Here is our Crave dog food review
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Besides being faithful companions, dogs are an integral part of our families. As such, they need to be treated well and given the best life offers, don’t you agree? And what’s better than giving it the right nutrition?
In addition to keeping them well groomed and sufficiently exercised, dogs need a well-balanced diet for optimal health and performance.
As a pet parent, your utmost desire is to live a long, happy, and healthy life with your furry companion. Through a proper diet, you can fulfill this desire. All you have to do is find your dog’s specific needs based on age, size, breed, and health status and find the right food that meets them as adequately as possible.
That’s simple, right? Absolutely not.
Finding the best food for your dog is not a walk in the park. The numerous market options, untruthful marketing gimmicks, and conflicting information on the internet can make it hard for you to choose.
However, not all hope is lost. We are here to help. To make it easier for you, we dig deep into some of the popular dog food brands to give a review of their suitability for your dog.
This article provides an in-depth analysis of Crave dog food, including ingredient analysis, nutritional profile, and some of their top recipes to help determine if this is right for your dog.
Owned by Mars Petcare, Crave dog food was founded in 2017 to provide wholesome and balanced meals for dogs of different life stages, sizes, and ages.
The brand uses premium ingredients, including real animal meat, fruits, and vegetables, and avoids grains like corn, soy, and wheat. Crave does not have a wide variety of products to choose from, being a new brand. Currently, it only offers grain-free wet and dry dog food.
Want to find out more?
Come with us to the end.
About Crave Dog Food
Founded in 2017, Crave dog food is a premium dog food brand that offers grain-free, all natural meals designed to meet the nutritional needs of dogs of different life stages, sizes, and activity levels. The brand relies heavily on real animal meat-based proteins for optimal nutrition that supports the overall well-being of dogs.
Who Owns Crave dog food?
Crave dog food is owned by Mars PetCare, a large and popular US-based pet food producer that also holds rights to brands like Iams, Royal Canin, and Pedigree. Crave dog food was founded in 2017 and offers grain-free wet and dry food for dogs. All the formulas under this brand are prepared in the US using ingredients from all over the world.
What are the Sub-brands of Crave Dog Food?
Crave dog food does not come with a wide range of product lines. The brand, at the moment, offers dry and wet food formulas only.
Both formulas feature real animal-based protein as the primary ingredient. The recipes are also grain-free. Crave dog food utilizes meat from sources like chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, turkey, and whitefish. There is no major difference between wet and dry foods regarding the ingredients used. They only differ in flavor.
Besides the wet and dry food, Crave does not offer specific formulations for puppies or seniors. It also doesn’t have recipes for specific health issues.
What is the Nutritional Profile of Crave Dog Foods?
It’s important to have a keen look at the nutritional content of any dog food before settling for it. This will give you important insights into its suitability and ability to meet your dog’s specific needs.
By looking at the carbohydrate, protein, and fat contents on the ingredients list, you can gauge the nutritional value of any food. This is what the nutritional profile of Crave dog food looks like:
Carbohydrate Value of Crave Dog Food
Carbohydrates make good sources of energy that dogs need to fuel their activities. Dogs need the energy released when carbohydrates are broken down to play and work. The brand uses low glycemic carbohydrates like peas, lentils, and chickpeas as its carbohydrate sources. Crave has an average carbohydrate level of 35%.
Protein Value of Crave Dog Food
Proteins are essential for healthy muscles and tissues and boosting dogs’ performance. Proteins supply dogs’ amino acids to build, repair, and maintain healthy cells, tissues, ligaments, and muscles. Crave dog food has an above-average protein level of 34%.
Fat Value of Crave Dog Food
Fats are not only essential for keeping your dog’s skin and coat healthy and supple but also helpful in lowering cholesterol levels, minimizing inflammations, building stronger cell membranes, and improving brain health. This dog food has an above-average fat level of 17%.
What Are the Best Crave Recipes and Flavors?
Crave dog food comes in dry and wet food options. This brand does not have a wide variety of flavors to choose from. It does not use exotic proteins in its formulas but sticks to common protein sources.
Crave dog food comes in flavors like chicken, salmon, turkey, lamb, beef, and white fish. These meats make the bulk of all its recipes. Additionally, the brand does not offer specific formulations for puppies and senior dogs.
What Makes Crave Dog Food Unique?
These are some of the things that make Crave dog food stand out from other brands:
- Wholesome and nutritionally complete meals: All the recipes from this brand are crafted with wholesome ingredients, including proteins from real meats, fruits, vegetables, minerals, and vitamins, to provide a completely balanced nutrition with all the necessary dietary components that dogs need to thrive.
- Premium quality ingredients: This dog food brand utilizes only high-quality ingredients, including real animal meats, organic vegetables, and fruits. All the recipes feature real meat as the first ingredient.
- No fillers or artificial ingredients: Crave dog food is free from filler ingredients or artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives that have no nutritional value for dogs. It includes wholesome ingredients that are beneficial to your dog’s health.
- Grain-free food: Crave dog food avoids all allergy-causing grains like soy, corn, or wheat, making it an ideal choice for dogs with food allergies and sensitivities.
- High in protein: All Crave’s recipes and formulas are formulated with high protein and fat content, making it a great choice for high-energy dogs.
- Adherence to AAFCO standards: Crave dog food is designed to meet or exceed all safety and quality standards set by AAFCO.
What are the individual Dog Food Recipes from Crave Dog Food Brand?
The following are some of the best recipes from Crave dog food:
Crave with Protein from Beef
Featuring 34% protein level, this is a high-protein recipe made with beef as the first ingredient to help support lean, active muscles. The premium grain-free food is designed to provide a rich meaty flavor that dogs love.
Additionally, this meal includes quality carbohydrates plus other essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, omegas, and antioxidants for a completely balanced diet that dogs need to thrive.
This food contains only wholesome ingredients; thus, it’s free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives to give your dog the necessary nutrients to thrive.
- First 5 Ingredients: Beef, Chicken Meal, Split Peas, Lentils, and Pork Meal
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein 34% min, Crude Fat 17% min, Crude Fiber 3.5% Max.
- Calories: 459 kcal/cup
- Suitable for which dogs: Dogs of all breeds; small, medium, and large breeds.
- Feeding: Appropriate feeding amounts differ depending on the dog’s weight, health status, and activity level.
- Key Benefit: High-protein diet to help build healthy muscles in dogs of all breeds
- Type of product: Dry food, Gluten-Free, Grain-free
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Muscle health, Overall body health
- Price: $56.98 for a 22-lb bag
Benefits
- Enriched with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids to support overall health and nutrition.
- Made without grains, soy, corn, wheat, chicken by-products, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
- Has a tasty meaty flavor and texture, making it easy to feed and great for picky eaters
- Packed with protein from real beef to help build lean muscles
- Provides a nutritionally complete and balanced diet that supports overall health.
Crave with Protein from Chicken
With a 34% protein profile, this meal delivers exactly what dogs need; a lean healthy body and sufficient energy levels to thrive. Boasting high-quality ingredients, the recipe features real, high-quality chicken protein with absolutely no grains, fillers, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
What’s more, this food is further fortified with minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients that boost immunity, promote skin and coat health, and support overall body health and wellness.
- First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Split Peas, Lentils, and Pork Meal
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein 34% min, Crude Fat 17% min, Crude Fiber 4% Max.
- Calories: 449 kcal/cup
- Suitable for which dogs: Dogs of all breeds; small, medium, and large breeds.
- Feeding: Appropriate feeding amounts differ depending on the dog’s weight, health status, and activity level.
- Key Benefit: High-protein diet to help build healthy muscles in dogs of all breeds
- Type of product: Dry food, Gluten-Free, Grain-free
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Muscle health, Overall body health
- Price: $56.98 for a 22-lb bag
Benefits
- Crafted with quality ingredients without including filler ingredients such as corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, it is ideal for sensitivities. A protein-rich diet made with real chicken as the first ingredient for healthy, active muscles
- Completely balanced with all the essential nutrients your dog needs to support overall health.
- Includes high-quality, easily digestible carbohydrates for energy
- Contains omega fatty acids and antioxidants to nourish the skin and promote immunity.
Crave with Protein from Lamb
Make your furry pal drool with this premium lamb recipe. Featuring real lamb as the first ingredient, this food comes with vitamins and minerals to keep your dog lean, energetic, and strong. It has ideal fat and protein levels to support high metabolism and supply the needed energy.
This recipe is crafted to meet the nutritional needs of all dogs regardless of their size or age. Better still, without fillers like soy, corn, wheat, or artificial ingredients, you can be sure your dog is getting the right nutrition for optimal health.
- First 5 Ingredients: Lamb, Chicken Meal, Split Peas, Lentils, and Chicken Fat
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein 34% min, Crude Fat 17% min, Crude Fiber 3.5% Max.
- Calories: 454 kcal/cup
- Suitable for which dogs: Dogs of all breeds; small, medium, and large breeds.
- Feeding: Appropriate feeding amounts differ depending on the dog’s weight, health status, and activity level.
- Key Benefit: High-protein diet to help build healthy muscles in dogs of all breeds
- Type of product: Dry food, Gluten-Free, Grain-free
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Muscle health, Overall body health
- Price: $56.98 for a 22-lb bag
Benefits
- Crafted with a high protein content of up to 34% to support lean, healthy muscles
- Includes grain-free carbohydrates like peas and lentils for sustained energy sources
- Formulated without wheat, corn, soy, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives for optimal nutrition
- Provides the necessary nutrients needed to maintain a lean body and strong immune system and supplies energy to run and fuel.
- Formulated to meet the nutritional needs of small and large dogs.
Crave with Protein from White Fish and Salmon
This protein-packed formula features real salmon as the first ingredient alongside other protein sources like white fish and chicken meal to help your dog remain in good shape and maintain a strong immune system.
The recipe is completely devoid of corn, soy, wheat, chicken by-product meal, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, making it a perfect choice for dogs with food sensitivities and allergies.
- First 5 Ingredients: White Fish, Chicken Meal, Split Peas, Lentils, and Chicken Fat
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein 34% min, Crude Fat 17% min, Crude Fiber 3.5% Max.
- Calories: 422 kcal/cup
- Suitable for which dogs: Dogs of all breeds; small, medium, and large breeds.
- Feeding: Appropriate feeding amounts differ depending on the dog’s weight, health status, and activity level.
- Key Benefit: High-protein diet to help build healthy muscles in dogs of all breeds
- Type of product: Dry food, Gluten-Free, Grain-free
- Life stage: Adult
- Best for: Muscle health, Overall body health
- Price: $56.98 for a 22-lb bag
Benefits
- Prepared in US facilities using premium ingredients from around the globe guaranteeing quality
- Fully complete and balanced meals with all necessary nutrients to support overall health
- Has no corn, soy, wheat, or chicken by-product meal, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives; hence great for dogs with sensitive tummies.
- Made with easily digestible proteins from fish and chicken to help build and maintain lean, strong muscles and boost immunity.
Customer Reviews
Like other brands, Crave dog food has both positive and negative reviews. This is what some of the customers had to say about this food.
Positive
‘’This is the only dog food that my standard poodle will eat… yes, it’s a bit pricey, but 22 pounds lasts us a month with 2 dogs. Their coats are better looking; my poodle has gotten rid of her flaky skin, their waste doesn’t stink and is healthy looking’’.
customer review
‘’High quality, high protein kibble for my young active dogs. They devour every bowl full!’’.
customer review
Negative
‘’Dogs did not like it, very expensive for being nothing but rabbit poop-sized pellets’’.
customer review
Crave Dog Food Recalls
Since its inception in 2017, Zignature dog food has not been subject to any recall. This recall-free record speaks volumes in terms of its quality. It shows its high commitment to maintaining the quality and safety of its foods.
The clean record also shows that the company complies with all set standards, reassuring dog owners. We hope the brand maintains the high standards and continues to keep a clean record in the foreseeable future.
What is the quality of ingredients in Crave dog food?
Crave dog food is made with only high-quality ingredients, including real animal meat proteins, fruits, and vegetables. The brand uses chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, and whitefish protein.
Crave also uses low-glycemic carbohydrates that add needed fiber to dog food, plus named animal meat meals packed with nutrition. The brand does not include soy, corn, wheat, rice, or artificial ingredients in its formulas.
Do Crave dog food products include chicken?
Yes, Crave dog food includes chicken as the primary ingredient in some recipes. It also uses chicken meal and chicken liver for enhanced protein levels in its formulas. This is because chicken is a good source of easily digestible proteins that help build lean muscle mass. However, chicken is also a major cause of allergies in dogs.
Are Crave dog foods produced from slaughterhouse waste?
Crave dog food does not include any slaughterhouse waste in making food. The brand only uses high-quality ingredients such as real animal protein from chicken, beef, lamb, and salmon sources. It also includes named meat meals in its recipes which are perfectly healthy for dogs to eat.
Discussion of Most Important Ingredients – Good and Bad
Crave uses healthy ingredients in its foods. Check out some of the good ingredients that this brand includes:
- Chicken: Chicken meat is highly nutritious and provides a good source of easily digestible proteins, fats, and other nutrients, including omega-fatty acids. It’s packed with essential amino acids to help build healthy muscle mass.
- Beef: Beef is a common source of proteins that are great for healthy muscles. Crave includes beef as the first ingredient in its beef grain-free dry and wet food formulas.
- Chicken meal: Chicken meal provides a concentrated protein source. It’s made from chicken meat that has had its moisture removed. Meat meals generally contain up to four times the proteins meats have and thus form a good source of nutrients.
- Salmon: Besides being an excellent source of high-quality protein, this is also a great source of omega-3 fats that help in improving skin health, boosting immunity, and reducing inflammation. Salmon is especially great for dogs allergic to beef or chicken meat.
- Chicken Liver: This is a good source of proteins plus lots of amino acids, iron, vitamins, and other minerals that dogs need
- Chicken Heart: This is an excellent source of additional protein and other essential nutrients for muscle development
- Split peas are great alternatives to grains like corn or soy in grain-free foods as they provide the carbohydrates needed for energy and fiber to aid digestion.
- Lentils: Lentils are also excellent sources of low glycemic, fiber-rich carbohydrates that supply energy and help digestion.
- Turkey: Turkey, like chicken, is a good source of easily digestible proteins. However, turkey is lower in fat and calories than chicken.
Controversial ingredients
While the majority of the ingredients in Crave dog food are of high quality, the brand also includes other ingredients that are considered controversial. Some of these include:
- Beet Pulp: This is an inexpensive filler and high-fiber by-product of sugar beet processing. While it has digestive health and blood sugar benefits, its inclusion in dog food remains questionable.
- Pea protein: This is a source of plant-based protein, which is lower in biological value compared to animal-based proteins.
- Selenium yeast: While this is a safer alternative to the inorganic form of selenium, it’s still not a good ingredient
Crave Dog food Advantages: What We Like About It
There are many positive things about Crave dog food. The following are some of the things we like about this brand:
- High-quality ingredients: Crave dog food is made using high-quality and healthy ingredients that promote overall health. The brand uses high-quality animal meat as the first ingredient and does not include artificial ingredients, additives, or preservatives.
- High in protein: All of Crave’s recipes feature real animal meat as the first ingredient and add named meat meals and animal organs for a protein-packed diet to support healthy muscle maintenance. Protein makes the bulk of all formulas from Crave.
- Complete and Balanced nutrition: This dog food is formulated with all the necessary nutrients like proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients in the right amounts for balanced nutrition that supports overall health.
- Grain-free carbohydrates: Crave uses low-glycemic carbohydrate sources such as peas and lentils. None of the brand’s products contain grains, soy, corn, wheat, potatoes, or tapioca.
- Adherence to AAFCO standards: Crave formulates all its recipes exceeding AAFCO’s standard for all life stages.
- All-natural formula: Crave dog food uses only natural, organic, and non-GMO ingredients for optimal nutrition. None of the brand’s products include artificial or filler ingredients that are low in nutritional value.
- Offers both dry and wet food: This brand provides dry and wet food formulas allowing you to choose what suits your dog best.
Crave Dog Food Disadvantages: What We Don’t Like About It
Just like any other brand, Crave dog food has its disadvantages. These include:
- Controversial ingredients: Solid Gold dog food includes less desirable ingredients, like pea protein and sodium.
- Limited selection: Crave dog food does not offer a wide range of flavors. It has a limited choice of animal proteins. This can be limiting if you want to try new flavors.
- Grain-free only: Crave does not offer any grain-inclusive formulas.
Is Crave dog food a good brand?
Crave dog food is a premium brand that utilizes only high-quality ingredients to provide balanced nutrition with real animal proteins, high-quality plant proteins, minerals, and vitamins from natural sources.
Is Crave dog food good for dog skin?
Yes, all Crave’s dry food formulas are crafted with omega-6 fatty acids, which help to promote skin and coat health. It’s thus a good choice if your dog has skin issues.
Is Crave dog food good for itchy skin?
Crave dog food offers limited ingredient diets and grain-free formulas, which are helpful for dogs with itchy skin. However, this food includes chicken which may also contribute to itchy skin.
Is Crave dog food good for puppies?
Puppies require a diet with high protein and fat amounts. While Crave dog food is high in protein and fat, it has no formula or recipe specifically formulated for puppies. This food does not include essential supplements that growing dogs may need.
Is Crave dog food good for older dogs?
No, Crave dog food is a high-energy food that’s designed with high protein and fat amounts. As such, it’s not a good choice for elderly inactive dogs as it may lead to unhealthy weight gain.
Is Crave dog food healthy for a dog’s growth?
Dogs need protein and amino acids for healthy muscle development and sustained growth. This makes Crave dog food a great choice for a dog’s growth as it’s formulated with high protein amounts.
Is Crave dog food expensive?
No, compared to other premium dog food brands, Crave dog food is fairly affordable. It’s also not the cheapest you will find on the market. However, the price is justified, given the quality of ingredients used in the food.
Is Crave dog food AAFCO approved?
Yes, all Crave dog food recipes are formulated to meet or exceed all AAFCO set standards regarding the quality and safety of dog food.
Is Crave dog food grain free?
Yes, Crave prides itself on offering grain-free diets only. The Crave dry food and wet (canned) food formulas are completely devoid of grains, soy, wheat, corn, or gluten.
Is Crave dog food high energy for dog food?
Crave dog food is crafted with high protein amounts from real animal sources, making it high-energy dog food. It’s thus a good choice for working, sporting, or highly energetic dogs.
Is Crave dog food produced in the USA?
Crave dog food is manufactured and prepared in the USA using ingredients from different regions worldwide.
Where to buy Crave dog food products in the USA?
Crave dog food is available both online and in-store. You can buy this dog food directly from the company’s website or online stores like Chewy or Amazon or in-store from your local Walmart or Target.
How is the Crave dog food shipment speed?
Every online retailer has its shipping policies and rules. However, you can expect your order in 1-2 days if you order from chewy.
Comparable Brands
While Crave dog food is a good brand, it may not be suitable for your dog for various reasons. If this is the case, these are other brands that you can check out.
Blackwood
Founded 40 years ago by Jim Golladay, this is a family-owned company that crafts super-premium quality dog food in both dry and wet forms. The company slowly cooks this food in small batches for maximum nutrient preservation.
The brand uses only natural and wholesome ingredients and does not include any artificial additives. All Blackwood’s products are formulated to meet AAFCO nutritional values for the relevant life stage.
Pros
- Uses real animal meat protein as the first ingredient
- Has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- It’s affordable
Con
- Has lower than the average protein content
Victor
Owned and produced by Mid America Pet Food, this is a Texas-based dog food brand that’s committed to ensuring optimal nutrition in dogs. The company and third-party nutritionists craft balanced meals using premium ingredients. The brand produces all its products at its Mount Pleasant, Texas facility.
Victor offers recipes for puppies, senior dogs, adult dogs, high-energy and performance dogs, and weight management formulas in grain-inclusive and grain-free recipes.
Pros
- It includes prebiotics and probiotics for gut health
- Has no recall history
- Wide variety of flavors and recipes to choose from
- All recipes meet AAFCO standards
- Uses high-quality ingredients
Con
- Includes minimal fruits and vegetables
- Utilizes some plant proteins
- It’s expensive
Purina Beyond
Purina Beyond dog food is a product of Nestle Purina, a St. Louis-based dog food brand. This food is designed with higher quality ingredients compared to other dog food lines under this brand. Purina Beyond focuses on high-quality, natural ingredients that provide optimal dog nutrition at different life stages.
Purina Beyond dog food comes in both wet and dry formulas. Whole meat is always the first ingredient in all the brand’s recipes.
Pros
- It does not include cheap filler ingredients like corn, soy, or wheat
- Whole meat is the first ingredient in all formulas
- It’s reasonably priced
- It’s rich in proteins
Con
- It contains some controversial ingredients
- It may not be suitable for picky eaters
Is Crave Dog Food Worth It? Our Verdict
Based on our analysis, Crave dog food is a good brand worth trying out. The brand provides well-rounded and balanced meals that meet all AAFCO standards. It features real animal meat as the primary ingredient and adds vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that support overall health. Better still, this dog food has not had recall since its inception.
This is a good place to start if you are looking for an all-natural, grain-free, high-protein, premium-quality dog food. While the brand does not have a wide variety to choose from, you will surely find something that appeals to your dog.