Perhaps the biggest advantage of wet puppy food is its versatility. Most pet parents don’t rely on wet food as the sole source of their puppy’s nutrition once their pet is old enough to transition to kibble—unless their fur baby has special needs that make soft food a healthier alternative or their puppy is an incredibly finicky eater. Instead, we use soft food as a topper to make dry food more appealing, as a source of added nutrition, or as a special treat. Did you know puppy food can also provide excellent nutrition for elderly dogs to help protect them from the loss of muscle mass as they age? And wet food is generally easier for aging dogs to eat and digest. Lactating female dogs also need the added calories, calcium, protein, and other nutrients in puppy food to help keep them healthy until their puppies are weaned or until they stop producing milk, says Jason Wilton, D.V.M., associate veterinarian at Flatt Veterinary Clinic in Cookeville, Tenn. We have evaluated top-rated wet puppy foods and provided recommendations below for their best uses.
For cost and convenience
Blue Buffalo Homestyle recipe for puppies ranks best for cost and convenience. It’s widely available at big box stores like Walmart and Target, pet franchises like PetCo and PetSmart, and online from Chewy, Amazon, and more. At a cost of $2.52 per 13 oz. (368.5 g) can, its price is comparable and even better than many other brands with such wide availability. Consumers across all platforms rank it 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Pro: It provides complete nutrition for feeding alone or supplementing with dry food. Not only does it contain protein and other nutrients from fruits and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and blueberries, it contains healthy grains like brown rice and barley.
Con: You know the saying about one man’s trash being another’s treasure? Well, this seems to be the case for some reviewers who’ve tried this food. While most rated it high and said pups like the taste, a few said their pet grew tired of it or just wouldn’t eat it. Some said it looked nutritious because they could see the vegetable chunks in it; others said it was too chunky and not moist enough. Bottom line, don’t let the mixed messages decide for you; let your puppy’s tastebuds and tummy decide for themselves.
BLUE BUFFALO
Homestyle Recipe Puppy Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz
For supplementing dry food or using as a topper
Grain-free is a popular dog food trend right now, but it might not be in the best interest of your pup’s optimal health; sure, if your dog is allergic or sensitive to corn, wheat, or soy, those ingredients should be eliminated, but replacing them with healthy grains like rice or barley is important. Wellness Complete Health Just for Puppy formula is the highest-ranking soft food best used to top or supplement a grain-free kibble. It contains ground barley as its sole grain source and has ground flaxseed and vegetable oil for healthy sources of fat and/or omega-3 fatty acids. It ranks an overall 4.5 out of 5 stars from reviewing consumers.
Pro: It’s relatively widely available from big box stores, pet franchises, and other retailers, especially through online ordering.
Con: At $3.25 per can, it’s the least economical of our recommendations and why we feel most consumers would prefer it as a supplement, whether they’re feeding their puppy grain-free or regular kibble.
For premium brand shoppers
When it comes to premium soft foods, availability was intermittent among the retail outlets most consumers regularly use, even for online ordering. In fact, most premium foods we considered were available from only one or two retailers, out of a total of six. The premium brand most widely available, though not the highest ranked, is Whole Earth Farms Healthy Grains puppy recipe. Still, it boasts an overall rating of 4.6 stars out of 5 from consumers who’ve reviewed it. The brand promotes that it was developed with veterinarians and other animal nutrition experts, and it contains healthy grains from rice and oatmeal, as well as fruit and vegetable nutrition from carrots, sweet potatoes, and apples. But chicken is the brand’s primary ingredient. It costs an average of $2.99 per can, making it among the most affordable premium brands.
Pro: We found it on Amazon and from pet franchises Petco and PetSmart, giving it relatively wide availability.
Con: We did not find it on other major retail outlets, including Chewy. If you’re an auto-ship customer you will have to find another outlet to order this food or use a different brand available at your preferred outlet.
For vet-recommended feeding
Royal Canin puppy loaf in sauce for appetite stimulation ranked highest among vet-recommended brands, at a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. It’s appropriate for small dogs aged 10 months or less and weighing 22 pounds (10 kg) or less, and it comes in a smaller serving can—5.2 oz (147 g) compared to the standard 13 oz. (368.5 g). The Royal Canin brand also makes a starter formula for mothers and newborns and a general puppy recipe in a standard-sized can that both get ratings of 4.6 or higher. The appetite stimulation formula contains easily digested proteins, beet pulp, and fish oil that all work together to protect a growing, developing digestive system.
Pro: It’s relatively easy to find at most retail outlets and at some veterinarian’s offices, and the smaller can simplifies portion control.
Con: At an average cost of $2.39 per can, it’s not as affordable as some other brands, so it’s recommended for pups with feeding, digestion, or other nutritional issues.
Conclusion
Not all formulas are created equal, and not all puppies will respond the same to the same brand. However, using your puppy’s tastebuds and tummy health, as well as your food budget, as guidelines, these recommendations can help you narrow down the difficult decision of what soft food to choose for your fur baby. Let us know what tips you found most useful by sharing them with us in the comments section.