Our Final Verdict
We give The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. WOOF line an overall rating of 4.98 out of 5 stars.
Quality: 5/5
Variety: 5/5
Ingredients: 5/5
Value: 4.9/5
There are so many companies out there creating pet products, foods, and treats that deciding on what to give your pup can be truly overwhelming. I always want the absolute best for my pup, Elo, to help him live a long and fulfilling life that’s healthy for him, but also delicious. So, when I came across The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co., I was super excited to see that they had freeze-dried and air-dried food and treats as quality, healthy options that I could feed to my furry friend. The company specializes in freeze-dried and air-dried foods, offering dog and cat food and treat bags.
The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. understands that what gets put into our bodies “determines how we feel and live” and asks, “So why shouldn’t our animals have the same?” They provide the option to feed pets a diet that is packed with nutrients, allowing them to thrive. Their mission for better quality food had me immediately intrigued, and I couldn’t wait to have Elo test out some of their products.
At a Glance: What We Received
About The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co.
What Do They Make?
The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. makes high-quality, freeze-dried foods and treats for dogs and cats. They have created an option as convenient as kibble, but are packing more nutrients in for a complete and enriching diet. The dog food and treats they manufacture have over 90% meat, organs, and bones, and steer clear of fillers, artificial preservatives, or any harsh processing. They keep it simple, making sure our furry friends get the best. The freeze-dried food recipes are created to meet the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for all life stages, from puppies to seniors. Their products have the flavor and nutrition of feeding fresh raw food, but are shelf stable, just like kibble.
Where is it Produced?
Where it’s produced is right in the name! These products are all manufactured and produced in New Zealand. The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. manufactures all of their food and treats in small batches, which are thoroughly tested before leaving the factory. The company says that they “support fair trade and local sourcing when choosing supplies and farms across the country”. They also state that since the quality of the pet food is so important to them, they source all of their meat from human-grade suppliers in New Zealand.
Which Pets Should Eat WOOF Food and Treats?
Any pet can benefit from trying WOOF freeze-dried foods or treats. The versatility of the products helps as well. They can be used as meals, toppers, or just treats, so you can pick which is best for your pup. WOOF food and treats provide a balanced and enriching diet that is packed with nutrients and some of the recipes are made from just one or two ingredients. Since they have cut out the fillers and junk, these food and treat options would be a healthy choice for any dog. The New Zealand Pet Co even mentions that their products can be good for more allergy-prone dogs. Common allergy-inducing fillers and skin irritants are not used in products they create, making these foods and treats good options for any dogs that need to keep allergies in mind, or any dog that wants more flavorful nutrients in their diet.
Key Features
With so many pet treats and companies out there, what is it that makes The New Zealand Pet Food Co such a great option? And what should you know before you buy?
Product Variety
The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. has a wide array of flavor choices between their food and treats, meaning there’s a flavor for every pup out there! Food options include air-dried chicken, beef, and venison and freeze-dried chicken, lamb, duck, beef, wild goat, wild venison, and wild brushtail flavors. Treat options include air-dried venison lung and freeze-dried beef, lamb, duck, wild venison, wild brushtail, chicken, beef green tripe, lamb green tripe, New Zealand green mussel, and wild goat flavors. They also offer Manuka honey as a treat or topper for dogs. Freeze-dried products can also be rehydrated, so there is variety in how they can be served up as well.
Ingredients
The New Zealand Pet Food Co uses a range of ingredients to create their freeze and air-dried meat-filled products. They have unique flavors and ingredients like green tripe, wild brushtail, and honey. Some of these flavors were ones I had never heard of, or never knew could be used for dogs. Green tripe is used in all The New Zealand Pet Food Co’s meal recipes as it is a “natural superfood for pets”. Tripe is the nutrient-rich lining of an animal’s stomach. It’s a great digestive aid for dogs which contains healthy prebiotics and probiotics, making it an excellent way to nourish pets. And to make it even better, after looking it up, I realized that the “green” meant that the stomach lining had not been processed in any way. As someone who lives in the USA, wild brushtail was another ingredient I had to google. Turns out, it’s a big possum! These guys are rich in protein and omegas 3 and 6, so it has great nutritional benefits. It’s also less likely to trigger an allergic reaction in allergy-prone dogs. The last ingredient that caught my attention was honey. The Manuka honey is rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients which help to support your dog’s overall health. You can buy the honey on its own, but it is also worked into a lot of the freeze-dried meals and treats for additional goodness.
Freshness and Storage
WOOF Pet Food and Treats arrive in sealed bags that have had a technology known as “nitrogen flush” used to make sure each bag stays as fresh as possible. The “nitrogen flush” helps to decrease the oxidization in the bag, and also to cushion the contents of the bag. Since nitrogen doesn’t react with foods the way that oxygen does, it ensures bags are still fresh when you open them for the first time! The nitrogen is safe to use, not affecting the flavor or texture of the food. For storage, any product, open or not, should be stored in a cool, dry place (not the fridge). The freeze-dried recipes have a shelf life of twenty-four months from the time the food is made, to when a pet parent opens up the bag. Once your food or treat bag is open, it should ideally be used within three months to ensure it is still fresh for your pet. If you have extra rehydrated food to feed to your pet, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Safety
All of The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co.’s pet food and treats are safe for our animals to eat. All of the products that they create are GMO-free, with meat sourced from human-grade suppliers in New Zealand. They make their recipes in small batches which are rigorously tested before leaving the factory. The bones that are used in the product are also safe for animals to eat. Typically, it would be dangerous to give bones to your dog as they could choke or ingest sharp pieces, but in WOOF food and treats, bones are ground up through a 5mm grinding process. The bones become so small that they pose no risk of injury, but your pup still gets the benefits of eating them! The recipes are even safe for a lot of dogs with allergies, since WOOF food and treats don’t include common allergy-inducing fillers and skin irritants. The healthy ingredients in the product and the care The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. takes in creating their pet food and treats makes this an excellent option for all pets.
Our 3 Favorite WOOF Treat Flavors
1. Wild Brushtail
The Wild Brushtail dog bites recipe is hands down my dog’s top pick out of all of the different flavor choices. The bag is filled with freeze-dried pellets that can be served as treats, or rehydrated at used for enrichment activities. I have already rehydrated some of these treats and stuffed the mash into toppls and kongs so that Elo is extra excited to work for his snacks. The Wild Brushtail recipe uses ethically sourced ingredients and has a unique flavor that is rich in nutrients. My dog is always drooling when I pull these treats out and begging for more!
Made with Wild Brushtail and ground bone
Made with other nutrient-rich superfoods
No fillers
Good for any age dog
Uneven sized treats
Pricier than other treats
2. Venison Lung
The Venison Lung treats are a great, air-dried snack for when Elo is feeling like chomping down on something crunchy. These are single-ingredient treats, made from 100% free-range New Zealand Venison. The crunchy treats help to support dental health and are high in protein and iron but low in fat. I always love hearing that something is a single-ingredient product because then I know exactly what is in it. Nothing feels better than having full knowledge of what I am feeding to my pet, and knowing that it’s good for him too. Elo loves the flavor of these treats, and they are so satisfying to listen to my dog munch on.
Single-ingredient treat
100% venison lung
Good size treat
High-value reward
Pricier than other treats
3. New Zealand Green Mussel
The New Zealand Green Mussel product is another single-ingredient treat. It’s literally mussels… freeze-dried! These treats are cool to look at because you can see from the shape how this really used to be a mussel and that this treat is the real deal. These treats help to support connective tissue and joints as well as help the health of a dog’s skin and coat. The freeze-dried nature of the treats also protects the natural enzymes and nutrients. When I first opened up my mussel bag, I could see that they used to be mussels and I could smell it too! Elo is always interested when we cook fish in the house and so the fishy smell immediately caught his attention. He has never had anything like a mussel before, so it did take him a second before he went for it, but after his first mussel, he was hooked.
Single-ingredient treat
Real mussel
Support healthy skin and coat
Support connective tissue and joint health
Fishy smell
Need to break up treats
Our Experience with The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. Treats
When my WOOF Treats came in the mail, I was so excited to open up the box and start trying out different flavors to see which ones my dog, Elo, would love the most. I am always looking for high-quality, single-ingredient treats to feed to Elo to give him a healthier life and a super tasty snack. These treats are such yummy rewards that Elo was drooling all over them before I even took the bags out of the box! I got a bunch of different kinds of treats since they all sounded like great flavors. We tried out Venison Lung, Wild Brushtail, New Zealand Green Mussel, Wild Goat, Lamb Green Tripe, and Beef Green Tripe. As soon as I took the treat bags out of the box, Elo was itching to try the freeze-dried Wild Brushtail Recipe; he seemed to think it smelled the best even before the bag was ripped open! I had him do some tricks to earn his reward, and he absolutely devoured the treat. He followed me around for the next few minutes, trotting beside me with his nose up in the air, dying for another taste. The freeze-dried treats in this bag were all uneven sizes, but that didn’t bother me since I could easily break a large one in half to change up the amount I was giving.
Over the next couple of days, we tried different flavors. While Elo loved all of them and wouldn’t turn his nose up at any WOOF treat, he did seem to get extra excited for the Venison Lung and New Zealand Green Mussel. The Venison Lung has a nice, satisfying crunch to it, whereas most of the other treats are freeze-dried pellets. This bag definitely had a bit of a meaty smell, and the treats were easily breakable. The mussel bag also had quite the smell. When I opened it up, I got a good whiff of fish, which could be off-putting for some. To me, it just showed that the mussels truly are a single ingredient, real, product. This bag was the most obvious to me that this is not a processed treat with loads of fillers. It’s a mussel and it definitely smelled like it! I’ve mostly been using treats for training since they are clearly a high-value reward to my dog.
A couple of times I have also used some of the pellet-shaped flavors and rehydrated them, mashed them up, put them in an enrichment toy, and froze for Elo to work on later. This motivates him even more to work on his toy because he can smell the meaty goodness at the bottom of it. I’ve also used the treats as meals toppers to help disguise medicine in Elo’s bowl. He inhaled his meal so fast that he didn’t even notice the medicine in his bowl (which he usually spits back out). I have no doubt in my mind that Elo thoroughly enjoys these treats, no matter the flavor, and love feeding him something so good for him.
Honorable Mentions
I also got two bags of food in the chicken and duck flavors. The foods come as freeze-dried pellets that can be served as they are, or rehydrated to add that moisture back in. I plan to rehydrate these pellets and use the mash in enrichment toys. It’s nice that a lot of the treat flavors mirror the food bag flavors, so you can easily try out a small bag, make sure your dog is a fan of it, and then go ahead and order the larger bag to serve as their main meal or topper.
The last thing I got were dog wipes made of bamboo, made for dogs with sensitive skin. Elo absolutely hates when he sees a wet paper towel coming his way to wipe him off, but I’ve been using them on Elo’s muddy paws without too much of an issue. I also plan to use these wipes on his back to keep his coat fresh between baths.
Final Thoughts
The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co. is creating nutritious, high-quality, products that put the health and wellbeing of our pets first. From the ingredient list, to the smell when you open a bag, you can tell these treats are the real deal! They use real, freeze and air-dried ingredients, avoiding unnecessary fillers to create nourishing food and snacks. They keep their products simple, making treats and food with 90% meat, organs, and bones. After seeing Elo’s reaction to receiving WOOF Treats, I can say for certain I will be stocking up on more as soon as I run out. My dog is obsessed with WOOF Treats, and I know I’m giving my dog the best quality I can when I’m feeding him The New Zealand Natural Pet Food Co.’s products.
