The best dog food delivery services of 2022 – Popular Science

Get your pooch the nutrition they need without a trip to the store.
By Chelsea Frank | Published Feb 23, 2022 4:31 PM
Dogs aren’t just pets—they’re beloved members of our families. Keeping your dogs healthy begins with the foods you feed them; high-quality, human-grade foods can help ensure shiny coats, good energy levels, optimal nutrition, and longer, happier lives for you to enjoy with your fur babies. The best dog food delivery services can provide all of that without requiring a trip to the pet store.
A newborn baby doesn’t need the same foods as elderly grandparents, right? That’s why customizing your dog’s food with a service’s meal plan ensures you know exactly where your dog’s food is coming from, and that their meals are tailor-made for the stage of life they’re in! 
Food delivery services are a convenient way to get high-quality nutrition delivered right to your doorstep. Most are subscription-based, while a few offer one-off orders. Usually, subscription programs allow you to pause or cancel at any point. Here are the five best dog food delivery services that are doing their part in keeping our pups healthy, happy, and thriving!
To find the best dog food delivery services, we drew guidance from an experienced veterinarian to find the most important aspects. We chose from dozens of services based on a mixture of optimum nutritional offerings, reasonable plans, and available options. Some services can cost a lot per serving, while others rely on gimmicky sales tactics that don’t serve your pooch’s best nutritional interests.
We consulted with Diana Kuehn, DVM, Licensed Small Animal Practitioner, for her expert opinions on selecting the best dog food for your pup. 
“I do not recommend grain-free products,” says Kuehn. “We are finding heart disease in breeds we don’t typically see heart disease in, and we attribute that to grain-free diets. They’re deficient; they are just not complete nutritionally,” she warns.
“I highly recommend going for food that is specific to the stage of life your dog is in. A 2-year-old puppy and a senior dog have different nutritional needs, so avoid those ‘All Stage of Life’ products,” Kuehn explains.
Kuehn says you really get what you pay for when it comes to dog food. “When you look at labels, just because the protein or fat looks the same as another food, the likelihood is that the more you pay for the food, the better the quality will be,” she explains. “Often, more expensive dog foods mean the nutrients are more bio available for your dog.” 
Many subscription plans offer recipes that are made by licensed pet nutritionists. These are your best bet to ensure you’re getting the good stuff. Look for “AAFCO-compliant” (American Feed Control) on their site, as well, which means they meet the criteria for safe and sufficient nutrients.
PetPlate
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Why it made the cut: PetPlate Dog Food is the total package: convenient, preportioned, human-grade meals delivered right to your door that are fully customizable for your dog’s unique nutritional needs. 
Specs
Pros
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PetPlate dog food is human-grade, fresh food designed by Dr. Renee Streeter, DVM, DACVN, Veterinary Nutritionist. It comes delivered in convenient, preportioned, and ready-to-serve meals, which is perfect for busy pet parents. The containers arrive frozen and then just need to be defrosted, either in the fridge or in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
They’re customized to your dog’s needs and stage of life, so you can be sure that your dog is getting the right nutrients for his or her best health. We also like that they offer full plans as well as “topper plans,” which are smaller portions for mixing into your dog’s familiar dog food. 
They’re just like human food, so be mindful that they will expire. Use within five days of defrosting.
Spot and Tango
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Why it made the cut: For dogs who prefer (or are used to) kibble, UnKibble is a much healthier solution that is made from human-grade, whole foods and then gently dried to retain optimal nutrients. 
Specs
Pros
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Spot and Tango doesn’t make any old kibble. In fact, the company makes UnKibble, which uses whole food, fresh ingredients sourced from American farms and fresh food suppliers. These ingredients are gently dried using the Spot and Tango Fresh Dry™ process. Unlike other dried dog foods, this process promises to maximize nutritional integrity so your dog is getting the nutrients of fresh food, but packed into small, tasty, dried pebbles. 
UnKibble comes in three flavors: Duck & Salmon, Beef & Barley, and Chicken & Brown Rice. Plans start at $1/day but go up depending on your pup size, weight, and needs. You’ll get an exact quote once you fill out the quiz. 
We Feed Raw
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Why it made the cut: Customizable to your dog’s stage of life and needs, We Feed Raw delivers raw, human-grade food that uses high water pressure to neutralize food-borne illnesses—preserving the nutrients without cooking.
Specs
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We Feed Raw delivers delicious (at least to dogs) foods that are completely uncooked. Worried about food-borne illnesses? We Feed Raw uses a methodology called HPP (High Pressure Processing) to neutralize illnesses like Salmonella and E. Coli with highly pressurized blasts of cold water. No heat, chemicals, additives, or preservatives. 
There are so many meat options, from venison to chicken to quail. Reviewers say their dog’s coats have never been shinier and their energy levels have shown vast improvements.
The food comes with high-quality vitamin premix for added nutrition and can stay good in a fridge for up to four days. In a freezer, it’ll last up to six months.
The Farmer’s Dog
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Why it made the cut: Human-grade food that promises minimal processing and higher safety standards, this ready-to-serve meal plan is like a farmer’s market in a bowl.
Specs
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No preservatives, no additives, and no BS—The Farmer’s Dog is working to combat dog disease and poor health with fresh, human-grade food that’s gently cooked at low temperatures. Remember, this is real food, so it’s not shelf-stable. You’ll need to refrigerate or freeze your dog’s meals.
It meets all the standards: meals are made by board-certified veterinary nutritionists that are balanced according to AAFCO. It’s preportioned, ready to serve, and requires no cooking or extra work. You’ll take a short quiz about your dog to get a customized meal plan and the best perk is if your dog doesn’t like the food, they’ll send additional recipes to try or give a full refund if you donate the food to a shelter!
Please note: this food is grain-free. Though it’s usually not recommended, this company promises to have a fully balanced meal with all the necessary nutrients.
Nom Nom Variety Pack
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Why it made the cut: No commitment is required to try out these delicious preportioned, delicious, high-quality food packets that are sustainably sourced from American growers. 
Specs
Pros
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Carefully sourced ingredients that put nutrition and sustainability first, Nom Nom gets all proteins and veggies from trusted and reliable U.S. growers and suppliers. 
They’re all made in private kitchens to ensure quality controls and they don’t use any high-temp vats or extrusion to maximize nutrition and keep the foods as digestible as possible for your pups. Flavors like Beef Mash—made with beef, potatoes, carrots, peas, and eggs—are sure to be a doggie fav. Or try Pork Potluck—pork, potatoes, green beans, kale, squash, and mushrooms. I’m sorry, I don’t even eat this healthy!
One reviewer even noted that her dog’s poops have improved since starting on Nom Nom. We love to see a good poop shoutout!
Food delivery is definitely going to be on the more expensive end of dog food. Each delivery service has a different cost, but one thing they have in common is that the cost goes up or down depending on your dog’s needs, size, weight, etc. You’ll be able to get exact quotes after filling out the company’s customizable quiz. To give you an idea: some plans start at $1-$3/day, while others allow for bulk buying.
Dog food delivery is convenient for busy pet parents, as it’s delivered right to your doorstep. The delivery services we’ve included are recommended because of their incredible commitment to high-quality, human-grade, locally sourced meats and vegetables that are more bio available and healthier for your dogs. They are more expensive, but they are truly the crème de la crème of dog meal plans.
Each site has its own process for ordering its food delivery services. Head to your desired delivery service’s website to fill out the customizable quizzes to ensure your pet is getting the best and most tailored nutrition for his or her needs.
While dog food delivery services are much more expensive than the average kibble, they’re a super convenient way to ensure your dog is getting the healthiest and highest quality foods available. Remember, dogs are part of the family. They deserve the best food you can afford to keep those coats shiny and those poops healthy.
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