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If you have a pup with extra specific nutritional needs or restrictions and have been researching different dog food brands, you’ve probably come across PawTree a couple of times.
PawTree is a locally sourced and produced pet food brand with a wide selection of dry dog food recipes. That makes PawTree food extra popular among pet parents with picky eaters, allergic furbabies, or senior dogs.
However, this wide selection can make it difficult to make an educated choice when trying PawTree food for the first time. That’s why I made this detailed review and guide.
Read on to find out all you need to know about PawTree reviews as a brand, its pros and cons, its customer reviews, an ingredient analysis, and finally, which of their recipes you should choose for your dog.
Rating
Given the seemingly intentional obscurity around PawTree's products and reviews, I can't fully recommend the brand despite its nutritional value looking good on paper. That's why we're giving it a 3.5/5.0 rating.
Given the seemingly intentional obscurity around PawTree's products and reviews, I can't fully recommend the brand despite its nutritional value looking good on paper. That's why we're giving it a 3.5/5.0 rating.*Find out more about our editorial & review standards
PawTree Overview
PawTree is a Southlake-based small business established in 2012 by a former CEO, Roger Morgan, who has over a decade of experience in the pet food industry.
Morgan decided to create a business that makes high-quality pet food that doesn’t compromise on quality for the sake of profit.
Aside from their dry dog food line, they offer an extensive range of products, with the most notable ones being superfood seasoning and oils, a variety of freeze-dried treats, and even pet treat bake mixes, all of which are made with the guidance of pet nutrition experts.
Is PawTree Dog Food Good?
PawTree offers twelve dog food recipes, including seven grain-free recipes and four poultry-free recipes. All the recipes are suitable for adult dogs and use real meat.
If your pup has a poultry allergy, you probably know that “poultry-free” doesn’t necessarily mean that the dog food doesn’t contain any amount of chicken or egg product.
Sometimes brands still add chicken or egg byproducts as a filler or nutritional additive.
PawTree does one cool thing with their poultry-free recipes; they exclude all sorts of chicken or egg products, even in small quantities.
All of their recipes have real animal meat as the first ingredient, which is a great sign. They also all boast an average of 27% protein, with two exceptions. These exceptions are more suitable for senior dogs and dogs with kidney issues.
The core idea behind PawTree is to make a customizable nutrition plan for your pet according to their specific needs instead of having one or two cookie-cutter formulas that work for most pets.
While working on this review, it was particularly hard to find reviews for the brand that aren’t done by these reps to sell more. PawTree’s website doesn’t have reviews, and they don’t sell their dog food anywhere else, raising questions about their reputation.
All you find about their dog food is the usual marketing content and the unhelpful nutritional label, which makes determining whether it’s really that good.
Bear in mind that they don’t customize meals. A “customized plan” means that they make a selection of products that fits your pup’s profile.
You might find a handful of PawTree products on Amazon or some other online retailer, but you’ll need to order their pet food through their website or a PawTree rep.
Pros
- Locally sourced and produced brand
- Can customize a plan for your pet
- 12 recipes, including grain-free and poultry-free ones
- Completely poultry-free recipes for dogs with allergies
- A loyalty program that gives you discounts over time
- Recipes are made entirely of high-quality ingredients
- All of their recipes include superfoods such as blueberry and flaxseed
- A selection of additives, such as superfood seasonings and oils
Cons
- Expensive, even compared to other high-quality food brands
- Relies on direct sales, so shipping may take days
- They’re an MLM company which is, in some people’s books, a huge red flag
- Some ingredients are questionable, which are often added to make their numbers look better than they are
Best of PawTree Dog Food Recipes
As I mentioned earlier, getting any information other than the marketing fluff on PawTree’s website was quite difficult, so I couldn’t rank them based on happy customers as I normally would. So instead, let’s look at the best recipes we saw on their website.
1. PawTree Real Whitefish and Brown Rice (Poultry Free)
Let’s explore one of the most notable recipes in PawTree’s collection, the whitefish and brown rice poultry-free recipe. This formula is made with dogs with a poultry allergy in mind, and it does a wonderful job adding high-value ingredients with very few controversial ingredients.
More importantly, this recipe is an “All Life Stages” AAFCO nutrient profile, which means it contains enough protein and nutrients for puppies and elderly dogs.
Nutrient Content
Method | Protein | Fats | Carbs |
Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 12% | N/A |
Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 14% | 51% |
Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 30% | 46% |
Ingredients List:
Ingredient Analysis
The top five ingredients in this recipe are nutritious, high-quality ingredients that can even be better than the average ingredients made for dogs without allergies.
Whitefish and menhaden fish meal are excellent sources of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. Brown rice and barely are of moderate nutritional value, while oatmeal is highly nutritious.
- Estimated meat content: This recipe is estimated to have less than 27% meat content on a dry matter basis due to the inclusion of ingredients that enhance the overall protein level.
- Controversial ingredients: Tomato pomace and potato protein are low-quality additives with modest nutritional value but enhance the recipe’s numbers on paper. And the ingredients also include chelated minerals, which facilitate protein absorption.
2. PawTree Grain Free Real Duck and Chickpeas (Grain Free)
This recipe also has an impressive list of ingredients and a good overall protein content. It’s good enough to be appropriate for puppies allergic to grains and offers excellent value for money.
Nutrient Content
Method | Protein | Fats | Carbs |
Guaranteed Analysis | 28% | 10% | N/A |
Dry Matter Basis | 32% | 11% | 49% |
Calorie Weighted Basis | 29% | 26% | 45% |
Ingredients List:
Ingredient Analysis
While the top ingredients of this recipe might not be as great as the first one, other additives such as salmon oil and taurine make up for the less nutritious elements.
If your dog belongs to a breed with a high propensity for heart conditions and has grain allergies, consult a veterinarian before switching to this recipe.
- Estimated meat content: Just like the previous recipe, this recipe has plant-based ingredients that boost the percentage of protein, so we can’t tell for sure the amount of meat in it. But we do know it’s less than 32%.
- Controversial ingredients: The most controversial ingredients in this recipe are dried peas and chickpeas. Relying on legumes in dog food has been linked to heart conditions. However, PawTree makes a point to include taurine, which is essential to muscle and heart health.
PawTree General Ingredients Review
To give you a clear understanding of how ingredients in other recipes may affect your furbaby’s health, I’ll go over the core categories and explore whether they’re good or bad for dogs.
Animal Protein
PawTree’s dog foods include real meat like chicken, turkey, lamb, salmon, trout, and whitefish. Let’s break them down!
- Chicken and turkey are safe for most dogs, except those allergic to poultry.
- The fish choices PawTree offers are some of the best for regular consumption for dogs. They’re low in saturated fats and aren’t exposed to mercury contamination.
- Lamb is a tasty alternative to poultry that’s slightly higher in fat content, which can benefit underweight dogs, but ultimately, that depends on the recipe itself.
Grains
PawTree uses healthy grains like oatmeal, brown rice, and barley. Although grains received a bad reputation due to a shipment of contaminated wheat in 2007, whole grains are nutritious for dogs but do cause allergic reactions for some.
- Brown rice and barley are easily digestible and a good source of fiber and energy. But it’s not as nutrient-rich as oatmeal.
- Oatmeal is becoming more of a crowd favorite because it promotes a healthy coat and skin.
All in all, including grains in dry food is perfectly okay as long as it’s supplemented by other, more nutritious foods, which PawTree does.
Legumes
One of the most controversial ingredients that PawTree relies on is legumes (chickpeas, peas, and lentils.) They’re mostly found in grain-free recipes.
The FDA investigated a connection between legumes and canine heart disease in 2018. A year later, they reported that a chilling 90% of all cases ate a grain-free diet containing legumes.
PawTree seems to avoid using legumes due to the controversy, except for the grain-free recipes.
Other Ingredients
Some great ingredients that PawTree uses in their recipes are sweet potatoes, flaxseed, coconut oil, salmon oil, dried apples, dried cranberries, dried spinach, broccoli, and a hefty number of vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Let’s look at the most notable ones:
- Dried sweet potato/potato protein: both types of potato are healthy for dogs, but it’s important to note that they contain a considerable amount of low-quality protein. This increases the protein content percentage, allowing pet food companies to make their numbers look better.
- Taurine: this nutrient is a great addition to a dog’s diet and is one thing that sets PawTree’s dog food apart. Taurine plays a huge role in heart disease prevention and is often neglected in dogs’ diets as it’s known to be necessary specifically for cats.
- Chelated Minerals: these minerals have a protein-boosting effect as it chemically adheres to protein, making them more digestible.
How to Choose the Right Type for Your Pet?
Understanding ingredients, nutritional labels, and various numbers can be overwhelming, even for experienced individuals. PawTree’s 12 recipes can add to this complexity. In this section, I’ll guide you on how to narrow down the recipes that suit your pup best.
Dog Age
Some PawTree recipes meet the recommended protein percentages as well as the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio for puppies. Growing pups require higher amounts of these nutrients in their diet.
According to PawTree’s website, six of their recipes are good enough for puppies. Some are suitable for all breeds, while others are suitable for large or small breeds only:
- Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe (Grain-Free)
- Real Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe (Grain-Free)
- Real Chicken & Oatmeal Recipe
- Real Salmon, Peas & Sweet Potato Recipe (Grain-Free)
- Real Lamb, Chickpeas & Lentils Recipe (Grain and Poultry Free)
- Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
- Real Whitefish & Brown Rice Recipe (Grain and Poultry Free)
Related: 10 Best Dog Foods for Goldendoodles in 2022
With some of PawTree dog food recipes, it’s unclear whether they’re recommended for older dogs because of how their description is worded. Some, however, are clearly stated to be suitable for older dogs:
- Real Trout, Sweet Peas & Lentils Recipe (Poultry Free)
- Real Duck & Chickpeas Recipe (Grain-Free)
- Real Turkey & Garbanzo Beans Recipe (Grain-Free)
We’re not huge fans of the fact that they have a one-size-fits-all approach to how their recipes should differ according to age.
That said, the quality of their recipes and the added nutrients (such as taurine and Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids) greatly impact the dog’s ability to fully digest and benefit from this food.
Allergies
PawTree dog food comes in formulas that are suitable for chicken, poultry, grain, and fish allergies.
An important consideration is that recipes that don’t have chicken in their name may still have poultry meal or other products. So if your pup is allergic to chicken or poultry, opt for one of the four poultry-free recipes they offer.
Breed Dispositions to Diseases
The most important thing to avoid for pups with a predisposition to heart disease is grain-free, legume-based recipes.
It may also be safer for large-breed pups to eat dog food designed especially for their breed. This can mitigate the risk of bone and joint issues as they get older.
However, there is a PawTree product for just about everything pets. So you could add their joint support chews to your large breed dog’s diet.
Weight Control
Finally, consider your pup’s weight when choosing from PawTree’s dog food. These five recipes are suitable for overweight dogs:
- Real Turkey & Brown Rice
- Real Turkey & Garbanzo Beans Recipe (Grain-Free)
- Real Duck & Chickpeas Recipe (Grain-Free)
- Real Trout & Barley Recipe (Poultry Free)
- Real Trout, Sweet Peas & Lentils Recipe (Poultry and Grain Free)
PawTree Recall History – 0 Recall
Pet food gets recalled for all sorts of reasons, from slight errors in nutritional values to major contamination and safety concerns.
You can pretty much tell how much a dog food brand is trustworthy by how many recalls they’ve had.
And one reassuring thing about PawTree is that they’ve never had a single recall since the company was created in 2012. That’s an entire decade of a well-managed production process.
Customer Reviews
PawTree’s online reviews are pretty limited. Their website doesn’t have reviews, and they don’t sell their dog food (and most other products) anywhere else. That, to a lot of people, is a red flag in itself.
Most Reviews Online Are Unreliable
PawTree being an MLM company affects the reliability of the reviews available online since they’re split between those who sing the praise of PawTree products, which is likely just a way to sell them and get a kickback and those who villainize the company without a second thought.
On Trustpilot, reviews are ravenously in love with the company’s product, except that ten out of the 14 reviews posted were in all one month. That indicates that these reviews are most likely not legit.
Aggressively Pushed By Backyard Breeders
On Reddit, things are a little darker. Most posts related to PawTree are posted by someone asking about the brand because their breeder demanded that they buy 2-3 years’ worth of PawTree dog food and supplements, or they’re not guaranteeing the dog’s health.
If this is the case for you, avoid these types of breeders at all costs. A breeder who forces you to use one brand of dog food regardless of the alternative is bad news.
Their Dog Food Isn’t Most Dogs’ Favorite
After sifting through all the reviews I found on different platforms, one thing becomes clear. Not all dogs do well on PawTree dog food.
That said, it’s important to note pet owners discontinued feeding their dogs PawTree at the first sign of trouble. This overlooks recipe variations and common symptoms during food transitions.
Their Other Products Are Well-Loved
I found PawTree products on Amazon, including grooming supplies, baking mixes, and their popular PawTree seasonings.
Most reviews for these products are positive, highlighting improvements in pets’ health. Some negative reviews mention the high cost; a few received expired products.
Related: Open Farm Dog Food Review
Conclusion
Overall, PawTree’s dry dog food looks like a solid option, especially if you’re a dog mom or dad who’s been pressed to find a recipe that fits your four-legged baby’s food restrictions.
Most of their recipes are made mainly for adult dogs, but many work for puppies and senior dogs. This brand uses high-quality ingredients, including real meat, high levels of protein content, salmon and coconut oil, and many more. These ingredients promote healthy skin, joints, and digestion for all kinds of dogs.
There are also many highly-reviewed PawTree products that can positively impact pet health, such as oil blend supplements, treats, baking mixes, and food toppers.
I can confidently say that there are more trustworthy types of dog food out there. However, it may be worth the try if money is not the issue and if your dog’s digestion can handle an experiment.