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The Growth of Dog Food Delivery Services Is Trending Upward & We Compare The Leaders In 2020
You might think that your dog will eat almost anything. I know mine will! However, there is an incredible difference in the quality of the best dog food delivery providers compared to the rest.
The human health food industry has grown exponentially in recent years. With people becoming more and more aware of the health and fitness benefits of eating the right food, they are spending more disposable income on healthy foods.
It’s not just people who are getting into the health food habit, and dog owners are increasingly searching for healthier food options for their cherished pets. This short guide is designed to ensure that you have enough knowledge to ensure your pet gets the quality and healthy food it deserves, delivered to your door.
Best Delivery Services of Fresh Dog Food
A recent trend in the dog food sector is for home-delivered fresh food. Dried dog food is incredibly long-lasting, but the number of preservatives that go into producing that longevity cannot be suitable for your dog’s health.
Also, there is no guarantee as to the length of time the dried dog food is stored before being packaged. With these concerns, many dog owners are turning to fresh food suppliers to provide their dog food delivered to their doors.
We checked out some of the top fresh dog food suppliers. So, read on to get advice on healthy meal choices for your pooch.
Which Is The Best Fresh Dog Food Delivery Service?
Fresh dog food delivery services are plentiful in this new health-conscious market. So, choosing the right one for you and your pet can be a challenge. We are not in a position to say which is best or not so good for your four-legged friend.
Instead, we will provide you with an objective observation of each supplier so that you can make your mind up. So, that being said, let’s get stuck into it:
Nom Nom
It’s probably best to aim straight for the top, and Nom Nom certainly does that, with quality ingredients and customized meal plans. Nom Nom has developed a reputation as the go-to fresh dog food company, and this rep is well-earned.
Nom Nom’s menu selection is the most extensive in the sector. They also cater for dogs that are allergic to protein or have sensitive stomachs, with their egg and vegetable medley.
One of the pros that we list below is Nom Nom’s tearaway packaging. However, there have been reports of this not producing an airtight seal. This issue, of course, could be down to user error as mostly these seals are reliable.
Pros of Choosing Nom Nom
- The most substantial amount of recipes.
- Quality packaging – important for delivery service.
- Tear-apart packs – no scissors or cutting required.
- Sized into daily portions.
Cons of Choosing Nom Nom
- Packs are not entirely uniform, so stacking is awkward.
The Farmer’s Dog
This supplier of fresh dog food prepares its canine cuisine with human-grade ingredients. They will also provide you with their recipes, so you can make your version if you wish.
Now, this could either be the dumbest business decision ever or one of the smartest. We decided it was quite clever, as it shows that the Farmer’s Dog is more concerned about healthy pups than healthy profits!
They also recommend that you purchase their supplement packs. The reason for this is that homemade dog food does not contain all the minerals or vitamins needed by your pet.
We went through the whole order process from ordering, to shipping, to eating (our dog, not us), and we found the entire process simple and straightforward. Judging by the speed our dog finished the food, the recipe was tasty and high quality.
Pros of Choosing the Farmer’s Dog
- Good quality packaging – essential for shipping.
- Real food in large chunks.
- Provide free recipes for DIY meals.
- Easy-to-stack packaging.
- Containers to store leftovers.
- Sized into daily portions
Cons of Choosing the Farmer’s Dog
- Scissors required to open the packaging.
Ollie
This fresh dog food supplier operates differently to its competitors in terms of customized containers. Ollie’s fresh dog food certainly matches the quality of its competitors, so these custom servings are something that sets their brand apart from the rest.
Another aspect of their operations that differentiates Ollie is the transparency of their production. You can view every stage of their fresh dog food manufacturing process, and we recommend you check it out before you buy it.
Pros of Choosing Ollie
- No need to thaw a new meal every day.
- Offer lamb in all levels of meals, not just premium like competition.
- Easy storage of leftovers, so minimum wastage.
Cons of Choosing Ollie
- Need to measure food portions for each meal, so a little inconvenient.
- Uses more substantial types of plastics, so you need to recycle the containers.
Spot and Tango
Spot and Tango are the new kids on the block of fresh dog food delivery services. They have not taken long to impact this sector, already setting themselves apart from the competition by providing quality fresh dog food using only a limited amount of ingredients, just twelve in total.
This amount of ingredients is excellent for dog owners whose pets may be suffering from food allergies, as it means they can identify any ingredients causing a reaction.
Spot and Tango’s fresh dog food comes in vacuum-packed plastic containers, similar to the packaging used by the Farmer’s Dog. Inside each container will be an individually-sized portion of food individually measured out for your dog.
Dog owners that use Spot and Tango’s fresh dog food service have got the peace-of-mind that comes with a USDA-certified kitchen. If that is not enough, Spot and Tango also provide a ‘happy pup’ satisfaction guarantee.
Pros of Choosing Spot and Tango
- Uniform and slimline packaging allow for easy stacking in the freezer.
- Daily-portioned and individually sized meals.
Cons of Choosing Spot and Tango
- They are a new company, and relatively unknown, so the overall customer experience is difficult to assess yet.
Pet Plate
You may remember this company from appearing on Shark Tank from ABC. They didn’t get the 10% investment capital they were looking for, but that has not stopped Pet Plate from making an impact on the fresh dog food delivery sector.
Pet Plate provides dog owners with quality, human-grade, fresh food for their pets. They have a range of popular recipes, with their beef dish being one of the favorites.
Their squeezable packaging makes it easy to serve Pet Plate meals, but the downside of this is that it uses a lot of plastic, so be sure to recycle them.
Pros of Choosing Pet Plate
- Limited amount of ingredients (average of 12), so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Cons of Choosing Pet Plate
- Meal containers use a lot of freezer space.
- The packaging is insufficiently robust for shipping.
- Difficult to stack as packaging is not uniform.
- Uses a lot of plastic.
Just Food For Dogs
https://www.justfoodfordogs.com
This fresh dog food delivery company is one of the few that operates out of physical stores. They have operations in New York and Los Angeles, and they also prepare and cook the food from these stores.
Just Food For Dogs are laser-focused on the quality of their fresh dog food, as well as creating some unique recipes, including a venison meal, and one from macaroni. Although they have two physical stores, you can still order your fresh dog food online and get it delivered. However, the ordering process for their online sales could do with an overhaul as it is a bit ‘clunky.’ One possible reason for this is their focus on the two physical retail outlets.
One other concern we had, as dog owners, was that the Just Food For Dogs meals are not specifically made to a dog’s age or size. This aspect appears to be left to the owners to decide.
Pros of Choosing Just Food For Dogs
- Packages are easy to stack in the freezer.
- Thin packs of food easily stack in the freezer.
- Unique recipes, such as macaroni and venison.
- An established company that is focused on quality food.
Cons of Choosing Just Food For Dogs
- Meal plans are not tailored to individual dogs.
- Online ordering is not as streamlined as it could be.
Benefits of Your Dog Eating Fresh Dog Food
Feeding your dog fresh food is more expensive than dry or processed alternatives, there is no doubt about that. However, there are benefits of having fresh dog food delivered to your door compared to collecting a long-lasting bag of processed dry food. Below are just a few of the advantages for you and your dog.
Here are some of the most obvious ones.
Limited Number of Ingredients
Fresh dog food has around half the number of different ingredients that dry processed food does, so it is easier for you to know exactly what is going into your dog’s body. Part of the reason for this is that there is no need for all the preservatives and other artificial ingredients that are put into dry dog food. Fresh food naturally contains all of the vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, and fresh means no preservatives are required.
Fresh dog food has none of the food dyes used in dry dog food to make them look more appealing. On analyzing the makeup of an average pack of kibble, we found no less than forty-eight different ingredients. This amount compared to an average of only twenty ingredients in fresh dog food.
Ingredients Are Fresh
During the manufacture of processed dog food, all of the ingredients get mixed and then pressed into pellets called kibble. It becomes practically possible to determine the quality of individual pieces of kibble or even batches of it. So, you need to trust that the manufacturer is producing something of quality for your dog to eat. There is no doubt about what you are feeding your dog with fresh dog food that is often made to human-grade specifications.
Another concern about some of the ‘premium’ brands of dried kibble is their claim that grain-free food is the best for dogs. This claim has not only been questioned by the FDA; they believe that grain-free kibble is linked to a form of heart disease on dogs.
Convenience
Dried dog food might have the convenience of long shelf life, but that is about it. Fresh dog food makes it much easier to give your dog healthy food. You do not have the hassle of having to look for other ingredients to supplement the dried food. All the recipes are prepared for you with healthy ingredients, conveniently packaged into correct portion sizes, and delivered to your door. How much more convenient do you need fresh dog food to be?
How To Get Your Dog Eating Fresh Dog Food
If your dog is new to fresh food, then it is critical to allow time to adjust to their new diet and gradually introduce the change. Time is required, particularly if your dog has been on a diet of kibble. For dogs that are used to eating only kibble, the around two weeks should be allowed to transition onto the fresh dog food.
The reason this much time is required is that your dog’s stomach gets used to digesting kibble. When you introduce fresh dog food, your dog could suffer vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach ache. If your dog experiences any tummy trouble during the transition, you should not be too concerned, just be aware of the cause and wean them off the kibble slowly.
Following these steps should help:
- Trial portion. Start by giving your dog a treat-sized portion of fresh dog food as a trial. This gradual start will check that they have no allergic reaction to the food. The limited amount of ingredients in fresh dog food makes it easy to identify the cause of an allergic reaction.
- Try Half Fresh. If the result of your trial portion was fine, the next step is to put your dog onto a half fresh, half kibble diet. You can build up to this gradually, particularly if your dog has a sensitive stomach. When your dog is eating half fresh and half kibble, keep them at this level for seven days.
- Fully Fresh. After a week of your dog eating half fresh and half kibble, you can start to increase the proportion of fresh food. For another week, you should aim to have your dog eating only fresh dog food.
Many fresh dog food delivery companies will help you to transition your dog from kibble to fresh food. They will customize your dog’s portions for the period of the transition, so you do not have to be concerned with remembering how much to reduce or increase your dog’s food portions by. It is all done for you, and all you need to do is send them an email explaining your dog’s current diet, and when you want to start on fresh dog food.
Best Services For Traditional Dog Food Delivery
- Chewy
- Amazon
If it is standard, traditional dog food that you are looking to be delivered to your home, you cannot go far wrong with Chewy. Chewy is our choice as the best online supplier of traditional dog food.
Chewy has been at the top of online retail sales for the past couple of years, offering you a range of products and delivery options. As well as food, Chewy also supplies treats and toys for your dog.
Pros of Choosing Chewy
- Grain-free.
- Freeze-dried.
- Human-grade.
- Prescription diet available.
- 5-10% discount with every auto-ship order.
- Treats, toys, and accessories as well as food.
- Other pet products other than dogs.
- Excellent customer service.
- Free 1-2 day shipping over $49
Cons of Choosing Chewy
- They lost some customer service reputation after the PetSmart buyout in 2017. Customers though delivery and inventory had suffered.
Amazon Dog Food Delivery Review
You can get pretty much anything from Amazon today, and that is the case for dog food delivery services too. There are hundreds of dog food suppliers on Amazon, also with supplies of dog treats, toys, accessories, and other dog-related products.
Many of the dog food suppliers will offer you between five and ten percent discount on your dog food orders if you set up a recurring delivery option. You can choose delivery periods of between one to six months.
Pros of Choosing Amazon Dog Food Supplies
- Grain-free.
- Allergy-free.
- Prescription diet food.
- 5-10% discount on recurring deliveries.
- Pet treats, toys, and accessories available.
- One-stop shopping.
- Caters for other pets other than dogs.
- Easy cancellation policy.
- Excellent customer service.
- Free shipping for Amazon Prime members.
Cons of Choosing Amazon Dog Food Supplies
- Not as many healthy dog food brands as PetFlow or Chewy
- Poor packaging.
Fresh Dog Food Frequently Asked Questions
Is fresh dog food better for my dog than dry food?
Yes. By the majority of measurable metrics, your dog will be much better off eating fresh dog food than dry. Fresh dog food has less, or often no preservatives and artificial ingredients. Also, dried food is stored for months before getting packaged, then for around the same time again before your dog gets to eat it.
Can I give my dog a mixture of fresh and dry dog food?
Yes. It is perfectly safe to mix both types of food. We recommend you do this when your dog is changing from dry food to a fresh food diet.
Can I feed my puppy fresh dog food?
Yes. Eating a fresh food diet is great for puppies. Some fresh dog food delivery companies will provide you with special meals for your pup, and you can create a puppy profile when you sign up for their service.
Is it difficult to make fresh dog food?
Making your own fresh dog food is not necessarily tricky. The issue might be due to convenience. Although you might start with good intentions of feeding your dog fresh food, it may become time-consuming, and you might slip back to feeding them dry food. Best to leave things to the experts. That way, you will be sure to get correct portions with all the vitamins and nutrition your dog needs.
Hopefully, now you will have a better idea of how and where to get your fresh dog food. We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief guide, and we hope your dog enjoys the beautiful fresh dog food delivery that will follow.