Pros
- They boast a special kind of kibble they call UnKibble. This proprietary dry food recipe tastes fresher and is much more wholesome than your average kibble.
- Option to subscribe to a “Topper Plan”, which sends a small portion of fresh food instead of a full order, so you can mix it with other food.
- Their regular recipes make use of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables for a more fleshed-out nutrient profile.
- It’s quick and easy to tweak the details of your current plan through your profile on their website.
Cons
- You have to go through customer service to arrange a mixed plan if you want both fresh food and UnKibble.
- There are reports floating around online that their customer service could use some work.
Perhaps the biggest problems with even the best fresh dog food subscription services today are expensiveness and inflexible pricing. Spot and Tango made sure to address both, and this gives them a formidable competitive edge. What’s more amazing is they manage to do so without skimping on nutritional value or taste. These are my favorite things about this fresh dog food brand.
And that’s not all, they’ve also got their own take on dog kibble that’s sure to get tails wagging. Designed to be fresher, healthier, and much more delicious than what your pup is used to, Spot and Tango’s proprietary kibble made waves when it was first introduced back in 2018, and is still gaining a devoted customer base making it one of the best dog food delivery service brands today.
You may be thinking that all that sounds too good to be true. But based on what I’ve found, it would seem that most of the positive things that are being said about this brand are accurate. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t flawed. Let’s explore all the places where it excels, and where it falls short in my Spot and Tango dog food review.
Features of Spot and Tango
UnKibble: You Won’t Believe It’s Not Kibble!
The main thing that sets Spot and Tango apart is their proprietary dry food recipe. A cut above your usual kibble, UnKibble is made so that it’s much fresher and much more nutritious. The result is a food option that’s more affordable than their fresh meals, but with comparable quality and freshness. It’s a great option if your dog prefers crunchy food.
Spot and Tango markets UnKibble as the only “fresh dry” dog food out there, and from what we’ve seen so far, that’s likely accurate. Unlike regular dog kibble, UnKibble is made with only natural ingredients and real meats, and it’s prepared fresh by drying it much more gently at lower temps and longer timeframes to maintain nutritional integrity. Flavors are Bison Bites, Sweet Potato Bites, Chicken Bites, and more.
Competitive Pricing
The most basic recipes can cost as low as $28 for the average dog. This is incredibly competitive compared to other fresh dog food companies. UnKibble is even more affordable. Their fresh dry food option starts at $15, which according to them is 40 percent less expensive than comparable products.
Extensive List of Health Considerations
Spot and Tango’s list of health conditions they account for is quite impressive. They cover most of the things that dogs can experience, such as allergies, digestive issues, diabetes, cancer, and even right down to thinning coats and dental problems [1]. If your dog has a condition that isn’t included in their checklist, you can specify what it is yourself.
Topper Plans
Like other fresh dog food services that offer partial orders, Spot and Tango are well aware of the fact that fresh dog food doesn’t come cheap. That’s why they offer what they call “Topper Plans” so you can get smaller portions for a cheaper price. You can then mix this into the usual food you give to your dog for that extra kick of fresh goodness, and to make it that much more nutritious too. It’s perfect for picky eaters.
Easy to Tweak Delivery Plan
If at any point you want to change how your delivery plan works, such as the amount of food, delivery date, recipes, or address, you can easily do so via the profile you’ve set up on their website.
Good Ingredient Variety
While their regular recipes rely on meat to supply the bulk of the protein, Spot and Tango’s fresh recipes are a high quality food which incorporate a lot of fruits and vegetables to enrich its nutrient profile even more. This includes things like blueberries, green beans, brown rice, and apple cider vinegar. There are also options to go grainless or gluten-free.
Uses Upcycled Ingredients
Food waste is a problem that every supply chain deals with. For suppliers, it’s dead weight that they don’t make money off of. For everyone else, it’s food that would have otherwise been eaten. That’s why Spot and Tango’s dog food does the global food supply a favor by upcycling ingredients like “ugly produce”. This lets them do their part to eliminate food wastage and save some money too.
Nutritious and Yummy Treats
To add to their great selection, you can also purchase doggy treats that are just as delicious and wholesome as their other food options. This includes such favorites as chicken munchies and Yam Yums. They’re a bit pricey at $12-$14 a bag, but your dog will definitely be grateful!
Is This the Right Choice For You?
It goes without saying that if your dog prefers dry food, UnKibble is probably the best product that you can get for them.
UnKibble is quite revolutionary, if it having sold out twice in the S&T’s first month is anything to go by. You can argue that this may be more indicative of a logistics problem than sheer popularity, but customer reviews seem to say otherwise. If your dog prefers dry food, Spot and Tango’s kibble is most likely the best option for you.
The negative reviews that do crop up here and there have more to say about their customer service than their products. Some customers who try to pull out of their subscriptions complain about communication difficulties with the customer support staff and unfair refunds. This has likely been ironed out now, but be wary that there’s a precedent for this sort of thing.
But if you can look past that, you’ll be looking at affordable fresh foods and even more affordable fresh dry food. Considering how rich their recipes are, that’s an excellent deal.
