Pros
- Outstanding customizability in consideration for your dog’s health and preference. If an allergy or health consideration isn’t in their selection, you can talk to their experts for even finer customization.
- Customizable multi-recipe subscription plans. Free delivery throughout the mainland US. Skippable, pausable, and cancelable at any time.
- Highly active and quality customer service. 100 percent money back guarantee.
- Petplate fresh dog food has good selection of meat proteins, plus treat add-ons such as supplement cookies.
Cons
- They are not transparent about how they source their ingredients.
- Subscription-only, and delivery frequency can’t be specified.
Like plenty of people these days, I am also starting to cut out artificial substances from my dogs’ diets out of concern for their health. Such ingredients have been around for decades, largely unchecked, and it seems like they do far more harm than good. As a result, most I always seek the best fresh dog food.
Naturally, such people extend the same belief to their pets as well. PetPlate founder Renaldo Webb was one of them. Even after being turned down on Shark Tank, Webb persevered and founded one of the most successful and best dog food delivery service brands to date. But does their success mean that they’re the right choice for you? Find out in my PetPlate dog food review.
Features of PetPlate
Best Customization Out There
PetPlate is by far the best in customizability compared to other dog food delivery companies because of the wide range of ingredient exclusions and health considerations you can apply. You can state in the personalization quiz that you want a recipe specialized for weight loss and tear marks, while simultaneously asking them to hold off on grains and venison.
If you have a more specific request that they don’t have in the questionnaire, you can talk to their team of pet experts to arrive at a setup you’ll be satisfied with. Unfortunately, there is not much customizability when it comes to other delivery specifics.
100 Percent Natural Ingredients
PetPlate’s founder, Renaldo Webb, once worked as a consultant for dog food factories, and he saw firsthand all of the appalling things they put in the stuff that’s supposed to nourish your dog. That’s why aside from using only human-grade ingredients, PetPlate is committed to keeping their nutritious meals 100 percent free of anything artificial, from preservatives right down to flavor additives.
That said, they do use natural preservatives (tocopherols) but these are much better than the synthetic ones you usually find. They also aren’t very transparent about where their ingredients come from. Customers are assured that the ingredients for the fresh food are human-grade and USDA-approved, but nothing about whether their meat and vegetables come from ethical and sustainable farms.
Kettle-Cooked Food
Kettle-cooking is a type of slow-cooking that prepares one small batch at a time. This makes for a much gentler cooking process that prevents the nutrients in the food from breaking down—which is what happens in commercial dog food. This kind of setup also keeps the food tender and flavorful, even after spending days in your freezer.
Renaldo Webb developed PetPlate’s kettle-cooking system when he decided that he’ll be the one to make his own dog food after he saw how it was done in the factories. Thus, you can be sure of PetPlate’s quality, because the food is cooked in virtually the same way Webb cooked food for his own dogs, who are still in the pink of health today.
Perfectly Balanced Nutrient Profile
Even with all their customization options, PetPlate still manages to keep every recipe balanced and sufficient for your dog’s daily nutrient needs. Everything, from fat and calorie [1] content to even the water content of your dog’s meals (each recipe is up to 75 percent water), is precisely calculated to meet your specifications and still keep energy levels, digestion, and overall health at optimal levels.
Highest Beginner Discount
At the time of this writing, PetPlate is taking a whopping 61 percent off of first orders, much more than what most usually offer right now which is 20 percent. Those who offer only 20 percent have cut down their discount from the standard 50 percent off due to the economy, but PetPlate has enough resources and commitment to customer satisfaction to give new customers such a great deal.
This could also mean that they can afford to give you a better price should you want to renegotiate your current subscription, provided of course that you sacrifice a few things like certain ingredients.
Affordable
PetPlate is one of the most affordable fresh dog food brands there are. Your subscription can cost as little as $5 if your dog doesn’t have any food sensitivities or health conditions to account for. By comparison, other brands’ daily costs are around $6.50-$7.
Topper Plans
PetPlate also offers topper plans for pet parents who are on a budget but would still like to beef up their dog’s everyday meals with some wholesome freshness. There are fewer recipe options for topper plans, but they let you save on daily dog food costs or try out Petplate without committing too much. Topper plans can drive your cost down as low as $2.50 per day.
Referral Program
You can also refer others to Petplate to net yourself some dog food money. PetPlate’s referral program pays you $60 for each new subscriber you get onboard. Plus, they get an even higher discount on their first order, so it’s not just you benefitting. If you’re really good at it and know a lot of dog owners, you can earn enough to pay for a decent amount of orders.
Is This The Right Choice For You?
Between its customizability, affordability, and sheer quality, PetPlate seems like an all-around brilliant choice to give Fido fresh meals. The only reason we’d choose another brand is if that brand is better than PetPlate in certain crucial areas.
There aren’t that many downsides that can discourage you from choosing PetPlate, unless you’re really suspicious about where they source their ingredients from. That isn’t entirely unreasonable, especially considering their competitive pricing.
But if either you or your dog end up disliking PetPlate’s food, you can always get a full refund for it. All PetPlate asks is that you donate the package you already received to a dog shelter or another pet parent.
