Darwin's Natural Pet Products Review

Darwin’s Pet, like many other top dog food delivery companies, ships nutrient-rich food personalized for your pup right to your door. But unlike its competitors, Darwin’s Pet’s meals are raw. That’s right: The company serves minimally processed meals comprised of raw meat and vegetables, designed to preserve vital nutrients and fit a dog’s natural, ancestral diet. The formulas are non-GMO and free of hormones and antibiotics, and are formulated under the guidance of veterinary nutritionists.

Last Updated 

Olliehero
Pros Cons
Raw meat & vegetable ingredients Can be expensive
Multiple categories and flavors to fit your pet’s tastes & medical issues Requires refrigerator & freezer space for up to 10 weeks’ worth of food
Meals formulated by a veterinarian nutritionist Meals are not pre-portioned
No preservatives or fillers
Fortified with oils & vitamins
Ships for a nominal fee anywhere in the contiguous 48 states
Pause or cancel your subscription anytime
First 10 pounds of food is only $14.95
brand logo

8.6

8.6

Highlights
Raw food meals made of vegetables & humanely-raised meat
Recipes formulated under the guidance of veterinary nutritionists
Formulas for pets with medical issues like cancer, kidney problems & more
Shipped via UPS directly to your home
Pause, change or cancel your subscription anytime

What is Darwin’s Pet?

Natural pet foods are the fastest-growing products for pets. And when it comes to carnivores like our dogs and cats, it doesn’t get much more natural than raw meat—that’s what Darwin’s Pet delivers. While other purveyors of “natural” and “fresh” meals for pets send food that’s cooked, subscribers to Darwin’s Pet receive boxes of pet meals comprised of raw meat and vegetables that the company says are the healthiest and most nutrient-rich options for the lion—or wolf—in your living room.

These aren’t just packages of ground hamburger, of course. Darwin’s Pet works with veterinary nutritionists to develop raw meals that include muscle and organ meat, seasonal vegetables like carrots, lettuce and squashes for dogs, and nutrient mixes including oils, vitamins and minerals. The company says that eating these foods raw, instead of cooked, can help your pet have more energy, improved skin and coat condition, fewer health issues, and even live a longer life.

Darwin’s Pet makes raw meals for both dogs and cats. There are three categories of dog meals: “Natural Selections,” which is the company’s base meal, “Biologics,” which are a slightly less expensive option, and “Intelligent Design” meals, which are designed for different medical issues, and can be prescribed by a veterinarian.

The Natural Selections dog meals come in five flavors—chicken, turkey, beef, duck and lamb. Each is made of roughly 75 percent of the main meat—from antibiotic-free organ and muscle meat—and 25 percent vegetables. These ingredients are then supplemented with nutrient mixes of oils, vitamins and minerals.

Biologics meals come in chicken, turkey and beef flavors, and are made from roughly the same percentage mixture of meats and veggies. And Intelligent Design meals are available for dogs with any of four different medical issues: There’s Kidney Support formula, Liver Support formula, Cancer Support formula and Joint & Musculoskeletal Support formula.

The cat food varieties offered by Darwin’s Pet skip the vegetables, and are made only of meat, ground bones and a nutrient mix. Cat food is offered in “Natural Selections” and “Intelligent Design” categories.

The Natural Selections for cats are in chicken, turkey and lamb varieties. There’s only one Intelligent Design selection—for kidney support.

All of the ingredients in all of Darwin’s Pet’s formulas and flavors are non-GMO, free of steroids, hormones and antibiotics, and compliant with the nutritional level standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for pet food.

When you order from Darwin’s Pet, there’s a starter offer: The first 10 pounds of food are $14.95. This is a huge discount compared to the regular prices, which can range from just under five dollars per pound to almost nine dollars per pound.

Meals are delivered to your door for a nominal fee—about one dollar—via UPS, with the food packed in dry ice. Inside are packages containing two pounds of food each—these can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight in the included “thaw tub” before serving. For most pets, the food can be eaten raw.

After your trial 10 pounds, your account is billed and food is delivered every few weeks, depending on how much your pet needs to eat each week. You can change or cancel your subscription at any time.

Fans of Darwin’s Pet say their pets are stronger and more active than before, have fewer skin and medical problems, and generally seem like happier pups and kitties.

Darwin’s Pet makes it easy to feed your pet a raw diet focused on meat. The meals are delivered to your door, easy to store and thaw, and were designed by veterinary nutritionists.

How It Works

Darwin’s Pet delivers packages of raw meals for your dog and cat directly to your door. The meals are available in multiple flavors from multiple categories depending on your budget, as well as your animal’s tastes and medical needs.

When you sign up, you’ll fill in your pet’s name, breed, gender, ideal adult weight and life stage—kitten/puppy, adult or senior. You’ll then be asked whether your pet has any food allergies—specifically to the meats in Darwin’s Pet products—or medical issues, including cancer, kidney disease, liver disease or musculoskeletal issues.

When you’ve finished building your pet’s profile, Darwin’s Pet will show you an introductory offer for your first 10 pounds, and formulate your long-term plan. When we filled in the information for our 10-pound adult tabby, Darwin’s Pet recommended their Natural Selections chicken and turkey flavors, feeding him two pounds per week. His food would then be shipped every 10 weeks, with 20 pounds of food in each shipment at a total cost of $139.20.

For our 40-pound mixed-breed dog, Darwin’s Pet recommended 6.67 pounds of food per week, so the 10-pound trial would only last a little more than a week. Because he’s bigger, Darwin’s Pet would then ship food every three weeks; the company recommended their beef, chicken and turkey flavors from the Natural Selections line, which would cost $132.96 every three weeks. You could instead opt for the less-expensive Biologics line, which contains conventionally-grown vegetables and meats, instead of organic and cage-free ingredients. For our dog, that line would be $36.55 per week, compared to $44.32 per week for Natural Selections.

Your pet’s specific weight, age, breed and life stage determine the amount you’ll feed them in each meal—and, because Darwin’s Pet food is shipped by the pound, the price. Smaller animals, like our cat, need smaller portions—so his bill is smaller.

You can also do a free menu consultation via phone or email with a representative from Darwin’s Pet: They offer advice on choosing the right formulas, as well as how much to feed your dog or cat. Each consultation takes about 10 minutes.

No matter which formula you choose, the 10-pound trial of food is shipped via UPS ground for a nominal fee—it was $1.02 to get our box delivered—and is shipped in a refrigerated box with dry ice to keep the fresh meat cold. When it arrives, most of your Darwin’s Pet meals should be moved to the freezer. A few of the pre-portioned packets can be kept in the refrigerator, and you’ll thaw more every few days.

When it’s feeding time, you’ll measure out the correct portion, and serve it as-is: For most animals, there’s no need to cook the food.

The meals look like what they are: Raw meat. The vegetables are thoroughly mixed into the meat, so the meals have the appearance of raw hamburger. For the Natural Selections and Intelligent Design meals, the meat comes from grass-fed beef and cage-free chickens—and the vegetables are organic. The Biologics line includes conventionally grown ingredients. Darwin’s Pet food is also fortified with healthy fats from oil—like flax seed oil and cod liver oil—and a vitamin and mineral blend.

Recipes and Ingredients

Darwin’s Pet offers raw dog food meals in three different categories, each with different flavors and formulas. Cat food meals are offered in two different categories.

The main category of food for dogs is “Natural Selections.” This line of food is made of about 75 percent raw meat and crushed bone, and 25 percent vegetables. The meat is antibiotic-free and free-range, cage-free or pasture-raised, and the vegetables are organic. There are no grains, no fillers, hormones or chemical preservatives. Natural Selections for dogs comes in chicken, duck, turkey, beef and lamb flavors. In addition to the organ and muscle meat and bone, each contains vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, squash, sweet potato and parsley. In studies, dogs that ate vegetables three times per week or more greatly reduced their risk of cancer.

The Natural Selections recipes also include oils like cod liver oil and flaxseed oil for healthy fats and shiny coats, and a vitamin and mineral mix.

The second category of dog foods from Darwin’s Pet are the “Biologics” line. This category of food is cheaper, as it includes conventionally grown vegetables and meats. It’s offered in chicken, turkey and beef flavors.

For dogs with specific medical issues, Darwin’s Pet offers its “Intelligent Design” line, with different formulas for dogs with kidney issues, cancer, liver disease or joint and musculoskeletal problems. These recipes are also a mix of 75 percent meat and 25 percent vegetables, but the meats may be mixed: In the cancer support formula, for instance, there’s whitefish, beef and turkey, as well as eggs.

For cats, there are also Natural Selections flavors, though the cat food does not contain vegetables. These cat formulas are offered in chicken, turkey and lamb varieties. All three are antibiotic and hormone-free, and are supplemented with fish oils and vitamins and minerals.

Cats with kidney issues are offered the Kidney Support Formula from the “Intelligent Design” line, which chicken and turkey meat, some vegetables, and increased levels of Vitamin B to replace what’s lost in urine.

Darwin’s Pet Food Price

Darwin’s Pet meals come in two-pound packages. Each flavor from each line for dogs and cats has a different price per pack.

In the Natural Selections line for dogs:

Flavor Price Per Package
Chicken $11.94
Duck $14.40
Turkey $13.18
Beef $14.40
Lamb $16.90

All prices listed are list prices at time of writing and do not include any offers or discounts. Please visit the Darwin's Pet website for best pricing and any applicable offers and discounts.

The Biologics line for dogs contains conventionally-grown vegetables and meat, and is slightly cheaper:

Flavor Price Per Package
Chicken $9.66
Turkey $10.70
Beef $12.14

All prices listed are list prices at time of writing and do not include any offers or discounts. Please visit the Darwin's Pet website for best pricing and any applicable offers and discounts.

The Intelligent Design line for dogs has formulas for different medical conditions:

Flavor Price Per Package
Kidney Support $17.80
Liver Support $15.80
Cancer Support $13.80

All prices listed are list prices at time of writing and do not include any offers or discounts. Please visit the Darwin's Pet website for best pricing and any applicable offers and discounts.

For the cat parents, cat food from Darwin’s Pet comes in two lines—Natural Selections and Intelligent Design. For the Natural Selections, a two-pound package of the chicken flavor is $13.30. Turkey is $14.54 per package, and lamb is $20.16 per package. Intelligent Design for cats is only in one formula—Kidney Support. This option is $16.60 per two-pound package.

No matter which type you choose, Darwin’s Pet offers an introductory offer for 10 pounds of food for $14.95 total.

Different pets will need different amounts of food—based on their weight, breed, age and medical needs. Our 10-pound tabby only needs two pounds of raw food per week, while our 40-pound mixed-breed dog needs 6.67 pounds. As a result, their cost of feeding per week is different, as is their shipping schedule. After our 10-pound trial, our cat’s food was shipped with 10 weeks’ worth in the box, versus just three weeks of food for our dog.

The food is shipped in a box with dry ice, and most of it should be transferred to the freezer immediately. You can then thaw the two-pound packs in the included “thaw tub” at least 24 hours before serving.

You can cancel or change your subscription at any time.

How Does It Compare?

Is raw food right for your pet? Here’s how Darwin’s Pet stacks up against other fresh and raw pet foods:

Darwin’s Pet Natural Selections™ FreshPet Select A Pup Above Fresh Pet Food Only Natural Pet Food Stella & Chewy’s
Raw Meat Yes No No No Yes
Cost Per Day $2 and up About $2.58 About $9 About $1.50 About $2.50 and up
Free-Range, Cage-Free or Pasture-Raised Meats Yes No No No Yes
Organic Fresh Vegetables Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Pre-portioned meals No No No No Yes

Why We Love It: The Bottom Line

Darwin’s Pet offers food the way you’d imagine your pet eating in the wild: Raw. But instead of guessing how much raw meat to feed your dog or cat, the veterinarian-designed meals from Darwin’s Pet help ensure your pet is getting all the nutrients they need—and from antibiotic-free and humanely raised sources.

By building a simple profile of your pet with their short quiz, Darwin’s Pet learns your pet’s weight, age, breed and medical issues to cater meals—and meal sizes—that are right for your pet. These meals are shipped to your home for a low shipping fee, fit in your freezer, and are simple to serve once thawed.

The various product lines means that Darwin’s Pet has a flavor and price point that can work for your dog or cat, as well as special formulas for pets with difficult medical issues—your veterinarian can help you choose the right formula, or you can get a free consultation via phone or email with a Darwin’s Pet representative. And you can try it out to make sure your pet likes raw: The first 10 pounds of Darwin’s Pet food is available for just $14.95.

After that, the meals get more expensive, but Darwin’s Pet fans say it’s worth the price: They love their furry friends, of course, and the raw diet helps lower the number of vet visits they needs, satisfies picky eaters, and helps their dogs and cats live more energetic lives with fewer skin and coat conditions.

About Darwin’s Pet

Gary Tashjian founded Darwin’s Pet after feeding his 10-year old dog, Max, a raw food diet at the suggestion of a holistic veterinarian. Max, who had arthritis, was like “a new dog” after just 30 days—inspiring Tashjian to found Darwin’s Pet. Fifteen years later, the company has delivered more than 25 million raw food meals to pets across the U.S. The company is headquartered near Seattle.

Reviews

Mom Smith

Our now 11 year old Whippet is eating a pack of Darwin's with regular hamburger meat daily (1/2 pack in the morning with an egg and half pack with just meat in the evening). We switched to Darwin's because we wanted him off kibble all together - he always got the meat but mixed with no-grain, non-GMO, high end kibble. The first thing we noticed was he wasn't as gassy!! Happy Dance! He was extremely gassy on kibble - all day long and now it's rare. The next thing we noticed was his coat got thicker and softer. It's been almost a year now and we are very happy - as is he!

Amber

I transitioned my male cat to Darwin's after he developed "idiopathic FLUTD" and my vet could not help me except by offering drugs with astonishing side effects (including diabetes and kidney failure). After many hours & days of research, I found Darwin's. Though I had to coax my boy to try raw meat, once he fell in love there was no turning back. All his previous symptoms are gone, his energy has quadrupled, and he has the shiniest, glossiest black coat you've ever seen. I would recommend Darwin's to absolutely anyone who cares to give their animal companions the healthy and happy life they deserve.

Stefan

I am completely speechless about the results after only 4 days using Darwin's foods. Our 9-year-old lab had been suffering from terrible arthritis for the last 6 months This affected everything, we live on a hill and have lots of steps and the weekly ritual of going to the beach at the weekends meant after 10 minutes he was limping in pain. We were feeding him the top-of-the-line (supposedly) kibble. After only 4 days we went to the beach as we had noticed a considerable improvement already. He ran for an hour with virtually no pain or stiffness. When we got home he leaped up the stairs as he did when we rescued him. We were suspicious that may we were reading too much into the change of food, but the improvement after one week is, to say the least remarkable.

Michael

I recently switched to the Biologics line for my dogs after feeding our previous comparable raw frozen diet became too expensive. We no longer have to scramble to the store paying six to eight hundred dollars per month. We get a great discount based on how much we buy, and my three dogs love it.

Teresa

My cat wouldn’t even eat his top quality wet food. He would only eat dry food and I was worried about the carb content affecting his teeth and GI. I just put out the raw food for him and he is avoiding his dry food completely and is chowing down on the raw food. He usually doesn’t even like turkey but he completely loves it. I’m so happy I have something for my 6 month old kitten!

Methodology

The Consumer Rating Difference

Behind Our Best Dog Food Delivery Ratings

We make choosing the best dog food delivery plan easy with expert reviews and rankings. Here’s the methodology behind our ratings:

icon

Exhaustive Research

From the best dog food for allergies to the best dog food for puppies, we do a deep dive into the data to ensure all our recommendations are backed by sound science.
icon

Dog Food Reviews

No one scrutinizes dog food like the parent of a fur-child. We comb through consumer forums and thousands of customer reviews to find out which dog food pet owners like best.
icon

Personal Experience

Our pet-loving experts tried out the top dog food delivery plans on their own furry friends so they could get the true experience before recommending the best dog food.
icon

Side-by-Side Comparisons

From The Farmer’s Dog to Ollie, we compare the best dog food brands across key criteria to determine the best option for every pooch—from puppies to senior dogs.

Trusted & Secure

Trusted & Secure