How are Marleybones' meals made?

We only use high quality, freshly prepared ingredients, which are sealed raw in their aseptic packaging and slow-cooked, reaching temperatures of over 100°c for just a few minutes. This method not only locks in essential nutrients, moisture and natural flavours, but also keeps our meals as fresh as possible without the need for preservatives or freezing. Marleybones is the easiest way to feed healthy!

Is Marleybones suitable for puppies?

All our meals have been specially formulated for all life stages, taking the issue out of having to switch your dog's food as they grow. Our quiz algorithm adjusts so that puppies between the ages of 2-12 months receive extra nutrition to ensure they grow strong and healthy!

Do I need to freeze the food?

One of the benefits of Marleybones meals, is that you don't need to clear your freezer of ice-cream and just need to store them in a cool, dry place. As a bonus, they take up much less space than traditional food, and they're easy to stack and store. At Marleybones, we are proud to offer pantry fresh meals that remain fresh for up to 18 months when stored in a cupboard. Unlike other products that use preservatives, additives, or other undesirable ingredients that compromise the nutritional balance of the food, our innovative packaging and cooking methods help us achieve a shelf-stable product without sacrificing quality.

Can I easily stop my subscription?

Marleybones subscription service is easy to manage. You can both push your delivery date or stop your subscription altogether. You're of course welcome back anytime.

What Is a "Complete" Pantry-Fresh Diet, and Why It Matters for Switching

A complete pantry-fresh diet supplies every nutrient a dog needs from freshly prepared, shelf-stable meals, without relying on fillers or a freezer. This matters most during a food switch, when the balance of nutrients decides whether a dog thrives or develops deficiencies. FEDIAF compliance is the mark to check for, regardless of which brand you choose.

Jul 23, 2026

At a glance

A "complete" diet meets FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation) nutrient guidelines, meaning it supplies every vitamin, mineral, protein, and fatty acid a dog needs without extra supplementation.
Pantry-fresh food is sealed and slow-cooked in-pack, which keeps it shelf-stable without preservatives or a freezer, unlike raw or fresh-frozen diets.
Switching diets disrupts gut bacteria for 5 to 7 days on average, so nutrient completeness during that window directly affects digestion and stool quality.
Puppies, adults, and seniors have different nutrient targets, so a diet must state which life stage it's complete for, not just that it's "complete."
Marleybones recipes are FEDIAF compliant and complete for all life stages, including puppies, which removes the guesswork during a transition.

What does "complete" actually mean in dog food?

A complete dog food supplies every nutrient a dog needs in the correct amounts, with no need for additional food, toppers, or supplements. This is a formal standard, not marketing language. In the UK and EU, that standard is set by FEDIAF, the body that publishes nutrient guidelines covering protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for each life stage.

A genuinely complete diet has been formulated, and ideally tested, against these guidelines. If a food is labelled "complementary" instead, it's designed to be fed alongside something else, like a topper or treat, and isn't nutritionally sufficient on its own. This distinction matters more than most owners realise. A dog fed a complementary food as their sole diet for weeks or months can develop real deficiencies, particularly in calcium, zinc, or specific vitamins. Understanding what "complete and balanced" means on a label is the single most useful thing an owner can check before buying any food, fresh or otherwise.

Why does completeness matter more during a diet switch?

Completeness matters most during a switch because the gut is already under strain, and any nutrient gap compounds the disruption. Changing a dog's diet, even to a better one, shifts the balance of bacteria in the gut. Research on dietary transitions in dogs shows this microbial shift typically settles within 5 to 7 days when the new food is nutritionally complete and introduced gradually.

A pantry-fresh, complete diet gives that transition the best chance of going smoothly, because the dog isn't simultaneously adjusting to new ingredients and coping with missing nutrients. This is one of the clearest reasons vets recommend gradual transitions of 7 to 10 days rather than abrupt swaps. Fresh food, done properly, tends to be easier on digestion than heavily processed alternatives, partly because the ingredients are recognisable and partly because a well-formulated fresh diet is built to meet complete nutrient standards rather than bulk-fill with fillers.

A complete pantry-fresh diet delivers 100% of a dog's daily nutrient requirements from real food ingredients, verified against FEDIAF standards, without relying on synthetic bulking agents. This matters during a switch because incomplete diets create nutrient gaps at exactly the moment a dog's digestive system is most vulnerable. Marleybones formulates every recipe to meet these standards across all life stages, including puppies.

How is pantry-fresh different from raw or fresh-frozen diets?

Pantry-fresh food is sealed and slow-cooked inside its own pack, which makes it shelf-stable at room temperature without preservatives or freezing. Raw diets, by contrast, must stay frozen or refrigerated and carry a higher risk of bacterial contamination if handled incorrectly. Fresh-frozen diets sit somewhere in between: cooked or raw, but requiring freezer space and a thaw cycle before serving.

Format	Storage	Preservatives	Prep needed
Pantry-fresh	Room temperature, shelf-stable	None	None, ready to serve
Fresh-frozen	Freezer required	None	Thawing required
Raw	Freezer or fridge required	None	Thawing, careful handling
Kibble	Room temperature	Usually yes	None

The practical upshot: pantry-fresh removes the freezer logistics that put a lot of owners off raw or fresh-frozen feeding, while still delivering the digestibility benefits of minimally processed ingredients. Comparing fresh-frozen against pantry-fresh side by side makes the trade-offs clearer if freezer space or convenience is a deciding factor for your household.

What should you check before switching to a new complete diet?

Check that the food states FEDIAF compliance or an equivalent complete nutrient claim, and that it names the specific life stage it's formulated for. A food complete for adult maintenance isn't automatically complete for a growing puppy, whose calcium and phosphorus needs are tighter and more specific. Look too at the ingredient list itself: real named meat as the primary ingredient, minimal use of generic fillers, and no reliance on synthetic bulking agents to hit protein percentages on paper.

Confirm the food states "complete" for your dog's specific life stage, not just "complete" generically.
Check for a FEDIAF compliance statement or equivalent nutrient adequacy claim on the pack or website.
Look for named meat sources and recognisable ingredients rather than vague terms like "meat derivatives."
Introduce the new food gradually over 7 to 10 days, mixing increasing proportions with the old diet.
Watch stool consistency and energy levels during the transition, and speak to your vet if symptoms are persistent, severe, or worsening.

Superfoods like chicory root also play a role in how smoothly a switch goes, because they support the gut bacteria that digest new food efficiently. Chicory root is one of the most well-researched natural prebiotics used in dog food, and it appears in Marleybones recipes alongside quinoa, chia seeds, and linseeds. If you're weighing up specific recipes during a switch, the Chic Chicken recipe is a commonly chosen starting point for dogs new to fresh food, formulated complete for all life stages.

Every dog is different, build your personalised Marleybones feeding and health plan tailored to your dog's age, size, and health requirements.

FAQs

Is pantry-fresh dog food the same as complete dog food?

No. Pantry-fresh describes the format and preparation method: ingredients sealed raw and slow-cooked in-pack. Complete describes the nutrient standard the food meets. A pantry-fresh diet can be complete or complementary, so always check the label separately for both claims.

How long does it take to switch a dog to a new complete diet?

Most vets recommend a 7 to 10 day gradual transition, increasing the new food's proportion each day while decreasing the old. Gut bacteria typically adjust within 5 to 7 days when the new diet is nutritionally complete.

Can puppies eat a complete pantry-fresh diet?

Yes, provided the diet specifically states it's complete for puppies or all life stages. Puppy nutrient requirements for calcium, phosphorus, and energy density differ from adult dogs, so an adult-only complete food isn't suitable for growth.

What happens if a diet isn't actually complete?

Feeding an incomplete or complementary diet as a sole food source over weeks or months can cause nutrient deficiencies, affecting coat, energy, digestion, and bone development in growing dogs. Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms after a diet change warrant a vet visit.

Does complete mean the same thing across all dog food brands?

The nutrient targets are standardised through FEDIAF guidelines, so the underlying requirements are consistent. How brands meet those targets varies significantly, through ingredient quality, processing method, and whether synthetic additives are used to fill nutritional gaps.