Top 10 Best Wet Puppy Foods

Top 10 Best Wet Puppy Foods

Along with the excitement of bringing home your new puppy comes a new level of responsibility. You want to give them all the love and the best care you can provide. One of the most important decisions is what you’ll feed your new puppy.

Puppies require a special diet formulated with the proper balance of vitamins and nutrients for their growing bodies and young digestive system. When selecting the best wet puppy food for your new companion, you may be overwhelmed by the wide selection and long list of ingredients.

We’re here to help! We’ve sorted through the top brands and selected the 10 best wet puppy foods. We’ve supplied detailed reviews and quick-reference pros and cons lists to help you find the best wet food for your puppy.

The 10 Best Wet Puppy Foods Reviewed

 

Nutro Puppy Natural Wet Dog Food

Nutro Core Wet Dog

If you insist on feeding your puppy only natural, allergen-free, high-quality ingredients, you may want to consider Nutro puppy wet dog food. Made entirely with non-GMO ingredients, this wet puppy food contains no corn, wheat, soy, chicken by-product meal, or artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.

Nutro wet puppy food supplies complete nutrition and includes necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. With ample protein content, its first ingredient lists farm-raised chicken. Nutro prides itself on partnering with only trusted farmers and suppliers for their ingredients. It also makes its product in facilities that are committed to zero landfill waste.

Most puppies seem to enjoy the taste and flavor. However, we learned that some puppies did not care for the texture. Also, we noticed that over this past year, more puppy owners reported stomach upset and skin allergies after consuming this food. Additionally, Nutro is one of the higher priced puppy foods on our list.

Cons
  • Higher priced
  • Some puppies do not like texture
  • Recent spike in reported stomach issues and skin allergies
Pros
  • No artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors
  • Complete nutrition
  • Natural, non-GMO, allergen-free ingredients
  • No corn, wheat, soy, or chicken by-product meal
  • First ingredient is farm-raised chicken
  • Facilities committed to zero landfill waste

Pedigree Puppy Wet Dog Food – Best Value

Pedigree

Our choice for the best wet puppy food for the money is Pedigree puppy wet canned dog food. Not only is this puppy food great for your budget, it offers 100% complete and balanced nutrition.

This wet canned puppy food is made with real chicken and real beef for the optimal amount of protein content, as well as better flavor and a higher standard of quality. Additionally, Pedigree is formulated with DHA, which supports your puppy’s brain development.

Pedigree is proudly made in the U.S.A. and insists on using only the finest ingredients while providing a taste and texture that most puppies prefer. However, be aware that this puppy food does contain meat by-products. While not a serious issue, some puppies may experience minor stomach upset and gas. Also, your puppy may not care for the taste.

Cons
  • Contains meat by-products
  • May cause minor stomach upset and gas
  • Some puppies do not prefer taste
Pros
  • Made with real chicken and beef
  • Optimal protein content
  • 100% complete and balanced nutrition
  • Best value
  • Contains DHA for brain development

Purina ONE Puppy Dog Food – Best Overall

Purina ONE

Our top pick for the best canned puppy food goes to Purina ONE SmartBlend puppy dog food. Made with real lamb and no poultry by-products, this canned food supplies your growing puppy with 100% complete and balanced nutrition.

Purina ONE SmartBlend is made with real meat for a higher quality of puppy food. The protein content helps build strong muscles. There are omega fatty acids that help support your puppy’s healthy skin and coat, as well as antioxidants that work to support a strong immune system.

Along with the real lamb flavor, the long-grain rice and oatmeal combine to create a taste and texture that most puppies enjoy. You’ll also feel good about the reasonable price.

Of course, not all puppies will like the flavor, and in rare instances, a few puppies may experience digestive troubles with this food. Also, it may cause your puppy to have smelly breath.

Cons
  • Rare instances of minor stomach upset
  • May make your puppy’s breath smell
Pros
  • No poultry by-products
  • Ideal protein content
  • 100% complete and balanced nutrition
  • Made with real lamb meat
  • Includes omega fatty acids and antioxidants
  • Taste and texture most puppies enjoy
  • Reasonable price

CANIDAE PURE Wet Dog Food – Premium Choice

CANIDAE PURE

We selected CANIDAE PURE wet dog food as our premium choice for its high-quality composition. Although more expensive than most wet puppy foods on our list, you’ll be able to offer your puppy a 100% complete and balanced formula.

Unlike other wet puppy foods, which include a long confusing list of ingredients, CANIDAE PURE takes care to limit and select only the best ingredients. Free of wheat, corn, soy, and carrageenan, this wet puppy food incorporates the optimal protein content for strong muscles, probiotics that aid healthy digestion, antioxidants for a healthy immune system, and omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids to support a beautiful coat.

Most puppies seem to like the flavor and texture, though some don’t care for the peas in the mixture. Also, we found a few cases of stomach upset. This product is listed as grain free, which may cause heart problems, according to recent findings by the FDA.

Cons
  • Expensive
  • Some puppies do not like the peas in the mixture
  • Some cases of stomach upset
  • Grain free
Pros
  • Limited, high-quality ingredients
  • Optimal protein content
  • 100% complete and balanced formula
  • Free of wheat, corn, soy, and carrageenan
  • Includes probiotics, antioxidants, and omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids

Cesar Gourmet Puppy Wet Dog Food

Cesar

Served in convenient trays rather than cans, which require more effort to open, you can peel away the lip on the Cesar Gourmet puppy wet dog food to easily serve your puppy a meal with 100% complete and balanced nutrition.

Cesar Gourmet lists real chicken as its first ingredient. This wet puppy food is fortified with essential vitamins and important minerals to support your puppy’s growth and development. This product is marketed as grain free. Recent findings by the FDA suggest that grain free may lead to heart problems, however.

You may love the budget-friendly price, but be aware that we learned of quality control issues, including spoiled food. Also, the formula includes beef by-products yet neglects to add helpful ingredients such as antioxidants and omega fatty acids. Finally, some picky eaters do not care for the taste.

Cons
  • Quality control issues
  • Contains beef by-products
  • Does not contain antioxidants or omega fatty acids
  • Picky eaters do not care for the taste
Pros
  • Fortified with essential vitamins and minerals
  • Budget-friendly price
  • 100% complete and balanced nutrition
  • Contains real chicken

 

Wellness Health Wet Canned Dog Food

Wellness Natural Pet Food

For another natural option, Wellness Complete Health wet canned dog food provides 100% complete and balanced nutrition. It has a puréed, pate consistency made up of high-quality, holistic ingredients.

Wellness Complete Health offers your puppy premium meats for optimal protein content. It also includes wholesome grains, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables to provide an excellent balance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This canned food supports your puppy’s skin and coat wellness, energy level, overall digestive health, immunity, and the health of their eyes, teeth, and gums.

We found that some puppies do not care for the loose consistency. Also, despite the expensive cost, we learned of quality control issues that may affect the texture and the freshness. Finally, some puppies suffered from stomach upset after consuming this food.

Cons
  • Some puppies do not like puréed consistency
  • Some puppies suffered upset stomachs
  • Expensive
  • Quality control issues
Pros
  • Optimal protein content
  • Includes vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
  • 100% complete and balance nutrition
  • High-quality, holistic ingredients
  • Supports your puppy’s overall wellness

Blue Buffalo Puppy Wet Dog Food

Blue Buffalo

With real chicken for stronger muscle growth and DHA for improved brain development, Blue Buffalo wet puppy food offers a complete and balanced meal for your puppy. It’s made with high-quality natural ingredients that include vital amino acids, nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

You can feel good about offering your puppy the wholesome ingredients in Blue Buffalo. This wet puppy food contains no poultry by-product meals nor any no corn, wheat, or soy. Additionally, this wet puppy food doesn’t have any artificial flavors or preservatives.

Some puppies turn up their noses at the pate consistency of this wet dog food. Also, we found that some puppies experienced an upset stomach after eating this product.

Cons
  • Some puppies do not like consistency
  • Some puppies experienced stomach upset
Pros
  • DHA for improved brain development
  • Includes essential amino acids, nutrients, minerals, and vitamins
  • Complete and balanced formula
  • Real chicken for stronger muscles
  • Wholesome ingredients
  • No poultry by-product meal, corn, wheat, or soy
  • No artificial flavors or preservatives

Iams Proactive Puppy Wet Dog Food

Iams

A complete and balanced dog food, Iams Proactive Health wet puppy food is made with animal proteins, essential vitamins and minerals, and omega fatty acids. It also doesn’t contain soy or artificial ingredients.

The balanced formula offers the right amount of animal protein. It’s formulated with omega 6 fatty acid for a healthy coat and skin. Additionally, it has wholesome grains for much needed energy and overall health. Most dogs seem to like the flavor and texture.

We placed this product second to last on our list for a few questionable ingredients. The protein in this wet puppy food is provided by lower quality meat by-products. Also, this food contains carrageenan, which can cause intestinal issues. Some puppies did experience stomach upset after eating it. Finally, a possible carcinogen, sodium nitrate, is included for color retention.

Cons
  • Contains low-quality meat by-products
  • Includes carrageenan, which may cause intestinal distress
  • Added sodium nitrate, a possible carcinogen
Pros
  • Complete and balanced formula
  • Includes proteins, vitamins, minerals, wholesome grains, and omega fatty acids
  • Most dogs like taste and texture

Instinct Puppy Grain Free Wet Dog Food

Instinct

With its first ingredient listed as cage-free chicken, Instinct wet puppy food offers your puppy a meal with no unnecessary fillers or allergens. This natural wet puppy food doesn’t have any potato, corn, wheat, soy, carrageenan, meat by-product meals, or artificial colors or preservatives.

Instinct is made with real meat and wholesome ingredients. It also contains naturally occurring DHA for brain and eye development. Most puppies seem to enjoy the taste and texture.

However, we found that the formula for this puppy chow may not be fully balanced and in the correct proportion. It may contain too high of protein content, which could cause kidney and liver issues. The raw food may contain bacteria, which could create intestinal distress. Finally, the FDA recently warned against grain-free foods for dogs, as its findings suggest a link between such foods and heart problems.

Cons
  • May contain too much protein
  • Raw ingredients may contain harmful bacteria
  • Grain free may lead to heart problems
Pros
  • Contains DHA for brain and eye development
  • Most puppies enjoy the taste and texture
  • Natural, wholesome ingredients
  • No potato, corn, wheat, soy, carrageenan, or by-products
  • No artificial colors and preservatives

Eukanuba Gravy Canned Puppy Food

Eukanuba

Nutritional and well-balanced, Eukanuba canned puppy food offers your growing puppy the proper ratio of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Made with real chicken and beef protein, this wet puppy food supports your growing puppy’s needs.

Eukanuba supplies sufficient calcium and phosphorous for improved muscle and bone development. It contains clinically proven levels of DHA for better brain development. It has a careful amount of fats and carbohydrates for increased energy. Most puppies seem to like the taste, although the texture may have too large chunks.

It’s important to note that this product contains wheat, which does not add nutritional value and acts more as a filler. Also, we found that a significant number of puppies experienced diarrhea after consuming this product.

Cons
  • Texture may contain too large chunks
  • Contains wheat
  • May cause diarrhea
Pros
  • Nutritional and well-balanced
  • Includes sufficient nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and proteins
  • DHA for better brain development

 

Buyer’s Guide

There are several factors that come together to keep your puppies happy and healthy. This includes giving them the right diet, plenty of exercise and playtime, and unconditional love and care. But when it comes to the food, you have to be particularly cautious because that’s what going to help your puppy to grow and develop. It’s the food and the adequate level of exercise that would decide how healthy your dog’s going to be.

This article would discuss what a good puppy diet should look like and how you should set up a right feeding pattern according to their age. So without further ado, let’s dive in!

Ingredients to look for in puppy food

  • Whole grains: To stay active and maintain healthy digestion, a puppy needs whole grains in their diet. Oatmeal, barley, and brown rice as great examples of fibrous whole grains that promote healthy stools and maintain energy levels in puppies.
  • Real meat protein: Premium-quality meat protein is the foremost requirement for growing puppies. It’s also the most protein-dense portion of an animal and is easiest to digest. When choosing a puppy food, make sure meat makes up the majority of its protein content and is listed amongst the first few ingredients.
  • Fruits and vegetables: Puppies need multiple vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for proper growth. And there’s no better source for micronutrients than natural fruits and vegetables. Compared to artificial supplements, they’re easier to digest, more nutritionally diverse, and taste better. Our favorite ones for puppies include blueberries, cranberries, pumpkin, apples, carrots, and beet root.

Ingredients to avoid in puppy food

  • Wheat and corn: Both wheat and corn are used as fillers in puppy foods to pump up their calorie content. Wheat gluten is also a common ingredient used as a protein source in some recipes. Unfortunately, all of these ingredients are difficult to digest and provide little nutritional value to your puppy.
  • Rendered meats and fats: Some manufacturers use meat by-products and rendered fats to make their food cheaper. Both of them are derived from dead or sick animals, so they contain toxins and few nutrients. We would recommend staying away from foods that list generic fats like ‘animal fat’ and meat by-products.
  • BHT and BHA: BHT and BHA are used as preservatives in dog foods, especially for fats. However, both of them have been linked to allergies and are classified as possible carcinogens.

What Can My Puppies Eat?

Depending on the size and breed of your dog, you should allow your dog to feed on his mother’s milk for the first 4 to 6 weeks. The mother’s milk provides the adequate nutrients required to keep the puppies healthy and protect them from diseases. During this time, you don’t have to worry about feeding any other puppy food.

After six weeks, try and wean your puppy off the mother’s milk and introduce them to the new food. This transition phase can take 2 to 3 weeks. You have both kibble and wet food options to start from. The only thing you need to make sure is that the food you pick should be formulated for puppies. High-quality puppy food will include all the nutrition they need at this lifestage for optimal growth and development.

If you’re new to this, you can always seek assistance from your vet. If you opt for kibble, always moisten it or blend it with a milk replacer to adjust the consistency for your dog’s soft teeth. On the other hand, you can serve wet puppy foods as it is as they’re already soft for easy eating. You can eliminate the milk replacer after around 8 weeks.

Can Puppies Eat Adult Dog Food?

Let’s find out!

Different Nutritional Needs

Pups have different nutrient needs as compared to their adult counterparts. While puppies need sufficient nutrition for growth and development, adult dogs require nutrition for maintenance. As a result, puppies require more protein, carbs, and micronutrients. Puppies also need more calories for optimal growth. Therefore, it is not suitable for puppies to eat adult dog food.

The Right Kibble Size

The kibble size of dry food and the chunks in wet food are also larger for your puppy’s mouth. Large chunks and hard texture are not easy for your puppies to chew. So it’s great if you pick a wet puppy food or mix it with kibble to soften the texture. Giving your puppy adult dog food is not only harmful to the health but can also be damaging to the jaws and teeth.

If you’re looking for the most suitable wet food options for your pup, don’t forget to check out the best wet puppy foods list we have shared in this article.

Puppy Feeding Chart

You can find feeding guidance on the food bags to help you get started. You can check with the vet for more professional advice. We have compiled a basic puppy feeding chart below for your assistance. You can always make changes according to your dog’s specific breed and size.

The food quantity stated below should ideally be fed to your dog over a 24 hour period.

  • Weight: 5lbs, 1/2 cup to 5/8 cup
  • Weight: 10lbs, 3/4 cup to 1 cup
  • Weight: 20lbs, 1 1/4 cups to 1 3/4 cups
  • Weight: 40lbs, 2 1/4 cups to 3 cups
  • Weight: 60lbs, 3 cups to 4 cups
  • Weight: 80lbs, 3 2/3 cups to 5 cups
  • Weight: 100lbs, 4 1/4 cups to 6 cups

Use this as a basic guideline and feel free to adjust based on your dog’s preferences.

The Nutritional Benefits of Wet Food Options for Pups

As difficult as you find picking the right dog food, the truth is that dog nutrition has never been easier. With so much information in hand and a variety of products available in the market, it is possible to find the perfect meals for your furry friend.

Kibble, however, is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a puppy’s nutrition. Canned food was often put on the sidelines. While dry food is a more convenient option, wet foods have an excellent nutritional value, which makes it a great diet option for your growing buddy.

Here are all the reasons what makes wet food distinctly beneficial:

Higher Meat Protein

Canned food options are generally higher in meat protein content as compared to kibble diets. These foods are also an excellent source of nutrition for dogs that require grain-sources carbs. It is, however, important to check the food labels and opt for only high quality canned food.

Fewer Preservatives

The canning process naturally preserves wet food and therefore has lesser preservatives. On the other hand, dry food actually needs preservatives to increase shelf-life. Wet food is also fresher as compared to kibble because a container would only last a few days at max, unlike a kibble bag that would take weeks to a month to finish. All these factors contribute to fewer overall preservatives in the canned food.

Lesser Carbs

Kibble usually contains more carbs as compared to wet food because carbs work as binders required for maintaining the hard texture and consistency.  While there’s carb content in wet food as well, the amount is significantly less than dry food. Always check the labels!

More Flavorful

The canned food is more palatable because it is made from real meat and contains higher meat protein content. Canned food naturally has a stronger, more flavorful taste. This is the main reason why most dog owners pick canned dog food for picky eaters. This is also a great option for young puppies who are just introduced to a new, solid diet.

Final Thoughts

Our top pick for the best overall wet puppy food goes to Purina 17800126007 ONE SmartBlend Puppy Dog Food for its 100% complete and balanced nutrition. It is made with real lamb meat and no poultry by-products. It contains ideal protein content and includes omega fatty acids and antioxidants. It also has a taste and texture that most puppies enjoy.

For the best value, Pedigree 10132999 Puppy Wet Canned Dog Food has 100% complete and balanced nutrition. This wet puppy food is made with real chicken and beef for an optimal protein content. Plus, it contains DHA for brain development, all at a reasonable price.

In our third spot, we selected CANIDAE PURE 1566 Grain Free Wet Dog Food as our premium choice. Although you’ll pay more, this wet puppy food has a 100% complete and balanced formula that is free of wheat, corn, soy, and carrageenan. Only a limited amount of high-quality ingredients is included. In addition to optimal protein content, this wet puppy food includes probiotics, antioxidants, and omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids.

We hope that our reviews of the best wet puppy foods, along with our pros and cons lists, have helped you find the best wet puppy food for your family’s newest addition. Nutrition plays an essential part of your puppy’s growth and development. The right puppy food can help your young companion gain a healthy and strong start to life.

Edward Hollon is an avid dog lover and writer, knowing all there is to know about our furry friends. Edward has been writing for petdii for three years now, wanting to use her knowledge for good and share everything she can with new dog owners. Edward has two dogs herself - a German shepherd called Banjo and a chocolate labrador called Buttons. Edward knows more than anyone how adjusting to new life with a puppy can turn your life upside down, and she wants to ease some of the burdens through her articles.