It's amazing what real food can do

When you switch your dog’s food from kibble or canned to fresh, the effects can feel like magic.

 

But there’s no magic. It’s just the power of real, whole food, made for the health of dogs.

“An online pet food company that makes feeding real food to dogs really easy.”

“Researchers concluded that fresh diets do demonstrate a number of pet health benefits.”

“It is never deep frozen, and it never sits on a shelf. All you do is open the pack and pour.”

The Benefits of Fresh Food For Older Dogs

Just as ours do, dogs’ bodies change as they age. There are some outdated ideas about what kind of diet suits seniors—and lots of processed products marketed as “senior” dog food that aren’t the best option for your older pup. A diet of fresh, gently cooked food provides senior dogs the easily-digestible nutrients and healthy fats that help maintain all facets of brain and body health. 

Easier to Eat

Fresh food is soft, easy to eat for senior mouths and teeth, and it contains more moisture than dried, processed pellets, helping to keep your dog’s body hydrated. There’s a persistent rumor that kibble helps clean teeth, but it decidedly does NOT. It’s full of starchy fillers, sticks to teeth, and can contribute to plaque. 

Support For an Aging Brain

A high-quality diet with antioxidants and healthy fats may help stave off cognitive decline as dogs age. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular DHA and EPA, have been shown to improve brain function in dogs. One benefit of a gently cooked fresh diet is that the Omega-3 fats and other beneficial nutrients it contains aren’t destroyed by a high heat manufacturing process (ahem, kibble) so they’re available to your dog’s body. 

Weight Management Made Easy

It’s common for senior dogs to gain weight due to a reduced metabolic rate, and less physical activity. However, some older dogs may be prone to losing weight. A fresh food plan makes it easy to increase or decrease your dog’s daily calories based on how they’re changing over time. Keeping your senior at a lean, healthy weight can also help prevent arthritis, which is all too common in older pups. 

High-quality, Digestible Protein

One outdated belief about senior dogs is that, across the board, they need much less protein and fat than adult dogs. Every dog is different, but unless your dog has a serious condition, reducing protein is not recommended for a healthy senior. In fact, quality protein is especially important for older dogs whose bodies may not be functioning as efficiently as they once did. Human-grade meat that is lightly cooked provides digestible protein for aging bodies. 

Making Dinnertime Exciting Again

Some dogs lose their zest for eating as they age. This late-stage pickiness can be caused by a number of factors, like mouth pain, or a loss of some smell and taste. But many senior-dog owners report that for pups who are simply balking at their diet of dry pellets, switching to fresh, gently cooked food has made mealtime a happy event again. 

How The Farmer’s Dog Helps

Our smarter, healthier recipes make it easy to feed your old friend the right food, in the right amount.

Vet-designed Recipes

Board-certified veterinary nutritionists formulate our recipes so they’re complete and balanced to meet the needs of dogs of all ages.

Fresh, Healthy Ingredients

Our recipes are made with human-grade meat and vegetables, cooked gently to retain the food’s powerful nutrients. 

Personalized Plans & Portions

Imprecise “scoops” can cause weight gain over time, which can bring on joint problems. We calculate the precise number of calories your senior needs based on their breed, size, weight, age and other factors—then deliver pre-portioned food to your door. 

Easy Adjustments for A Changing Dog

It’s easy to update your dog’s plan as their needs change over time—our team is here to help at every step, or you can make one-click edits to your account any time. 

Meet a Fresh Approach to Pet Food

Food made for the love (and health) of dogs doesn’t look like a burnt brown ball. It looks like food! Ours is formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists to be complete and balanced, and made with human-grade ingredients that are gently steamed to help retain their maximum nutritional value. Choose from a variety of fresh, personally portioned recipes including chicken, beef, turkey and more!

Meat

Green Vegetables

Including fresh vegetables in a dog’s diet can provide health-boosting antioxidants. We use only whole, healthy vegetables — not past-their-prime scraps rendered into unidentifiable pellets.

Whole muscle and organ meat make up the majority of all of our recipes. Because our food is fresh, it can provide essential nutrients and hydration, while being high in protein, calorically dense, and more digestible than the highly processed “meal” powders and starchy fillers often used in kibble and canned food.

Fiber - Rich Foods

Supplemental Nutrients

To ensure our fresh recipes are nutritionally complete and balanced, we add high-quality supplemental nutrients, like fish oil. It’s Human-Grade, filled with Omega-3s, and really tasty!

Using fresh, whole vegetables also provides fiber, a key component of a dog’s diet — it helps maintain digestive health and a healthy gut, helps to regulate blood sugar levels, and leaves your dog feeling full for longer.

Every Stat Tells A Story

Here’s what dog people are reporting after feeding fresh food:

Saw positive
changes in their dogs

(Pretty good for an animal
that’s already near perfect)

Reported higher-quality poops

(Smaller, firmer poops indicate
more nutrients
being absorbed
from your dog’s food)

Noted a healthier coat

(Skin issues and coat issues are commonly caused by unlabeled ingredients in processed, dry food)

Said their dog
has more energy

(Old and gray shouldn’t
mean less fun and play)

Heard Around the Park

When we started getting Odie's food from The Farmer’s Dog, he weighed 33 pounds! We had exhausted our options for him. Fast forward and he's lost 18 pounds and kept it off!! He has so much energy—he's a spunky 10.5 year old guy. Odie loves the food and we love that it's vet-approved and how easy his meals are to customize or change if needed."

Kim, mom to dachshund, Odie.

Obi had terrible allergies. We tried different foods, medicated baths every three days, vet visits, and more. After switching to The Farmer’s Dog he doesn’t have one single hot spot, and he doesn’t lick his paws chronically anymore. He also has a whole bunch of energy.”

Porter's mom

Sylvia, mom to 13-year-old Pekingese, Obi.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the recipes and ingredients?

The Farmer’s Dog creates a variety of human-grade recipes that are simple in nature using different proteins and vegetables to account for dietary restrictions. Our board-certified veterinary nutritionists carefully formulate each recipe to be 100% complete and balanced according to AAFCO standards, and we use all human-grade ingredients and processes to do so.

Every recipe has clean USDA proteins, mixed with simple whole foods, and balanced with vitamins and minerals. That’s it. We never use feed-grade ingredients, and we don’t process our ingredients to be shelf-stable, ensuring your dog is getting the highest quality, most natural nutrients available. All of our ingredients are human-grade and sourced from reputable food suppliers, local farms, and other human food purveyors that meet USDA standards.

You can find the specific ingredient lists for the meal plan we recommend on the “Your Plan” section of our meal plan questionnaire.

What does the Farmer's Dog cost?

Every dog is different, and your exact plan and price options will depend on your dog(s) and their food needs, factoring in age, weight, activity, recipe choice, and more. Plans start at about $2/day, and delivery options mostly range from 1 week to 3 months of food and include free shipping. Because we deliver the food right to your door, your dollars are going towards the highest quality ingredients, and not to the mark-ups of a big retail store.

To see your exact pricing options, simply fill out our our short questionnaire.

How do you determine my dogʼs portions?

We work closely with our vet nutritionists to figure out the optimal calorie needs for different combinations of breed, age, activity level, and sensitivities. Certain dogs can metabolize faster than others, so some plans may need further adjusting.

Is your food suitable for puppies?

Yes! We have recipe options suitable for every life stage, and we’ll recommend a plan that’s just right for your dog’s age – you can enter your dog’s exact age on our dog profile questionnaire.

Do I need to refrigerate the food?

Yes! Since our food is truly fresh and we donʼt use any preservatives, itʼs essential that you treat it like real food (because it is!). Keep the food at a safe temperature in a refrigerator or freezer. Your box will also include an easy guide on how to store and feed the food properly (it’s very simple!).

Do I need to cook the food?

No need, our food is pre-portioned and ready-to-serve! You can serve it directly from the fridge or add a touch of hot water if your dog prefers warm food.

How do shipments work? Do you ship nationwide?

We currently ship to the 48 contiguous states. With our meal plans, customers receive deliveries of freshly prepared food on a recurring and flexible basis. Plans are customized to fit your dog’s needs and come in convenient serving packs to make feeding easy. Your pup’s food arrives in refrigerated and environmentally friendly boxes that keep the food safe. We perfectly time deliveries to make sure you never run out of food and you will have the ability to adjust deliveries at any time online.

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© 2023 The Farmer’s Dog, Inc.  Long Live Dogs™

Our food is made while playing doo-wop tunes, all with ❤ in the US

© 2023 The Farmer’s Dog, Inc.  |   Long Live Dogs™