Harper Jefcoat
Harper Jefcoat

10 Best Canned Dog Food Choices in 2024

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Best Canned Dog Food

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  • What is Canned Dog Food?
  • Best Canned Dog Food Brands in 2024

Finding the right canned dog food is essential for your dog’s optimal health and well-being. It is specifically formulated for dogs and is made with the ingredients and nutrients that are good for your dog’s health.

Since dogs are part omnivores and part carnivores, they have the ability to absorb and process other food groups like carbohydrates, starch, and glucose.

The food specifically made for the dogs must contain the ingredients and nutrients that are needed for their proper development.

When choosing the right dog food, the dog owners have the choice to choose from the dry and wet or wet canned food. Both types of food have their pros and cons.

What is Canned Dog Food?

Canned or wet dog food comes in both soft and solid sided containers. Unlike dry pet food or kibble, canned food is significantly high in water content and is generally more nutritious than dry and semi-moist food. Canned food is cooked during the canning process and is sterilized.

It is high in protein, moisture content, meat protein and fat content and is more palatable and easy to eat than dry kibbles or dry food. Even though canned food offers so many advantages, many dog owners prefer dry food due to its ease and affordability.

Still, dry food lacks many important nutrients and water that are important for a dog's development and sustenance.

Best Canned Dog Food Brands in 2024

Finding a suitable and complete canned food is more of a matter of practice as new dog owners do not know which food brand and type to buy. Talking about brands, there are a number of high quality commercial dog food brands that offer both dry and canned dog food that is specifically formulated for dogs of different ages.

Below, we have listed some top canned dog food brands that offer nutritionally complete, grain-free recipes and effective wet food for dogs of all ages.

Hill’s Science Diet Wet Dog Food

Hill’s Science Diet Wet Dog Food is made with real meat, healthy brown rice and a variety of tasty and fresh vegetables like carrots and peas. The mixture is mixed with a gravy made of rice and the food is rich in a high level of proteins.

They are great and help to build your dog’s muscles. It is also considered the best canned dog food for weight loss as it helps in maintaining a healthy weight. Due to its fresh and great smelling ingredients, Coco will not be able to resist it. Its Prescription Diet W/D is ideal and is the best canned dog for diabetic dogs and helps them cope with their condition easily.

The brand is quite well known in the commercial dog food manufacturing and they use a science-backed approach to design and develop a wide range and recipe of food that is suitable and good for dogs of all sizes and weight.

The ingredients are selected quite carefully and the makers make sure that all the prepared food is rich in nutrients and antioxidants.

Something that make this food brand unique is;

  • It is available in four different flavors including chicken, turkey and beef
  • The food is highly recommended by the veterinarians
  • The brand offers 100 percent satisfaction or you get your money back
  • The pack comes with 12 cans, 12.8 oz each in size

Natural Balance Ultra Premium Wet Dog Food

The Natural Balance Ultra Premium Wet Dog Food is prepared with high-quality ingredients. The formula consists of high levels of lean and healthy proteins, fresh vegetables and easy to digest carbohydrates.

The food is designed and created with the aim that all the nutrients get absorbed into your dog's body easily and quickly. This food is ideal for the dog owners who want to keep their dogs on ideal body weight.

This canned food formula has a perfect balance of Omega 6 and 3, which is really helpful in keeping your dog's skin and hair coat shiny, healthy and shiny. The brand offers constant support through their qualified team of Veterinary Technicians that will help you in any way possible.

Key features of Natural Balance Ultra Premium Wet Dog Food are;

  • It is available in four flavors including chicken, lamb, beef and vegetables
  • It is made with high quality ingredients
  • Each batch is tested for at least 9 times to make sure everything is good to go
  • The pack has 12 cans with each of them being 13 oz in size

Purina ALPO Chop House Wet Dog Food

Looking for something that is high in quality and still on the affordable side? Purina ALPO Chop House Wet Dog Food is ideal for you. While the brand offers affordable dog food, this does not mean that the food is low in quality.

It contains real meat like beef and chicken and each 12 cans pack comes with two delicious and irresistible flavors namely Filet Mignon and Bacon and Roasted Chicken and Top Sirloin.

Each dog food serving is rich with 23 essential minerals and vitamins that help to keep your dog’s health in topmost condition. Since it is comparatively cheap in price, it does have some flavoring and animal meat by-products. Talking about the clients, based on the Amazon reviews, they seem to have no issues with this dog food.

Its key features include;

  • The texture of the food is soft and easy to eat
  • It has more protein than many other similar brands
  • The food has savory gravy that adds to its flavor and palpability
  • It comes in a pack of 12 cans, each being 13.2 oz in size

It’s Purina Pro Plan High-Calorie Dog Food variety that is among the best canned dog food for weight gain. Additionally, it’s Pro Plan Savor Senior Food is great if your dog is suffering from Cushing’s disease.

Merrick Classic Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

Merrick Classic Grain Free Canned Dog Food is ideal and perfect for the dog owners that do not like the idea of grains in their canine's diet. This happens either when a dog is sensitive to grains or when the dog owner believes that his dog does not need grains in his diet.

For them, there are a number of choices of grain-free dog food with the respective food brand being the best amongst them.

The wet food is available in 11 different flavors with special food for puppies. Each flavor has real meat as its main and primary ingredient and it is combined and mixed with other fresh and delicious vegetables and fruits like apples, beans, peas and potatoes.

All of these are great and are among the best canned dog foods for dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Some key features of Merrick Classic Grain-Free Canned Dog Food are;

  • The food is clean from any artificial flavors, preservatives and colors
  • It is locally cooked in the US
  • The pack comes with 12 cans, each being 13.2 oz in size
  • All of the flavors have real meat as its foremost flavor

It also has a low-calorie option, Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Recipe, which is the best low-fat canned dog food. It is ideal if you are looking for something that would help your dog lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

Wellness Complete Health Natural Wet Canned Dog Food Senior Formula

Senior dogs have different dietary needs than puppies and adult dogs. Therefore, when having a senior dog at home, it is better that you choose a food formula that is specifically blended and made for them.

Wellness Complete Health Natural Wet Canned Dog Food Senior Formula is one of the best canned dog foods for senior dogs.



This food formula is specifically and carefully designed and developed to support the top 5 signs of wellness in senior dogs, physical energy, skin and coat, teeth and gums, eyes and immune system. The food formula includes flaxseed as one of its ingredients, which helps to keep the skin and hair healthy and shiny.

Some of the key features of Wellness Complete Healthy Natural Wet Canned Dog Food Senior Formula are;

  • A careful and reduced amount of calories and increased amount of fiber
  • It contains premium and all-natural ingredients
  • The food is made in the US
  • The pack has 12 cans with each being 12.5 oz in size.

It also has the best canned dog food for acid reflux in dogs. It helps in managing it.

Nutro Canned Wet Puppy Food

Looking for a great puppy food option for your pup? Nutro Canned has everything that you need for your puppy's growth and wellness. It is believed to be the healthiest food for the puppies and it contains all the natural and organic ingredients like real chicken, oats and brown rice.

It does not have any chemicals, added flavors and additives like colors and preservatives. The food has a huge and high-quality source of proteins, zinc, linoleic acid and fat that is important for your puppy’s proper growth and development.

Each pack of Nutro Dog Food has 25 plates and each plate has a 3.5 ounce of high-quality wet and palatable food whereas its other variety pack comes in 12 jars and each jar 12.5 ounces of dog food.

Many of the dog owners report no issues feeding their dogs this dog food but they consider it more as a supplementary food than a standalone meal.

Some key components of this dog food are;

  • Organic food items and elements like real chicken, oatmeal and brown rice
  • A complete source of important nutrients like Omega 6 fatty acid, zinc, proteins and linoleic acid
  • A balanced formula of proteins and fat that is important for ideal growth
  • No added preservatives, artificial colors and flavoring

Nutro Ultra Holistic Wet Dog Food for Small Dogs

Nutro Ultra Holistic Wet Dog Food is specially made and designed for small dog breeds and is the best canned dog food for small dogs. It is available in different styles and varieties. Each packing of this dog food contains three types of Lenten protein like sheep, salmon and fantastic.

The food formula is prepared with a mix of healthy and fresh ingredients like grains, essential oils, vegetables, fruits and grains. All of these ingredients work collaboratively to provide the best food formula for your petite and small dog breed.

Besides, the food is also filled with the essential antioxidants, amino acids and proteins that help to build a strong muscular system and healthy skin. The dog owners that have used this dog food are quite happy to see their dogs grow healthily and happily.

This is a kind of limited ingredient dog food that is also great for dogs that have undergone surgery or have food allergies. However, it is quite possible that some dogs do not find the taste of the food pleasing.

Some key features of this dog food are;

  • The food is available in different styles and designs
  • It is available for dogs of all ages
  • It is made and filled with all-natural and organic ingredients like fresh vegetables, oils and grains
  • Mostly, pet owners that switch to this brand like to stick with it for life
  • It helps in building a strong framework of the dog's bones

Wellness Natural Canned Dog Food

Prepared by a reputed family-owned dog food brand, Wellness Natural Canned Dog Food is designed and prepared with all-natural and fresh ingredients that are crafted into delicious recipes and dog food.

The dog food is the best and it provides complete and well-balanced canned food for adult and grownup dogs. It is made with high-quality ingredients that are free from all types of preservatives and artificial flavor and colors.

It is a classic slow-cooked stew recipe that has a great taste and an equally great aroma. Wellness brands are known to offer and provide high and unparalleled quality of dog food that helps the dog owners maintain their pooches health and wellbeing.

Key features of this dog food are;

  • The food is formulated and created with organic ingredients
  • All the meals are chunky and are slow-cooked to reach that delicious and irresistible level fro your dog
  • Best grain-free canned dog food option
  • It has no artificial ingredients, additives and preservatives
  • It is made in the US

Their formulas are regarded as the best canned dog food for picky eaters.



Cesar Classics Wet Food for All Dog Breeds

Cesar Canine Classic wet dog food offers a complete and well-balanced diet and nutrition for dogs of all kinds and breeds. The food is filled with the delicious aroma and it is great for dogs that like to have a sophisticated meal.

The diet is enriched with all the necessary vitamins and minerals that help to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Real meat is the main and foremost ingredient in dog food, which makes it all the more nutritious and delicious. Besides, it is also enriched with the important and necessary antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that keep your dog fit.

The key components of this dog food are;

  • It makes the mealtime easy and engaging for you and your dog
  • Your dog will love the variety of different flavors
  • It helps you to keep your dog happy, fit and healthy
  • All of its dog food has a delicious taste of home-cooked food
  • Each serving is served in a tray and it is properly sealed to maintain its freshness

Wellness Core Grain Free Dog Food

Wellness Grain Free dog food range, which means that it has dog food for nearly every kind of dog breed. It comes in different varieties of food arrangements that include the type of food and the weight of the dog.

The food varieties come in interesting and different selections and combinations like Venison & Lamb, Pork & Duck, Turkey & Chicken and Salmon & Herring. The food packages are available in 24 pieces and 12 jars.

This canned food is a favorite among the dog owners as they could get different kinds and assortments of food without compromising on the quality. This canned dog food has been helping the dog owners to ease a number of health issues in their dogs like bladder stones and diarrhea.

Some key components of this dog food are;

  • Grain-free and completely balanced dog food
  • Formula is rich in protein that helps in muscles development
  • The food contains all natural and healthy ingredients
  • It has a wide variety of flavors
  • No artificial and added preservatives

Finding the best food for your dog is something that every dog owner wants to do. A carefully balanced diet will keep your dog healthy and add years to its life. While a high protein diet is important for a healthy and happy dog, there are some dogs that have special dietary needs.

Other than the mentioned brands, there are other reputable canned food brands like Blue Buffalo that are a household name and offer homestyle recipes. These foods have a reasonable shelf life and many of them have sweet potato and other quality protein as the main ingredient.

Harper Jefcoat

WRITTEN BY

Harper Jefcoat

Harper Jefcoat is a dedicated pet enthusiast and esteemed author at RealESALetter.com. With a profound passion for animals, Harper combines extensive knowledge and personal experience to provide insightful and informative content. Specializing in canine behavior and wellness, he strives to empower pet owners with the tools and understanding they need to nurture and care for their furry friends effectively. Harper’s writings reflect his commitment to enhancing the lives of pets and their owners, making him a trusted voice in the pet community.

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