This list was updated June 9th 2021
Offering your dog freshly cooked dog food offers many different benefits – from better digestibility to more diversity of the microbiome, to even a potential reduction in cancer rates. As more research is done, the science behind choosing a fresh food diet for your dog seems to be increasing. And though home-cooking and home-preparing your dog’s food allows for the most customization and personalization to your dog’s unique nutritional needs – some people may not have the time, or ability to cook for their dogs. And for those individuals choosing a fresh food manufactured diet can be a great option – still getting all those benefits – but without doing as much of the work.
The great thing is over the last decade the diversity of options in the fresh food market has greatly expanded. Many companies have grown to the point to where they have multiple veterinarians on staff, have large manufacturing facilities, and ship all across the USA.
So what gently cooked dog food brands are on the market today?
What do we know about these brands?
Brands are listed in alphabetical order. The composition of diets was calculated based on guaranteed analysis (with an Ash value of 1% if not listed) unless calculated/analysis values were provided by the company.
All Provide Dog Food Review
AllProvide Dog food was originally founded as a raw pet food brand, however, in 2015 expanded into the gently cooked dog food space in order to provide dog owners and pet parents with more fresh food options for their canine companions. All Provide aims to provide natural nutrition without the use of synthetic supplements, using…
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Chi Dog Food Review
Chi Dog Food offers five different gently cooked diets for dogs based on Chinese Food Therapy techniques. Dr. Susan Bohrer (integrative veterinarian) and Dr. Berg (veterinarian) partnered to found Chi Dog in order to provide pet parents access to all the benefits of the nutritional therapy of Eastern Medicine. Each recipe is geared towards a…
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EverMore Dog Food Review
EverMore is a gently cooked dog food that was founded in 2009 by two extremely passionate dog advocates and pet parents – Hanna and Alison. EverMore Dog Food was created with the idea of sourcing the best ingredients to create whole fresh food recipes for dogs. All their recipes are cooked in a small family-owned…
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The Farmer’s Dog Food Review
The Farmer’s Dog was founded in 2014 after the founder discovered how beneficial fresh food diets were for helping his own dog Jada with her gastrointestinal issues. But the operation started small – with long-nights in the kitchen by the founders and hand-packed orders, since then the company has grown to employ over 100 people,…
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Fresh Pet Vital: Gently Cooked Dog Food
Founded in 2006, freshpet is one of the largest gently cooked dog food brands on the market, with over 20 different recipes of different compositions, and with different ingredients – including novel proteins, and single-protein recipes. Freshpet can be found in most large retailers – from Walmart to Petco, even local grocers, making it the…
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Just Food For Dogs Dog Food Review
JustFoodForDogs was first founded in 2010 after the founder saw a need in the pet food industry for better regulation and transparency within the industry. After over a decade within the pet food space, JustFoodForDogs has accomplished many “firsts” for the fresh pet food space – doing the first AAFCO feeding trials on a gently…
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Kabo Dog Food Review
Kabo was founded in 2019 after pet parents Vino and VJ’s dog Kabo fell ill due to cancer. Like every dog parent, they began searching for answers, realizing that many of her health issues could’ve been mitigated through diet and exercise. Since then Kabo Dog Food was born and have made it a priority to…
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My Perfect Pet Dog Food Review
My Perfect Pet Dog Food was created right after the 2006/2007 melamine pet food recalls where the founder’s dog passed away due to a lack of quality control within the dog food industry. Shaken to the core, they created My Pet Plate in order to offer pet parents a fresh, whole food option for our…
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Nom Nom Dog Food Review
Nom Nom is a relatively new pet food company founded in 2015, and since then they have carved out a space as one of the most popular fresh food options. Nom Nom has a passion for seeking to provide the best nutrition for dogs by combining restaurant grade ingredients and partnering with board certified veterinary…
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Ollie Dog Food Review
Ollie was founded by a group of passionate pet parents back in 2016 who wanted to create nutritious, natural, and customizable fresh dog food. Using their nutritional questionnaire they piece apart which recipe would be best for dogs based on their age, activity level, breed, and even certain medical conditions. The idea is to feed…
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Open Farm Gently Cooked Dog Food Review
Open Farm offers a range of product options from gently cooked, kibble, and freeze-dried. Founded in 2014, Open Farm is a relatively new pet food company that has carved out a space within the industry by focusing on ethically and humanely raised meats, transparency, and being environmentally conscious. Each ingredient can be traced from the…
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Pet Plate Dog Food Review
Pet plate is a relatively new company in the pet industry, founded in 2016, it has since become a well-known brand within the fresh pet food space. PetPlate has placed a priority on the science of nutrition and has consulted with Dr. Renee Streeter (DVM, DACVN, Veterinary Nutritionist) to formulate and consult with the creation…
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PURE Dog Food Review
PURE is a fresh dog food company that was founded out of the need for providing a highly digestible and nutritious food for dogs. Each recipe is hand-crafted in a commercial kitchen using the same ingredients as found in Los Angles local restaurants, frozen, and shipped directly to your door. Pure Dog Food offers five…
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Raised Right Dog Food Review
Raised Right Pet was founded by Braeden Ruud and their family after his graduation from college in 2016 with a degree in business. Like many pet parents, the 2007 pet food recalls had caused them to re-evaluate how they were feeding their pets. Braeden’s mother had taken it into her own hands to start cooking…
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Spot & Tango Dog Food Review
Founded in 2018 Spot & Tango is relatively new to the fresh dog food space, however, they have carved out a niche in the fact that they have both a dry “unkibble” and fresh food option. Perfect for those who need to switch between diets for travel, camping, or convenience. The quality and care of…
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Small Batch Lightly Cooked Dog Food Review
Smallbatch dog food partners with local farmers and ranchers within the USA to bring quality ingredients, with USDA certified meats and organic produce whenever possible. Though the company was founded in 2005, their lightly cooked line was only recently added in 2020, previously they only sold raw food with a focus on the use of…
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About the Author: Nikki is a Registered Veterinary Technician (Veterinary Nurse) and Dog Mom with over a decade of experience with dogs and cats. Since graduation from college (BS Biology, Dip. Animal Nutrition, AS Animal Science) she has adopted two mixed breed dogs – Ranger and Ash, and has focused her time learning about pet food and nutrition.
Nikki shares information on a range of pet nutrition topics: from how to create a homemade complete and balanced dog and cat food recipes, to how to choose a pet food. Nikki strives to give dog and cat parents the information they need in order to make the best nutrition decisions for their pet!
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Wow! This is quite a comprehensive list, and no small feat to put together, I’m sure! Great resource for pet parents comparing commercially cooked diets!
Thank you so much! That was definitely the idea – I wanted to make it easy for someone looking to feed a lightly cooked dog food to find the different options available and compare the recipes to find the perfect fit for their pet!
Somehow you found some foods I’ve never heard of, despite the fact that I am actively researching gently cooked foods for a new dog with allergies *and* I’m a dog trainer. Thank you so much for all your research and diligence. I’ll be sharing this far and wide!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad this was helpful! 🙂
Great list – I was helping a client search for gently cooked foods that were appropriate for large breed puppies and managed to find three here. Thank you kindly! <3