recall issue. The main problem is demand outpacing what their current plants can crank out, especially when it comes to canned varieties.
The company is betting that, once their new facility goes live next year, future disruptions will be much less likely. Until then, shortages might continue off and on, just depending on which formulas are trending in your area and which orders get filled that week.
Customers are being asked to hang tight, check for updates, and keep their shops in the loop about which products they need. If you’re one of the many people waiting for Diamond Naturals to reliably reappear on shelves, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel just not an instant fix.
That’s the story for now: high demand, short supply, and a busy manufacturing team working behind the scenes to ramp things up. The situation changes quickly, so those empty shelves may fill up sooner than you expect or might stick around a bit longer. Either way, Diamond Pet Foods is sticking to their pledge of quality, with plans for a steadier future supply coming soon.
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