Review Summary

Crave dog food is a newer brand that offers dry and wet food formulas. The brand promotes grain-free diets and features meat-based lean proteins. Like all AAFCO-approved brands, Crave offers complete and balanced nutrition for dogs. As with all dog foods, however, there are pros and cons to Crave dog food that are important to consider.

We did all the hard work for you! Our review covers all the important details you should consider with Crave, including the ingredients, nutrition, variety, recalls, and manufacturing and sourcing.

 

At a Glance: The Best Crave Dog Food Recipes:

Crave Dog Food Reviewed

Crave dog food offers high-protein, grain-free recipes in dry and wet recipes. Real meat is the first ingredient in all recipes, and every one meets AAFCO guidelines for whole and balanced nutrition. Crave does have a limited selection for recipes, however, but you have a variety of different protein sources in both food textures.

Who makes Crave and where is it produced?

Crave pet food is manufactured by Mars Petcare, which is an umbrella brand that owns many other pet foods. Launched in 2017, Crave seeks to provide species-appropriate diets for dogs and cats with lean, meat-based protein formulas and a full spectrum of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

All formulas are cooked and packaged in the US using ingredients sourced from around the world. Crave isn’t transparent about where its specific ingredients are sourced, however, which may present concerns with quality control or food safety standards.

Which type of dog is Crave best suited for?

Protein is an important nutrient for all dogs, but especially if you have active dogs or working dogs that require a little more protein for muscular health. These dogs may need more protein, but it’s also important that they have high-quality carbohydrates to address their energy needs.

All Crave recipes are grain-free only—it offers no grain-inclusive formulas. If you have a dog with allergies to wheat or corn, this is a good choice, though most dogs benefit from a diet that includes high-quality grains.

Which type of dog might do better with a different brand?

Grain-free diets aren’t appropriate for every dog. In fact, certain breeds are predisposed to dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlargement of the heart that leads to weakness and an inability to effectively pump blood throughout the body. Though more research is needed, the FDA is investigating a link between an increased occurrence of canine dilated cardiomyopathy in dog breeds, both with a genetic predisposition and not, and grain-free diets. It’s important to speak with your vet about whether grain-free diets are appropriate for your dog’s breed and health history.

Otherwise, Crave offers sufficient formulas for adult maintenance diets. If you have a puppy, a senior dog, or a dog with special dietary needs like limited ingredients or weight management, Crave doesn’t offer a lot of options. In these cases, it’s worth considering the other brands on the market.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

All commercial dog foods that meet AAFCO guidelines offer complete nutrition for dogs, but the quality and nutritional value can vary widely. The ingredients included can make a difference in your dog’s overall health and how much nutrition it gets from the caloric intake.

Meat-Based Protein

Dogs are not obligate carnivores like cats, but they still need meat-based protein to thrive. Crave has an above-average protein content of 38% that comes from meat sources, such as chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, and whitefish.

Like most dog food, Crave recipes do derive some protein from plant sources, such as chickpeas, peas, pea protein, and alfalfa meal. Overall, however, Crave gets the majority of the protein from meat or meat-based sources like chicken meal and pork meal.

Grain-Free

As mentioned, most dogs benefit from a diet that includes some grains. While a definitive link between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy hasn’t been established, it’s worth considering the potential effects in dogs that are prone to this condition. If your dog doesn’t have an allergy to grains, you may be better off with a grain-inclusive food that utilizes high-quality grains.

Controversial Ingredients

Crave does contain several controversial ingredients. Crave uses beet pulp, an inexpensive filler and high-fiber by-product of sugar beet processing. Though it has been linked with blood sugar benefits and intestinal health benefits, some question the inclusion of beet pulp in dog food and its effects.

Some other controversial ingredients include pea protein, alfalfa, and selenium yeast. Plant-based protein isn’t as biologically valuable as meat for total protein, but these ingredients are low on the ingredient list, and therefore, the overall nutrition. Selenium yeast is a safer alternative to the inorganic form of selenium, but still in question overall.

A Quick Look at Crave Dog Food

Recall History

Crave dog food is a newer brand and has not been recalled. Some recalls are inevitable for food brands, human and pet alike, but it’s a good indication of Crave’s quality control standards that it has not had a recall at this time.

Reviews of the 3 Best Crave Dog Food Recipes

1. Crave High Protein Chicken Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Crave High Protein Chicken Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food offers farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient and no chicken by-product meal, soy, wheat, or artificial flavors and preservatives. This formula is suitable for all breed sizes on an adult maintenance diet. The formula offers 34% protein for a lean, healthy body and plenty of energy. Several reviewers noted that their dogs developed digestive upset, gas, and diarrhea from this food, however.

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2. Crave High Protein Salmon Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Crave High Protein White Fish & Salmon Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a fish-based recipe that contains whitefish as the first ingredient and no by-product meal, wheat, or soy. Like the chicken recipe, this recipe offers 34% protein from meat and high-protein vegetables. Fish is among the most bioavailable proteins for dogs, and this formula offers an affordable solution to high-quality fish sources. However, several reviewers said their dogs didn’t like the food.

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3. Crave High Protein Beef Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Crave High Protein Beef Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food has beef as the first ingredient for a meaty flavor dogs love and an excellent source of protein. This food has no grains, chicken by-product, wheat, soy, or artificial flavors and preservatives. This food also has plenty of carbohydrates for energy. Some reviewers mentioned that the recipe seems to have changed and their picky eaters are no longer interested. Some also said the kibble is too small for a large breed.

What Other Users Are Saying

Final Thoughts

Crave is a high-quality dog food that uses real meat sources for protein in every recipe. You can find both wet and dry food formulas, though Crave doesn’t have as much variety or any grain-inclusive options like other brands. Still, there’s plenty to like, including no recalls, limited controversial ingredients, and generally favorable reviews.

See also: Is Grain-Free Dog Food Bad for a Dog’s Health? Vet Approved Guide