We give PetPlate dog food a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
PetPlate hasn’t been around for all that long, but in the few years they have been producing fresh food for dogs, they’ve made a big difference and have created millions of meals that are loved by pups across the USA. They started with one goal in mind, and that was to create better food than what is commercially sold to improve and extend the lives of dogs. PetPlate doesn’t work alone, as they have the help of a veterinary nutritionist who has created and perfected each recipe to be tasty and nutritionally balanced for dogs.
PetPlate is a subscription service that uses the information that you send them about your dog to create pre-cooked and pre-portioned meals for them, allowing you to step back from meal making and removing any guesswork. They use high-quality, human-grade ingredients and work out of a USDA kitchen. We love all that PetPlate has to offer, except for maybe the price, but we still think their food is worth the money. Keep reading to find out why and whether this dog food is the right fit for your pooch.
PetPlate has fun names for their recipes, but let’s dig a bit deeper into what the company and the ingredients they use are all about.
Who Makes PetPlate and Where Is It Produced?
PetPlate was started by Renaldo Webb, who found a need in the dog food market and set out to solve it. Renaldo was put off by the manufacturing and ingredients of mass-market pet food and wanted to make something better for his dog and other dogs around the USA. His goal with PetPlate has always been to make better dog food that will benefit their bodies and extend their lifespan. Of course, Renaldo wasn’t a dog food expert, so he started working with vet nutritionist Dr. Streeter. She creates and crafts the recipes, making sure they’re perfectly balanced nutritionally.
All PetPlate recipes are prepared and cooked up in a USDA-inspected kitchen and follow strict food safety protocols while using high-quality, human-grade ingredients. The recipes are manufactured in upstate New York, with over 15,000,000 meals and treats made1.
Which Type of Dog Is PetPlate Best Suited For?
PetPlate is subscription-based and customized to meet your dog’s personal needs. Each meal is pre-cooked and pre-portioned according to your dog’s breed, size, weight, activity level, sex, age, and neutered status. They’ll then deliver them to your home. There are six meal options to choose from, according to your dog’s taste preferences.
PetPlate is an excellent option for dog owners who want to feed their pups a cooked meal with meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables without having to prepare and cook it themselves. The meals arrive frozen and should be kept in the freezer once you receive them. To serve it to your dog, defrost the food first.
PetPlate has grain-inclusive and grain-free meals. Grain is beneficial to a dog’s diet, but if yours has a grain allergy, they can still enjoy a tasty meal from PetPlate. Most dogs will benefit from these recipes.
Which Type of Dog Might Do Better with a Different Brand?
If your dog has a health condition and requires a specific diet, PetPlate may not be the best option for them. A recipe like Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach that caters specifically to certain ailments may be a better food. Having to store PetPlate’s fresh meals in your freezer or refrigerator can take up a lot of space and requires more effort than kibble, which can be stored in a container and served right away.
PetPlate’s recipes are also a lot more expensive than kibble, and not all dog owners are able to cover their monthly subscription fee. A more affordable option that also contains good ingredients is Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)
PetPlate knows how to make a healthy and tasty recipe that even picky eaters struggle to resist. All their recipes start with the most important ingredient in a dog’s diet—animal protein. They offer beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork, and venison options, carefully including low-fat and novel protein options. They also include vegetables and fruits in all of their recipes to give your dog the fiber, minerals, and vitamins they need.
High Quality
PetPlate doesn’t slack when it comes to ingredients and the way they prepare and make their recipes. Firstly, all guesswork is removed, as each recipe has been created by a veterinary nutritionist to give your pup the nutrition they need. Each ingredient used in these recipes is whole, human-grade, and of high quality.
They’re cooked in a USDA kitchen that follows strict food safety protocols and is pre-portioned, making sure that your dog receives the right amount of food they need, removing the risk of over or underfeeding. From start to finish, PetPlate offers a high-quality experience along with its high-quality dog food.
Image Credit: marialevkina, Shutterstock
Grain-Inclusive and Grain-Free Recipes
Many fresh dog food companies keep grain out of their recipes, but PetPlate understands the important role grain plays in a dog’s diet. Grain gives your dog energy, helps with digestion, and contains nutrients that your dog needs. Many people stay away from grains in the belief that they cause allergies in their pets, but dogs are much more likely to be allergic to the protein in a diet than the grain.
We like that PetPlate offers both options in their list of recipes, so you can choose whether to feed your dog a grain-inclusive diet or not—instead of removing the option completely.
Cost
One thing that does limit PetPlate is its high cost. How much you have to pay for your dog’s meals depends on their size, weight, and lifestyle. Naturally, the larger your dog, the more their meals are going to cost. However, it’s safe to say that regardless of your dog’s size, you’re going to pay more for PetPlate’s recipes than you will for commercial food.
However, it is good value for money because you’re paying for healthy, pre-cooked, and pre-portioned meals that are customized to your specific dog. Not to mention the high-quality ingredients and strict food safety protocols they use. PetPlate also offers promotions and discounts to help you save money—also, shipping is free.
Ingredients are high-quality, human-grade, and whole
Customized meals for your dog
Pre-cooked and pre-portioned
Grain-inclusive and grain-free recipes are available
Created by a veterinary nutritionist
Free shipping
Cons
Can’t be bought at any store because it’s a subscription-based
Meals take up a lot of freezer and refrigerator space
Expensive
Recall History
With so many dog foods being recalled, it can leave you feeling nervous about what you’re feeding your dog and whether it’s safe for them to consume. The good news is that you can have trust in PetPlate because they’re never had any of their dog food recalled. This is a testament to the great ingredients they use and the strict food safety protocols they have in place.
Reviews of the 3 Best PetPlate Dog Food Recipes
So now you can understand what all the hype is about surrounding PetPlate as a company, but let’s take a closer look at their top three recipes, the ingredients used, and whether they meet your standards or not.
The PetPlate Barkin’ Beef recipe has ground beef as its main protein, which is followed by sweet potatoes, potatoes, beef liver, carrots, and apples. They do also contain peas, but they’re not high up on the list. Legumes are associated with heart problems in dogs and should be looked out for. The meal comes in a container that can store any leftover food.
These meals can be pricey, but the good news is that you can use them as a topper for their kibble to make it last longer while providing your dog with the nutrients they need.
For a high-protein, low-fat meal, consider the PetPlate Chompin’ Chicken recipe. This option is grain-free and suitable for dogs with grain sensitivities. Unfortunately, there isn’t a grain-inclusive chicken recipe available. It has a protein content of 10.8% and uses ground chicken as its first ingredient. A few other ingredients listed are sweet potatoes, chicken liver, green beans, lentils, and apples.
This recipe is tasty and appeals to picky eaters and comes in a convenient container that stores leftovers well. This meal can be fed to dogs of all life stages.
Another tasty meal for your dog to enjoy is the PetPlate Tail Waggin’ Turkey recipe. It contains grains and is one of the best meals for older dogs and pups with sensitive stomachs because it promotes digestion. Ground turkey is the first ingredient in this meal. Some other ingredients are brown rice, turkey liver, carrots, green beans, apples, pumpkin, and red bell peppers.
This recipe has a crude protein content of 9% and a crude fat content of 4.5%. This recipe, along with all the others from PetPlate, is easy to feed but does need to be stored in your refrigerator, which takes up a lot of space. Customers have reported seeing more energy in their senior dogs since starting this recipe, but it is pricey.
Customers have seen more energy in their dogs since starting this recipe
Cons
Pricey
Needs to be stored in the refrigerator
What Other Users Are Saying
DogFoodAdvisor – PetPlate is highly recommended and rated on DogFoodAdvisor and has been praised for its above-average dog food. Some buyers of PetPlate have reported that the recipes have stabilized their dog’s weight and reduced their gas. They’re also impressed with the company’s excellent customer service.
CanineJournal – Customers are happy that PetPlate is free from fillers and have seen health improvements in their dogs. Some have reported that canceling a PetPlate subscription is harder than they were initially led to believe. However, other customers have applauded PetPlate recipes for managing to get their picky eaters to eat food once again.
PetPlate – There is nothing better than reading reviews from the source. You can read feedback from other dog owners just like you and see what they truly think of PetPlate’s recipes by clicking on this link.
Conclusion
PetPlate is a great dog food brand that was started to provide dogs with healthier food that improves their lives. Each recipe is pre-cooked and pre-portioned according to your dog’s needs and has been created by a veterinary nutritionist. You won’t be able to find this dog food at the store, unfortunately, because it’s subscription-based. PetPlate dog food does cost more than commercial dog food, but they use high-quality, human-grade, and whole ingredients. They manufacture their recipes in the USA in USDA kitchens and have never had any of their meals recalled.
Keri-Beth is a freelance writer from South African who specializes in animals. She has grown up with a range of pets, volunteered at many shelters, and is highly passionate about pet care. Currently, Keri-Beth is raising two dogs - Benji, the Golden Cocker Spaniel, and Gracie, the Boerboel. With so much information out there, Keri-Beth has made it her questo to make pet care as easy and straightforward as possible for any pet parent in the world.
In her spare time, Keri-Beth enjoys photography, camping, and spending time with her husband, who is a professional drummer.
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