PetPlate Dog Food Review 2024

PetPlate is a subscription-based fresh dog food brand dishing up human-grade dog foods prepared in USDA-approved kitchens. Grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes are available, with a wide range of flavors for your canine companion to enjoy.

We give PetPlate a perfect 5 out of 5 paws up. We highly rate PetPlate as it uses only human-grade ingredients and prepares its foods in USDA-approved kitchens. 

But is PetPlate right for your dog? Keep reading for Wag!'s comprehensive PetPlate dog food review, where we examine the company’s individual product lines, history, recalls, and more.

PetPlate produces six fresh wet food and two baked dry food recipes, as well as a line of organic dog treats. 

All PetPlate FreshCooked and FreshBaked dog foods are "complete and balanced," meeting the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrient profile guidelines for growth and adult maintenance, including the growth of large-size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult). PetPlate dog treats are for supplemental feeding only.

Tail Waggin’ Turkey

Tail Waggin' Turkey is a grain-inclusive dog food, with brown rice as the primary grain. Brown rice is one of the best grains you'll find in dog food—it's a highly digestible carb that's rich in vitamins B2, B9, and D.

Tail Waggin' Turkey consists of a single protein source and only nine primary ingredients — ideal for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities. Quality cuts of turkey meat are the top ingredient. Its secondary ingredients are rich in nutrients — carrots are a source of antioxidants and beta-carotene. 

PetPlate Tail Waggin' Turkey recipe contains 30% protein as dry matter, which is slightly above average compared to standard dog food. It comprises 15% fat as dry matter, which is around average.

• Top five ingredients: turkey, brown rice, turkey liver, carrots, apples

Chompin’ Chicken

Chompin' Chicken is grain-free with sweet potatoes and red lentils as the primary carbohydrates and fiber sources. Sweet potatoes are nutritionally beneficial to dogs — they're a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese. 

Chicken is the top ingredient in each recipe, with apples and green beans providing additional nutrients. For example, green beans are rich in iron, calcium, and vitamins. This recipe includes a single animal protein source and fewer than ten primary ingredients.

PetPlate Chompin' Chicken recipe contains 36% protein as dry matter, which is above average compared to typical dog food. It has 15% fat as dry matter, which is around average. 

• Top 5 ingredients: chicken, sweet potatoes, chicken liver, apples, green beans

Barkin’ Beef

Barkin' Beef is grain-free, with sweet potatoes and potatoes as the main fiber and carb sources. Peas are also a top five ingredient that's high in fiber, protein, and antioxidants.

Overall, Barkin' Beef is of similar quality to the rest of PetPlate's range. Human-grade meat is the top ingredient, with fewer than ten main ingredients. 

Barkin' Beef contains 31.2% protein as dry matter and 21.7% fat as dry matter, both of which are above average compared to typical dog food.

• Top 5 ingredients: beef, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beef liver, peas

Lip Lickin’ Lamb

Lip Lickin' Lamb is different from PetPlate's other grain-inclusive dog foods as it uses quinoa as the primary grain. Quinoa is a healthy alternative to corn and wheat. It's a source of carbohydrates, fiber, amino acids, and fatty acids. 

Lamb is the only animal protein in Lip Lickin' Lamb. It's a novel protein that's a rare allergen for dogs — perfect for pups with specific meat allergies. Other notable ingredients include broccoli, which is high in vitamins C, A, K, and E.

PetPlate Lip Lickin' Lamb recipe contains 26.1% protein as dry matter and 14.2% fat as dry matter, which are average levels compared to other dog foods. 

• Top 5 ingredients: lamb, sweet potatoes, lamb liver, apples, quinoa

Power Packed Pork

PetPlate markets its Power Packed Pork to be high in fiber and protein. However, it has lower protein levels than PetPlate's Chompin' Chicken recipe and only 2.7% fiber as dry matter.

It's a grain-inclusive recipe, with barley as the primary grain, a high-quality dietary fiber source. This recipe also includes measured levels of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids to help keep your canine's skin and coat in good condition.

PetPlate Power Packed Pork contains 33.3% protein as dry matter, which is above average for dog food. It has 18.1% fat as dry matter, which is above average.

• Top 5 ingredients: pork, pork liver, barley, green beans, carrots

Lean & Mean Venison

Lean & Mean Venison is another recipe with a novel protein source for pups with sensitive stomachs. It's grain-free, with potatoes, apples, and sweet potatoes as primary fiber and carb sources.

One of the most unusual ingredients in this recipe is pasta, which is healthy in moderation and can help digestion. Overall, it's similar to PetPlate's beef and lamb recipes.

PetPlate Lean & Mean Venison contains 28.5% protein as dry matter and 13.5% fat as dry matter, which is around average compared to standard dog food.

• Top 5 ingredients: venison, potatoes, apples, green beans, sweet potatoes

FreshBaked Roost Rulin' Chicken

FreshBaked Roost Rulin' Chicken is one of two slow-baked dog food recipes that resemble kibble. It’s made with lentils and chickpeas instead of grains. 

Each recipe has chicken as the top ingredient and superfoods like spinach, cranberries, and blueberries as secondary ingredients.

PetPlate Roost Rulin' Chicken recipe contains 28.8% protein as dry matter and 10% fat as matter, which is around average levels for dry dog food.

• Top 5 ingredients: chicken, lentils, chickpeas, pea protein, carrots

FreshBaked Trail Blazin' Beef

FreshBaked Trail Blazin' Beef is another dry dog food recipe from PetPlate, with largely the same ingredients as its Roost Rulin' Chicken variety.

One main difference is that Trail Blazin' Beef is grain-inclusive, with oats and millet as primary grains. Oats are high in fiber and rich in iron, zinc, and B vitamins.

PetPlate Trail Blazin' Beef contains 27.7% protein as dry matter, which is average for dry dog food. It has 16.6% fat as dry matter, which is above average.

• Top 5 ingredients: beef, oats, chickpeas, pea protein, carrots

PetPlate dog treats

PetPlate makes two organic dog treat varieties: Chicken Apple Sausage Bites and Beef & Sweet Potato Bites.

Both have limited ingredients and contain single human-grade animal protein. Overall, they're high-quality products that would make a nutritious treat for your four-legged friend.

• Chicken Apple Sausage Bites top 5 ingredients: organic chicken, organic apples, organic vegetable glycerin, organic pumpkin, organic vinegar powder

• Beef & Sweet Potato Bites top 5 ingredients: organic beef, organic chickpea flour, organic vegetable glycerin, organic sweet potatoes, sea salt

Keep scrolling for a few reasons why we give PetPlate a flawless 5 out of 5 paws up!

Human-grade ingredients

PetPlate uses only human-grade ingredients in its dog foods and treats. Human-grade ingredients are minimally processed to ensure high nutritional value and are often easier for dogs to digest than feed-grade foods. Human-grade ingredients are also more carefully regulated, so they’re more likely to be safe from contaminants and pathogens. 

Meals are tailored to your dog's specific needs

PetPlate uses a subscription model to cater to your canine companion's needs. Fill out PetPlate's questionnaire with info on your dog's breed, age, weight, and health, and it'll provide you with the ideal portion sizes and recipes for your pup. PetPlate's method of picking food for pups is ideal if your dog has weight issues or food allergies. 

Vet-formulated recipes

All PetPlate recipes are formulated with a helping hand from Dr. Renee Streeter, a Cornell graduate and one of only around 300 board-certified dog food nutritionists in the United States. As a result, you can rest easy knowing PetPlate's recipes are carefully developed to meet all your dog's nutritional needs.  

100% money-back guarantee on your first order

Sometimes, transitioning your pup to a new dog food doesn't work out. If you're unsatisfied with your first order from PetPlate, you'll receive a full refund, letting you test out PetPlate without being tied to a monthly subscription. Alternatively, you can order once-off PetPlate deliveries through online retailers like Chewy. 

Think PetPlate might be the right fit for your canine compadre? Here are a few things to bear in mind before you buy.

Online deliveries come frozen

It's worth mentioning that PetPlate FreshCooked recipes are delivered frozen in dry ice, which stays fresh for up to five days in transit. Frozen deliveries could be an issue if there's a delay to your delivery or if you've gone on vacation and forgot to change your delivery schedule. 

Affordability

PetPlate manufactures its dog foods and treats with human-grade ingredients in USDA-approved kitchens, so they're on the pricey side.

At the time of writing, the smallest fully FreshCooked meal plan costs $3.79 per day, with just 160 calories per meal. The smallest fully FreshBaked dry food meal plan costs $1.57 per day. Costs will rise significantly if you have a large breed like a Great Dane. If you're looking to keep costs down, you can opt to use PetPlate as a meal topper instead. 

Concerns about the safety of grain-free dog foods

The FDA began investigating links between grain-free dog foods and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in July 2018. The investigation centers around dog foods with peas, legumes, and potatoes within the top ten ingredients. 

The investigation is ongoing and is currently inconclusive as of 2024. According to the FDA, PetPlate was not among the brands most commonly named in DCM reports linked to grain-free foods. Consult your vet if you have any concerns about feeding your dog a grain-free diet.

"We use this food combined with [our] dogs kibble. We have a corgi and a cavachon who tend to get a little heavy. The combination of both foods have resulted in healthier and happy doggies. And that’s why we all love it"

"After almost 5 years of trying just about every dog food on the market I thankfully discovered PetPlate. It is the only dog food my super picky pup will eat. Otis now loves mealtime and I do too as I am no longer stressed about him not eating. Now Otis licks the bowl clean. If you have a picky pup try PetPlate! Otis and I highly recommend it!"

Renaldo Webb, an MIT physics graduate, founded PetPlate in 2016. He came up with the idea after his Tibetan Terrier, Winston, began experiencing digestive issues and wouldn't eat his food.

After working as a consultant for pet food companies, Webb figured out it wasn't the food Winston didn't like — it was the highly processed ingredients that had lost most of their flavor and nutritional value in the manufacturing process. Webb also believes highly processed dog foods contribute to underlying health issues such as obesity. 

To help begin PetPlate's journey, Webb went on Shark Tank, asking for $100,000 for 10% of his business. While none of the sharks took the bait and invested, Webb did manage to raise $19 million through Series B financing by 2022.  

Today, PetPlate has served millions of meals to four-legged friends across the contiguous United States. PetPlate manufactures its dog foods at USDA-inspected facilities in the Midwest and Upstate New York.

At the time of writing, PetPlate dog food has never been recalled.

All product images sourced from Chewy and PetPlate. Copyright PetPlate.