Determining the best wet food for dogs can depend on several factors, including your dog’s specific dietary needs, preferences, and any existing health conditions.

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What are the Benefits of Wet Dog Food?

Wet dog food includes canned dog food, trays, pouches and other fresh packaged dog foods. Technically, home cooked diets are also a type of wet dog food, although for the purposes of this article we will be focusing on commercially available packaged and canned foods.

The decision of whether to feed your canine companion wet or dry dog food is a big one, and many pet parents dedicate a considerable length of time to weighing up the pros and cons of each, as well as researching the best wet dog foods.

Whilst commercial wet and dry “complete” foods will both provide adequate and appropriate levels of all the macro and micro nutrients that your dog needs, there are a couple of critical differences between the two.

Most importantly, wet dog foods have a much higher water content, and so provide extra hydration compared to dry dog food. Wet foods can therefore increase water intake and are particularly helpful for dogs with kidney disease.

Wet dog food is also very helpful for weight management, again largely due to the higher water content. Compared to an equal weight of dry dog food, wet food is bulkier and has a lower calorie content, meaning your pet will feel fuller after a meal, helping control their appetite.

Wet Dog Foods – What to Look For

It should go without saying that good wet food needs to be able to meet your dog’s nutritional needs, but (believe it or not) there are wet dog foods out there which don’t provide everything your dog needs to maintain a nutritionally complete and balanced diet!

Two key words to look out for are “complete” and “complimentary”. A complete dog food contains all the nutrients your dog needs, at appropriate levels for your dog’s life stage.

Complimentary dog food, on the other hand, is intended to be fed as an optional extra to provide variety and interest to your dog’s diet. A complimentary food will not provide all the essential nutrients your dog needs, and should not be exclusively fed.

It’s also sensible to avoid grain free diets, pending further clarifying investigations in these foods. Recent research has shown that there may be links between grain free dog food and the development of a serious heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, in dogs [1].

Best Wet Puppy Food

Unlike adult dogs, puppies need extra energy to grow and develop. Dry dog food has a lower water content and so provides more calories when compared to an equal volume of wet dog food. For this reason, it’s usually best to feed your furry friend at least some dry food whilst they are still growing. Many pet parents find that a combination of wet and dry food works really well.

Vet’s Pick: Royal Canin Wet Puppy Food

Royal Canin is my top pick for pups, being reliably high quality, easily digestible, and offering the added benefits of probiotics and antioxidant support.

And – unlike many other brands – Royal Canin’s puppy food is available in three unique formulations tailored to fit the expected adult weight of your dog: small (9-22lb), medium (23-55lb) and large (56-100lb).

Texture: Chunks in gravy.

First 5 Ingredients (medium puppy): Meat and animal derivatives, oils and fats, cereals, vegetable protein extracts, derivatives of vergetable origin.

Rating: 8/10; I’ve minused two points for not providing a more specific ingredient list, although I appreciate they probably have a rather valuable secret formulation to protect!

Best Wet Dog Food for Senior Dogs

You may already be aware that your four legged friend will have different needs for different life stages. In fact, a dog’s age is one of the most important variables determining the levels of energy, protein and micronutrients they need from their pet food. Research suggests that feeding your senior dog food meant for puppies or adult dogs may even be harmful to their health [2].

Older dogs may also be more prone to becoming overweight or obese compared with younger pets [3]. Always take your dog’s weight into account when selecting senior dog food.

Vet’s Pick: AVA Veterinary Approved Optimum Health Wet Mature Dog Food

AVA’s mature dog food is targeted for dogs aged 7+, but is suitable even for most dogs even in their very latest years. The high quality ingredients, and the fact that this phenomenal dog food offers omega 3 and 6, glucosamine and chondroitin, meant I simply couldn’t overlook it as my top pick for senior pooches!

The rich omega 3 and 6 sources in AVA canned dog food help support your dog’s heart and kidney health, and may even contribute to brain development (so you really can teach an old dog new tricks!)

Texture: Pate (highly palatable)

First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, Brown Rice, Minerals, Beet Pulp, Brewers Yeast.

Rating: 10/10. I really can’t fault it.

Best Wet Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs

Food allergies and intolerances are a frequent cause of digestive issues in dogs, such as chronic diarrhea, loose, mucousy stools, or vomiting. In the vast majority of cases, our canine companions are allergic to particular dietary proteins, for example, beef or chicken.

The safest, most effective way to treat a dog with a food allergy or intolerance is to feed an anallergenic or hydrolyzed protein diet; these are special diets which don’t contain any dietary allergens.

Vet’s Pick: Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine z/d Food Sensitivities Canned Dog Food

Hill’s z/d canned food provides your sensitive pooch with a hydrolyzed protein source. This means that the protein has been broken down into such small fragments that your pet’s immune system can’t recognize the proteins as foreign, and so even the most overreactive immune system will keep calm and carry on!

What’s more, Hill’s z/d contains ingredients that reinforce a healthy skin barrier; clinically-proven antioxidants; and a blend of prebiotic fiber that will even help your dog’s poop become firmer and less stinky!

Texture: Soft, pate-like

First 5 Ingredients: Meat and animal derivatives, derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, minerals, fruit.

Rating: 9/10. I originally minused two points, because – like Royal Canin – Hills are a little vague with their ingredients list…but I gave one point back, due to the poop-improving qualities Hill’s z/d offers. Pet parents have been dreaming of this moment!

Final Words on Best Wet Food for Dogs

Choosing between wet and dry dog food is a significant decision for pet owners, and many factors are considered when researching the best wet dog foods. While both wet and dry foods can provide the necessary nutrients for dogs, wet food offers certain advantages. The higher water content in wet dog food aids in hydration and can be helpful for dogs with specific health conditions.

When selecting wet dog food, it’s essential to choose high-quality options that meet your dog’s nutritional needs. Ultimately, the choice between wet and dry dog food depends on your dog’s individual needs, preferences, and your veterinarian’s recommendations.

Reference List:

[1] U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2022) FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy (Accessed 6 July 2023).

[2] Beynen, A. Life-stage pet food. Creature Companion. (2014)

[3] Julianna, T.O., Kata, V., Katalin, J.V. and Peter, P. Factors Affecting Canine Obesity Seem to Be Independent of the Economic Status of the Country—A Survey on Hungarian Companion Dogs‘, Animals. (2020)