Freshpet Dog Food Reviewed: Pros, Cons, and Ingredient Analysis

Freshpet Dog Food is a pet food (dog & cat food) brand that makes recipes using all-natural and minimally processed ingredients.

Freshpet Dog Food uses ingredients like 100% farm-raised poultry, beef, and fish, and garden fruits and veggies. The company’s belief is that the best nutrition comes from natural foods.

According to freshpet.com, Freshpet Dog Food is made in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Freshpet Dog Food is made with fresh ingredients that are delivered to the facility daily to ensure the freshest ingredients are used.

Once the food has entered the site, it is gently steamed to protect the integrity of the ingredients. The ingredients are then vacuum sealed to lock in the nutrients. The kitchens are held to extremely high standards and are registered with APHIS and the FDA.

The ingredients are 100% farm-raised meat and all-natural grown fruits and garden vegetables, all of which are sourced in the USA.

Freshpet Dog Food is gently cooked with steam at low temperatures and pasteurized. This helps make the ingredients safe for consumption while retaining as many nutrients as possible.

Yes, Freshpet Dog Food needs to be refrigerated and used within seven days of opening.

Yes, Freshpet Dog Food is good.

Freshpet Dog Food is made with only natural ingredients from real food and only cooked enough to make them safe for consumption but not to be made into traditional dry dog food or kibble.

This means the food is as natural as possible by the time it gets to your pet.

Freshpet Dog Food is currently recalling its Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe on June 17, 2022, due to potential Salmonella contamination.

There are dozens of different Freshpet Dog Food formulas. To help you decide which is best for your pet, we have reviewed several of the brand’s recipes.

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Summary: Freshpet roasted meals uses 100% natural US farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient and uses no meat meals or by-product meals. It is rich in vitamins and antioxidants, made without no preservatives or fillers, and offers complete nutrition for your dog. It is available in two flavors and sold in 1.75-pound bags.

Type: Steam-cooked fresh pellets

Best for: Dogs of all life stages

Flavor Options: Chicken with garden vegetables

Price: $13.60/lb

Pros

Cons

Ingredient Analysis: The first ingredient is real farm-raised chicken which is a great source of protein. Chicken liver, ground oats, and rice bran are the next three ingredients and offer a healthy source of minerals, carbohydrates, and fiber. The vitamin profile is complete with folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, and vitamin E, while the minerals are supplemented to offer balanced nutrition. The only natural negative to the ingredients listed is an unnamed “natural flavor” that is unspecified in its origin.

Review: 93% of buyers who rated this dog food gave it an overall grade of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Dog owners who rated this product highly most often say their dog loves the food and it agrees with them. The customers are happy that the food is made with real food that is easy to see. However, negative reviewers state that it gave their dogs diarrhea.

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Summary: This food is made in the USA and uses only real 100% natural US farm-raised chicken as its first ingredient. It contains no meals or by-product meals and is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. It is available in one flavor and is suitable for adult dogs of any breed size.

Type: Steam-cooked wet dog food

Best for: Adult dogs

Flavor Options: Chicken vegetable

Price: $8.65/lb

Pros

Cons

Ingredient Analysis: Chicken, carrots, and chicken broth are the first three ingredients, all of which are great for either protein content or vitamins. Peas, eggs, chicken liver, and brown rice are all included for their vitamins, minerals, and carbs. However, we dislike the use of carrageenan, which is a controversial ingredient.

Review: Well over 90% of the 1,000+ reviews on Amazon and Chewy rate this product 4.8 out of 5 stars. They note how well the food is made and tell about how much their dogs enjoy eating the food. Critical reviews only account for 3% of total checks.

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Summary: This wet dog food roll is verified non-GMO and made with responsibly and ethically sourced ingredients. It uses certified humanely-raised chicken with no growth hormones or antibiotics and is made with whole grains for digestion support. It offers complete and balanced nutrition without using by-products or meals. It is only available in one flavor and is formulated for adult dogs.

Type: Steam-cooked wet dog food

Best for: Adult dogs

Flavor Options: Chicken

Price: $5.28/lb

Pros

Cons

Ingredient Analysis: Chicken, carrots, and chicken broth are the first three ingredients, all of which serve a purpose in the food to add protein, vitamins, and moisture. Vitamins and minerals are added to make this a complete source of nutrition for dogs. However, carrageenan and an unspecified “natural flavor” can be found in the ingredients list, which may put off some dog owners.

Review: Over 90% of consumers express satisfaction with this product. They say the food was easy to serve, stays fresh longer than they thought it would, and most of all, their dogs enjoy the food. The overall Amazon rating of the food is 4.7 out of 5 stars.

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Summary: This fresh pellet is verified non-GMO and made with only ethically sourced ingredients. The meat is certified humanely raised and contains no antibiotics or growth hormones. It is made to be suitable for adult dogs of all breed sizes and is available in only one flavor.

Type: Steam-cooked pellets

Best for: Adult dogs

Flavor Options: Chicken

Price: $5.60/lb

Pros

Cons

Ingredient Analysis: Chicken is the first ingredient, which is a high-protein food. Carrots, pea protein, and eggs are the following ingredients that are rich in vitamins and minerals. Other vitamins and minerals such as potassium chloride, zinc proteinate, and vitamin E are added to make this a complete source of nutrition. However, carrageenan is high on the ingredients list, which may not be something some dog owners like to see in dog food.

Review: The majority of buyers are satisfied with this dog food and give it an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. They claim their dogs love the food, and some even notice differences in how their senior dogs behave after having been on the food for a while.

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Summary: This fresh refrigerated dog food is made with no preservatives and offers a variety of protein sources in one meal. It is minimally processed and made with chunky ingredients you can see, so you know what you are feeding your dog. Freshpet Select is made in three flavors, is suitable for adult dogs, and is sold in a pack of four 3-pound packages.

Type: Steam-cooked pellets

Best for: Adult dogs

Flavor Options: Chicken, Beef, Egg & Salmon Recipe

Price: $9.92/lb

Pros

Cons

Ingredient Analysis: This is a protein-rich food made with a chicken, salmon, and beef recipe to ensure your dog is getting all of the amino acids it needs in one complete meal. Eggs, sweet potatoes, and carrots are added for vitamins and minerals while supplemented with vitamin E and calcium iodate to offer all the nutrients your dog needs in one meal.

Review: Reviews of this product were very few in numbers, but the positive reviews were satisfied with the quality of the product and, as one buyer put it, “dogs love. Enough said.” Those who left low ratings did not leave reviews. The overall rating on Amazon is 4.3 out of 5 stars.

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Summary: These morsels of fresh dog food are made in the USA without the use of preservatives. It is made with a minimal process operation, so you can see most of the ingredients in the food when you feed it to your dog. It is available in one flavor and is made into small bite-sized pieces to be easier for small dogs to chew.

Type: Steam-cooked morsels

Best for: Small breed adult dogs

Flavor Options: Chicken

Price: $16.64/lb

Pros

Cons

Ingredient Analysis: Real chicken is the first ingredient that makes this food a source of high-quality protein. Cranberries, carrots, and spinach are added for their rich vitamin and antioxidant content, but an unspecified “natural flavor” is added, which may be off-putting to some dog owners. It is, however, further supplemented to offer complete and balanced nutrition to your dog.

Review: Most of the reviews say their dog enjoyed this food. Even fussy eaters were able to eat this food without much coaxing. Critical reviews, however, said the food was warm when they received it, which made it inedible, and the seller was unresponsive to requests for a refund. The overall rating of the formula on Amazon is 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Freshpet Dog Food offers various complete and balanced meals and dog treats. Here is a full overview of the brand’s lines and products:

Yes, Freshpet Dog Food has been recalled.

The voluntary recall affected the Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe. It was issued on June 17, 2022, due to potential Salmonella contamination.

The affected dog food was sold in 4.5-lb bags at various retailers around the US. The sell-by date on the affected lot is 10/29/22, and the lot number is 627975011673. Freshpet is urging buyers with this lot number to avoid the risk of illness.

Yes, Freshpet Dog Food is worth it.

Freshpet Dog Food is not the most affordable dog food option on the market, but its ingredients are wholesome, and the nutrition their food offers is complete and balanced and only comes from natural sources.

Plus, since Freshpet Dog Food is made with light steam cooking, the natural nutrients are retained, and each recipe is complete, balanced, and very close to the dog’s natural diet. Lacking fillers, meat meals, and by-products, the food is excellent for dogs with sensitive stomachs.