Monday, May 29, 2023

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Crave Dog Food Review 2023 – Complete Guide

Crave dog food review
  • Protein/Carb Ratio - 10/10
    10/10
  • Quality of Ingredients - 10/10
    10/10
  • Variety - 10/10
    10/10
10/10

Summary

Crave pet foods is a new entrant into the dog food market and is completely taking over the industry due to its protein-packed formulas and affordable price. This is our top-recommended dog food for the cost-conscious.

We analyzed over 1500 dog food formulas and reviewed more than 120 dog food brands to understand their company values, product selection, and quality of ingredients. We did this by creating an algorithm to rate each dog food based on the nutrient content and top 10 ingredients. All dog food brands were ultimately graded based on Protein/Carb Ratio, Quality of Ingredients, and Variety.
CRAVE Grain Free Adult Dry Dog Food with Protein...
  • Contains one (1) 22 lb. bag of CRAVE High Protein Adult Grain Free With Protein from Chicken All Natural...
  • Inspired by the diets of their wolf ancestors, CRAVE adult dog food is made with real ingredients...
  • Satisfies a dog's natural desire for animal protein with real chicken as the first ingredient

The Crave company believes that “every pet shares a connection to their wild side,” and sticking to this belief strives to make a product that is as close to the natural demands and cravings all dogs have. In order to do this, Crave always makes sure that meat is always the main ingredient in every bag, and provides animals with plenty of protein to keep them going at their best.

Best dry dog food: Crafted Kibble

Crafted Kibble tops our list as the best dog food due to their perfect combination of quality and convenience. This premium kibble brand offers custom tailored meal plans based on your dogs breed, weight, and activity levels.

You can get 50% off by clicking here or the coupon link below.

Coupon: 50% off Crafted Kibble

Quality of Ingredients

Crave dog food

Crave seems to have an incredibly high standard for ingredients, netting itself the much coveted five-star score on dogfoodadvisor.com. This is due in large part because of the high volume of meat that goes into each bag, and the absence of unnecessary fillers or grains that have been known to cause problems for some dogs. The company website also touts the high quality of their ingredients, and promises “we have dedicated quality and sanitation teams in each of our facilities to ensure the quality of our pet food.”

Crave Dog Food Reviews: Full Ingredients and Analysis

To get a better analysis of what’s inside Crave Dog Food, we sampled the Crave with Lamb & Venison Adult High-Protein Grain-Free. Analyzing the first 10 ingredients in a dog food is a great way to understand the overall nutrient content of the dog food because AAFCO requires all dog food ingredients to be listed in order of predominance by their weight. Here’s a closer look at what’s inside Crave with Lamb & Venison.


Full Ingredients:

Deboned Lamb, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Split Peas, Lamb Meal, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Potatoes,Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Venison Meal, Sunflower Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid (preservatives), Zinc Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.


  • 37.8%

    Protein

  • 18.9%

    Fat

  • 39.4%

    Carbs


The Estimated Nutrient Content in this Crave dog food was found to have a healthy nutrient breakdown. The only questionable ingredient is Natural Flavor, as it’s impossible for us to say what this exactly is. However, we only consider this a concern if it’s listed within the top 10 ingredients, which would mean there’s a much higher concentration of it.

A few additional ingredients in this food that are great for dogs and that you may overlook include:

  • Chickpeas: Chickpeas provide excellent nutrients for your dog including proteins, lecithin, potassium, magnesium, copper, folate, and a wide variety of vitamins. Chickpeas also have fiber to help digestion.
  • Alfalfa: Alfalfa is an herb with many health benefits including arthritis pain relief and it’s loaded with important nutrients.
  • Flax: Flaxseed or flaxseed oil is a great source of healthy fats for your dog. It has a variety of health benefits including anti-inflammatory properties and helps maintain a healthy coat and skin.
  • Methionine: This is a naturally occurring essential amino acid for your dog.

Other Interesting Ingredients:

  • Beet Pulp: Packed full of fiber and goodness, beet pulp is an essential part of your dog’s diet. 
  • Pea Protein: Pea protein is a by-product of pea processing and is not a very beneficial ingredient to have in your dog food. Many manufacturers use pea protein in their dog food if they want to boost the protein percentage in the food. 
  • Lamb Meal: Lamb meal is made by heating lamb off-cuts at very high heat and processing them into a powder. This is an incredibly common ingredient in dog food and one that is completely safe and beneficial to your pup. 
Here’s a closeup shot of Crave’s Lamb & Venison kibble. It’s an average size and fairly easy for your dog to chew.

This dog food is also recommended for all breeds and the estimated cost is $1.87 per lb. If the price is a primary factor in your choice of dog food, we strongly recommend this brand. The protein content and quality of ingredients are very high, especially for the lower price.

It is important to pay attention to the first ingredient on the list; this is the main component that makes up any packaged food item. This product deboned lamb is the first ingredient on the list, making this dry dog food look very inviting.

Dry Crave Dog Food Product Line

Crave variety

Crave produces both wet and dry dog foods so that you can pick and choose only the best for your furry friend. There are nine products in the range, all of which are grain-free and packed with animal protein.

You may be interested in comparing these dog food formulas against the latest fresh dog food formulas, such as NomNom.

Chicken

Farm raised chicken serves as the main ingredient in this line, which is arguably the most popularity variety of the three Crave dog foods. This food is also grain free, and is 34% protein, making it one of the highest-protein formulas on the market today. In addition, the Chicken blend is also packed with several different vitamins and minerals to help ensure that all of your pet’s nutritional needs are met, and that they look and feel as good as they should.

Lamb and Venison

This is a great choice for animals who might be particularly picky eaters, or for pet owners who prefer to give their pups a different source of protein. This food also has the high 34% protein that Crave is famous for, and makes use of pasture-raised lamb as the #1 ingredient. Buyers should beware, however, the second ingredient in this formula is chicken meal, so if your dog is particularly sensitive to poultry proteins this might not be the right choice for you.

Salmon and Ocean Fish

Finding a dog food with a high protein count and fish as the #1 ingredient is not the easiest thing in the world, but Crave delivers with this blend. Much like the Lamb and Venison mix, however, buyers should be aware of the fact that this formula also makes use of chicken meal, meaning that it might not be suitable for dogs with severe allergies to that protein. That said, however, it is an all around high quality food, and is fortified with plenty of vitamins and minerals to ensure a healthy, balanced meal in every bowl.

Crave Wet Food Product Line 

Crave started selling wet dog food not too long ago. Their packaging is brilliant and convenient, and many pet wonders love that their wet dog food is tinned instead of vacuum-packed. 

Crave Wet Dog Food Full Ingredient List

Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Chicken Heart, Pork Broth, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Salt, Guar Gum, Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tricalcium Phosphate, Dried Tomato, Potassium Chloride, Carrageenan, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Iron Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2).

About Crave

Crave is a brand-new entrant into the marketplace, and represents an attempt by the Mars Corporation to break into the world of high-protein, grain-free recipes that many of todays dog owners seek. Mars is a major player in the pet food field, being behind companies such Eukanuba, Greenies, Iams, Nutro, Pedigree, Pill Pockets, Royal Canin, Sheba, and Whiskas, but this latest line seems to be by far the healthiest and highest quality that they have produced to date.

Mars is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, and the Crave website promises that all of the bags are manufactured right here in the United States, using food sourced from around the world. It does not, however, specialize where exactly in the world they source from, but the Mars Company typically gets their products from suppliers in the US and Europe.

Crave specializes in dog and cat food and has a variety of products in both ranges. If you are a pet lover and are sick and tired of having to order your cat and dog food separately, you will thoroughly enjoy shopping with Crave. They have a brilliant reputation already, and many of their customers find them hard to fault.

You May Also Like: Life’s Abundance Dog Food Review

Where to Buy

Crave dog food that I spotted at Wegman’s grocery store. The marketing power of Mars, Inc. brings this food to a wide audience.

Being so new to the market, Crave’s appearance in so many places might at first be surprising until we remember that they have the marketing team at Mars behind them, gaining access to many markets that would simply be unavailable to other companies. Thanks to the Mars name; Crave can now be found nationwide at stores such as Meijer, Target, Ahold, Walmart, and PetSmart, among others, and is also in many smaller, specialty retailers too.

Crave is also easily available online through websites like Chewy or Amazon, as well as directly from the company website, and can also be purchased from Walmart.com.

7 thoughts on “Crave Dog Food Review 2023 – Complete Guide

  1. My 8-month-old Yorkie is eating this for now and she is very picky about her food I think the real Chicken is what she loves so I will continue buying it for her as long as she eats it I just wish Walmart had more of the favors

  2. My 10wk old lab puppy was eating another brand, but he started leaving his food and going over to the cat bowl to steal the Crave I bought our cat. So to fix the problem I started giving the puppy Crave Lamb & Venison and he couldn’t eat it fast enough! (Also I think his bowel mvmt got better too). But he has a shiny coat, tons of energy and growing like a weed!

  3. Have used crave for the whole 14 months my golden has been in this world. He loves the beef and the chicken-have not tried the lamb yet.

  4. I have a dachshound name firebird, is my service dog. I fed my dog Purina puppy Chow until she was about a year old and then she started having skin issues so I wanted to switch to a grain-free but she wouldn’t eat anything.. so I started giving her a little Caesar in the morning but she still wouldn’t eat her dry food at night. So I found crave salmon and whitefish and she is ecstatic about it.her coat is shiny and healthy for teeth are bright and clean and she doesn’t have any issues going to the bathroom and she loves see the food. She’s almost four years old now and she’s been on it almost your whole life. Plus most of her dandruff has gone away. I normally love the food because my dog loves it but I like it because it’s affordable. you can buy this food on Amazon or chewy.com for the same price you can find it at Walmart and it ships within two days right to your house.thank you crave for helping my service dog help me and for helping her be healthy.

  5. I have four Hungry Puggles, that had on Evo for several years until it was discontinued. I wanted a grain free diet for them, so I had them on taste of the Wild for two years, they never really like it, and their coats didn’t look good anymore.
    After reading all the bad things about that product, I switched them to Crave, which they love, and their coats are smooth and shiny again.

  6. I have a 11/2 year old chug, dog..For 1 1/2 years, I have had a sickly, dog.. My vet did exploratory surgery on him Thinking he had a blockage, but everything looked to be ok.. I have spent tons of money on anything and every kind of dog food made, but he would not eat it!! I then bought Crave chicken flavor, put it in his bowl and he loves it!! I have been worried this whole entire time and I am beyond ecstatic about this new food.. He and I are feeling better now days, just because he is eating and likes it so much.. How can I repay you, Crave??? Thank You!!!

  7. I have a 13 year old chihuahua and 2 year old Florida black mouth cur. I adopted the cur from the pound at 7 weeks and wanted a good grain free food. My previous older dogs that passed ate grain free. I happen to see crave so decided to try it, the salmon flavor. My dogs eat it up, you would think I was giving them t-bones. I would recommend crave to anyone with a dog, it is great dog food

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