Purina Pro Plan vs The Farmer's Dog: Is Fresh Food Worth 3x the Price?
This is the classic debate: a research-backed kibble with decades of feeding trials vs a fresh, human-grade subscription service. Purina Pro Plan costs $68/month for a 70lb dog. The Farmer's Dog costs $100/month for a 50lb dog, and scales higher. Is the fresh food premium justified, or is it marketing?
Quick Comparison
Factor Purina Pro Plan The Farmer's Dog Price/kg $10.90 $22.00 Monthly cost (50lb dog) ~$54 ~$100 Food type Kibble (extruded) Fresh, gently cooked WSAVA-compliant? Yes No Prescription needed? No No Convenience Pour and serve Refrigerate, thaw, serve Ingredient quality Good with research backing Excellent, human-grade
Purina Pro Plan has something no fresh food company has: decades of large-scale feeding trials and a full team of board-certified veterinary nutritionists. The food is formulated to meet AAFCO standards through feeding trials (not just lab analysis). It costs $54/month for a 50lb dog, it's shelf-stable, and you can buy it at any pet store. For healthy dogs, it provides everything they need at a fraction of the cost.The Case for Purina Pro Plan
The Farmer's Dog is using human-grade ingredients that you can read and recognize. No preservatives, no fillers, no by-products. The food is gently cooked to preserve nutrients that get destroyed in the high-heat extrusion process used for kibble. Many owners report dramatic improvements in coat quality, energy levels, and digestive health. However, there are no large-scale feeding trials â the nutritional adequacy is based on lab analysis, not live feeding studies.The Case for The Farmer's Dog
Cost Comparison by Dog Size
Dog Weight Pro Plan/Mo Farmer's Dog/Mo Annual Difference 10 lbs $20 $50 $360 25 lbs $32 $90 $696 50 lbs $54 $130 $912 70 lbs $68 $175 $1,284 100 lbs $85 $240 $1,860
For most dogs and owners, Purina Pro Plan is the better choice â it's backed by rigorous research, meets WSAVA guidelines, and costs a fraction of fresh food. The Farmer's Dog is worth considering for dogs with chronic digestive issues or food sensitivities that haven't responded to kibble. But for a healthy dog on a budget, the extra $50-150/month for fresh food is hard to justify.Verdict
Use our calculator to see the exact monthly difference between Pro Plan and fresh food for your breed.Compare Exact Costs for Your Dog