Spot & Tango Dog Food Review 2023 – Is It Worth It?
Why We Love It:
Your dog deserves the best of the best when it comes to his diet. In fact, his health and wellness depend on it. If you’re serious about improving your dog’s nutrition and protecting his health for the future, consider making the switch to fresh food. With a fresh dog food delivery service like Spot & Tango, it’s easy to find the recipe that works for your dog and have it sent right to your door. It couldn’t be easier.
Dog food brands are a dime a dozen and if you lined up five different bowls of kibble from the pet store, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them.
What you may not realize, however, is that while many pet food products look the same, they are not created equal. The quality of the product is largely determined by the quality of the ingredients but also by the process used to prepare them. Unfortunately, many pet food manufacturers cut corners to save money and the resulting product contains a fraction of the nutritional value of the raw ingredients.
The quality of your dog’s diet is directly linked to his long-term health and wellness, so it really pays to put in the time to research the options. The choice you make is about more than just what you’ll be spending each month but about what you’ll be putting into your dog’s body.
Spot & Tango is a fresh dog food delivery company that offers high-quality fresh food for dogs. Read on to learn more about the Spot & Tango brand and what we think of the brand.
Overview of Spot & Tango
Spot & Tango offers personalized plans catered to your dog’s specific calorie requirements and all of their recipes are made with human-grade ingredients. Each formula features just 12 simple ingredients with absolutely nothing artificial. It’s high-quality nutrition, plain and simple.
Before making up your mind about a dog food brand, it’s important to get an overall sense of who they are and what they have to offer. Reviewing the website to learn more about the recipe choices is great, but you also want to know what the brand is founded on and what mission they seek to accomplish.
In this review, we’ll go into detail about Spot & Tango to help you get an understanding of this brand as well as their fresh dog food recipes so you can decide whether it’s the right pick for you and your pup.
A Quick History:
The Spot & Tango brand was founded in 2014, so it’s still fairly fresh on the pet food scene. The company was started by a pair of devoted dog owners who started preparing home-cooked meals for their own dogs in their family kitchen. These same original recipes were perfected with the help of veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists to create Spot & Tango’s current lineup.
While Spot & Tango has grown as a company, they still believe in the importance of providing high-quality nutrition for pets. All of their recipes are prepared with the same love and commitment to quality as the originals, prepared in USDA/FDA inspected kitchens in New York. Their human-grade ingredients are cooked at low temperatures and made in small batches to maximize nutritional value and nutrient bioavailability.
To put it simply, it’s the best of the best for your dog and no less than he deserves. To help you get a better understanding of the Spot & Tango brand, here are the answers to some common questions:
How Are the Products Made?
All of Spot & Tango’s recipes are formulated by an industry leading veterinary nutritionist along their their team of veterinarians. Each and every recipe is complete and balanced for all life stages according to AAFCO nutrient profiles for dogs. That means they’re safe for puppies as well as adult dogs.
When it comes to their ingredients, Spot & Tango says the following:
“Our ingredients are thoughtfully sourced from local farms and human food suppliers in the U.S. We only use fresh, whole-food ingredients that meet USDA standards for human consumptions. This means we never use feed-grade ingredients, meat meals, or anything artificial, ensuring your dog is getting only the highest quality, safest nutrients available.”
Spot & Tango’s fresh foods are prepared in a USDA/FDA inspected kitchen in New York with human-grade ingredients. These recipes are gently cooked at low temperatures in small batches to preserve nutritional integrity. The ingredients are actually cooked separately and mixed together then flash-frozen at the peak of freshness just a few days before arriving on your doorstep.
UnKibble is dry food, so it offers a longer shelf life and scoopable texture. This dry food is prepared in Wisconsin using a blend of USDA protein, starch, fresh fruits, and veggies, that have been gently pasturized at low temperature through Spot & Tango’s Fresh Dry process. Their foods are not extruded like typical kibble which means more nutrition for your dog.
How Many Recipes Are There?
The Spot & Tango brand is primarily known for their fresh dog food recipes. These foods are prepared using human-grade ingredients that are thoughtfully sourced from local farms and other human food suppliers in the United States. Spot & Tango believes in a minimal ingredient diet which is why they put their ingredients on the front of the packaging, not the back, and they stick to just 12 main ingredients.
Spot & Tango’s fresh dog food comes in the following recipes:
- Turkey & Red Quinoa
- Beef & Millet
- Lamb & Brown Rice
In addition to their fresh dog food recipes, Spot & Tango offers a limited selection of dry foods called UnKibble. These foods are made with the same 100% fresh, human-grade ingredients and are completely free from artificial preservatives, fillers, and additives. This kibble isn’t extruded, and it doesn’t contain meat meals or meat by-products. All three recipes are complete and balanced for all life stages according to AAFCO nutrient profiles for dogs.
Their UnKibble dry food is available in the following recipes:
- Duck & Salmon
- Beef & Barley
- Chicken & Brown Rice
Though Spot & Tango’s product selection may be limited in comparison to some of the bigger pet food brands, they actually offer a decent variety between the two product types. If you’re looking for fresh food you have that option, but UnKibble is available if you’re on a budget but still want to improve the quality of your dog’s diet.
How Much Does It Cost?
The cost to feed your dog varies according to his size, age, and activity level no matter what type of food you choose. The average dog requires about 30 calories per pound of body weight, though larger breeds may need fewer and smaller breeds may need more.
What makes fresh dog food delivery services like Spot & Tango so popular is that they help you determine your dog’s individual calorie requirements and they send you exactly as much food as you need. This brand sends you pre-portioned packages of food with a special portioning scoop and detailed instructions, so you know exactly how much to feed at each meal.
Fresh food is often more expensive than the average kibble or canned food for a number of reasons. The quality of the ingredients is often higher and many brands own their own facilities so they’re able to control the quality more effectively. If you’re going to pay more for dog food, you want to make sure you’re getting what you pay for and, with Spot & Tango, you certainly do.
Spot & Tango’s UnKibble meal plans start at just $7 per week while fresh plans start at $15 per week. Again, it all depends on your dog’s intake and which recipes you choose.
Using a 30-pound male test dog of average activity and healthy body weight, we estimated the cost for both UnKibble and fresh food. Our UnKibble plan started at $2.93 per day for the Beef & Barley recipe, ranging up to $3.27 per day for Chicken & Brown Rice. A fresh food plan started at $5.27 per day for the Turkey & Red Quinoa recipe and ranged up to $8.05 per day for the Lamb & Brown Rice recipe.
What’s the Subscription Process Like?
What makes Spot & Tango different from your average dog food company is that they are a fresh dog food delivery service. You simply provide some information about your dog so the company can determine his calorie needs. From there, Spot & Tango makes recommendations for a custom meal plan to help you decide the best option and start a subscription.
Here are the steps involved in creating a subscription plan:
- Click on the “Get Started” button at the top of the home page
- Fill in your first name, email address, and zip code
- Type in the number of dogs you have and their names
- Indicate your dog’s sex, altered status, and breed
- Type in your dog’s current weight and birthday
- Indicate your dog’s body type and his activity level
- Select any relevant health conditions your dog has
- Choose from the UnKibble dry food line or fresh food line
- Select up to three recipes for your dog (recommendations given)
- Provide your billing and shipping information to complete your order
Once you place your first subscription, you’ll receive a 20% discount for the first two weeks. As long as you are happy with the product, your subscription will continue, and you’ll receive four weeks of food at a time. You can log into your online account to change or reschedule your order at any time.
Recipe Feature: Turkey and Red Quinoa
| First 5 Ingredients | Turkey | Red Quinoa | Spinach | Carrots | Peas |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 13.69% protein | 5.86% fat | 1.44% fiber | 68.5% moisture | |
| Calories | 41 kcal/ounce |
Ingredients:
Turkey, red quinoa, spinach, carrots, peas, apples, eggs, parsley, apple cider vinegar, safflower oil, vegetable stock, calcium phosphate, salt, calcium carbonate, magnesium, kelp, potassium, vitamin E, zinc, iron, manganese, vitamin D3, copper, selenium, folic acid, iodine, vitamin B12.
In-Depth Look:
Spot & Tango likes to keep nutrition simple and this Turkey & Red Quinoa recipe is a great example. It contains fewer than 12 main ingredients aside from supplements and starts with a real source of animal protein. In fact, it contains a single source of animal protein which is great for dogs with food allergies.
This particular recipe is grain-free, made with red quinoa as a gluten-free option. Spinach, carrots, peas, and apples provide natural sources for key nutrients, though vitamin and mineral supplements are still required to ensure optimal nutritional balance.
Like all of Spot & Tango’s fresh foods, this recipe is made with human-grade ingredients and prepared in small batches to ensure quality. The food arrives at your door frozen within days of having been prepared, and you simply keep it in your freezer until you’re ready to serve it. You can thaw a bag or two overnight in the fridge or place it in water at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
The benefit of Spot & Tango fresh food over traditional dry food, aside from the obvious quality and care put into its creation, is that it actually looks like food. You can see pieces of real ingredients and your dog will definitely notice the flavor.
Spot & Tango Pros and Cons
Like all dog food companies, Spot & Tango is a business. They do their best to make fresh dog food recipes pets like that make pet parents happy – they wouldn’t be so successful if they didn’t have a good product. That being said, we know that every type of dog food and every dog food brand has its ups and downs. You should consider both before making your final decision.
Here are some of the pros for Spot & Tango:
- Fresh and dry dog food made from locally sourced human-grade ingredients
- Recipes formulated by veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists
- Fresh food prepared in small batches, gently cooked at low temperatures
- Pre-portioned packages of fresh food delivered right to your door in regular shipments
- Custom meal plans catered specifically to your dog’s calorie needs and dietary preferences
Here are some of the cons for Spot & Tango:
- Customers may not be able to view full recipe details without creating an account
- Fresh dog food is often more expensive than dry, depends on dog’s calorie needs
- Limited selection of three animal proteins (turkey, beef, and lamb) for fresh food
What it really comes down to is doing your best to make a responsible decision for your pet. Spot & Tango fresh dog food is a great option, but we understand that it may not be the right choice for everyone. We hope we’ve provided you with the information you need to decide for yourself.
Read on to see our final word on the Spot & Tango brand and the answers to some FAQs.
Our Conclusion
Overall, we are happy to recommend Spot & Tango. If you’re looking for a way to improve the quality of your dog’s diet, fresh food is definitely the way to go and this fresh dog food delivery service is a great option. We will say that Spot & Tango is a little more expensive than some fresh food options, but the quality is impossible to deny and customers love it.
Spot & Tango FAQs
Does Spot & Tango offer any grain-free options?
Yes, Spot & Tango offers grain-free selections in both their fresh food and UnKibble dry food. Both lines have three recipe choices, several of which are grain-free. The only grain-inclusive recipes are the Lamb & Brown Rice fresh food and both the Beef & Barley and Chicken & Brown Rice UnKibble recipes.
Can you get samples of Spot & Tango dog food?
Unfortunately, Spot & Tango doesn’t offer samples of their products. They do, however, offer a discount on your first two-week trial of up to 20%. If you’re not satisfied with the food, you can simply cancel your subscription and can even contact the customer care team for a refund.
Is the packaging environmentally friendly?
Yes, Spot & Tango is very environmentally conscious. Their food is made with locally sourced ingredients and shipped in eco-friendly packaging. Your dog’s food is frozen at the peak of freshness and packaged with biodegradable insulation to keep it frozen. Your order arrives in a recyclable cardboard box and you can simply dissolve the insulation in the sink when you’re finished with it.
Can I change or cancel my subscription?
Yes, you can change or cancel your Spot & Tango subscription at any time by logging into your online account. It’s easy to switch recipes, adjust your delivery schedule, or switch between UnKibble and fresh food. The customer care team is always available for support as well.
Is Spot & Tango a good option for dogs with food allergies?
Generally speaking, Spot & Tango is a good option for dogs with food allergies because they offer a variety of choices. Depending what your dog is allergic to, you should be able to find an UnKibble or fresh food recipe that’s safe. About half the recipes are grain-free and all of them are made with 12 ingredients or less, excluding by-products, fillers, and artificial additives.
