Spot and Tango Dog Food Review

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It can be difficult to find dog food that isn’t jam-packed with empty fillers and preservatives. Even veterinarian-recommended products sometimes come with more ancillary ingredients than you’re comfortable with. 

If that’s the case, a fresh dog food subscription, such as Spot and Tango, might be the answer you’ve been waiting for.

Verdict (if you’re in a hurry): I think Spot & Tango’s fresh food could improve your dog’s nutrition, and its UnKibble option is an interesting new spin on dry dog food. However, you may find comparable fresh food options for less money lower in this review.

In this review:

• Spot & Tango: At a glance
• Our Spot & Tango review
• Meal options
• Spot and Tango prices
• Is Spot & Tango worth It?
• How does Spot & Tango compare to other brands
• Has Spot and Tango ever been recalled?

Spot & Tango: At a glance

• Recipes designed by board-certified veterinary nutritionist Dr. Susan Lauten, Ph.D., to give your dog everything they need for a healthy lifestyle
• Human-grade ingredients are slow-cooked and flash-frozen while fresh to preserve nutritional value
• Two types of food to choose from: fresh food (for a wet texture) and UnKibble (if your dog prefers a crunchy texture)
• Customizable meal plans tailored to your dog’s health, weight, and breed
• Option to mix fresh food with current diet or switch completely to Spot and Tango
• Meals cooked in USDA- & FDA-approved kitchens in New York and Wisconsin
• Automatic, free delivery in fully insulated and biodegradable packaging
• Meal portions are vacuum-sealed in BPA-free packages that lie flat for easy storage
• Two-week trial includes a money-back guarantee if your dog doesn’t like their Spot and Tango meals

Our Spot and Tango review

Our dog, Hobbes, waiting to eat Spot and Tango’s Lamb & Brown Rice recipe.

Spot and Tango is a locally sourced fresh dog food subscription service that creates personalized meal plans based on the breed, weight, fitness, energy levels, and health issues of each individual dog it serves. 

The company pre-portions its meals to ensure your dog gets the precise nutritional levels they need each day without any extra work from you. You can also note any medical issues you’re trying to address, so the company can recommend meals that suit your dog’s needs.

Using recipes curated by veterinary nutritionists, Spot and Tango prepares its fresh dog food in USDA- and FDA-approved kitchens here in the United States. Their meals combine whole meats, fresh vegetables, and high-quality carbohydrates to provide your dog with a more nutritionally rich diet than regular kibble affords.

Spot and Tango has also developed Unkibble, a dried kibble alternative, so you can give your dog a convenient diet free from the artificial preservatives and hollow fillers most commercial kibbles include.

All of Spot and Tango’s recipes meet the AAFCO nutritional requirements for all dog life stages.

Is Spot and Tango good for dogs?

Yes! Spot and Tango uses whole, human-grade ingredients instead of meat meals, powders, and artificial fillers and preservatives. If you’re currently feeding your dog big-brand kibble, Spot and Tango will almost certainly be a nutritional upgrade.

How does Spot and Tango work?

The first thing Spot and Tango asks you to do is set up your free pet profile. This includes basic contact info as well as comprehensive details about your pet.

Spot and Tango needs details about your pet, such as their sex, neutered status, breed, body type, current weight, and target weight, to calculate the precise number of calories your dog should have in each meal. They optionally ask for the dog’s birthday (for a special birthday treat!).

Spot and Tango will also ask for specific details about your dog’s health, such as their activity level and any known allergies or health conditions. This will help them determine which recipes to recommend.

 From here on out, you are deciding what your dog eats, starting with the choice between Unkibble (“Fresh Dry” food) and Fresh food. 

Fresh food is what most dog food subscriptions are known for. It’s much better nutritionally for your dog, but it will also cost more because it’s entirely made from fresh, human-grade ingredients. Unkibble is a new take on the dog kibble you can get at any store, with better ingredients and less processing.

Both options come in three different recipes, and once you’ve selected a type of food, you can decide whether to mix and match recipes for some culinary variety or to stick to one recipe in particular.

When starting out, choosing a variety of recipes can help you figure out what your dog likes best, but there’s no right answer here. Note that your price can vary significantly based on the recipe(s) you choose.

You will also need to choose whether you want to feed your dog exclusively Spot and Tango, or whether you want to subscribe to a topper portion to mix with your dog’s current diet.

While a full diet of fresh food is better, mixing the Topper Plan with kibble is a good way to improve your dog’s nutrition while cutting down on costs. It’s also a good way to interest a picky eater who has grown tired of their usual food. Both options commit you to a two-week trial with a money-back guarantee if your dog doesn’t like the food.

Finally, there’s an option to add healthy, single-ingredient treats to your subscription. As with the dog food, the treats are hormone and GMO-free, and they make for a great snack in between meals. We really like the snack option because store-bought dog treats are notoriously full of weird additives and chemical preservatives, but not these.

After that, it’s a simple matter of reviewing your choices and deciding whether you want to try it out. Once your order is complete, your first shipment should arrive within 3 to 5 business days.

The whole process is incredibly easy to complete and should take you less than 5 minutes.

Meal options

As mentioned above, Spot and Tango offers two types of food: fresh dog food and Unkibble (which they describe as fresh dry dog food). All recipes across both options were crafted by veterinary nutritionists to meet AAFCO standards for all age groups, and all meals are prepared in FDA-approved kitchens in Wisconsin and New York.

Fresh dog food

There are no strange flavor additives or bad pet food smells to be found. Just simple, healthy meals cooked at a low heat to preserve nutrients and shipped promptly, so you get it fresh. There are three human-grade recipes to choose from, and all are gluten-free and non-GMO:

Turkey & Red Quinoa

This protein-packed recipe is great for growing dogs with lots of energy.

Ingredients:

Turkey, Red Quinoa, Spinach, Carrots, Peas, Apple, Eggs, Parsely, Apple Cider Vinegar, Safflower Oil, Vegetable Stock, Vitamins & Minerals 

Vitamins & Minerals:

Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium, Kelp, Potassium, Vitamin E, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Vitamin D3, Copper, Selenium, Folic Acid, Iodine, Vitamin B12

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein: 13.69% (Min), Crude Fat: 5.86% (Min), Crude Fiber: 1.44% (Max), Moisture: 68.5% (Max)

Beef & Millet

Beef is an all-around favorite for meat-loving dogs, and apple cider vinegar may help promote gut health.

Ingredients:

Beef, Millet, Spinach, Carrots, Peas, Cranberries, Eggs, Parsley, Apple Cider Vinegar, Safflower Oil Vegetable Stock, Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamins & Minerals:

Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium, Kelp, Potassium, Vitamin E, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Vitamin D3, Copper, Selenium, Folic Acid, Iodine, Vitamin B12

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein: 11.85% (Min), Crude Fat: 5.85% (Min), Crude Fiber: 1.04% (Max), Moisture: 69.84% (Max)

Lamb & Brown Rice

Lamb is an excellent alternative for dogs with digestive sensitivities to more common meats. The healthy fats in this recipe will also promote a healthy coat. I could really smell the blueberries in this one. The meal had a sweet scent, and my dog loved it.

Ingredients:

Lamb, Brown Rice, Spinach, Carrots, Peas, Blueberries, Eggs, Parsely, Apple Cider Vinegar, Safflower Oil, Vegetable Stock, Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamins & Minerals:

Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium, Kelp, Potassium, Vitamin E, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Vitamin D3, Copper, Selenium, Folic Acid, Iodine, Vitamin B12

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein: 11.80% (Min), Crude Fat: 6.64% (Min), Crude Fiber: 2.64% (Max), Moisture: 70.10% (Max)

UnKibble

And the customized meal plans and scoops should save you from running out of food or struggling to interpret portions ever again.

Although it isn’t nutritionally as good as fresh food, Unkibble’s shelf-stable status makes it a good alternative if you’re short on freezer space, or if you can’t quite afford a fresh diet. There are three UnKibble recipes to choose from:Cod, Salmon, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, Sunflower Seeds, Tapioca, Strawberries, Carrots, Spinach, Parsley, Rosemary, Kelp

Beef & Barley

Ingredients:

Beef, Barley, Flax, Carrots, Green Beans, Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Beets, Cranberries, Rosemary, Kelp, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (natural source of Vitamin E), Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamins & Minerals:

Cellulose Powder, Fish Oil, L-Tryptophan, Choline Chloride, Organic Zinc Proteinate, Potassium Chloride, Rosemary Extract and Mixed Tocopherols, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E Supplement, Organic Selenium Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Beet, Tomato, Broccoli, Carrot, Spinach, Orange, Cherry, Cranberry, Strawberry, Apple, Blueberry, Pumpkin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxin Hydrochloride, Folic Acid

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein: 26.58% (Min), Crude Fat: 16.43% (Min), Crude Fiber: 3.18% (Max), Moisture: 2.04% (Max), Calories: 4749 kcal/kg

Chicken & Brown Rice 

Ingredients:

Chicken, Brown Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Apples, Kale, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard, Sunflower Seeds, Ginger Root, Kelp, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (natural source of Vitamin E) Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamins & Minerals:

Cellulose Powder, Fish Oil, L-Tryptophan, Choline Chloride, Organic Zinc Proteinate, Potassium Chloride, Rosemary Extract and Mixed Tocopherols, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E Supplement, Organic Selenium Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Beet, Tomato, Broccoli, Carrot, Spinach, Orange, Cherry, Cranberry, Strawberry, Apple, Blueberry, Pumpkin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxin Hydrochloride, Folic Acid

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein: 26.58% (Min), Crude Fat: 16.43% (Min), Crude Fiber: 2.50% (Max), Moisture: 3.96% (Max), Calories: 3921 kcal/kg

Cod & Salmon

Ingredients:

Cod, Salmon, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, Sunflower Seeds, Tapioca, Strawberries, Carrots, Spinach, Parsley, Rosemary, Kelp, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (natural source of Vitamin E), Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamins & Minerals:

Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Flaxseed Oil, Choline Chloride, L-Tryptophan, L-Threonine, Organic Zinc Proteinate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Organic Selenium Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Beet, Tomato, Broccoli, Carrot, Spinach, Orange, Cherry, Cranberry, Strawberry, Apple, Blueberry, Pumpkin, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin B12, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Rosemary Extract and Mixed Tocopherols, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxin Hydrochloride, Folic Acid

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein: 29.67% (Min), Crude Fat: 22.06% (Min), Crude Fiber: 1.15% (Max), Moisture: 3.82% (Max), Calories: 4,131 kcal/kg

Spot and Tango prices

Fresh

Full portions of Spot & Tango’s Fresh food starts at $15 per week, and Unkibble starts at $7 per week. However, your price will vary depending on whether you choose a full or topper plan, the recipe you choose, and the size and activity level of your dog. Overall, Spot and Tango is on the expensive end of premium dog food subscriptions, with owners of large dog breeds paying the most. (You can find some other options that may be cheaper lower in this review.)

To give you an idea of what you might pay, we retrieved meal plan options for Hobbes, our growing Goldendoodle puppy—26 lbs., no health conditions, and average activity level. 

For one weekly Fresh recipe, the cost was $46.14 for a full dietary plan before any introductory discounts were applied and $24.98 for the meal topper option. There are some price discrepancies depending on which of the three recipes you choose, with Turkey & Red Quinoa being the cheapest and Lamb & Brown Rice costing the most.

We then ran the numbers for Augie, a miniature Dachshund. He’s a 14-lb. adventurous type, so we ticked the relevant boxes. With the same fresh food option selected, the meal plan was now $27.56 per week and the topper was $11.94.

With several factors affecting the cost of each subscription, the only way to see what you’ll pay is to answer Spot & Tango’s dog questionnaire. You can do this for free without providing any payment info. Fortunately, Spot & Tango offers a discount for your first order, so you can try it out without paying as much.

Across all brands, fresh dog food is more expensive than kibble. But some dog food subscription companies, such as Nom Nom Dog Food or Ollie may be cheaper, so it may be worth getting quotes from multiple companies.

>> Read more: How Much Does Spot and Tango Cost?

Unkibble

The prices for Unkibble also vary by the size of the dog and how much food they require. It cost $33.09 per week to feed Hobbes UnKibble (without any discounts applied), compared to $19.76 for the smaller and equally active Augie.

It’s not surprising that price increases proportionally to size, though this will almost certainly give pause to those with larger dogs.

>> Read more: Best Dog Food for IBD & IBS

Treats

Yam Yums cost $12, and a bag of Chicken Munchies cost $14. This is roughly similar to what you’d pay for jerky-type treats in stores, but Spot & Tango have taken every step to pare back unhealthy additives and preservatives. Each treat option includes only one ingredient, yams or whole chicken, so you can feel good about your pup’s mid-day treat.

Discounts 

New subscribers typically get 20% off. However, The Dog Tale readers can get a 50% discount on their first purchase by using code DOGTALE50, so you can try out the service without paying as much.

And, of course, if your dog refuses to eat Spot and Tango or doesn’t do well with it for some other reason, there’s always their money-back guarantee.

Is Spot and Tango worth it?

So, is it worth it? Ultimately, the choice is yours. Veterinary nutritionists endorse the health benefits of fresh food, and it could cut down on veterinary costs over the long term. Fresh food can also make mealtime much easier if you have a picky eater—especially when you warm it up.

However, Spot & Tango runs on the expensive side if you want to serve your dog something other than their Turkey & Red Quinoa recipe. Prices are roughly similar to Open Farm Dog Food, but some other services may cost less. So, we think you should get price quotes from at least one or two other high-quality dog food brands before making your decision. See the section below for recommendations.

How does Spot & Tango compare to other brands?

On the whole, Spot & Tango operates similarly to most fresh dog food subscriptions. It’s nutritionally sound, super convenient, and it even stands out in the fact that it offers both fresh and kibble-based foods (most competitors only offer fresh). However, as we said above, it can get pricey if you don’t want to stick to the cheapest recipes.

The Farmer’s Dog offers four fresh food recipes, and it allows you to mix multiple recipes without increasing your price. However, it doesn’t offer any treats. We’ve secured an exclusive 60% discount for our readers. Learn more in our The Farmer’s Dog review or our Spot and Tango vs Farmer’s Dog comparison guide.

Nom Nom costs the same or less as Spot & Tango’s cheaper recipes, and it offers our readers 60% off their first purchase of their fresh meals, which come in beef, chicken, pork, and turkey options. Nom Nom also offers cat food, gut health kits, and supplements. You can learn more in our Spot and Tango vs Nom Nom Now comparison guide.

Another favorite of ours is Ollie Dog Food. Ollie does an excellent job sourcing its ingredients and packing nutrition into every bite, and our dog, Hobbes, loves it. You can get 50% off your first order or learn more in our Spot and Tango vs Ollie comparison guide or our full Ollie Dog Food review.

Pet Plate only offers one type of treats (organic chicken apple sausage bites). It also serves its meals in round plastic containers, which may be more or less convenient for you, depending on your preferences and freezer space. You can learn more in our Pet Plate review.

If you’re interested in UnKibble, you may also want to check out The Honest Kitchen Clusters. It’s a gently cooked kibble alternative made with human-grade ingredients and no GMOs.

Finally, Just Food For Dogs and A Pup Above both take a different approach to fresh dog food subscriptions by standardizing their meal portions into uniform packages. This allows them to maintain the convenience of subscription meals without as much packaging waste. Just Food For Dogs also offers a host of other supplements, treats, and nutrient blends, but A Pup Above only offers food.

If you’re more interested in UnKibble than fresh food, then Chippin is another option to consider. Chippin is all about reducing your dog’s carbon pawprint, so if keeping an environmentally friendly house is important to you, check out our Chippin Dog Food review. We are super impressed with the steps they’ve taken without sacrificing the quality of their food.

If you want a high-quality dry food that comes with beef or chicken, check out our Sundays Dog Food review. Their air-dried approach and high-quality ingredients are impressive.

>> Compare your options:

• The Farmer’s Dog vs Ollie
• Nom Nom vs Ollie
• Pet Plate vs Farmer’s Dog
• A Pup Above vs Farmer’s Dog

Has Spot and Tango ever been recalled?

In September 2022, Spot and Tango issued a recall of four batches of its Chicken & Brown Rice UnKibble due to salmonella risks. These batches were:

• Lot code: T-22220 (SKU U-C-004, SKU U-C-006)
• Lot code: T-22223 (SKU U-C-005)
• Lot code: T-22228 (SKU U-C-003)

None of Spot and Tango’s other products were affected by this recall, including all of its fresh food.

Nom Nom vs The Farmer’s Dog: Which Food Service Is Best?