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An increasing number of pet parents are turning to all-natural, human-grade pet food to keep their four-legged friends as healthy and fit as possible throughout their lives. And our precious pooches deserve the most nutritious and tasty diet. One rising star in the human-grade dog food niche is A Pup Above, which offers high-quality fresh-frozen meals and dry formulas they call whole-food cubies.
With so many healthy dog food options on the market these days, we know it’s hard to choose. So, we’ve done extensive research into A Pup Above and dozens of similar premium dog food brands to help you decide if A Pup Above’s formulas are the best fit for you and your pup.
A Pup Above Dog Food Review
Product Name: A Pup Above
Product Description: A Pup Above offers all-natural, human-grade dog food in several gently-cooked and dry recipes.
Summary
We highly recommend A Pup Above if cost isn’t a major deciding factor for you. This company has an excellent reputation for high-quality ingredients and safe food practices. And we love their commitment to sustainable and ethical food sourcing and eco-friendly business practices. Â
Our team determines our overall rating of dog food based on several factors, including nutritional value, quality of ingredients, meal variety, pricing, customer service and reputation, customer reviews, and more.
Overall Score
Pros
- Human-grade ingredients and ethically sourced meats
- Four all-natural, non-GMO recipes available in fresh or dry formulas: beef, chicken, pork, and turkey
- Grain-inclusive and grain-free options
- Every batch of food is third-party tested for pathogens (listeria, salmonella, etc.)
- No subscription required but you can save 10% with auto-shipping
- Sampler packs available
- Money-back guarantee on first orders
- Packaging is 100% recyclable
- Made in the USA
Cons
- Generally more expensive than top competitors
- Doesn’t customize or pre-portion your dog’s meals
- No puppy formulas
Key Features
- Complete and balanced meals according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for adult dog maintenance
- Recipes formulated by vet nutritionists and food scientists
- Uses the sous-vide cooking method to preserve nutrients and flavor (slow-cooked in a vacuum-sealed, BPA-free bag in a 180° water bath)
- Fresh meals are flash-frozen to retain nutritional value
- Food made in USDA-inspected, human-grade facility in Texas
- You can look up the source of every ingredient and quality testing results for your food’s lot number on their website
- Can request a free, pre-paid TerraCycle envelope to help you recycle the plastic packaging
- 1% of revenues are donated to White Buffalo Land Trust to restore the health of our soil, water, and climate
A Pup Above Dog Food Reviews
A Pup Above prides itself on high-protein content, with lower-than-average levels of carbs compared to many other fresh-frozen or moist dog food. We’re huge fans of the cooking methods they use to optimize the nutritional value, freshness, and flavor.
Recipes feature limited human-grade ingredients with high-quality animal proteins, organ meats, and whole fruits and vegetables, with no corn, wheat, or soy. And their grain-inclusive recipes contain easy-to-digest wholesome grains. All of their formulas are fortified with A Pup Above’s blend of essential vitamins and minerals.*
Fresh-Frozen Meals
A Pup Above’s gently cooked food comes in easy defrost-and-serve patties. Once thawed and opened, it’s good for seven days in the fridge. Unopened thawed packages are good in your fridge for 14 days because they’re vacuum-sealed. The long fridge life is a huge bonus if you have a small freezer.
We love that every gently-cooked recipe includes bone broth. Bone broth has multiple benefits for our pups by supporting gut, immune, joint, and skin health. All formulas are also rich in taurine, which is excellent for heart and eye health, immune system function, and more.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Crude Protein (Min) | Crude Fat (Min) | Crude Fiber (Max) | Kcal/patty (patty=1 lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Beef Stew | Beef, beef liver, russet potatoes, tomatoes, beef bone broth, carrots, green peas, safflower oil, turmeric, thyme, parsley | 13.8% | 6.9% | 2.0% | 662 |
| Chicka Chicka Bow Wow | Chicken, chicken liver, sweet potatoes, chicken bone broth, rice, apples, spinach, kale, turmeric, thyme, parsley | 12.8% | 5.2% | 1.8% | 626 |
| Porky’s Luau | Pork, pork liver, sweet potatoes, pork bone broth, green beans, pineapple, turmeric, thyme, parsley, | 13.6% | 5.2% | 1.6% | 553 |
| Turkey Pawella | Turkey, turkey hearts, turkey livers, turkey gizzards, tomatoes, carrots, turkey bone broth, green peas, rice, turmeric, thyme, parsley, | 13.8% | 7.0% | 2.1% | 698 |
*APA nutrient blend for fresh-frozen food: Minerals [dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite], vitamins [vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement]
Dry Whole-Food Cubies
A Pup Above’s human-grade cubies undergo a unique “Nutridry” cooking process, which gently dries out whole foods for a super healthy, shelf-stable option for dogs who love a bit of crunch in their meals. All dry recipes are fortified with flaxseed and salmon oil for skin and coat health as well as powdered milk, an excellent source of protein, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin A.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Crude Protein (Min) | Crude Fat (Min) | Crude Fiber (Max) | Kcal/cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef Pot Roast | Beef, beef heart, sweet potato, yellow peas, red lentils, eggs, flaxseed, carrots, cauliflower, pork plasma, cranberry, salmon oil, olive oil, salt, cultured dried skim milk, thyme, parsley | 36% | 26% | 2.0% | 442 |
| Chicka Pupatouille | Chicken, chicken heart, sweet potatoes, barley, oat, carrots, cauliflower, pork plasma, flaxseed, cranberry, salmon oil, salt, cultured dried skim milk, thyme, parsley | 30% | 19% | 2.0% | 434 |
| Porky’s Porchetta | Pork, pork heart, sweet potatoes, yellow peas, red lentils, flaxseed, eggs, carrots, cauliflower, pork plasma, cranberry, olive oil, salmon oil, salt, cultured dried skim milk, thyme, parsley | 41% | 20% | 2.0% | 421 |
| Turkey Pilaf | Turkey, sweet potatoes, barley, oat, eggs, carrots, cauliflower, turnips, pork plasma, cranberry, flaxseed, salt, salmon oil, cultured dried skim milk, thyme, parsley | 31% | 18% | 2.0% | 444 |
*APA nutrient blend for dry cubies: Minerals [calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, magnesium oxide] vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine, hydrochlorate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid]
Price
A Pup Above gives you the option of making a one-time purchase, or you can subscribe for auto-shipping and save 10% off the following pricing. With auto-shipping, you can sign up for delivery every 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks.
- Fresh Food starts at (3 lbs): $79.98
- Dry Food starts at (2-lb box): $106.98
- Free shipping with orders of 3 or more bags
- View all options
A Pup Above Coupon Code
Get $50 off your first order with the code TRYNOW using this link.
A Pup Above Feeding Guide
Unlike some other fresh dog food delivery services, A Pup Above doesn’t customize or pre-potion your dog’s food. So we want to share their feeding guidelines to give you an idea about how much food you’d need to purchase. A Pup Above bases its feeding recommendations on AAFCO guidelines for healthy adult maintenance. While you can use their recipes as a food topper for puppies, puppies should not eat A Pup Above’s formulas exclusively. They don’t contain the necessary balance of nutrients for growth.
Fresh-Frozen Feeding Guidelines
Dry Whole-Food Cubies Feeding Guidelines
Can I Feed My Dog Both The Fresh And Dry Food?
Yes, if your pup likes a variety of flavors or textures, you can feed both the cubies and gently-cooked food at the same meal. Rotating each type per meal or over days works too. It’s a great option for picky eaters to keep them interested in their food.
And we love that A Pet Above makes mixing and matching easier for dogs with allergies or digestive problems. Both the fresh-frozen and cubie recipes feature the same four proteins with the same grain inclusions. The chicken and turkey formulas across both lines are grain-free, while both lines of the beef and pork recipes are grain-inclusive.
Has A Pup Above’s Dog Food Ever Been Recalled?
Pet food recalls occur when there’s a potential risk of contamination or another quality issue. A recall is either issued by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which governs pet food standards, or voluntarily by the brand themselves. Fortunately, A Pup Above has no recalls in the company’s history, which launched as Grocery Pup in 2018 and rebranded in late 2020 as A Pup Above.
The Benefits Of Sous-Vide Cooking (Video)
In this brief video, A Pup Above’s founders, Ruth and Javier Marriott and their pup, Lola, share how their company got its start and why their food cooking method is so beneficial for dogs.
How Does A Pup Above Compare?
As with most fresh-frozen and human-grade dog food, A Pup Above is expensive. Based on multiple quotes we ran for The Farmer’s Dog and Ollie (top companies offering customized human-grade fresh dog food), A Pup Above is generally more expensive than both. However, we’ve seen only excellent customer reviews for A Pup Above for everything from the food quality to convenient packaging and fantastic customer support. See how these companies and more compare in our reviews of the best fresh dog food delivery services if you’re not sure A Pup Above is your best choice.
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