Dr. Marty Pets Review 2024: Freeze-Dried Dog Food

Overview

Dr. Marty Pets was founded by the famous integrative veterinarian, Dr. Martin Goldstein. A pioneer in holistic pet care with over 45 years of experience as a vet, Dr. Goldstein has used his vast knowledge of canine health to bring you healthy, premium dog food offerings.

Its meals incorporate raw meats, wholesome vegetables, and nutrient-rich flax seeds. This raw, natural approach mimics the diet dogs would naturally consume in the wild. Dr. Marty Pets freeze-dries their food to lock in nutrition and intensify flavors. This not only tastes better for your dog, but it also aims to promote better digestion and overall vitality.

You can choose from several different formulations at Dr. Marty Pets. There are specialized options for puppies, small breeds, senior dogs, and dogs with food sensitivities. Chances are there’s a Dr. Marty Pets formulation that will be perfect for your 4-legged friend. Read on and find out more! 

Dr Marty Pets Meals

Plans and Recipes

Dr. Marty Pets foods are designed by a holistic veterinarian to provide pets with all the minerals and nutrients they need at all life stages. Because the food is freeze-dried, it maintains its nutrient value and taste yet is pantry-safe so you don’t have to freeze or refrigerate it upon arrival. And there are no artificial nutrients added, so your dog gets all its dietary needs met naturally.

You can choose between 6 different Dr Marty Pets formulations when shopping for your canine companion.

• Essential Wellness

• Small Breed

• Active Vitality (Senior Dogs)

• Healthy Growth (Puppies)

• Sensitivity Select (Dogs with allergies or sensitivities)

• Essential Wellness Premium Origin

The Essential Wellness recipe is the base formulation for most other Dr Marty Pets dog recipes. Designed by Dr. Marty himself, it offers a mix of turkey, duck, beef liver, turkey liver, and turkey heart for protein and nutrients. This is combined with superfoods like flaxseed, cranberry, and dried kelp for extra vitamins.

Small Breed meals use the base recipe but break the food up into smaller bite-size chunks to better suit the needs of dogs under 25 pounds. Active Vitality adds cherry and New Zealand green mussel to give your older pooch joint and mobility support. Healthy Growth adds goat milk and seaweed for calcium that growing puppies need.

The Sensitivity Select recipe skips the beef, beef liver, and egg found in other Dr. Marty recipes, as these are common allergens for dogs with sensitivities. Instead, it uses quail and goose, both of which are hypoallergenic. Dr. Marty Pets also offers an Essential Wellness Premium Origin mix made with New Zealand lamb, venison, and mackerel.

Dr. Marty also offers a selection of treats and supplements. Treats are made with 100% freeze-dried beef liver, salmon, or cod. Supplements provide nutrients that can help with gut health, allergies, joint and mobility issues, and dog anxiety and hyperactivity. There are also superfood supplements that can provide your pooch with extra nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants.

If you have a cat, Dr. Marty Pets also has a selection of cat food, treats, and supplements. You can even share your Dr. Marty dog treats with your feline, as they’re made entirely of meat and suitable for both dog and cat digestive systems.

Ingredients

All Nature’s Blend meals are made with 81% raw meat. This provides protein that supports canine health and keeps your pup active and playful throughout its lifespan. There are no artificial preservatives or synthetic vitamins and minerals. Nutrients come from the meat, vegetables, fruits, and seeds that are combined to ensure your dog gets a balanced diet.

This is the ingredient list for the Essential Wellness food: Turkey, Beef, Salmon, Duck, Beef Liver, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Flaxseed, Sweet Potato, Egg, Pea Flour, Apple, Blueberry, Carrot, Cranberry, Pumpkin Seed, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Ginger, Salt, Sunflower Seed, Broccoli, Kale, Mixed Tocopherols (natural preservative)

Organ meats like liver and heart provide vitamins A, B, D, and E and minerals like copper, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. Flaxseed is nutritious and also provides fiber which can help your pet with digestion and prevent canine constipation. Tocopherols are a Vitamin E-based oil that prevents spoilage while providing your pet with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant protection.

Nutrition

Dr. Marty Pets meals are minimally processed and then freeze-dried. Most commercial dog foods are processed with high heat, which breaks down many vital nutrients. This preserves both the nutrients and the flavor.

Here is the nutrient profile from a guaranteed analysis of Dr. Marty Pets dog foods. 

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min) 37%

Crude Fat (min) 27%

Crude Fiber (max) 4%

Moisture (max) 6%

What Makes It Different

Dr. Marty Pets foods are designed by a holistic veterinarian to provide pets with all the minerals and nutrients they need at all life stages. Because the food is freeze-dried, it maintains its nutrient value and taste yet is pantry-safe so you don’t have to freeze or refrigerate it upon arrival. And there are no artificial nutrients added, so your dog gets all its dietary needs met naturally.

Unboxing

Because Dr. Marty Pets food and treats are freeze-dried, they don’t need to be sent in an insulated box with cold packs. You can subscribe for 3, 6, or 12 bags a month. If you need more than 12 bags a month, you can purchase as many extra bags as you want, though you won’t get the 5% savings you get from an autoshipment.

Because Dr. Marty Pets food is freeze-dried, it’ll last up to 3 months in pantry storage. To prepare the food, scoop out the recommended amount for your dog’s size, then rehydrate it with hot water at a 1:2 ratio. (For example, if your dog needs 1 cup of food, moisten it with ½ a cup of water and serve).

The boxes used by Dr. Marty Pets are recyclable, but the food bags aren’t. However, since the order doesn’t need to arrive chilled, the packages require no insulation or gel packs, so the environmental impact is minor. Dr. Marty Pets also reduces its carbon footprint at the factory by using high-efficiency boilers and water heaters, as well as HPP pumps that are 15% more efficient than regular pumps.

Prices

Dr. Marty Pets dog food only comes in 1-pound bags that contain 4 cups of freeze-dried raw food. A 5-pound chihuahua will need ½ cup of Dr. Marty Natural Blend a day, while a 90-pound German Shepherd will need 4½ cups, or 9 bags every 8 days.

If you’re paying the retail price, you’re going to be spending a lot of money on feeding your pet. Luckily, you can save up to 55% when you sign up for a free Dr. Marty VIP membership.

If your dog turns a cold nose up at Dr. Marty meals, you can send back the unused portion within 90 days, and Dr. Marty Pets will give you a full refund. Shipping is free on all orders over $50.

Shipping & Delivery

Within 12-24 hours after you place your order, it’ll leave Dr. Marty’s California fulfillment center. Most orders arrive within 5-9 business days. Dr. Marty Pets ships to the US and worldwide. 

You can call 1-800-670-1839 to reschedule a delivery for a subscription. You’ll get the tracking number for your order as soon as it ships, so you can contact the delivery service to make any delivery changes or place a hold on your order if necessary.

How Dr. Marty Pets Works

When you sign up for a VIP membership, you get over 50% off on your Dr. Marty Pets purchases. Membership is free and easy. There are no questionnaires and no commitments. You don’t have to provide any payment information until you place an order.

How to Sign Up

1. Create a profile

The orange Create Profile button on the home page is easy to find. Simply click on it and your journey to savings has begun.

2. Provide your name and email address

Enter your name and email address, check the box that says you accept the Terms and Privacy Policy, and click Create Your Account.

3. Validate your email address

Go to your email inbox, open your email from Dr. Marty Pets, and click the Confirm Your Email button to verify your address. If you don’t see it in your inbox, check your junk mail/spam folder. 

4. Set your password

Choose your password, confirm it in the space below, and click the Set Password button, then log in using your email address and password.

5. Place your orders

You’re all set! Go to the shop, choose the items you want, and enjoy the savings that come with being a Dr. Marty VIP Member. 

Managing Your Subscription

You can cancel your subscription at any time by calling Dr. Marty Pets customer support at 1-800-670-1839, or by going to the Edit Subscriptions link on your VIP account profile.

Customer Service

Dr. Marty Pets offers several ways in which you can contact customer support. Its 800-670-1839 support number is open from 6 am to 5 pm PST on weekdays and 6 am to 4 pm on weekends. You can also email support@drmartypets.com or send a message via the webform. Unfortunately, Dr. Marty Pets doesn’t have a live chat function on its website, nor does it have an iOS or Android app.

Dr. Marty Pets has a FAQ, but it only offers limited information about Dr. Marty Pets products. If you have a question about shipping or subscriptions, you’ll have to contact the customer support team. This is definitely an improvement area for Dr. Marty’s enterprises. Well-written, comprehensive FAQs increase customer satisfaction and can result in fewer customer support contacts.

I tried calling Dr. Marty Pets during their business hours on a weekday. The introductory recording suggested that I use the Dr. Marty Pets live chat function, which doesn’t currently exist. I then waited 11 minutes before hanging up. I would strongly advise Dr. Marty to add the live chat option as soon as possible.

Every Dr. Marty Pets order comes with a 90-day money back guarantee. If your pet is unimpressed by Dr. Marty dog food, you can call customer support to get a return authorization for the remaining food or start the process on the Dr. Marty website.

Dr. Marty Pets Recalls

Dr. Marty Pets has never had a product recall.

How Dr. Marty Pets Compares to Other Pet Food Services

• Dr. Marty Pets vs The Farmer’s Dog: Dr. Marty Pets provides you with freeze-dried meals you can store in your pantry for up to 90 days after opening, while The Farmer’s Dog offers frozen fresh human-grade dog food you keep in your freezer and thaw before serving.

• Dr. Marty Pets vs We Feed Raw: Dr. Marty Pets gives you freeze-dried raw food combined with vegetables and superfoods for nutrient value, while We Feed Raw sends you frozen raw food consisting of meat, organ meat, and edible bone that follows your canine’s ancestral diet.

• Dr. Marty Pets vs Open Farm: Dr. Marty Pets gives you an ingredient list of meats and vegetables used, but Open Farm uses only sustainable, humanely raised proteins and provides you with a link to where each ingredient comes from.

The Bottom Line: Is Dr. Marty Pets Worth It?

Overall, Dr. Marty Pets is an excellent choice for dog parents who want the best for their furbaby. But while I can’t complain about the quality of the food, I also have to admit that it’s 1 of the most expensive dog foods that I’ve reviewed.

Dr. Marty Pets is better suited for smaller dogs than larger ones, simply because of the cost. Even using Dr. Marty Pets as a topper for your big dog’s regular meals will start to add up. If you have a giant breed dog or are on a tight budget, I recommend checking our list of the best dog food delivery services.

FAQ

Does Dr. Marty Pets have a money back guarantee on dog food?

You can return the unused portion within 90 days for a full refund if your dog doesn’t like Dr. Marty dog food. Contact customer support, and they’ll send you an authorization number and shipping label so you can send it back.

How long does Dr. Marty Pets food last after opening?

Because it’s freeze-dried, Dr. Marty dog food will stay fresh up to 90 days after opening. You can store it in your pantry, so there’s no need to keep them in your refrigerator or freezer. The bags are small and can be closed with a zip-lock seal, so storing them is easy.

Why is Dr. Marty Pets food so expensive?

Freeze-drying is the most expensive way of preparing dog food, so Dr. Marty Pets food is more expensive than most of its competitors. But you can save over 50% on prices by signing up for its free VIP program, with additional discounts if you subscribe to monthly shipments.