The 8 Best Fresh Dog Food Delivery Services
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If you’re considering fresh food for your dog but want to avoid the hassle of making it yourself, there are a number of subscription services out there to consider.
We’ve Purchased, tested and reviewed the best fresh dog food delivery services out there to bring you this review.
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At a Glance: Best Fresh Dog Food Brands
Overall Best: Ollie
- Crafted by a veterinarian
- Made from human-grade ingredients
- Offers four recipes, giving you plenty of choices
- Custom-portioned for your dog’s unique needs
- Flexible delivery schedules
Ollie earns the top spot on our list with an easy signup process, plenty of options for customization, and veterinarian-formulated recipes. Our test dog loved Ollie and we appreciated that 1% of the company’s revenue is donated to help dogs in need.
- We appreciated that every formula is vet-formulated and meets AAFCO standards for a nutritionally complete and balanced diet.
- All of their recipes are made from USDA-certified and prepared in a USDA-regulated kitchen.
- With plans starting at $2 per day, Ollie is one of the more affordable fresh dog food delivery options.
Editor’s Choice: Nom Nom
- Formulated by a veterinary nutritionist
- Homemade-style dog food made to order and shipped fresh, never frozen
- Even picky eaters love the taste and texture of Nom Nom dog food
- Each pouch is custom-portioned to suit your dog’s unique needs
With its high-quality ingredients, outstanding customer service, and user-friendly site, Nom Nom earns the second spot on our list of the best dog food delivery services.
- We loved that Nom Nom’s fresh dog food is made from restaurant-quality ingredients.
- Their recipes feature real animal proteins and wholesome veggies like sweet potatoes and spinach.
- The website was incredibly easy to use and, from order to delivery, NomNom kept us informed every step of the way.
Premium Pick: The Farmer’s Dog
- Made from human-grade ingredients
- Custom-portioned for your dog’s unique needs
- Packed in easy-to-store, environmentally-friendly packages
- Flexible delivery schedules accommodate your needs
With several nutritionists behind every formula, a smooth, easy-to-follow signup process, and environmentally-friendly packaging, The Farmer’s Dog shows an extraordinary attention to detail and a top-notch experience.
- We loved that The Farmer’s Dog gathered so many details about our dog’s activity levels, diet, and more in order to determine his calorie needs.
- The Farmer’s Dog food is made from USDA-certified meats and vegetables and processed in USDA-approved facilities.
- We appreciated that the foods are packed in biodegradable insulation and come with biodegradable storage containers for easy serving.
Best Eco-Friendly: Spot and Tango
- Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
- Made from human-grade ingredients
- One of the only fresh dog food delivery brands that offers a kibble option
- The company emphasizes eco-friendly packaging and practices
Made from US-sourced ingredients and shipped in environmentally-friendly packaging, Spot and Tango is a high-quality option. It’s also among the few that offers a kibble recipe.
- We liked that the foods were packed in vacuum-sealed bags, which made them easier to store in the freezer.
- Spot and Tango’s lineup includes both grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes, so you can choose what’s right for you.
- Spot and Tango foods are formulated by a veterinary nutritionist and meet AAFCO standards for all life stages.
Best for Sensitive Stomachs: Pet Plate
- Gently kettle-cooked in a human-grade kitchen
- Formulated by a veterinary nutritionist
- Offers four varieties, including novel proteins for sensitive dogs
- Packed in reusable containers for less waste
- Flexible, customized subscription plans
With four recipes and a couple of good options for sensitive bellies, Pet Plate’s pre-portioned meals are among the best choices for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
- Pet Plate’s recipes are formulated by veterinary nutritionists. And while their foods aren’t officially considered human-grade, they are made from human-grade ingredients in USDA-approved facilities.
- We liked that Pet Plate offered a lot of information on their site and made it easy to contact customer support via chat or phone call.
- With grain-free and grain-inclusive options and a decent selection of protein types, Pet Plate is a promising choice for sensitive pups. If your dog has an allergy not addressed in the lineup, Pet Plate may be able to provide further customization.
Balanced nutrition is the key to long-term health and wellness for any dog. The quality of your dog’s food determines the quality of his life – it’s really that simple.
When it comes to quality dog food, you can’t beat fresh food. Fresh dog food is typically prepared in small batches with fresh, whole-food ingredients.
It typically contains fewer fillers, by-products, and artificial additives than the average kibble as well.
Though there’s no denying fresh food is a healthy option for dogs, it comes at a price.
Read on to learn the benefits of pet food delivery and to explore the options.
Included in This Review:
- Ollie
- NomNomNow
- The Farmer’s Dog
- Spot and Tango
- PetPlate
- Grocery Pup
- Darwin’s Natural Pet Products
- FreshPet
Like human meal delivery services, dog food subscriptions are vast and varied. Before we get into the details about each option, take a moment to learn the basics.
Here’s what you need to know about pet food delivery services, how much they cost, and how we tested and reviewed the products. With this information, you’ll be able to compare companies and choose the best dog food option for your pet (and your budget).
The Benefits of Dog Food Subscription Services
Most pet parents get their dog food from the pet store or order it online. While these options are certainly viable, they are no longer the only ones available.
Like human meal delivery services, dog food delivery services are now on the menu. You can receive monthly or bi-weekly shipments of fresh dog food or kibble delivered right to your door.
Here are some of the benefits of dog food subscription services:
- Fresh food prepared in small batches using fresh ingredients delivered right to your door in customizable shipments.
- Most services offer fresh food recipes formulated by veterinary nutritionists that line up with AAFCO recommendations.
- Your dog’s meal plan is customized according to your dog’s weight, age, breed, and activity level as well as additional factors like allergies, preferences, and health problems.
- Most companies offer a discount on your first box as well as free shipping and a money-back guarantee (you may also get other freebies like treats or toys).
- Many fresh food companies send their products in pre-portioned packages, so you know exactly how much to feed your dog to maintain his ideal weight.
- You’ll likely receive instructions for transitioning your dog onto the new diet with your first box.
Meeting your dog’s nutritional needs is essential, but many dog owners agree that the second most important factor they consider when choosing dog food is convenience.
Not only do pet food delivery services send fresh dog food or kibble right to your door, but they do the work to calculate your dog’s calorie requirements as well. Most services have you fill out a profile with your dog’s information before recommending a meal plan.
If you want to make changes to your dog’s plan, most companies make it easy to do. You can adjust your dog’s calorie intake if his activity level changes, make a note of new food allergies, or even switch from a full meal plan to a food topper plan.
Though you can’t beat the quality and convenience of having fresh dog food delivered right to your door, you probably have one question – is it worth the added cost?
Is Fresh Food Worth the Cost?
The best rule to follow as a dog owner is to feed your dog the highest-quality diet you can consistently afford. Quality matters greatly, but you also need to avoid changing your dog’s diet too frequently.
If you can afford it, fresh food is well worth it.
The typical commercial dog food is mass-produced to reduce costs for the manufacturer. Dog food brands that make cheap dog food use fillers, by-products, and artificial preservatives to keep their costs down. Unfortunately, that compromises the quality of the product and the quality of your dog’s nutrition.
Fresh dog food is typically made in small batches using fresh, whole-food ingredients. That means real meat, whole grains, fresh veggies, and the necessary supplements to ensure balanced nutrition.
As you might expect, you’re going to pay more for that level of quality. Fresh dog food certainly isn’t cheap, but you have to think about the long-term benefits.
Feeding your dog a high-quality diet ensures balanced nutrition which supports his long-term health and wellness.
Keeping your dog healthy protects him from serious health problems and frequent vet visits, the costs of which can add up over time.
Simply put, if you can afford to feed your dog fresh dog food, you should definitely consider it.
How We Tested and Reviewed the Products
Before you change your dog’s diet, it’s important to get an expert opinion.
Always talk to your veterinarian before making significant changes to your dog’s diet, just to be safe. It’s also a good idea to read reviews to make sure the product you choose is the best choice.
You’ll be glad to know that we’ve tested each of the products reviewed here, and we’ve done our best to bring you a detailed and unbiased overview of the companies and their products.
When testing subscription pet food services, we considered the following factors:
- Average price (daily or weekly)
- Quality of the ingredients
- Variety of recipes offered
- Options for customizing meal plans
- Environmentally friendly packaging
We also took into account how easy it was to use the website to place an order, what options were available for customer service and, of course, how much our test dog enjoyed the products.
After testing each company, we compiled a detailed review.
To help you choose the best food option for your dog, we’ve summarized the 11 companies we’ve tested here. You’ll find them divided into the top 8 best fresh dog food companies and an additional three pet food delivery services that offer kibble.
For each company, you’ll find a rating out of 5 that takes into account the five categories mentioned above. Prices are averaged based on full meal plan for a 20-to-30-pound neutered male dog with a normal activity level.
Read on to see a quick summary of the top 11 dog food delivery services.
Ollie
Product Info
- Weekly Price: 9/10
- Ingredient Quality: 10/10
- Recipe Variety: 9/10
- Options for Customization: 10/10
- Environmentally Friendly: 10/10
- We liked that Ollie offers four different recipes to give pet owners plenty of choices – they also provide detailed information about each recipe on their website where it’s easy to find.
- The quality of the ingredients is clear and the pre-portioned packages were convenient and easy to feed.
- Though Ollie offers four recipes, none of them are grain inclusive.
- Many dog owners choose to feed their dogs grain-free and gluten-free food, but we believe grains can be a nutritious ingredient in a properly formulated dog food recipe.
The Farmer’s Dog Food
Product Info
- Weekly Price: 8/10
- Ingredient Quality: 10/10
- Recipe Variety: 9/10
- Options for Customization: 10/10
- Environmentally Friendly: 10/10
- The process to order The Farmer’s Dog is a little lengthy, but we appreciated all the information they collected to customize our dog’s calorie requirements.
- The pre-portioned packages are long and flat which is great for storage and the quality of the ingredients is evident.
- We also loved how environmentally friendly the packaging is.
- The only issue we had with The Farmer’s Dog was the lack of variety in their recipes.
- It was also a little tricky to find detailed information about the recipes themselves (their ingredients and guaranteed analysis) without creating a profile to log in.
Spot and Tango Dog Food
Product Info
- Weekly Price: 6/10
- Ingredient Quality: 10/10
- Recipe Variety: 8/10
- Options for Customization: 10/10
- Environmentally Friendly: 10/10
- Spot and Tango is very open about the sourcing of their ingredients, stating that they come from local farms and human food suppliers in the United States.
- They offer plenty of information about their environmentally-friendly packaging and how the products are made.
- Priced over $50 per week for a 30-pound dog, Spot and Tango is the most expensive fresh dog food we tried.
- We were also a little disappointed that there were only three recipes to choose from. We did, however, appreciate that one was grain inclusive.
Pet Plate Dog Food
Product Info
- Weekly Price: 7/10
- Ingredient Quality: 9/10
- Recipe Variety: 9/10
- Options for Customization: 9/10
- Environmentally Friendly: 10/10
- We liked that the meals were shipped in resealable containers – it saved us the hassle of having to scoop the remaining portion into a bag for later use.
- The quality of the ingredients was evident as well and we appreciated the variety of recipes, including grain inclusive options.
- Though we liked the resealable containers, it was a little more challenging to find room for them in the freezer since they weren’t flat.
- The cost was on the upper end of the companies we’ve tried as well and it was a little more difficult to determine the ideal portion size.
A PUP ABOVE Dog Food
Product Info
- Weekly Price: 8/10
- Ingredient Quality: 10/10
- Recipe Variety: 8/10
- Options for Customization: 9/10
- Environmentally Friendly: 8/10
- Grocery Pup is designed to be a subscription service, but you can also order their products one at a time, if you prefer.
- We loved the quality of the ingredients and the sous-vide cooking process their preserves their nutrition.
- Unlike many fresh food companies, Grocery Pup doesn’t pre-portion their meals and the patties don’t come in resealable pouches.
- It takes some guesswork to estimate the proper portion size and the entire bag was a little more difficult to store than others.
- There are also only three recipes to choose from, though you can easily purchase samples to try them all.
Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Cat Food
Product Info
- Weekly Price: 8/10
- Ingredient Quality: 8/10
- Recipe Variety: 9/10
- Options for Customization: 9/10
- Environmentally Friendly: 8/10
- Product information is readily available
- Sourcing and quality information provided for every ingredient.
- Affordable introductory pricing - $14.95 price for a 10-pound trial
- Some risks involved with feeding raw dog food
- Weekly price becomes fairly significant after the trial
FreshPet Dog Food
Product Info
- Weekly Price: 9/10
- Ingredient Quality: 7/10
- Recipe Variety: 9/10
- Options for Customization: 9/10
- Environmentally Friendly: 8/10
- We liked the wide variety of options FreshPet had to offer in both dog and cat food.
- In addition to rolls and patties, we also found a selection of fresh meals similar to kibble but with higher moisture levels.
- The ingredients are 97% sourced from the USA and Canada.
- Our experience varied depending on the product.
- The test dog wasn’t thrilled about the fresh food rolls but had no problem with the fresh meals.
- FreshPet also doesn’t offer the same level of convenience as other companies because they aren’t a subscription service.
Final Remarks
You have plenty of options when it comes to choosing your dog’s food, but some are definitely better than others. If you want to support your dog’s long-term health and wellness, consider fresh food.
Fresh dog food definitely isn’t cheap, but it can be convenient with a fresh food delivery service. With free shipping, customizable meal plans, and high-quality ingredients, it’s hard to argue against it.
If you’re considering fresh food for your dog, try one of the subscription services we’ve reviewed above.
Patricia vagnarelli
We need a low purine fresh food meal. The only thing we found is hard kibble and he wont eat it.
Kate Barrington
Hi Patricia, finding a low purine dog food is definitely a challenge! Our recommendations shouldn't be a substitute for veterinary advice but it sounds like you might want to look for a fresh dog food that doesn't contain organ meats (since they are high in purines). Most of the fresh food delivery companies we've reviewed contain organ meats, however, so maybe consider starting with a fresh dog food base mix (like The Honest Kitchen or Dr. Harvey's) and add your own fresh ground meat.