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Who doesn’t want to offer their dogs the best fresh pet meal money can buy? Extensive research on pet food paved the way for the availability of customized meals. Brands like Spot and Tango and PetPlate made it easier for pet owners to order specialized meals and have them delivered directly to their homes. With these simple plans, your pet can have gently cooked meals packed with whole foods served as part of their daily meal plan. Skipping the kibble entirely, this fresh approach helps deliver intact vitamins and nutrients to your dog while making sure they’re not exposed to any additives, allergy triggers, or unnecessary calories.
With these two names, which one is the better pick for you? Let’s see how each brand stacks up against the other.
Spot and Tango
Pros
- All meals come with USDA meat, fresh fruits and veggies, and nutrient-rich starch
- Meals have zero artificial preservatives, colors, or artificial ingredients.
- No filler ingredients like wheat or corn
- All ingredients and nutritional information are printed online and on the packet’s feeding guidelines
- Deliveries are free
Cons
- Few recipes to choose from.
Spot and Tango Features
A comprehensive meal plan designed for attentive pet parents, the Spot and Tango dog food makes it easy for you to serve balanced meals every single time. The customization aspect combined with the dry and wet food options allows for added flexibility in your servings.
All ingredients added into the meal are classified as human-grade. The components are then gently cooked and grounded or mashed to make it easier to consume. Very little processing is involved so your dog gets a meal that as close as possible to the real thing.
Whole Food Ingredients
All ingredients added into the meal are classified as human-grade. The components are then gently cooked and grounded or mashed to make it easier to consume. Very little processing is involved so your dog gets a meal that as close as possible to the real thing.
Meets AAFCO Standards
AAFCO is the gold standard when it comes to pet food composition. Spot and Tango makes sure that these standards are met through repeat testing of their recipes. Licensed veterinary nutritionists assist with the preparation process to guarantee precise and delicious results.
Gently Cooked Fresh Food
Spot and Tango meals are not classified as raw food [1]. Instead, the meals are gently cooked to remove pathogens while keeping the texture and flavor intact. This makes the meal more delicious for pets while guaranteeing that all the essential nutrients are still in there.
Subscriptions and Deliveries
The brand offers subscription meals where you can just set up the amount and frequency of deliveries as needed. All of this information can be changed through the online portal where your profile is set up. From here, you can make arrangements on delivery dates, suspend deliveries, or change preferred recipes depending on your dog’s status.
Customized Meals
All meals are made with the help of a doggy profile you provide at the initial subscription. You’ll be asked to answer a short quiz about your dog. This helps Spot and Tango to create a meal plan profile that considers your dog’s age, weight, activity levels, and unique health situation.
Read our full review of Spot & Tango
PetPlate Features
Pros
- Six different meal recipes to choose from
- You can add the profile of a second dog using the same PetPlate account
- All meals are pre-packaged and pre-portioned so there’s no guesswork when serving the meals.
Cons
- You will have to pay for deliveries
PetPlate Features
Offering both complete and supplementary meal plans, the PetPlate dog food subscription is a great way to get started with fresh dog meals. The brand welcomes customization of dog food and makes the service easy by pre-portioning the food for each meal.
Made by Veterinary Nutritionists
All PetPlate meals are created with the input of experts in the field. This helps sustain the quality of the product while making sure that it meets the unique requirements of your pet. All PetPlate veterinary nutritionists follow the AAFCO guidelines with reference to the composition, breed, life stage, and activity levels of your pet. Special care is given to pets with dietary concerns or allergy triggers to make sure they’re still getting balanced meals through proper ingredient substitution.
Comes with Topper Meal Plans
PetPlate also offer Topper Meal Plans which works as a supplement to your dog’s existing diet. If you’re uncomfortable switching completely to PetPlate meals, you can use the Topper Meal Plan to get just a few packets at a time. These packets can be mixed on top with your dog’s current diet so he can have the best of both worlds!
Fully Customized Meals
All meals are made with the pet owner’s input. You’ll be asked to fill in your dog’s profile through the website. This information can be updated as needed so there’s always an accurate reference for your dog’s meal plan.
Available in Select US Stores
If you’re not sure about switching yet, there are several US pet stores that sell PetPlate. You can have your pooch try out one or two of their recipes and see if this is the ideal meal for them. Stores can be located through the PetPlate website.
Easy Control through Online Platform
The platform is user-friendly and gives you easy access to all your information. You can change your dog’s profile, alter delivery dates, pick new recipes, or manually prompt deliveries through the convenient profile.
Read our full review of PetPlate
Decision Time: Spot & Tango or PetPlate?
Choose Spot and Tango If…
You’re committed to making the switch from kibble to customized food plans. The Spot and Tango brand also gives your dog the benefit of both wet and dry dog food options. This lets you go back and forth with the meals and create variety in the texture and hardness of the food. Choose this if you have a generally healthy dog and all you want is to give him a more balanced meal through whole foods.
Choose PetPlate If…
You’re just starting with your fresh dog food subscription journey and want to start introducing your dog to this meal service. It’s also a good plan for pet owners who want a fully customized plan that considers the unique needs of their dog. Choose this if your dog loves wet food and prefers variety in his meals.