Have you decided it’s time to adopt a healthy approach to feeding your dog? If you have, there’s some great options in the UK to choose from.
Many pet parents are used to feeding their dog dry food or wet food purchased at the local supermarket or pet store.
While there is usually no problem with this type of pet nutrition, pet owners might be oblivious to some of the ingredients that go into some less healthy options.
The traditional dog food can have confusing labels or use mysterious ingredients that you have never heard of.
Altnertatively, you may have decided that you want to ado
However, the dog food delivery market in the UK has a lot of great companies looking to help pet parents feed their canine companions in a modern way.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at Butternut Box and Tails, who are two of leading operators in this industry in the UK.
Editor's note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as veterinary, medical or professional advice. The content of our articles does not constitute veterinary advice. It’s always best to speak with your vet or a certified pet nutritionist before making any changes to your pet's diet or feeding routine.
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Butternut Box – The Basics
Website: butternutbox.com
Alaskan Klee Kai Copper with his Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Butternut Box provide British dog owners with meals that are cooked like you would at home.
They want to make sure dogs in the UK are getting real ingredients in their meals, so that’s why they use 60 per cent meat and 40 per cent vegetables in their unique dog food. Their website explains that they only use ingredients that you can see and say.
Butternut Box write on their website that their meals are vet approved, grain free and made in the UK. They add that their recipes are complete and gently cooked to perfection.
Pet parents will be required to fill out a questionnaire to allow Butternut Box to create a personalised meal plan that is complete and healthy, tailored to your dog’s specific needs.
Butternut Box have 10 different recipes on offer, including: Chow Down Chicken, Beef It Up, Gobble Gobble Turkey, Wham Bam Lamb, Pork This Way and Oh My Cod. There should be an option for even the pickiest of eaters.
Their meals are gently cooked to retain all their goodness before being stored in perfectly portioned pouches. So when it comes to dinnertime, you just have to rip-and-serve into your dog’s bowl – that means less hassle and less mess.
They’ve recently redesigned their pouches to contain more dog food and result in less packaging, proving that Butternut Box have their paw on the eco-friendly pulse.
Butternut Box’s meals are vet approved, so you can have peace of mind knowing that your dog is getting the very best in dog nutrition created by people with experience in the industry.
We must point out that Butternut Box have adopted an eco-friendly approach to their subscription service given their boxes, ice packs and insulation can all be recycled. So you can feed your dogs these healthy meals while leaving a green paw print on our wonderful planet.
Tails – The Basics
Website: Tails.com
Copper and Tails dog food (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Tails have a slightly different approach to Butternut Box. They offer dry food and wet food options rather than fresh meals cooked and prepared and frozen into pouches.
To start the sign up process, Tails will need to learn a little more about your dog. So they’ll ask questions such as age, weight, breed, acitivity level and more.
Their algorithm will create a unique recipe for your dog, with the meals having been created by vets and nutritionists to ensure your pet gets what they need from their food.
Unlike other dog food companies who provide kibble, Tails are completely transparent about what goes into their meals. It’s all good stuff, such as meat and fish, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. There’s no added sugar, artificial colors or artificial flavours.
They provide a customised scooper with instructions on how to feed your dog. You won’t have to worry about overfeeding or underfeeding your dog provided your stick to the guidelines.
Tails add on their website that they always checking for freshness and taste, making sure each blend meets their high quality standards.
Things To Consider When Picking Dog Food Delivery
So you’re thinking about making a big change and signing up to a dog food delivery company. Here are some things to consider.
• Ingredients – These companies use the very best ingredients to ensure your dog is only eating good stuff. You can feel satisfied that your dog is eating a healthy diet, just like you.
• Recipe Variety – If you’ve got picky eaters like me, it’s important that these companies give you some different options. We like to have a choice between three or four recipes to meet every dog’s interests.
• Expert Input – Dog food delivery companies usually have a team of experts to help create their meals. So you can have peace of mind that vets have had an input in the creation of the recipes to ensure their balanced and complete.
• Packaging and Preparation – If you’re paying a little extra for a subscription service, you want these meals to be hassle free. That means less fuss and less mess when it comes to dishing up your dog’s grub.
• Ordering Experience – We’re not all computer whizzes, so it’s important that the sign up process is simple and not overly confusing to ensure you enter the key details in the right sections.
• Price – Feeding your dogs these healthy meals will cost a little more than the traditional options at the supermarket. The hope is that you’ll save money in the long-term with less trips to the vet.
• Delivery schedule – Pet parents can live busy lives, so you want to have the flexibility to rearrange delivers or pause subscriptions if you have to go out of town.
Butternut Box vs Tails – Our Recommendation
Alaskan Klee Kai Copper and Skye with their Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
So here’s the moment of truth: do we recommend Butternut Box or Tails?
We believe that Butternut Box is a superior option for British dog owners. Here at helloBARK!, we really believe in the value of freshly prepared, customised dog meals using human-grade ingredients.
We’ve seen first hand the impact that these type of meals have had on our dogs. My Alaskan Klee Kai are happier and healthier since making the switch to a dog food delivery company.
Butternut Box have six different recipes to cater to every dog, using 60 per cent meat and 40 per cent vegetables. We really appreciate knowing that it’s real ingredients. Whether you’ve got a fussy eater who will benefit from rich flavours or a portly pup who needs to shed some pounds, Butternut Box have you covered.
At the end of a long day, you don’t want to fuss around preparing your dog’s meals. Butternut Box use pre-portioned pouches that require you to simply open and pour into your dog’s bowls. This is a big plus!
As a dog owner who cares about the health and wellbeing of our planet, I appreciate that Butternut Box go into great detail about how their packaging is recyclable on their website. They’ve even set up a facility where you can return your insulation so it can be reused.
Having said all that, Tails are a great option if you’d prefer to stick to kibble. They use real ingredients to tailor their meals to meet your canine’s needs.
But our recommendation is Butternut Box based upon our success with these home-cooked meals.
New customers can get 50% off their first box and 50% off their second box. To avail of this offer, click here.
What are customers saying about Butternut Box and Tails?
Butternut Box get a glowing rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars based upon over 10,000 reviews on independent website Trustpilot.
A Schnauzer owner couldn’t say enough good things about Butternut Box:
Absolutely blown away by hands (or paws) down the best customer experience I think I’ve ever had, the whole Butternut team are just doing things right! My Miniature Schnauzer puppy absolutely loves her new food and literally does a happy dance as soon as she hears the microwave ping, she loves it warmed a little.
A customer with two English Bulldogs gave them a five-star review:
Both our Englishbulldogs are hooked on Butternut Box. I’ve never seen them as excited as when I get the package from the fridge. Mealtimes are joyous and both satisfying and smell good enough to eat yourself! It’s great to know everything that goes into them is such high quality with no nasties. The both look in amazing health and are very happy and relaxed dogs since starting the plan. Their skin and coats are gleaming. Their poops are minimal and have gone from tonnes a day to two which don’t even smell and are firm and small compared to a kibble diet.
Tails get 4.8 stars out of 5 based upon over 20,000 reviews on Trustpilot.
A customer with a dog who suffers from pancreatitis was impressed:
Freddie has Pancreatitis so has to be careful what he eats. He is also fussy foodie he says that out of all the foods he’s tried this one gets his vote. He has no problems with his mix.
A pet parent with a senior Golden Retriever revealed the level of care Tails provide:
I have a senior golden retriever who had been taken poorly and due to this had lost weight and looking a bit sad! Tails helped by taking the details of her vets visit and her diet. I was then referred to a nutritionist who called me with advice and what she thought was needed to get her weight back. She is looking much better putting on weight and back to her bouncy self.
Do Butternut Box Or Tails Have A Coupon Code Or Discount?
We have a special Butternut Box offer for helloBARK! readers. New customers can get 50% off their first box and 50% off their second box. To avail of this offer, click here.
Our readers can get 75% off their first order of Tails when they click this link.
Anything Else To Consider?
Butternut Box and Tails provide material on how to make the switch to their food in your first delivery. You don’t want to immediately switch your dog onto their food because it could cause a tummy upset. You should slowly make the transition. If you have any questions, you should contact your vet for more advice.
Wrapping Things Up – Final Thoughts
Alaskan Klee Kai Copper with his Butternut Box recipes (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
So we’ve come to the end of our comparison article on Butternut Box and Tails.
We recommend giving Butternut Box a go out of these two companies based upon our experience.
I’ve seen first hand just how much my two picky Alaskan Klee Kai love eating homecooked meals such as Butternut Box’s recipes.
Their stomach problems vanished and I haven’t visited the vet since making the change.
Not only that, but Butternut Box’s meals are conveniently stored in pre-portioned pouches. That’s less fuss and mess at mealtime!
Tails are still a great option and you won’t go too far wrong by ordering from either of these companies. Your dog will still benefit from a fresh approach.
