In the vast landscape of pet food choices, ranging from traditional kibble to raw diets, freeze-dried options, and grain-free formulas, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The emergence of “fresh pet food,” often advertised across social media, sparks curiosity about these pre-cooked meals made with real ingredients and delivered directly to your door. Many pet owners are now asking: is fresh pet food a healthier choice, and specifically, Do Vets Recommend Freshpet Dog Food or similar brands?
Fresh pet food distinguishes itself from conventional kibble with its resemblance to high-quality canned food, boasting fewer or no preservatives and requiring refrigeration to maintain freshness. While the concept is appealing, understanding its nutritional value and veterinary recommendations is crucial. To delve into the world of fresh pet food diets, we consulted with Dr. Lindsey Bullen, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas. Dr. Bullen’s insights, combined with research into popular fresh dog food subscriptions, help clarify whether fresh options like Freshpet are truly beneficial for our canine companions.
What Exactly is Fresh Pet Food?
Brands like Freshpet have pioneered the fresh pet food market, making refrigerated options readily available in local pet stores. Today, numerous companies offer subscription services delivering fresh meals directly to consumers. These services typically involve creating a pet profile, completing a questionnaire, and customizing delivery schedules. Freshly prepared pet food arrives packed in dry ice, ready to be served.
While “fresh pet food” lacks a strict regulatory definition, it generally refers to pet food made with minimal or no preservatives. This category can encompass homemade meals of cooked chicken and rice, or commercially produced foods with recognizable ingredients, cooked at low temperatures and packaged without preservatives, often requiring refrigeration or freezing. Brands like Freshpet and others in this category typically feature a combination of meats, grains, fruits, and vegetables, aiming for a more natural and palatable diet for pets.
Is Fresh Pet Food Nutritionally Superior?
Many fresh pet food brands emphasize “human-grade” ingredients and the absence of “fillers,” implying superior quality compared to traditional pet food. However, it’s important to understand that “fillers,” such as grains and carbohydrates like corn, soy, or wheat, provide essential nutritional value for pets. Preservatives, while sometimes viewed negatively, are crucial for extending shelf life and ensuring food safety, undergoing rigorous quality control.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines “human-grade food” as safe and suitable for human consumption, while “feed grade” is deemed suitable for animal consumption. Dr. Bullen clarifies that the distinction might be more of a marketing tactic than a significant nutritional difference. Many “feed grade” ingredients are perfectly safe and nutritious for animals. For instance, poultry by-product meal, a “feed grade” ingredient, includes nutrient-rich organs like liver, spleen, and kidneys, excluding less desirable parts like feathers and feet.
Caloric density is a more critical factor than marketing claims. Despite customized portion sizes offered by fresh food services, the actual calorie intake is paramount. “Looking at portion size doesn’t always give you a clear idea of calorie intake,” Dr. Bullen cautions. Monitoring your pet’s weight maintenance, gain, or loss is essential to determine if the diet is appropriate. Fresh diets generally have lower caloric density than kibble due to higher water content, similar to the difference between fresh and dried fruit. Kibble typically ranges from 3.2 to 4.5 kilocalories per gram, while fresh pet food diets can range from 1.2 to 4.7 kilocalories per gram. Therefore, carefully following feeding guidelines is crucial to avoid underfeeding or overfeeding.
Ultimately, consulting with a veterinarian is advisable before making significant dietary changes for your pet. Individual dogs have unique nutritional needs based on their biology. Dr. Bullen states that fresh pet food diets aren’t inherently nutritionally superior; their suitability depends on the individual pet’s needs and the specific diet formulation. When considering if vets recommend Freshpet dog food or similar brands, it’s less about the “fresh” label and more about the nutritional adequacy and balance of the specific product for your dog.
Exploring Popular Fresh Dog Food Brands
To provide a clearer picture of the fresh pet food landscape, here are some popular direct-to-consumer companies. These brands were evaluated based on expert opinions, company interviews, third-party reviews, pricing, recipes, and shipping availability.
The Farmer’s Dog
The Farmer’s Dog emphasizes human-grade, freshly made meals, claiming all ingredients are responsibly sourced from regional farms and cooked at low temperatures. Meals arrive frozen and need to be thawed before serving.
Starting price: $2 per day
Recipes: turkey, beef, pork
Kilocalories per ounce: 1,170 kcal/kg (turkey); 1,530 kcal/kg (beef); 1,390 kcal/kg (pork)
Delivery frequency: Customizable
Ships to: 48 contiguous states
Return policy: Refunds available
Nom Nom
Nom Nom distinguishes itself with a veterinary nutritionist on staff who formulates recipes meeting AAFCO standards. Meals are individually packaged, frozen, and require thawing.
Starting price: $3 per day
Recipes: turkey, chicken, beef, pork
Kilocalories per kg: 1,479 kcal/kg (turkey); 1,255 kcal/kg (chicken); 1,239 kcal/kg (beef); 1,246 kcal/kg (pork)
Delivery frequency: Every two or four weeks
Ships to: 48 contiguous states
Return policy: Money-back guarantee
Ollie
Ollie follows AAFCO standards and sources meats primarily from the US and Australia. Meals arrive frozen and can be refrigerated for up to 14 days unopened.
Starting price: Less than $2 per day
Recipes: turkey, chicken, beef, lamb
Kilocalories per kg: 1,390 kcal/kg (turkey); 1,298 kcal/kg (chicken); 1,540 kcal/kg (beef); 1,804 kcal/kg (lamb)
Delivery frequency: Customizable, bi-weekly to every eight weeks
Ships to: 48 contiguous states
Return policy: 100% money-back guarantee
Spot & Tango
Spot & Tango offers both fresh food and fresh kibble (UnKibble), with human-grade fresh food options made with fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains, without additives or preservatives.
Starting price: $7 per week
Recipes: turkey (fresh), beef (fresh), lamb (fresh), chicken (kibble), beef (kibble), duck (kibble)
Kilocalories per kg: 1,437 kcal/kg (turkey, fresh); 1,420 kcal/kg (beef, fresh); 1,345 kcal/kg (lamb, fresh); 3,921 kcal/kg (chicken, kibble); 4,749 kcal/kg (beef, kibble); 4,368 kcal/kg (duck, kibble)
Delivery frequency: Bi-weekly for fresh food, every four weeks for kibble
Ships to: 48 contiguous states
Return policy: Money-back guarantee
So, Do Vets Recommend Freshpet Dog Food?
While veterinarians generally recognize the benefits of fresh, whole food ingredients for dogs, the recommendation isn’t brand-specific like “Freshpet.” Instead, vets emphasize the importance of a balanced and complete diet that meets AAFCO standards, regardless of whether it’s fresh, kibble, or canned.
Freshpet, being widely available in refrigerated sections of pet stores and increasingly in veterinary clinics, offers a convenient entry point into fresh dog food. Its accessibility and recognizable ingredients appeal to many pet owners. However, vet recommendations for Freshpet dog food or any fresh food brand often come down to the individual dog’s needs, health status, and owner’s lifestyle.
Ultimately, the best approach is to discuss your dog’s dietary needs with your veterinarian. They can provide personalized advice and help you determine if fresh pet food, including brands like Freshpet, is a suitable and healthy option for your furry friend. Consider factors like your dog’s age, breed, activity level, and any health concerns. Whether you choose Freshpet, another fresh food brand, or a high-quality traditional dog food, the goal is to ensure your dog receives complete and balanced nutrition for a long and healthy life.
