Best Wet Dog Food, According to a Veterinarian

Wet dog food has come a long way over the years, particularly with the development of fresh, human-grade food that can be shipped to your door. But should your dog be on wet food, or have some wet food incorporated into their diet? Ultimately, your veterinarian is the best resource to determine this, since they are familiar with your pet’s health. However, wet food is great for dogs who have no teeth or just a few teeth left. (I’m a big fan of food being chewed and not gulped down whole.)

Wet food also has significantly more moisture content, which can help with hydration. And dogs often find wet food more palatable. To give you an idea of the variety of wet foods available, I’ve rounded up my top picks for the best wet dog foods—both canned and fresh—for a variety of dogs, like puppies, dogs with allergies, seniors, and even picky eaters.

Our top picks for the best wet dog food

How we selected the best wet dog food

Quality

I selected foods based on the quality of ingredients, favoring meat as the first ingredient. Diets that support overall health and digestion, with ingredients like prebiotic fiber (e.g. from inulin, pumpkin or squash) and foods with omega-3 containing fish oils were additional factors I used. None of the diets I picked are formulated with corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors or colors.

Labeling

The foods I chose are complete and balanced, and are from established brands. The diets meet the nutritional guidelines of the Association for the American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) for the life stage for which they are labeled. Again, keep in mind that AAFCO doesn’t have nutritional recommendations for senior dogs.

Pulses and exotic proteins

Whether or not a food contained pulses—peas, lentils, chickpeas or dry beans—in the first three ingredients was a big factor in the foods I selected due to the FDA’s concern that, for some dogs, these ingredients may be linked with diet-associated DCM, a type of heart disease. Since more research is needed, I avoided exotic protein sources (e.g. kangaroo, buffalo, etc) for the same reason.

How much wet food to feed a dog

The amount of wet food a dog needs depends on multiple factors, so there isn’t one answer that will meet the requirements of all dogs. Some of these factors include a dog’s age, breed, activity level and medical history. For example, the caloric needs of a healthy, Great Dane puppy are going to be different compared to a senior labrador who has hypothyroidism and is trying to lose weight.

The caloric content of food also varies widely. Use the package label as an initial guideline but your veterinarian can instruct you to increase or decrease the quantity. Whether or not a dog is also receiving dry food needs to be accounted for.

All that said, it’s a good idea to know how much wet dog food you’ll be feeding your dog for every meal before you select one, as this can drastically change how much money you’ll be spending on the food (and therefore might impact your final decision).

How to choose the best wet dog food

Talk with your veterinarian

This is an absolute first step. One dog’s dietary needs may be significantly different than the next. Factors that need to be evaluated before selecting a food include—but are not limited to—preexisting medical conditions (the fresh food options may be too high in protein for dogs with certain diseases), body condition score (does my pet need to gain weight or lose weight?), dental health (can my dog comfortably chew dry food?), and fat content (does my dog have a history of pancreatitis?), to name a few.

Life stage

The wet food that you pick needs to be for the correct life stage. An important thing to note is that not all of the ‘All Life Stages’ diets are suitable for large breed puppies, so read the product label to see if they state that it is. And don’t rely on website summaries, because I have found misinformation, such as on Chewy’s website where the summary stated a food was acceptable for large breed puppies but the fine print on the package label said it was not.

Also, AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials) doesn’t have specific nutrient recommendations for senior dogs. That means that senior dog foods meet the AAFCO requirements for adult maintenance. This is all the more reason to discuss your senior pet’s nutritional needs with your veterinarian or a specialty veterinarian who is board certified in nutrition because some senior foods may not be the best for your pet. I discuss this in more detail in the Best Senior Dog Foods article, but to summarize, generally healthy senior dogs who don’t have a medical reason to be on a reduced protein diet, may do better on an adult food or an all life stages food.

Protein source

Look for foods where the primary protein source is from animals. Animal protein has a better amino acid profile for dogs and animal protein is also more digestible than higher fiber-containing plant proteins. This becomes more important as dogs age, which I discuss more in Best Senior Dog Foods.

Animal protein sources are also particularly important for puppies, especially large and giant breeds. It’s difficult to meet the high nutritional needs of growing dogs on plant-based diets, and trying to do so can cause permanent deformities. It’s fine for dog food to contain plants like fruits, vegetables and rice in them because dogs are omnivores. Fruits and vegetables are also a great natural source of nutrients.

Calories, fat and fiber

Calorie content, fiber and dietary fat are additional factors that need to be considered when selecting a food. Your veterinarian is the best person to provide guidance on this because nutritional needs vary from pet to pet. If you decide on fresh food, they tend to have less fiber, which may or may not be ideal for your pet. Fresh foods also tend to be higher in fat, but some of the brands can tailor the diets to some degree.

Nutrient levels: wet versus dry

When evaluating the percent of protein, fat and fiber on a canned food label (or pouch), keep in mind—because of the moisture content—these values don’t directly correlate to the values on dry dog foods.

For example, with the Open Farms Homestead Turkey that I covered earlier, the crude protein on an ‘as fed basis’ is 10.24% (min.). For this particular food, that corresponds to 42.66% on a dry matter basis. Dry matter basis is the percentage of nutrients when all moisture has been removed from a food. But to complicate things, dry dog food is not void of all moisture. It contains up to 14%. Canned food doesn’t tend to list both the ‘as fed basis’ level of nutrients and the ‘dry matter basis’, but there are dry matter calculators for pet foods, which can be found online.

A simpler way to compare wet food to dry is calories per cup, however that won’t be enough information if your pet’s protein, fat and/or fiber intake need to be between specific values due to medical reasons. Your veterinarian can also help you sort through pet food labels.

How long can wet dog food sit out?

If there is still wet food in your dog’s bowl after four hours, it should be discarded. And it’s a good idea to wash your pet’s bowl with hot, soapy water before placing more food in it at the next meal time.

How to store wet dog food after opening

Wet food in a can should ideally have a lid or foil placed over it to keep it from drying out, and kept refrigerated. Fresh foods that have been defrosted can be placed either in a Ziploc bag or a lidded container and kept refrigerated for three to five days. After that it should be discarded.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the healthiest brand of canned dog food?

There is no single brand that can be considered the healthiest for all dogs. Each pet’s needs differ, so a brand that might work well for one dog may not work well for the next. For example, the standard recipes of fresh diets may be great for some growing dogs but they may be too much fat for a dog trying to lose weight, or too much protein for a dog who requires a reduced-protein diet due to a medical condition.

If you decide on fresh food, some of the companies can tailor it to your pet’s caloric needs. And what brand is best for your pet may change over time as their nutritional needs change.

Is wet dog food healthier for dogs?

Wet food does have benefits, but it may not be right for all dogs. For example, dogs who have a propensity for rapid tartar accumulation and need two dental cleanings a year may do better on a dry food, if they can comfortably chew it.

Wet food has significantly more moisture than dry food, which can help with hydration. And wet food tends to be more palatable, which can be helpful when feeding a picky pup. Talk with your veterinarian to determine if wet food should be a part of your dog’s feeding regimen.

What is the best wet dog food for healthy skin and coat?

There isn’t one wet food that will be optimal for all dogs. Some pups may have allergies to particular proteins, which can impact the health of their skin and coat. Look for foods with quality ingredients (the fewer the better, not counting vitamins and minerals,) foods that are complete and balanced, and appropriate for your pet’s life stage. Some dogs may even need a veterinary therapeutic diet (“prescription diet.”)

Foods that contain fish oil—a source of omega-3 fatty acids—can help support a healthy skin and coat. But foods vary with how much—if any—omega-3s they contain, so talk with your veterinarian about what food would be best, or if a supplement is needed.

What ingredients should I be looking for in good-quality wet dog food?

A quality wet food will contain animal protein, but because dogs are omnivores, it will also contain fruits and/or vegetables, which are good sources of antioxidants. If your pup is on a grain-inclusive diet, look for sources of carbohydrates like rice.

I also like to see fish oil in pet foods because it’s a good source of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Some of the benefits of EPA and DHA are that they support the health of the heart, joints, skin and coat. It's good to note that for dogs (and cats), fish sources of omega-3s are ideal. Though flaxseed oil contains omega-3s, dogs can’t convert much of it into EPA and DHA.

Are there any health benefits feeding my dog wet dog food?

Wet food can be beneficial for pets needing more moisture in their diet, like pets with medical conditions that cause dehydration. Wet food, especially the fresh diets, tend to contain more protein and fat, which can benefit dogs needing more of these nutrients in their diet due to reasons such as activity level or life stage, like puppies. The increased palatability of wet food can be helpful when feeding picky eaters.

Are there any potential risks feeding my dog wet food?

If your dog has a propensity for rapid tartar buildup, wet food may contribute to that problem. And due to the higher fat content of many (not all) wet foods, they can potentially be problematic for dogs who don’t tolerate much fat in their diet. Wet food also tends to be higher in protein. So depending on the specific food, it may not be suitable for dogs with a medical condition necessitating a reduced-protein diet.

If you’re buying fresh/fresh frozen food and are concerned about pathogens, look at the company’s website to read about pathogen safety testing. For example, Raised Right’s FAQ section says their low-temperature cooked food meets the USDA’s pathogen kill-step. On Open Farm’s website, they state that their food is tested by an independent third-party lab.