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Launched in 2022, Tuggs are the first insect-based fresh dog food on the UK market.
With a stellar 93% nutritional rating from the 'All About Dog Food' website, Tuggs offers a diet that rivals the best dog foods available in the UK.
Their highly innovative award-winning dog food blends a combination of meat, vegetables along with insects to offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional dog foods.
Tuggs is establishing itself in the fresh dog food market and serves tens of thousands of dog meals across the UK every month.
Available online as a subscription service, their fresh, meals are delivered directly to your front door.
Sounds promising, so we decided to take a closer look at what Tuggs offer dog-lovers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3. Tuggs Review - Food
4. Tuggs Review - Cost
TUGGS INSECT-BASED DOG FOOD REVIEW
1. Why Consider Insect-Based Dog Food ?
Did you know that pets make up a whopping 20% of global meat and fish consumption?
That's why insect-based dog food is gaining popularity and on so many levels it is well placed to lead the dog food industry.
🐛 Eco-friendly: It's better for our planet, uses less land & water, plus produces fewer greenhouse gases
🐛 Nutrient-packed: Insects are packed with protein, essential amino acids, healthy fats, and omega-3s
🐛 High-quality protein: Tuggs uses Black Soldier Flies, a sustainable source of protein
Tuggs uses the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens); a sustainable source of protein. Highly digestible and nutritious, these little bugs contain all the essential amino acids, vitamins and fats that you find in bigger animals.
So if you're looking for a sustainable, nutritious, and ethical alternative to traditional dog food, an insect-based option like Tuggs is definitely worth considering.
For 50% OFF on your first order,
enter Tuggs discount code - SMARTBARK50 at checkout
2. Tuggs Review - Ordering
Tuggs is only available online, so you won't find their dog food on the High St. Their website is very informative with lots of information about their food, recipes, storage and of course those insects.
To get a personalised plan and accurate costing for your dog's meals, we suggest taking the simple 3 minute questionnaire.
It's easy to use and you simply provide information about your dog's unique characteristics including age, sex, breed, weight, activity levels, food allergies and any health issues - seriously, it only takes a couple of minutes.
Tuggs then use their unique algorithm to create a tailored meal plan to ensure that your dog is getting exactly what they need to thrive.
The algorithm also calculates whether to deliver 300g or 700g pouches depending on the daily calories required.
Next, you can decide how often you would like deliveries. Obviously the larger orders work out the best value, but we loved that the Tuggs subscription is super flexible.
Delivered frozen, we particularly liked the flexibility of the delivery schedule. Small freezer? No problem, you can request small weekly deliveries. In fact you can select the frequency of your delivery from 1–6 weeks.
This will then give you an accurate costing for your dog.
The food is then delivered direct to your front door and you simply store it in the freezer - defrosting as needed.
Go Green with Tuggs Eco-Friendly Packaging! ♻️. All their boxes, ice packs, and insulation are fully recyclable.
Want to help out? You can send the insulation back to them using the free return labels and dropping off the boxes at one of their collection points. Great Idea !
3. Tuggs Review - The Food
The Tuggs recipes have been developed over 18 months with leading UK vets and nutritionists so that they are nutritionally balanced and complete.
We love that Tuggs are offering a blend of insect and meat protein, as for many dog-lovers, this could be their first foray into the world of insect-based dog foods. You can select from -
⭐️ Beef Brigade
⭐️ Chicken Coup
⭐️ Pork Power
⭐️ Cod Crew
All their recipes are high in protein and free from grains, legumes and other nasties like artificial preservatives.
If you're thinking that you'll see insects in the food then you're going to be disappointed. The food looks just like other fresh or raw dog foods.
Admittedly, we were initially underwhelmed by the vacuum packeted pouches let's be honest Different Dog's packaging is much smarter. However, as soon as the food was transferred to the freezer, the benefit of this type of packaging was obvious.
We managed to pack 3 times as many meals in the same space. This is great news for dog-lovers with limited freezer space.
For best results, thaw your Tuggs pouches in the fridge for 24 hours. Once opened, consume within 48 hours for optimal freshness.
It's worth mentioning that unless you are feeding the exact amount in a bag, you will need to decant partly used bags into a container for the fridge. We'd recommend using airtight containers as the food does have a very strong aroma - very enticing for picky pups !
4. Tuggs Review - The Cost
Let's talk cost.
Fresh dog foods are generally more expensive that their dried counterparts but do offer a diet at the top end of the nutritional scale
Tuggs is no exception, however it does work out cheaper than some of the more traditional fresh food brands such as Butternut Box, Different Dog and Years.
They also offer a two week money-saving trial. This is a great opportunity to check that your dog loves the food but it also lets you work out how much dog food you can store in your freezer. The more you can store = less deliveries = cheaper daily costs.
You could opt to feed your pup a complete diet of Tuggs or choose half-and-half by mixing it with your current dog food to keep the cost down.
The menu is personalised for each dog but generally if you chose to feed your dog exclusively on Tuggs, daily costs are around -
⭐️ Small dog (5kg) - £1.50
⭐️ Medium (15kg) £2.50
⭐️Large (30kg) from £3.50
Of course we'd recommend taking the online questionnaire to get a more accurate price for your dog.
OUR VERDICT
Ultimately, if you are looking to reduce your carbon pawprint whilst offering your four-legged friend highly nutritious dog food at a great price, then then we'd suggest taking a closer look at Tuggs.
Admittedly, fresh dog food isn't the cheapest option available, however it does offer exceptionally high quality food and is perfect if your dog suffers with allergies or a sensitive stomach.
We particularly liked the flexibility of the deliveries, small order options and of course those planet saving insects.
For 50% OFF on your first order,
enter Tuggs discount code - SMARTBARK50 at checkout
RIVALS
If you like the idea of an insect-based dog food but can't quite stretch to fresh dog food, of course there are other cheaper, dried options available.
We explore some of the other options on the UK market including Grub Club, Yora, Percuro and Wainwrights in our popular article - Best Insect Dog Food : Grab some Grub
