As a pets reporter, I've tested and written about several different dog foods over the past few years. I'm also a guardian to a pup with behavioral issues and a particular palate, so I'm always on the lookout for food that's especially tasty that I can also use for training.
That's one of the reasons I was excited to try Freshpet Delivery, one of several fresh dog foods on the market. With four different recipes in their subscription service, there's room for variety to keep things interesting. Three of the formulas also come in compact nugget shapes that are easier to handle than other wetter fresh foods. I wanted to see firsthand if the recipes were enticing enough for my picky pup and if I could use them for training and in puzzle toys.
For this Freshpet dog food review, the brand provided me with samples to feed my 4-year-old lab/terrier mix, Roo. I tested all recipes via their full custom meal plan for a month. Here's what I learned about the food and my experience feeding it to my dog.
How it works
Recipes: Each Freshpet Delivery recipe meets the nutritional standards set by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for puppies and adult dogs. However, two of the recipes — the Beef and Chicken recipe and the Beef, Turkey and Lamb recipe — are not formulated for large-breed puppies who weigh 70 pounds or more. Freshpet also meets the Global Nutrition Guidelines set by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA). These are the gold standards in the pet food world and apply to all our picks for the best dog foods.
Freshpet Delivery offers four recipes: Shredded Chicken; Beef and Chicken; Beef, Turkey, and Lamb; and Multiprotein, which includes chicken, eggs, beef, and salmon. All but the Multiprotein recipe contain fish oil, an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which research shows can reduce inflammation and promote healthy skin and coat. The salmon in the Multprotein formula, however, is also a rich source of omega-3s.
| Recipe | Ingredient highlights | Guaranteed analysis |
| Shredded Chicken | Chicken, carrots, pumpkin, pea protein, pea fiber, ground oats, green beans, cranberries, fish oil, sweet potatoes, spinach | Crude protein: 16.5% min Crude fat: 6% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 66% max |
| Multiprotein Recipe | Chicken, beef, beef liver, eggs, ground oats, salmon, rice bran, carrots, sweet potatoes, pea fiber, cranberries, spinach, green beans | Crude protein: 14% min Crude fat: 9.5% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 66.5% max |
| Beef and Chicken Recipe | Beef, chicken, beef liver, lentils, eggs, carrots, green beans, pea fiber, sweet potatoes, cranberries, spinach, fish oil | Crude protein: 13% min Crude fat: 10% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 65% max |
| Beef, Turkey and Lamb Recipe | Beef, turkey, beef liver, lamb, green beans, carrots, eggs, pea protein, ground oats, green lentils, pea fiber, pumpkin, fish oil, spinach | Crude protein: 15% min Crude fat: 10% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 63% max |
Ordering: When you sign up, Freshpet will ask you to provide a few details about your dog, like their gender, weight, and activity level. They'll also ask if you have specific health goals, such as managing weight, combating picky eating, or maintaining healthy skin and coat. Once your order has shipped, they'll send you an email and a text message, if you prefer, with an estimated arrival date and a tracking link for your shipment.
Customization: Once you've provided your pup's information, Freshpet will recommend a meal plan based on your dog's estimated caloric needs, taking into account any food allergies. You can accept these suggestions or switch them to a combination of your own liking of up to four recipes. While you can't customize what's in a specific recipe, you can choose how much of the food you'd like to receive. Freshpet offers full meal, half meal, and topper plans. The half meal plan accounts for 50% of your dog's daily feeding amount, to be mixed with their current food, while the topper plan accounts for 25%.
Delivery: Your first order will be delivered within six business days. After that, meals are shipped on a regular cadence in line with your dog's meal plan, typically every one to six weeks. If you select your own plan, you can have your food delivered on a timeline of your choice, with a frequency of up to every eight weeks. You can also pause or change your delivery date up to 24 hours before the order is processed and shipped.
Packaging: Food is packed in a large, insulated cardboard box with dry ice to keep the meals cold. Each recipe comes in a plastic pouch with a resealable top. Both delivery items, the box and insulation, are recyclable, but the pouches are not.
The first shipment includes measuring scoops to portion out the meals. The more you order, the more rewards you'll get. For example, on the third order, you'll get a tennis ball. On the sixth, Freshpet will throw in a poop bag dispenser, and by the tenth, you'll get 5% off all future orders.
Our review of Freshpet Dog Food Delivery
After taking about five minutes to complete the questionnaire, I accepted Freshpet's recommendation to try all four recipes. Based on Roo's details as an active, medium-sized dog without any food allergies, it estimated her daily calorie intake and suggested 10 bags of food for every 2 weeks.
Having worked with our veterinarian in the past to determine Roo's daily calorie needs, Freshpet's recommendation was pretty much in line with what she needs to maintain her current weight. She's right at the cusp, though, of being a healthy weight for her frame, so on the days I gave her extra treats or chews, I'd give her less food. Freshpet doesn't give you an option to select whether or not you feed your dog supplemental treats, so you'll have to make those caloric calculations yourself. We're also in discussion with our vet anytime we make dietary modifications — something you should do, too, when evaluating your dog's health and making changes to their food.
The day after I placed my order, Freshpet sent me a message letting me know it had shipped my package. It also included a tracking link and an estimated time of arrival, which was pretty spot on down to the hour. In total, it took three business days to receive my first box, which arrived well-insulated and cold, despite the dry ice having already evaporated. The delivery packaging was easy to break down, and I was able to toss the box with the insulation straight into the recycling bin.
Freshpet Custom Meals come in resealable pouches containing several servings, so you'll need to measure out the recommended portions for your dog.
Elizabeth Holbrook/Business Insider
Each bag of food weighed either 1 or 1.5 pounds and contained between 3 and 1/3 cups and 5 and 3/4 cups' worth of food. How much I needed to feed Roo each day varied depending on the recipe I was using. I found the different amounts to be somewhat of a hassle, but the provided feeding guide and measuring scoops made the process easier to handle. The first box also included a poop bag holder filled with poop bags, which is usually reserved for the sixth order, but was thrown in as an extra perk.
The food is designed to be refrigerated and ready to serve — no thawing necessary. Eventually, I moved some of the meals to my freezer to save space in my fridge, which Freshpet says is OK to do, though it will alter the texture slightly when thawed. However, I didn't find this to be a problem at all.
Speaking of texture, this is my favorite thing about the Freshpet formulas. Unlike other fresh foods that are soupy and wet, three of the recipes — all except the Shredded Chicken — come in firm, but soft pellets. While a bit more processed than other fresh meals, I liked that the food resembled soft, ground-up nuggets and didn't have an odor. As a vegetarian, handling meaty foods can sometimes gross me out, but none of the Freshpet recipes bothered me.
The Multiprotein recipe consists of nugget-like pieces of meat, while the Shredded Chicken recipe more closely resembles ground-up wet dog food.
Elizabeth Holbrook/Business Insider
I also loved that the texture of the food allowed me to use the recipes in a variety of ways instead of just feeding them directly to Roo in a standard bowl. I could put the nuggets in a treat pouch and use them for training meals during our walks or when practicing tricks and foundational skills inside. I could also hide them in a towel or a snuffle mat and have Roo hunt them out for mental enrichment.
Roo also found the food enticing, enough to equate it to a medium to high level treat, like freeze-dried chicken or beef liver, which is what I usually use for basic training and activities. She did find the Multiprotein recipe especially appealing, and I could use it for more difficult situations, like moving her away from the neighbor's barking dogs or working on a new trick. I loved the fact that I could use her meals for training and enrichment, since I have to be conscious of how quickly she can gain weight when using treats outside of her main food.
Three of the recipes — Multiprotein, Beef and Chicken, and Beef, Turkey and Lamb — are convenient to use as treats on walks and during training.
Elizabeth Holbrook/Business Insider
Having four different recipes to rotate through kept Roo interested the entire trial period. We also followed the provided transition timeline closely and didn't have any digestive issues. By the end of the month, Roo was still licking her puzzle bowl clean and always accepting the Freshpet nuggets during training — something she would never do with her normal kibble!
Roo eats the Beef, Turkey, and Lamb recipe from a slow feeder bowl.
Elizabeth Holbrook/Business Insider
Cons to consider
The cost for Roo, a medium-sized dog, came out to $123.50 for every two weeks, or $247 for the whole month. It's not the most expensive fresh food we've tried, but it's also not the most affordable.
And while Freshpet offers a paper handout with detailed feeding instructions and measuring scoops, mealtime isn't exactly straightforward. Each recipe has different feeding guidelines. For example, Roo's feeding plan for each formula was as follows:
- Beef and Chicken: 2 1/2 cups per day
- Multiprotein: 2 3/4 cups per day
- Shredded Chicken: 4 cups per day
- Beef, Turkey, and Lamb: 2 2/3 cups per day
Especially picky eaters may also find the dryer, more processed formulas less enticing than meals with fresh, frozen, whole ingredients.
What are your alternatives?
If you're looking for a more straightforward feeding plan with fresh food that more resembles what humans would eat, Nom Nom and The Farmer's Dog are good alternatives. Though they have fewer grain-inclusive options, each ingredient is clearly visible, and the portion sizes are measured out per package. A bonus? The Farmer's Dog is also slightly more affordable, ranging from approximately $170 to $220 a month for an active, medium-sized dog. Nom Nom, on the other hand, is costlier, ranging from $270 to $345 per month.
The bottom line
Freshpet Delivery offers fresh food in a unique texture that allows pet parents to use it in various ways to spice up mealtime. I loved that I could use it for training and mental enrichment instead of resorting to extra treats. While I wish the feeding guidelines were the same across the board, I just made sure to have my handy instructions nearby. If you're looking for fresh food to take on the go or use in food puzzles, Freshpet offers a convenient and relatively affordable choice.
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