Our Ultimate Verdict
We give A Pup Above model an general ranking of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
High quality: 4.9/5
Selection: 4.7/5
Substances: 4.8/5
Worth: 4.9/5
On the earth of contemporary pet food, there are extra decisions than ever. From custom-preportioned meals to grocery retailer manufacturers, all these decisions current an issue for house owners who simply need the very best for his or her pups. In spite of everything, how are you aware which manufacturers ship on their guarantees and that are simply good at advertising themselves?
I not too long ago had the chance to check 4 recipes from A Pup Above, a pet food firm with a novel method to contemporary meals. They prepare dinner their human-grade meat through sous vide to retain extra vitamins and protein than the competitors. In addition they go the additional mile to make sure their elements are sustainably grown and humanely harvested.
My senior Chihuahua, Papyrus, has been loving this meals and I’m a fairly large fan too. Preserve studying my A Pup Above model overview to find why this tackle contemporary fare has gained us over and if it’s the suitable selection in your pooch.
At a Look: What We Acquired
About A Pup Above
A Pup Above began with a easy mission: make pet food that’s extra sustainable, simply traceable, and higher for us, our canine, and the planet. As we speak, the corporate takes this mission under consideration throughout each step of the method, from sourcing their elements to designing their packaging.
Who Makes A Pup Above and The place is it Produced?
A Pup Above was began by Ruth and Javier Marriott and their canine Lola in 2018 with a model overhaul in 2020. They function out of Austin, Texas, and all of their canine meals are made in USDA human-grade kitchens.
Which Kinds of Pets is A Pup Above Finest Suited For?
Most canine can profit from a contemporary, pure eating regimen just like the contemporary recipes A Pup Above provides.
These meals are excessive in protein and fats, making them an particularly nice choice for energetic, younger, and dealing canine. With correct portioning, they can be a terrific selection for seniors and fewer energetic canine.
A Pup Above recipes are tailor-made to the dietary wants of grownup canine. They can be utilized as a topper for puppies, however shouldn’t be fed solely to canine beneath one yr of age.
Key Options
There are various issues that set A Pup Above, properly, above the competitors. Right here, we’ll have a look at how their elements, preparation, sourcing, give attention to sustainability, and ordering choices make them distinctive within the contemporary pet food world.
Substances
The primary ingredient in each A Pup Above contemporary meals recipe is meat. That is one purpose these recipes are a lot larger in protein than different contemporary meals choices. The second ingredient in all recipes is organ meat sourced from the identical animal because the muscle meat.
These excessive protein, nutritionally dense elements make up a lot of the meals. I do know that is true as a result of you possibly can see it!
From right here, every recipe accommodates a handful of nutrient-dense greens similar to candy potatoes, spinach, and inexperienced beans. Just a few recipes additionally include some much less fascinating plant elements, together with potatoes, rice, and peas. However these make up such a small portion of the overall elements that they don’t pose the identical issues they do when utilized in massive portions as we see in lots of dry canine meals.
Every recipe additionally accommodates a plethora of superfoods. Bone broth, turmeric, thyme, and parsley are utilized in each taste to supply distinctive vitamins and loads of strong antioxidants.
A particular mix of minerals and nutritional vitamins can also be added to each batch to make sure your canine will get all of the vitamins they should thrive. Whereas an absence of bone meal and complete prey elements makes these artificial vitamins needed, it’s value noting that this meals has fewer added vitamins than most.
Notably, it doesn’t have any added amino acids. This can be a testomony to how nutrient-dense the meat elements are and the way properly the preparation technique preserves these vitamins.
Preparation
One of the vital distinctive features of A Pup Above’s contemporary meals is how they prepare dinner it.
Uncooked meals has many advantages largely as a result of it accommodates extra vitamins than cooked meals. Warmth breaks down enzymes and nutritional vitamins whereas decreasing mass, which lowers the protein content material. Nevertheless, uncooked meals additionally requires particular dealing with, could cause points for immune-suppressed canine, and is extra more likely to harbor excessive quantities of harmful micro organism.
Gently cooked contemporary meals is a compromise that gives secure meals with the next nutrient profile than historically cooked choices. A Pup Above has taken this compromise to a brand new stage by using sous vide to prepare dinner their elements.
Sous vide cooking entails inserting the elements in a vacuum-sealed container and placing them in a water tub. The vacuum circumstances contained in the container decrease the boiling level of water, permitting the elements to prepare dinner at a lot decrease temperatures.
These decrease temperatures are much less dangerous to vitamins, retaining extra of them intact all through the cooking course of. Moreover, much less mass is misplaced throughout cooking and all the juices are retained within the remaining product, resulting in meals with naturally larger quantities of macronutrients.
Sourcing
This firm additionally goes above and past on the subject of sourcing their human-grade elements.
All the meat elements come from farms that follow humane farming. The hen, turkey, and pork are sourced from cage and crate-free amenities, whereas the meat comes from ranches, not feed tons.
The fruit and vegetable elements are non-GMO and sourced from farms that follow sustainable farming. Due to this, they’re uncovered to nourishing soils which can be naturally larger in vitamins and antioxidants.
If you wish to know extra about the place the meals in your luggage got here from, you need to use the best-by date to search for the place every ingredient was sourced. For instance, I do know the pork in my bag got here from Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, whereas the inexperienced beans got here from Oregon, and the turmeric got here from India.
I’ll observe that this function on the corporate’s web site doesn’t all the time work flawlessly. Of the 4 luggage I obtained, I might solely recall correct sourcing data on certainly one of them.
Sustainability
Sourcing sustainably farmed elements is only one approach that A Pup Above helps sustainability practices.
Their packaging, as an illustration, can also be created with the planet in thoughts. All of their packaging is 100% recyclable. The bins could be recycled curbside, whereas different elements of the packaging are recyclable by Terracycle and NexTrex.
A Pup Above’s success heart runs on 100% renewable power. And yearly, the corporate donates 1% of their income to White Buffalo Land Belief. This farm is a working, producing instance of regenerative agriculture and serves as an training area for farmers and ranchers within the area.
Ordering Choices
In terms of contemporary meals, A Pup Above provides 4 recipe choices. Every accommodates elements from just one kind of animal, making it simpler to seek out choices for canine with protein allergy symptoms. In case your canine doesn’t have restrictions, you possibly can go for the sampler pack and check out all 4 recipes.
For all their choices, you possibly can go for a one-time buy, or use their subscribe and save function to avoid wasting 10% and have your meals robotically delivered as typically as needed.
With their “100% tail wags assure,” you possibly can strive their meals risk-free and return it for a full refund in case your canine doesn’t prefer it.
Evaluations of the A Pup Above Recipes We Acquired
1. Chicka Chicka Bow Wow
| Primary Substances | Rooster, Rooster Liver, Candy Potatoes, Bone Broth |
| Energy | 1384 kcal/kg |
| Protein (dry mass) | 41.5% |
| Fats (dry mass) | 17% |
| Fiber (dry mass) | 5.8% |
This recipe accommodates barely much less protein and fats than the opposite choices, making it a terrific selection for much less energetic grownup canine.
The hen that provides the meat, liver, and bone broth is 100% cage-free and sourced within the USA.
Chicka Chicka Bow Wow isn’t grain-free because it accommodates rice. However, as you possibly can see by trying on the meals, the quantity of rice is kind of a bit lower than what you’ll get with different contemporary meals choices.
Like different recipes from this firm, this one is loaded with superfoods, together with apples, spinach, turmeric, parsley, and thyme.
My Chihuahua, Papyrus, is a giant fan of this recipe. It supplied a simple and delicate transition choice since his earlier meals was chicken-based.
Professionals
- Cage-free hen
- Reasonably-high protein
- Reasonably-high fats
- Excessive fiber
- Accommodates hen bone broth
2. Porky’s Lua
| Primary Substances | Pork, Pork Liver, Candy Potatoes, Bone Broth |
| Energy | 1220 kcal/kg |
| Protein (dry mass) | 51% |
| Fats (dry mass) | 19.5% |
| Fiber (dry mass) | 6% |
For those who’re after a high-protein choice in your senior pooch, the pork recipe is your finest guess. This taste is loaded with 51% protein however accommodates a decrease calorie content material. This makes it a superb selection for older canine who usually want extra protein of their eating regimen however have a lowered want for energy.
This recipe is comprised of crate-free pork farmed utilizing humane strategies. That is ethically higher and produces meat with larger dietary worth.
Along with pork meat, this recipe additionally accommodates pork liver and bone broth. Each of those elements are loaded with vitamin.
Porky’s Lua accommodates some distinctive elements, together with pineapple and inexperienced beans, which deliver their very own advantages. Pineapple accommodates antioxidants celebrated for his or her anti-inflammatory properties whereas inexperienced beans are loaded with fiber.
My senior pup fortunately wolfed up this recipe with out criticism.
Professionals
- Very excessive protein
- Decrease calorie
- Distinctive elements
- Crate-free pork
- Hypoallergenic
Cons
- Third ingredient is nice potatoes
3. Texas Beef Stew
| Primary Substances | Beef, Beef Liver, Russet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Bone Broth |
| Energy | 1461 kcal/kg |
| Protein (dry mass) | 46% |
| Fats (dry mass) | 23% |
| Fiber (dry mass) | 6.7% |
This recipe accommodates the very best quantity of fiber and fats out of all of the choices. It’s a nice selection for very energetic canine and dealing canine.
The meat that provides the meat, liver, and bone broth is sourced from ranches fairly than feedlots. Not solely does this make it higher for the atmosphere, however it means the cattle obtain higher vitamin. This makes for extra nutritious meat in your canine.
The third ingredient is russet potatoes, which isn’t my favourite starch to see so excessive up within the elements listing. However once more, you possibly can inform from trying on the meals that there’s little or no potato in comparison with meat.
Plus, this recipe accommodates loads of nutrient-dense plant elements to offset that prime starch content material. Tomatoes, carrots, and parsley pack loads of antioxidants to maintain your pup wholesome and glad.
Papyrus has all the time been a giant fan of beef and this selection was no exception.
Professionals
- Excessive fats
- Excessive fiber
- Ranch-raised beef
- Distinctive veggie elements
- Reasonable energy
Cons
- Accommodates some white potatoes
- Accommodates some peas
4. Turkey Pawella
| Primary Substances | Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Hearts, Turkey Livers, Turkey Gizzards |
| Energy | 1543 kcal/kg |
| Protein (dry mass) | 43% |
| Fats (dry mass) | 22% |
| Fiber (dry mass) | 6.6% |
The turkey recipe from A Pup Above accommodates much less moisture than the opposite choices. Which means that, whereas it has average protein and fewer fats than the meat recipe, it’s the highest calorie choice of the 4. This makes it a terrific selection for canine who want to achieve weight and those that are very energetic.
Turkey Pawella is made utilizing cage-free turkey, which provides the meat, organs, and bone broth. One of many stand-out options of this recipe is that it accommodates three organ elements whereas the others solely include one.
Turkey hearts, livers, and gizzards all present vitamins that meat alone can’t.
Turkey hearts are excessive in taurine and different amino acids in addition to many B nutritional vitamins. Turkey livers are filled with iron and vitamin A. And turkey gizzards are extremely excessive in protein and amino acids.
Papyrus was a giant fan of the turkey recipe and I preferred how mild it was on his abdomen.
Professionals
- A number of organ elements
- Cage-free turkey
- Excessive calorie
- Excessive fiber
- Light on the abdomen
Our Expertise With A Pup Above
My canine, Papyrus, has hardly ever met a meals he doesn’t like. Fortunately, I’m a bit extra discerning. Not solely am I very choosy concerning the high quality of elements that go into his dish, however I’m additionally all the time looking out for pet food corporations that transcend high quality to do higher by livestock and the planet.
That’s precisely why I used to be so excited to provide A Pup Above a strive.
Not solely did the recipes appear like they had been filled with all the suitable stuff, however I used to be very inspired by this firm’s give attention to sustainability and ethically sourced meat.
Since Papyrus doesn’t have any food allergies, I went all in on the pattern pack and examined all 4 recipes.
What We Favored
So far as Papyrus is worried, there may be nothing to not like about this meals. For the final week, he has been rotating by all 4 choices and has eagerly devoured each one.
Regardless of the quick transition from his home made contemporary eating regimen, he’s had no digestive points. All 4 choices appear to be treating him simply wonderful.
So far as my opinion, I’ve additionally discovered quite a bit to like about this meals. I like that I can see every ingredient clearly within the bowl. Much more, I like that there seems to be vastly extra meat than plant-based ingredients.
I’ve examined and reviewed fairly a number of premium canine meals at this level, and this one charges very excessive on the listing when it comes to protein content material. That is additionally one of many few corporations I’ve reviewed who don’t have so as to add taurine to make up for dietary loss throughout cooking. I’ve to imagine the sous vide cooking technique is liable for this.
I additionally like that every recipe solely accommodates elements from a single animal supply. This makes it tremendous straightforward for canine with protein allergy symptoms and sensitivities to discover a recipe they’ll eat.
A few of the recipes include peas and white potatoes, which might cut back taurine absorption. Fortunately, it’s fairly clear from trying on the meals that the quantity used could be very small and unlikely to trigger points.
The opposite space the place this meals impressed was the worth. Now, that’s to not say these recipes are low-cost. However after I in contrast the worth per pound to different premium fresh food choices, I solely discovered one which value much less. And I didn’t discover any cheaper choices that in contrast when it comes to protein content material.
The place I Noticed Room for Enchancment
I solely had one minor criticism about this meals.
Every three-pound bag is damaged up into three separate packages. For my seven-pound Chihuahua, these aren’t precisely small quantities, which suggests I’ve to thaw about 5 day’s value of meals at a time. Fortunately, A Pup Above says the packs keep good within the fridge for as much as seven days after being opened, which is longer than most corporations suggest.
General, I’ve been actually impressed with the standard of the recipes and the elements used. And much more impressed with the care that goes into sourcing these elements and the way inexpensive the meals are contemplating this.
Conclusion
For those who’re searching for contemporary pet food that’s excessive in animal protein and goes above and past when it comes to sustainability and moral sourcing, look no additional than A Pup Above.
Every recipe from this firm accommodates solely ethically sourced meats and sustainably farmed plant elements. These meals are impressively excessive in protein and include nutrient-dense meals cooked through sous vide to retain as a lot protein, nutritional vitamins, and antioxidants as potential. For those who’re questioning in the event that they style good, simply watch how briskly my Chihuahua gobbles them up.
Trending Merchandise
