Crave Dog Food – Recalls, Ingredients, And Product Reviews

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You might have noticed Crave pet food popping up on online retailers or in supermarkets near you. Crave are a fairly new brand that has started rising in popularity, so it’s natural to wonder whether their dog food is worth picking up on your next shopping trip.

Like with all dog food brands, it’s a good idea to do some research to help you decide whether their products are the right match for your dog. Checking out the ingredients used in dog food, as well as some information about the company itself, are some factors to consider when picking the best diet for your pooch.

In this Crave dog food review, I’ll be taking a closer look at who owns them, their ingredients, recall history, and price. If you’re simply looking for product recommendations, then I’ve also listed my top five Crave dog foods further down.

Who Makes Crave Dog Food?

Crave is owned by Mars Petcare and was first launched in 2017. Although you might not think it, Mars owns a large number of popular pet food brands, including Whiskas, Royal Canin, and Iams.

As Crave is a very new brand, they don’t have a huge variety of products available. They currently offer grain-free dry and wet foods for cats and dogs. There isn’t a huge difference between their types of dry dog foods other than the flavor and meat used. This is the same for their wet foods, which are pate-based. 

Crave’s wet cat food range comes in two different varieties: pates and gravies. At the moment, the only wet dog food Crave offers are pates. Additionally, they don’t have any specialized dog foods, such as ones targeted for small breeds, puppies, or elderly dogs. As the Crave brand has only been around for a couple of years, this is understandable, and they may expand their dog food and wet cat food lines in the future.

So, where is Crave dog food made? Crave pet food is produced in North America, but not all of the ingredients are sourced from there. Crave state that they carefully choose their ingredients and try to source ones close to their manufacturing plants, but they do they get some of the vitamins and minerals used in their pet foods from China.

Is Crave Dog Food Good?

All of Crave’s dog food is grain-free and uses real meat as the first ingredient. This sets the brand apart from other pet food brands owned by Mars, which often use lower quality or inferior ingredients. If you’ve been previously put off by pet foods made by Mars Petcare for this reason, then Crave could change your mind.

Real meat is preferable as the first ingredient in dog food, so this is definitely a noteworthy feature in Crave’s dog food. In addition to using real meat as the first ingredient, Crave dog food contains appropriate levels of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Crave’s dry dog food range, in particular, contains 34% protein, so it is a good choice for most dogs, especially those with high energy levels.

However, Crave does use some low-quality ingredients, namely vegetable by-products like pea protein and potato protein. A good proportion of their pet foods use plant-based proteins. Plant-based proteins are common in a lot of dog foods, unfortunately. Even though plant-based proteins will not hurt your pooch, they are less desirable than animal-based proteins.

Regarding recalls, Crave has had none. It is important to note that other pet food brands owned by Mars have had recalls over the years.

Compared to other pet food brands, Crave is fairly pricey. Their dry dog food costs around $20 for a 4-lb bag or just over $40 for a 12-lb bag. If you compare this to the Proactive Health range by Iams that is also owned by Mars, a 7-lb bag will cost you around $10. However, Crave use better quality ingredients than Iams, so this is something to be factored into the price.

However, when comparing Crave to other dog foods of similar quality, Crave are still a bit costly. A 24-lb bag of American Journey costs about $40 on Chewy.com (all prices are correct at the time of writing). American Journey use similar high-quality ingredients as Crave but are a lot less expensive. 

Overall, despite some downsides, I think it’s fair to say that Crave are a good brand that is worth checking out.

Quick Links To The Crave Dog Food Reviews 

1. Crave With Protein From Salmon & Ocean Fish Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
2. Crave With Protein From Chicken Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
3. Crave With Protein From Lamb & Venison Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
4. ​Crave Turkey Pate With Shreds Of Real Chicken Grain-Free Dog food Trays
5. Crave Beef Pate Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

Crave Dog Food Reviews – Top 5 Picks!

Here are five Crave dog food reviews on some of the brand’s most popular products. 

1. Crave With Protein From Salmon & Ocean Fish Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Crave’s salmon and ocean fish dry dog food contains 34% protein, with most of that protein coming from animals. These high levels of protein to keep your dog in good shape and help them maintain a healthy immune system.

Real salmon is used as the first ingredient, alongside other vegetables and meats to provide your pooch with a wide range of nutrients.

The recipe is entirely grain-free and contains zero soy, corn, chicken by-product meal, artificial colors, or preservatives. This makes it a great product to try if your dog suffers from food allergies or sensitivities. It’s also suitable for dogs of all sizes.

A lot of owners are pleased with this product, with many praising the quality ingredients it uses. A large number of reviews state that this Crave dog food helped pooches with digestive issues. It also seems to work well for picky eaters, which must mean it tastes pretty good!

However, if your dog is allergic to chicken, then this Crave dog food might not be ideal. Despite being salmon and ocean fish flavored, the recipe does still contain chicken. 

Pros

• High in protein
• Grain-free
• Salmon as the first ingredient
• Works well for dogs with digestive issues

​Cons

• Recipe contains chicken (could be unsuitable for dogs with poultry allergies)

2. Crave With Protein From Chicken Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

This dry dog food from Crave is made with real, farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient. It contains 34% protein, which makes it the perfect meal for dogs who require a lot of protein in their diets. 

The recipe is packed with nutrients from meat, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals to ensure your dog’s dietary requirements are met. The high-quality and nutritious ingredients in this dog food help fuel your dog’s energy levels and keep their immune system healthy.

The recipe is grain-free and doesn’t contain any chicken by-product meal, corn, soy, wheat, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

This dry dog food is suitable for dogs of all breeds. All of Crave’s dog food is made and processed in US facilities.

Reviews for this Crave dog food are very positive, with owners praising the good-quality ingredients used in the recipe. Most dogs seem to really enjoy the flavor of the recipe too!

However, some picky eaters might be a bit reluctant to eat this dog food or grow a bit fussy with it after some time. Additionally, this dog food might cause digestive issues when first switched to it. Make sure you change your dog’s diet gradually to try and prevent this from happening.

Pros

• High in protein
• Chicken as the first ingredient
• Grain-free

​Cons

• Might not be best for picky eaters
• Could cause digestive issues at first

3. Crave With Protein From Lamb & Venison Adult Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Made with real, pasture-fed lamb, this Crave dog food contains proteins levels of 34%. The protein is sourced from meat, vegetables, and vegetable meals.

Like all of Crave’s high-protein dry dog foods, the lamb and venison variety is suitable for all dog breeds and free of grain, corn, soy, wheat, chicken by-product meal, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The recipe contains a good amount of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to keep your pooch in tip-top condition.

This dry dog food from Crave seems to work well for dogs with a sensitive stomach and allergies due to its grain-free and wholesome formula. 

However, a couple of owners have found that this dry food caused their pooches to have digestive issues when initially switched to it. To try and prevent this from occurring, make sure you gradually change your dog’s diet by mixing in their old food with their new ones for at least seven days.

Similar to Crave’s salmon and ocean fish formula, this dog food does contain chicken despite it being lamb and venison flavored. If you’re looking for a dog food that doesn’t contain any chicken, then Crave dog food might not be for you.

Pros

• Lamb as the first ingredient
• Contains a good amount of vitamins and minerals
• High in protein
• Grain-free

Cons

• Could cause digestive issues when first switched to
• Recipe contains chicken (might be unsuitable for dogs with poultry allergies)

4. Crave Turkey Pate With Shreds Of Real Chicken Grain-Free Dog food Trays

This wet food from Crave is made with real turkey as the first ingredient, which provides your pooch the nutrients they need to thrive. Most (99%!) of the protein in this Crave dog food is from animals too.

The recipe is enriched with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids. All of these are vital to ensure your dog’s nutritional needs are being met.

The pate texture of the food makes it soft and easy for your dog to consume. To add more flavor, real shredded chicken is mixed into the pate to help it appeal to picky eaters. This wet food can be used as a complete food or to complement your furry friend’s dry food.

The food comes in handy single-portion trays so you don’t have to worry about overfeeding or underfeeding your dog. This wet food is suitable for dogs of all sizes and doesn’t contain grains, wheat, soy, corn, chicken by-product meal, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

One of the best features of this wet dog food is its great taste, which a lot of dogs appear to love! Additionally, other reviews state that this wet food is effective for dogs with digestive issues or a sensitive stomach, especially if these problems were caused by a different dog food brand.

The majority of picky eaters seem to do very well on this food, but especially finicky pups still might be reluctant to eat it. This could be due to its pate texture. If your pooch isn’t a fan of soft, gelatinous dog foods, then this one by Crave might not be the best option.

It’s also important to note that this Crave dog food contains guar gum and carrageenan. Guar gum and carrageenan are both controversial ingredients, so this is something to bear in mind.

Pros

• Turkey as the first ingredient
• Enriched with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
• Contains shredded chicken for extra flavor and nutrients
• Works well for most picky eaters

Cons

• Some finicky eaters might take a while to get used to it
• Contains guar gum and carrageenan

5. Crave Beef Pate Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

Made with real beef as the first ingredient, this canned dog food helps keep your dog’s muscles lean and healthy. 99% of the protein in this product is sourced from animals, which is a plus!

The recipe is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega fatty acids to keep your dog at peak performance. The food can be fed as a complete meal or to accompany your dog’s dry food. In addition to being grain-free, this Crave dog food is free of soy, corn, wheat, chicken by-product meal, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

The pate texture of this canned dog food makes it easy for your dog to chew and enjoy. It’s suitable for dogs of all shapes and sizes too! 

Reviews for this Crave dog food are mostly positive and many consumers have found it works very well for their dog, especially paired with dry dog food for some added flavor and nutrients.

Although the majority of dogs enjoy the taste of this canned dog food, some picky eaters might take a while to warm up to it. This could be due to the gelatinous texture. Additionally, chicken is listed quite heavily in the product even though it is beef flavored. Some owners of dogs with food allergies have found this to be a little misleading. 

Additionally, guar gum and carrageenan are listed in the ingredients.

Pros

• Real beef as the first ingredient
• Contains a good amount of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients
• Grain-free

Cons

• Could be unpalatable for picky eaters
• Recipe contains chicken (could be unsuitable for dogs with allergies)
• Contains guar gum and carrageenan

Final Thoughts

Based on all the information above, it’s safe to say that Crave are a good brand that make nutritious dog food. They use real meat as the first ingredient in all of their pet foods, with appropriate levels of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. 

All of their dog food recipes are grain-free and free of fillers like soy, corn, chicken by-products, and artificial additives, which is a big positive. This makes Crave a good option to try for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities.

Top Picks For Our Dogs

1. BEST PUPPY TOY
   We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home.
2. BEST DOG CHEW
   We Like: Bones & Chews Bully Sticks - All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.
3. BEST DOG TREATS
   We Like: Crazy Dog Train Me Treats - One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies.
4. BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
   We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.

For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining.com blog.