PetPlate: reviews, general information, price

Changing dog food can be a bit tricky. How do you know if your dog will like it? Are there really that many health benefits to giving them different food? Luckily, PetPlate doesn’t make dog food. They make food for dogs – as they like to call it. Fresh, human-grade tubs of nutritious food delivered right to your door.

So, are they worth it? How do they rate compared to their competitors? And what are the health benefits? Here’s our PetPlate review.

What is PetPlate?

PetPlate started when its owner, Ronaldo Webb, learned of the ingredients that go into normal canned dog food and kibble. They’re full of preservatives, meats pretending to be meats, and additives that give no added nutrition to our pups. In fact, he believes that regular pet food can cause a lot of the health issues our dogs suffer from. 

He wanted to change that so he started consulting vet nutritionists to create a healthy, well-balanced meal plan for his dogs. He actually went on Shark Tank – and whilst he may not have gotten an investment, he’s certainly built his company since.

All their doggie meals are cooked in USDA kitchens, ensuring they’re good enough for you to eat too (if you want to try it)! They have four meal packages to choose from which include lean meat, veggies, and all the vitamins and minerals your pup needs. PetPlate is committed to making sure you get as many years as possible with your dog, and that they’re as healthy as can be.

How does PetPlate work?

Like with other fresh dog food delivery services, you’ll need to fill out a short questionnaire about your pup so PetPlate can advise you on the best meal plan for them (if you have more than one dog you can add them to the plan at the end of the process). They’ll ask questions about their age, weight, sex, etc, so they have a better idea of how many calories your dog will need.

They’ll then suggest which of their four recipes would be good for your pet. You can add or remove any of them depending on what your dog likes best. All the ingredients are clearly marked so you can see exactly what you’re getting and the benefits of each recipe. If you have a particularly fussy dog, or you’re not 100% sure about paying more for fresh food, you can choose PetPlate’s topper option, which means you’ll get smaller portions to mix in with your dog’s regular food.

An added bonus about PetPlate is that they also do a treat. I don’t know about you but I actually think chicken, apple, and sausage bites sound quite nice. If it’s even slightly appealing, it beats regular kibble any day.

You then add your delivery address and payment method and wait for your food to arrive!

Delivery Day

Your dog’s food arrives in cardboard boxes that are insulated and cooled to keep the food fresh on its journey to your door. The food itself comes in tubs, which is different from most fresh pet food delivery services that send their food in pouches.

PetPlate’s fresh food recipes

All of PetPlate’s recipes use natural, whole ingredients that are kettle-cooked. This process means that the ingredients are prepared at a low enough temperature to make sure that they’re cooked without the veg and meat breaking down. It ensures the food stays moist and retains the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals. It’s then flash-frozen to guarantee freshness.

Barkin’ Beef

This high-protein, grain-free recipe includes apples, liver, carrots, potatoes, and pumpkin.

Chompin’ Chicken

This is a high-protein, low-fat dish that helps maintain a healthy weight. Ingredients include sweet potatoes, apples, red lentils, flaxseed, and green beans.

Tail Waggin’ Turkey

This recipe is ideal for older dogs that may have sensitive stomachs. It’s packed full of lean meat and veggies, including carrots, brown rice, and pumpkin.

Lip Lickin’ Lamb

This is a great choice for pups who suffer with sensitive stomachs. Ingredients such as broccoli, quinoa, and sweet potato ensure it’s packed with fatty acids and antioxidants.

Pork

This is a meal with a high amount of protein and fiber. It contains pork, barley, green beans, red lentils, carrots, pepper and much more.

Pros and Cons of PetPlate

Pros

• Whole ingredients. Each recipe is created using nutritionally rich, fresh ingredients by veterinary nutritionists.
• Wide Variety. PetPlate doesn’t just change the meat and keep the rest of the ingredients the same. They use a variety of grains, fruit, and veggies so even picky eaters can find something they’ll love.
• Treats! PetPlate does a yummy treat, so it can also be fresh and healthy for your pup.
• Topper option. PetPlate knows – that for many reasons – not everyone wants to change 100% to a fresh food meal plan. They offer a topper option which you can mix with your current food.
• Auto-shipping. You can pause, cancel or skip an order at any time. 

Cons

• Questionnaire. When you create your pup’s profile, you’re not asked if they have any specific health conditions. The recipes are free from dairy and gluten, but other allergies may be a problem.
• Containers. They’re easy to scoop the food out of, but they’re bulky and take up more room when freezing and refrigerating. It’s good they have a lid though, as this reduces the smell of open dog food in the fridge!
• Price. This is a con for fresh food in general. High-quality ingredients and specialist recipes just cost more. 

How much does PetPlate cost?

Like with all kinds of dog food, how much you feed your pet really depends on their size and energy level.  A working Great Pyrenees is going to need considerably more food than a small Chihuahua. 

Small pups on the full meal plan could be paying $2.50 a day. Medium dogs pay around $7-$9 a day and big pups could be paying much more. 

That’s obviously pretty expensive compared to regular kibble, but their topper plan reduces these costs a lot.

Reviews – what are other people saying?

Positive

“The meals are not only super tasty but also made from the highest quality, natural ingredients for your dog’s health.” The Goody Pet.

Negative

“None of the flavors actually smell good and it looks like canned food. I can’t tell if it's human grade. I can’t identify anything in the ingredients. I wouldn’t eat it. For the price, I expected more.” Website Review.

Overall Thoughts

Changing to PetPlate dog food is a great idea if you’re looking for better quality, highly nutritious recipes for your pup. They use great ingredients to provide a totally balanced diet. Like other fresh food services, they may be a little more expensive, but dogs seem to love the taste and owners love the health benefits!