For devoted dog owners, ensuring their furry companions receive the best nutrition is a top priority. With busy schedules, finding the time to research, shop for, and prepare high-quality dog food can be challenging. Dog food subscription boxes offer a convenient solution, delivering nutritious, tailored meals and treats right to your doorstep. This article explores the top dog food subscription services, highlighting their unique features, benefits, and drawbacks, to help you make an informed decision for your beloved pup.
The Rise of Fresh and Customized Dog Food
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the ingredients in manufactured dog foods, often referred to as kibble. Many commercial dog foods rely on feed-grade ingredients, deemed unsuitable for human consumption. However, with ongoing research highlighting the importance of high-quality ingredients, fresh food options made with human-grade formulas have gained popularity. If you're considering transitioning your dog to fresh food or minimally processed dry food that's easier to digest, a dog food delivery service could be an excellent choice.
Top Recommendations
Before diving into the detailed reviews, here’s a quick overview of the top recommendations:
- Best Dog Food Delivery Service For Picky Eaters: Ollie
- Best Dog Food Delivery Service For Allergies: PetPlate
- Best Dog Food Delivery Service With Trial: Nom Nom
- Best Raw Dog Food Delivery Service: We Feed Raw
- Best Dog Food Delivery Service For Health Needs: JustFoodForDogs
The Farmer's Dog: Fresh, Vet-Designed Meals
The Farmer's Dog stands out for its commitment to providing freshly made, veterinary-designed meals tailored to your dog's specific needs. The brand formulates pre-portioned meals based on your pup's breed, age, activity level, ideal weight, and food sensitivities.
What's on Offer?
The Farmer's Dog features gently cooked recipes made with human-grade meat, vegetables, and a special blend of supplements. At least 50% of each recipe is made from whole muscle and organ meat, complemented by fresh vegetables like carrots, green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and fiber-rich foods like chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and lentils. The supplements, including salmon oil for boosting immunity with Omega-3s, are carefully selected for their high quality.
Read also: Is a Healthy Food Box Right for You?
Choose from four recipes: beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. The meals are prepared in a human-food facility adhering to strict safety standards and gently cooked at a relatively low heat to preserve nutritional integrity while eliminating potential pathogens.
What Makes It Special?
The Farmer's Dog uses human-grade meat and produce with higher safety standards than typical pet food, resulting in fewer processing byproducts and contaminants. The gentle cooking method enhances digestibility. When you sign up, you'll create a personalized profile for your dog, and The Farmer's Dog will calculate portion sizes according to their unique caloric needs, adjusting based on their age, weight, health, and other factors.
The recipes were developed with the help of board-certified veterinary nutritionists, ensuring compliance with AAFCO nutrient guidelines and WSAVA recommendations for optimal canine health. The packaging is largely recyclable or compostable, and each pre-portioned meal comes in easy open-and-pour packaging for added convenience.
Is It Good Value?
Pricing starts at $2 per day and can increase depending on your dog's size and caloric needs. While more expensive than standard kibble, The Farmer's Dog provides better nutrition and quality of life.
Ollie: Customized Meals for All Breeds and Dietary Needs
Ollie takes the guesswork out of feeding your pup by delivering freshly made, customized meals that cater to dogs of all breeds, ages, and dietary needs. You can adjust your pup’s plan at any time.
Read also: Is a Health Food Subscription Box Right for You?
What's on Offer?
Ollie features an array of minimally processed recipes developed by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. Choices include beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, and pork proteins. Grain-free and high-fiber recipes are also available. Each recipe contains recognizable, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, chickpeas, blueberries, and spinach. The ingredients are always fresh and natural, and the recipes are prepared in a human-grade kitchen.
Ollie offers 5 Fresh recipes (wet food options) and 2 Baked recipes (dry food options). You can also choose from Ollie’s selection of treats and supplements, which are sold separately.
What Makes It Special?
Ollie adheres to high standards for sourcing all its meat, poultry, fish, fruits, and vegetables. The chicken and turkey are raised according to USDA standards without any added hormones, and the lamb is sourced from outside the US. Each recipe includes a combination of vitamins and extra nutrients needed for a healthy dog’s development at any life stage, such as taurine, fish oil, and vitamins E, B2, B6, and D3.
Ollie offers personalized and flexible meal plans. Based on the data you introduce in your profile, Ollie will recommend a specific amount of food, and you’re free to choose from the 3 available plans: Full Fresh, Mixed Bowl, and Half Fresh.
Is It Good Value?
Pricing ranges from $4-$8 per day based on your dog’s weight, recipes, and portion sizes. While pricier than standard kibble, Ollie provides peace of mind, knowing your dog eats high-quality food vetted by experts. The customized meal plans and convenience of auto-delivery make it worthwhile for many pet parents.
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We Feed Raw: Fresh, Raw Ingredients for Optimal Health
We Feed Raw delivers the finest fresh, raw ingredients to set your pup up for success. Feeding raw is considered a healthy way to feed your dog, but it can be inconvenient if not handled properly. A subscription like We Feed Raw is essential for ensuring proper handling and nutrition.
What's on Offer?
We Feed Raw features a selection of 8 recipes that include only human-grade proteins. There are 6 base proteins on offer: beef, chicken, duck, turkey, lamb, and venison, all available in frozen raw formulations. There are also 2 freeze dried recipes - beef and chicken.
Each We Feed Raw recipe includes a special blend of vitamins and minerals obtained from ingredients like flaxseed, calcium carbonate, and other necessary supplements. Each recipe has min 1% Crude Fiber to promote healthy digestion. All the ingredients are sourced from responsible suppliers, with no fillers, preservatives, or artificial colors or flavors.
What Makes It Special?
From farm to bowl, We Feed Raw uses the gentlest processing available to retain maximum nutritional integrity. Meats are never cooked, only quickly frozen and then thawed to avoid damaging proteins, vitamins, and enzymes. Each batch is crafted under the watchful eye of a Ph.D. animal nutritionist to ensure complete and balanced nutrition. High-pressure processing (HPP) eliminates food-borne illness risks without compromising food quality, using only water under high pressure, not risky chemicals or radiation.
We Feed Raw sources top-quality ingredients like pasture-raised New Zealand lamb and venison. Each recipe is prepared in USDA-certified kitchens under strict safety regulations.
Is It Good Value?
Considering the immense health benefits of fresh, species-appropriate raw food, We Feed Raw provides good value. Prices range from $6.59/lb, and large or giant breeds will require significant quantities to meet energy needs.
Nom Nom: Nutrient-Rich Meals Crafted with Care
Nom Nom is a top-notch choice for dog owners looking to provide their furry companions with nutritious meals. The brand is on a mission to boost pets' health through good nutrition designed in collaboration with on-staff board certified veterinary nutritionists.
What’s on Offer?
Nom Nom offers a selection of 6 recipes: Turkey Fare, Pork Potluck, Chicken Cuisine, Beef Mash, Lamb Pilaf, and Turkey & Chicken Cookout. The recipes are high in protein and healthy fats and have the necessary amount of fiber to promote good digestion.
Nom Nom also features a line of supplements for dogs and cats, including GI-targeted probiotics and full-spectrum probiotics. The supplements aren’t included in Nom Nom’s main plan but can be added to your box as extras.
What Makes It Special?
Nom Nom has a special cooking method to keep every ingredient nutrient-rich. The team gently cooks every meat and veggie individually and only mixes the already cooked ingredients into the recipe. Nom Nom also helps you create a personalized meal plan for your pooch, depending on their age, weight, level of activity, and more. The algorithm that decides the portions and number of calories per individual dog was developed using the most recent research in veterinary nutrition.
Is It Good Value?
Prices start at $5/day, but the final price depends on your dog’s weight, age, and activity level. While not as cheap as kibble, Nom Nom's recipes are formulated with your dog's needs in mind.
Spot & Tango: Healthy and Affordable Dog Food
Spot & Tango is a fantastic choice for pet parents who want healthy and affordable dog food options. With a focus on human-grade ingredients and a commitment to the well-being of your furry friend, Spot & Tango stands out as a reliable choice in the world of dog food subscriptions.
What’s on Offer?
Spot & Tango provides 2 types of dog food - UnKibble and Fresh recipes. UnKibble is a kibble alternative that’s gently dried to preserve nutrients while maintaining convenience. Unlike kibble, Spot & Tango’s dried food is made out of 100% fresh, whole ingredients and contains no artificial preservatives.
The Fresh recipes consist of gently baked meals made from real, fresh ingredients, ideal for dogs with a preference for a more natural diet. Both UnKibble and Fresh recipes are a good fit for puppies and adult dogs and are GMO and hormone-free. Everything is cooked in small batches in a USDA kitchen for extra safety.
What Makes It Special?
Ingredient selection is a priority for Spot & Tango, with all ingredients coming from trusted suppliers. Another remarkable aspect of Spot & Tango is meal plan flexibility. While Fresh recipes are the premium option, UnKibble offers an affordable alternative. It can serve as a complete meal or a nutritious topper, giving pet parents the choice to balance budget and nutrition according to their needs.
Is It Good Value?
Spot & Tango offers excellent value for pet owners, with prices starting at just <$1 per meal. This reasonable pricing makes it accessible to a wide range of dog owners.
The Pets Table: Diverse Options for Health and Budget
The Pets Table offers a diverse range of dog food options, such as air-dried and fresh recipes, with a selection of 4 meal plans designed to cater to both your dog's health and your budget. Each recipe features high-quality proteins, human-grade ingredients, and a taste that gets tails wagging.
What’s on Offer?
The Pets Table provides an enticing menu that includes 4 air-dried recipes - Beef & Berries, Chicken & Sweet Potato, Salmon & Whitefish With Pumpkin, and Lamb & Beef With Brown Rice, as well as 5 fresh recipes featuring chicken, turkey, beef, and pork as the main protein options.
These recipes are crafted with superfoods, such as sweet potato, berries, fish oil, flaxseed, and many others. Plus, each recipe includes vitamin A to ensure your dog's overall health. The Pets Table meals are not only complete and balanced for all life stages but also rich in fiber, with the addition of postbiotics to promote gut health.
What Makes It Special?
To make sure ingredients maintain their shape, texture, and taste, The Pets Table employs 2 special cooking methods. The air-dried recipes are minimally processed with low heat, which reduces moisture in each morsel, making the food shelf-stable for a long period of time. The fresh recipes are gently baked, ensuring the retention of nutrients and flavors.
Is It Good Value?
The Pets Table unquestionably offers good value for dog owners. The diverse menu, personalized meal plans, and commitment to high-quality ingredients make the brand a wise choice for those looking for a balanced and nutritious diet for their canine companions. While it may not be the cheapest option on the market (prices start at $1.59 per meal).
Beyond Food: Subscription Boxes with Toys and Treats
In addition to meal delivery services, subscription boxes that include a variety of toys and treats can be a great way to keep your dog entertained and happy. Here are a few top options:
PupJoy Box: High-Quality Gear and Customization
PupJoy Box is a favorite dog subscription-box service because of its variety of high-quality goods, customizable boxes, overall value, and prompt deliveries. Each PupJoy box contains, on average, two toys, two treats, and one chew. The toys are well made, and the treats and chews are made in the United States.
This service is more customizable than any pet subscription service, with options for a box with toys, treats, and chews; toys and treats only; or toys only. You can specify whether you want plush or a variety of toys, as well as choose all-natural, organic, grain-free, or protein-sensitive treats.
PupBox: Variety for Puppies
PupBox is recommended for people who are raising a puppy or those who like more variety month to month. Each shipment includes a tip sheet tailored to the age of your pup, along with matching accessories. However, there is less flexibility in limiting materials and ingredients, and in setting less-frequent shipping.
BarkBox: Creative Toys and Themed Boxes
As one of the original subscription boxes for dogs, BarkBox has made a name for itself with creative toy and treat selections. Each month, toys are based on specific themes, including popular movies and TV shows, holidays, and seasons. However, BarkBox toys aren't very durable, making it a less suitable choice for powerful chewers.
Bullymake: For Aggressive Chewers
Bullymake is hands down the best dog subscription box for aggressive chewers. Each box contains a mix of tug toys, treat-dispensing toys, and chew toys made from durable materials like ballistic nylon, nylon, rubber, and rope. The toys are both versatile and durable, providing varied play for dogs with strong jaws.
Important Considerations Before Subscribing
Before committing to a dog food subscription box, consider the following:
- AAFCO Compliance: Ensure that the brand adheres to guidelines established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
- Veterinarian Consultation: Consult your veterinarian before changing your dog’s diet.
- Ingredients: Carefully review the ingredients list, especially if your dog has sensitivities or allergies.
- Customization Options: Look for services that offer customization options to meet your dog's specific needs.
- Pricing: Compare the pricing of different services and consider your budget.
- Storage: Fresh food requires freezer space, so ensure you have enough room.
- Treats vs. Toys: Decide whether you prefer a box with treats, toys, or a combination of both.
- Durability: If your dog is a heavy chewer, opt for boxes with durable toys like Bullymake.
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