Best-for · PetScored desk
Fresh-cooked, refrigerated dog foods, ranked by composite score. Fresh is a format, not proof of better nutrition - and the value penalty per 1,000 kcal is real. We rank what the label actually proves.
Fresh, gently cooked, refrigerated dog food is the fastest-growing corner of the aisle. PetScored does not credit or penalize the format itself - a fresh food is scored on the same five sub-scores as a kibble, and several land mid-pack rather than at the top.
Two honest caveats run through this category. First, fresh is expensive per 1,000 kcal, which the Value sub-score reflects. Second, one of the largest fresh brands is one we do not score at all - we hold it on an evidence standard - so a fresh list from us is deliberately shorter than the marketing suggests.
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Our pick
Freshpet
Fresh-cooked, refrigerated format. AAFCO formulated to meet the profiles. Value 7.0 reflects the cost per 1,000 kcal.
Fresh refrigerated chicken leads a short, recognizable panel and the recipe is all-life-stages adequate. The tradeoff, in our view, is high moisture, so calories per dollar run higher than kibble, plus peas and egg early in the deck for sensitive dogs.
Runners-up
Fresh-cooked, refrigerated format. AAFCO formulated to meet the profiles. Value 2.0 reflects the cost per 1,000 kcal.
Buy on AmazonFresh-cooked, refrigerated format. AAFCO formulated to meet the profiles. Value 2.0 reflects the cost per 1,000 kcal.
Buy on AmazonFresh-cooked, refrigerated format. AAFCO formulated to meet the profiles. Value 2.0 reflects the cost per 1,000 kcal.
Buy on AmazonFresh-cooked, refrigerated format. AAFCO formulated to meet the profiles. Value 4.0 reflects the cost per 1,000 kcal.
Buy on AmazonHow this list is built
Ranking is composite score, tie-broken on Ingredient Clarity. We score the label and the public record, not the refrigerator. A fresh food that publishes named ingredients, AAFCO substantiation, and a clean recall record scores well; one that leans on lifestyle marketing does not.
Cuts
FAQ
Ranking is composite score, tie-broken on Ingredient Clarity. We score the label and the public record, not the refrigerator. A fresh food that publishes named ingredients, AAFCO substantiation, and a clean recall record scores well; one that leans on lifestyle marketing does not.
5 picks cleared the rubric bar for this list. 125 other scored brands were considered and didn't make the cut. We surface both for transparency.
No. PetScored takes no manufacturer money. The list is computed deterministically from the rubric and the public product data. The same inputs produce the same ranking every time. See /trust for the full posture.
Yes - but in defined ways. Adding a new scored product can change the ranking. A rubric version bump (see /methodology/changelog) can change it. A source-confidence update on an existing product can change it. We publish every change.
