First Impressions: Freshpet

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than himself. - Josh Billings

There truly is no better friend than a dog, and after spending all 37 years of my life with one by my side, I can confidently attest to that. Our current two-year-old, pheasant-fetching yellow Lab, Buxton, isn’t just an amazing hunter and pet—he’s a beloved member of our family. With a playful yet calm demeanor, he’s just about perfect for a two-year-old. I honestly can’t imagine life without him. So when it comes to his food, we want to give him the very best. That’s why we’ve decided to try Freshpet Delivery—because our pup deserves top-notch everything, including his meals!

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Freshpet is a pet food company that focuses on healthy, delicious meals made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Every recipe features premium proteins and farm-fresh vegetables and fruits. The meals are steam-cooked to lock in vital nutrients and are completely free from preservatives and fillers. Made in the USA, this food arrives—and stays—refrigerated, just like real food should. The best part? It’s all crafted under the watchful eye of veterinary nutritionists and held to top-tier food safety standards. So yes, it’s fancy—and yes, our pup is totally worth it!

With multiple customizable subscription options, there are choices suitable for everyone based on your dog's particular needs. No matter which option you choose, your dog is sure to love it! 

This review is of my customized plan.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)

First Impressions

Buxton was immediately intrigued by the large cardboard box that showed up on our front porch. He must’ve known something yummy was inside—he just wouldn’t leave it alone! As soon as we opened it, we found packing insulation and dry ice to keep everything fresh, along with a heap of delicious goodness. Our yellow pup was fan from the get-go!

The Introduction Quiz

Signing up for Freshpet was a breeze. We visited in the website and started entering Buxton's information. It asked for the usual details like name, weight, gender, and activity level, as well as a few extras such as body condition, health goals, and any food sensitivities. Once everything was filled out, the site calculated how many calories your pup should be eating and provided personalized food recommendations. You can choose whether to fully switch to Freshpet or combine it with your current food as a mixer. After that, a list of recipe options appears, and you can select the ones that work best for your dog. Super easy—the whole process took just a few minutes to complete!

Feeding Guide and Packing Slip

Along with the packing slip, we received a customized feeding guide just for Buxton. Since we provided his weight, body condition, and activity level, Freshpet calculated exactly how much food he should be eating each day for the two-week supply. Because this is his first time trying Freshpet, we also received clear instructions on how to gradually transition him to the new food to avoid upsetting his tummy. One thing I found especially interesting—just like with homemade meals, each of the four recipes we received had slightly different calorie counts. That meant the feeding amounts varied a bit from one recipe to the next. While it requires a little extra thought on my part, it honestly feels like Buxton is getting the VIP treatment with this gourmet food! In total, we received 14 packages: three Multi-Protein, three Beef & Chicken, four Shredded Chicken, and four Beef, Turkey & Lamb.

Scooper Welcome Kit

Since this was my first order, I received a set of measuring cups as a welcome gift. This four-piece set of green plastic cups makes measuring Buxton's daily meals a breeze—and saves my Tupperware cups from going missing in the process!

The Foods

As you can see, all fourteen packages arrived in uniform packaging, each with a different label. Each pouch contains about a pound and a half of dog food and features a resealable top. Once opened, it’s recommended that the pouch be used within 7 days. Freshpet also prides itself on sending more food than strictly necessary to meet your pup’s caloric needs—so you’ll have a little extra on hand. It’s important to note that this food must be refrigerated to maintain freshness. Since this is a two-week supply, it does take up a fair amount of fridge space, so we ended up storing some of it in our garage fridge.

Beef and Chicken

The first Freshpet recipe Buxton tried was the Beef & Chicken. Made with beef, beef liver, chicken, eggs, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, spinach, and cranberries, it smells nothing like your typical dog food—in the best way! My son has a very sensitive nose and usually gags when feeding the dogs traditional kibble, but with this, he actually said he wanted to eat it himself! 🤣 With a guaranteed analysis of 13% crude protein, 10% fat, 1.5% fiber, and 65% moisture, this recipe is truly packed with goodness. Honestly, it looks (and smells) more like a meat-based casserole made for humans than dog food. Super impressive!

Buxton has always been excited for mealtime—but now? He’s next-level excited! We’ve always used a slow-feed bowl because he gets so eager, but with this food, he goes absolutely wild. Since we’re still in the transition phase, he’s getting a mix of his old food and the new, but he definitely picks out the Freshpet first and leaves the dry kibble behind. Safe to say, the Beef & Chicken recipe was a hit! (He even grabbed the sealed bag and ran off with it while I was trying to get a photo!)

Multiprotein

As I mentioned earlier, Buxton is our little pheasant fetcher. Every year, we take him and his brother out to the Dakotas for a few family pheasant hunts. We also do a lot of ruffed grouse hunting here in Minnesota. So while he’s our beloved family dog and best friend, he’s also an athlete. Since I marked his activity level as “high” in the Freshpet quiz, we were sent three bags of the Multi-Protein recipe, which features a 14% crude protein content. The ingredients in this recipe include chicken, beef, beef liver, eggs, ground oats, salmon, rice bran, carrots, sweet potatoes, pea fiber, cranberries, spinach, natural flavors, salt, green beans, minerals, and vitamin supplements. It honestly looks like the base of a tater tot hot dish—just without the sauce. I’m starting to think my pup might be eating better than I am. 🤣

While not pictured, by the time I finished taking this photo, Buxton had a five-inch strand of drool hanging from his jowls as he waited for the okay to eat. It makes me so happy knowing my dog gets as much joy from his meals as I do from mine!

Shredded Chicken

To be honest, I’ve tried a couple of different fresh food brands before, but I wasn’t a fan of the frozen options some of them offered. We’re a busy family, and I sometimes forget to take meat out of the freezer for our dinner—let alone remember to thaw out dog food. This refrigerated option, while a bit space-consuming, is super convenient. The next recipe Buxton tried was the Shredded Chicken. We received four packages of it, and the ingredients included chicken, carrots, pumpkin, pea protein, pea fiber, ground oats, green beans, natural flavors, cranberries, and essential nutrients and minerals. With a guaranteed analysis of 16.5% crude protein, 6% fat, 1.5% fiber, and 66% moisture, it actually packs more protein than the Multi-Protein recipe! Just look at those chunks of meat and veggies—yummy!

A few days in, and Buxton is absolutely loving his food—mealtime has become a full-blown event! Since the transition from his old food takes about 7–10 days, he’s still getting some dry kibble mixed in. But we’ve already noticed a decrease in his burping and excessive licking, which is amazing!

Beef, Turkey, and Lamb

The final recipe we received was the Beef, Turkey & Lamb blend. This combo boasts a 15% crude protein content and features beef, turkey, beef liver, lamb, green beans, carrots, egg, pea protein, ground oats, green lentils, pea fiber, and a blend of essential nutrients and minerals. It was recommended that we feed Buxton about 4 cups of this recipe per day, and so far, it’s been keeping him looking happy and healthy!

More yummy goodness! Honestly, I’ve never seen Buxton so happy (and drooly) when it comes to mealtime. The meatballs paired with whole vegetables never cease to amaze me. The quality Freshpet offers is truly impressive, and we’re already seeing a boost in his energy and a shinier coat after just a couple of weeks!

The Verdict

We’ve fully transitioned Buxton to Freshpet, and the results have been amazing. While he’s always been excited for mealtime, he’s now next-level excited—and his coat is noticeably shinier! Honestly, every recipe we received had an impressive ingredient list and a solid crude protein analysis, which is perfect for our little athlete. Buxton didn’t seem to have a clear favorite, but he definitely appreciated the days we served the Shredded Chicken recipe—it came with a larger recommended portion, which he didn’t mind one bit! Beyond that, we also noticed a significant decrease in his burping and licking, which has been a huge win for our family. Overall, I’m extremely impressed with the quality of this food and feel great knowing I’m doing my part to keep our fur baby happy and healthy.

So, is Freshpet worth it? Absolutely! This baby is my kid and deserves the best! 

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