It really is interesting. Over the past few years there’s been quite the debate in comparing Victor dog food and Diamond.

I’ve always had the impression that both are especially popular with owners of more active breeds. Think of the absolute classic Victor Hi Pro Plus and its target audience.

However, people with more relaxed and smaller breeds have also joined the discussion ring!

Not too surprising, don’t you think? More people are shifting away from cheap dog foods that are neither that healthy, nor properly nutritious.

Generally speaking, both Victor and Diamond offer greater quality without fillers. That said, there’s two things that are quite different between them. I want to expand on these points.

After the comparison, I’ll turn my attention to the Victor Hi Pro Plus for a review.

Why exactly this one? Because it just might be among the best all life stage dog foods currently.

I’ve yet to see another dog food product that has the following ratings:

• 5/5 on Dog Food Advisor (highest among all Victor or Diamond products)

• 99% satisfaction on Chewy

• 4.6/5 rating on Amazon

That’s quite the sample of thoroughly satisfied owners with dogs of all breeds and ages, if you ask me!

Note: When it comes to diet side effects or if you plan a drastic change in how you feed your dog, always consult with a specialist!

Victor vs Diamond: production differences

Let’s get this straight: the two brands are on completely different planes in terms of output.

Victor is a small family owned company and this is one of their most charming points.

Exactly because they’re a relatively small operation, Victor source close to all (if not all!) of their ingredients locally. To be more exact: it all happens in Texas.

So, your dog gets more handpicked ingredients with guaranteed local origin – according to the company. And Victor are known as a very transparent brand, so safe to say you can trust them.

But this also just might mean another thing: less product variation among batches. And this is very, very important, especially for delicate products like pet food.

Put simply, batch variation means that sometimes you can get an outstanding product, but other times you might see a drop in quality. It can happen with every manufacturer, in any market.

Diamond are a full-fledged operation with way more production potential and resources. This distances them a little from that closer, cozier family business image Victor have.

Above all, though, they might be more prone to batch variations exactly due to how many facilities they have. It’s not a rule, rather a possibility, yet – and owners around me have always been pleased with what Diamond has to offer.

However, judging from the recent reviews on ConsumerAffairs (see here), they just might be in the middle of a bad batch.

Diamond have had a few dog food recalls over their history – which might support my personal thoughts here. I don’t know of any Victor batch recall so far.

Personally, I like “mom and pop” operations more. But I’m also a small business/organic/bio fanatic, so…

Product lineup differences

The second big difference between Victor dog food vs Diamond is tied with #1:

Yes, I’m talking about how diverse the product lineup is.

As Diamond have way more resources, they offer a more comprehensive, diversified type of dog foods. In fact, they’re divided into three brands – Diamond Naturals, Diamond, and Diamond Naturals Grain-Free.

Only Diamond Naturals has as much food types as the whole Victor lineup!

By the way, if you go with Diamond, I strongly advise you to stick to the Naturals lineup. It’s way better than the “plain” Diamond quality.

That said, both lineups provide a good balance of target audiences – from all life stage pet food, to dedicated maintenance varieties.

Both brands also include a grain-free lineup for those dog owners who shoot for even cleaner dog food.

Your pup will be looking at them with these eyes:

DogFoodAdvisor seem to be more critical towards Diamond’s Grain-free lineup, giving it a 3.5/5 score.

At the same time, Victor’s grain-free food for dogs gets a perfect 5/5 from them.

This is interesting, as from my personal experiences, both brands’ grain-free food is quite similar in terms of quality.

Diamond does have quite the carbs at around 44%, compared to Victor’s just a tad less than 33%, though.

Personal recommendation: Victor Hi Pro Plus review

Sure, this a staple for people with active, highly energetic and bigger dogs. However, you can feed smaller breeds with it just fine.

Hi-Pro Plus focuses on higher protein levels and lower carbohydrates (at 30%). It’s not truly grain-free, but the formula is stripped of corn, soy, gluten and wheat which are the biggest offenders.

Speaking of the protein – sure, the amount is high, but where does it come from? Is it properly balanced and healthy enough?

I’ve got some good news: a whopping 83% are proper meat protein, with 7% coming from plants and the rest 10% being grain protein.

In terms of crude protein, you’re looking at 30%, with the fat being at 20% (crude fat), which is also quite good.

Pairing this healthy ratio with vitamins, minerals and trace nutritients that fortify the formula, your dog will be getting high energy in the healthiest way possible.

Remember what I said about smaller breeds? Usually, some energy-focused food has kibble that’s plain bulky and hard to feed to some dogs.

The dry kibble with the Hi Pro Plus is on the smaller side, almost flat and quite easy to crunch. Even if you have a tinier dog it shouldn’t be a problem.

Conversely, that might be a problem for owners of huge breeds: the kibble might be too tiny compared with other high energy dog foods.

It’s not all about the energy or the bulk it’ll put on skinnier dogs. Hair health and coat brilliance also matter. This is where all the Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (0.43% and 2.7% respectively), as well as Vitamin E kick in.

As a whole, this is a well-balanced, high class food that you can feed to your dog – regardless of its life stage or breed. It’s AFFCO certified too.

Last but not least, let’s focus on a delicate factor that is always relevant: stools.

Hi Pro Plus is easily digestible and has a well-balanced mix of ingredients. All of this leads to firmer stools that are easy to pass.

In fact, there’s a high chance your puppy will poop less (without this meaning constipation, of course!) Note that there might be some smell in the gases they pass, but it really differs across puppies.

Victor dog food feeding chart

As other Victor food varieties, the Hi Pro Plus comes with some recommended doses depending on your pet’s weight.

With a small pup at 10 lbs, you want to give only 1 cup of Hi Pro Plus for the whole day.

Considering that 1 cup = standard 8 oz cup, here’s how the amount scales with dog weight:

• 20 lbs – 1 ¼ cups

• 30 lbs – 1 ¾ cups

• 40 lbs – 2 ½ cups

• 60 lbs – 3 ¼ cups

• 80 lbs – 3 ¾ cups

• 100 lbs – 4 ½ cups

From 100 lbs onward, you should continue with the curve by increasing the feed with ½ cup for every 20 lbs.

The Hi-pro plus is especially popular with bigger breeds – from the tough husky dogs to German shepherds, but every pup can join the fun!

Important reminder if you’re switching dog food

You might be switching from another brand to Victor, or Diamond.

Or you might be transitioning from Diamond to Victor, or vice versa.

Whichever it is, always remember to take it slowly. Don’t simply swap your dog’s food completely from day 1.

What most brands and practicioners will recommend you to do is to make it a gradual process. Generally, this stage should last from 7 to 10 days.

Start by making the new brand around ¼ of the whole cup. Then transition to a 50/50 ratio for two-three days. Three more days where the new food occupies ¾ of the plate, and at around day 10 you should have completed the transition.

Often there are some side effects including, but not limited to stomach upset, gases and others.

If you see anything worrying, always consult with a specialist as soon as possible!