The Top 10 Best Wet Dog Food Brands for 2023

Many dog lovers have a difficult time choosing what kind of wet food is best for their canine. With many options come many questions – namely, which wet food brand is best for your dog? To help ease your concerns, we thoroughly researched what moist dog foods provide your pup with the appropriate balance of nutrients to enrich their diet. To find out the benefits of wet dog food versus dry dog food and view our recommendations, take a look at our comprehensive list of the top ten best wet dog foods and brands on the market.

What is the Best Wet Dog Food in the Market Today?

Now let’s look at which moist dog food products are some of the best today’s market has to offer:

• Taste of the Wild – High Prairie
  • Top 6 Ingredients: Beef, Vegetable broth, Lamb broth, Lamb liver, Dried egg, Potato starch
  • Other: Contains inulin, a starch-like compound that serves as a prebiotic to help with your dog’s digestive tract. Contains flaxseed oil, which is one of the best non-fish sources of Omega-3 fatty acids.
• Wellness Core – Grain-Free Turkey, Pork Liver & Duck Formula
  • Top 6 Ingredients: Turkey, Pork liver, Turkey broth, Duck, Chicken meal, Carrageenan (seaweed based additive).
  • Other: Carrageenan has undergone recent controversy, it’s biological safety being called into question despite being used as an additive for hundreds of years.
• Weruva – “Funk in the Trunk” with Chicken & Pumpkin
  • Top 6 Ingredients: Chicken broth, Poultry, Pumpkin, Sunflower oil, Xanath and locust bean gums
  • Other: Locust bean gum and xanthan gum are used to both flavor and preserve the products.
• Whole Earth Farms – Grain-Free Adult Recipe
  • Top 6 Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken broth, Turkey, Chicken liver, Whitefish, Peas
  • Other: Products contain alfalfa which, while containing high amounts of protein and fiber, is an unusual ingredient for moist and semi-moist dog foods.
• Merrick Classic – Grain-Free Turducken in Gravy Classic Recipe
  • Top 6 Ingredients: Deboned turkey, Chicken broth, Duck, Chicken, Turkey broth, Sweet potatoes
• Holistic Select – Chicken Pate Recipe
  • Top 6 Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken liver, Chicken broth, Chicken meal, Whitefish, Ground flaxseed
  • Other: Contains pea protein, which has less biological value than meat-based proteins. Additionally, their products have added caramel coloring. While caramel is considered safe to consume by the FDA, added coloring to pet food is still not ideal.
• Zignature Zssential Formula – Multi-Protein Version
  • Top 6 Ingredients: Turkey, Turkey liver, Turkey broth, Salmon, Lamb, Chickpeas
  • Other: The Zssential formula is made from turkey from the Midwestern United States, Northeastern salmon, duck imported from France, and mutton from New Zealand.
• Chicken Soup for the Soul – Adult Recipe
  • Top 6 Ingredients: Chicken, Turkey, Chicken broth, Turkey broth, Duck, Salmon
  • Other: The best canned dog food you can get for its price, and its also available to order online. Contains antioxidants to improve your pet’s overall health and vigor.

What is the Best Grain Free Wet Dog Food in the Market?

Therefore, if you are looking into more of the best grain-free wet food available on the market, here are a few more brands you may want to consider checking out:

• AvoDerm Natural Grain Free
  • Comes in five different flavors, including beef, turkey, chicken, and salmon.
  • Contains avocado oil, which can be good for your dog’s skin and coat.
• Blue Buffalo Family Favorites
  • Comes in six different flavors, including Turducken, Backyard BBQ, Shepherd’s Pie, Turkey Day Feast, Mom’s Chicken Pie, and Sunday Chicken Dinner.
• Canidae Grain Free Pure
  • Comes in five different flavors, including Pure Sky, Pure Sea, Pure Land, Pure Elements, and Pure Foundations.

What are the Best Wet Dog Food Brands?

1. Taste of the Wild

Overview: Taste of the Wild is some of the best canned dog food that you can get on the market today. Taste of the Wild uses animal meat as its main source of protein, but uses other healthy, easily digestible starches to provide your pup will a well-balanced meal. This brand contains no artificial preservatives or additives, and every recipe is intended to be a close representation of your dog’s ancestral diet, closely adhering to what they ate in the wild (hence the name!). While the brand does not have many options in terms of flavors, every product is of a high quality and is guaranteed to satisfy your dog’s taste.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All dogs, including large breed puppies. Can be given at any life stage.

2. Wellness

Overview: Wellness canned dog food is specifically designed for dog lovers who want to supervise and transform their dog’s eating habits. Their moist and semi-moist recipes are designed by animal nutritionists, and each product is only comprised of animal-based proteins, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables. They have four product lines that can be used as either their sole source of food, or as a supplement to their diet, depending on their specific needs.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: Depends on the type of product you choose. Some lines target specific health concerns, while others can be used as a mix-in, topper, or sole food source.

3. Weruva

Overview: Weruva is a brand that has a unique approach to dog food. Coining the phrase “people food for pets,” Weruva prepares their food in human food amenities, and use many of the fresh ingredients that would go into preparing food for you or I. Weruva uses the highest quality proteins alongside fruits and vegetables to create their wet food, and each recipe can serve as your dog’s sole food source, or as toppers or mix-ins.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All dogs, except large breed puppies. Can be given at any life stage.

4. Whole Earth Farms

Overview: Sourced in the United States, Whole Earth Farms packs its wet dog food with plenty of animal protein and protein-based products such as beef and chicken broth. However, Whole Earth also prides itself on giving your dog a healthy dose of vegetables and easily-digestible carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, peas, and carrots. There are no corn, wheat, or soy in their products

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All dogs, including large breed puppies. Can be given at any life stage.

5. Merrick Classic

Overview:  Merrick offers 11 flavors of grain-free wet food, and each flavor lists meat as the first ingredient. They also use a host of fresh fruits and vegetables, including potatoes and apples, to give added fiber. Though approved by the FDA, Merrick does have added caramel coloring to its food, which is something to be aware of if you are concerned about the added use of coloring agents.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All dogs, including large breed puppies. Can be given at any life stage. Merrick also has special lines of canned food made specifically for puppies.

6. Holistic Select

Overview: Holistic Select is a company dedicated to providing your pup with natural and high quality ingredients in all of their recipes. Their Select Grain-Free wet dog food product line includes six different flavors, each featuring a different protein. They use a balance of animal protein and protein enriched vegetables, such as potatoes and peas, for variety.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All dogs, including large breed puppies. Can be given at any life stage.

7. Zignature

Overview: Zignature is one of the more varied and sophisticated brands on this list. This unique brand carries wet dog food packed with protein, from beef, to duck, to Australian imported kangaroo (seriously!). The combination of fresh fruits and veggies, as well as alfalfa meal, gives their recipes a significant amount of plant-based proteins and fibers as well.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All dogs, except large breed puppies. Can be given at any life stage.

8. I and Love and You

Overview: Comprised of 5 different flavors of grain-free dog food, I and Love and You is a company that balances animal proteins with a hearty amount of vegetables and fiber-based products. Their recipe also includes salmon oil, which contains the EPA and DHA types of Omega-3 fatty acids – two types of fats that are considered to be of the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans, and can promote healthy development of the eyes and brain.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All dogs, except large breed puppies. Can be given at any life stage.

9. Instinct Original

Overview: Instinct Original’s product line includes 8 different canned dog food varieties. The first few ingredients of each recipe are meat, broth, or organ meats from different animals. Instinct products also contain montmorillonite clay, a compound rich in minerals used to help combat irritable bowel syndrome, and other upset stomach issues your dog may experience. Menhaden oil provides the same EPA and DHA types of Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and other fish oils, with the added benefit of being less likely to contain traces of mercury.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All adult dogs. Good for maintenance, not as a sole food source.

10. Earthborn Holistic

Overview: With five unique, grain-free flavors, Earthborn Holistic Moist foods have animal protein listed as their number one ingredient. However, they do use a significant amount of pea protein (what remains when removing the starchy part of a pea); while this contains a lot of protein, it is considered less biologically valuable than meat-based proteins, meaning that it will make your dog feel fuller without the same nutritional benefits. Still, Earthborn provides your dog with a notable amount of meat and easily digestible vegetables, which makes it above-average when compared to other wet food products.

Grain-Free?: Yes

Good for: All adult dogs. Good for maintenance, not as a sole food source.

Dry food vs. Wet food

Just like wet food, not all kibble are created equally – some dry dog foods are more nutritiously viable options for your dog than others. While some wet foods can be mixed with dry food to give your dog a well-balanced meal, other wet foods are better off being eaten by itself. But what are the key nutritional differences between dry and wet dog foods?

In general, wet food is also more palatable to your dog. Since the proteins in wet dog food are closer to their original form, it might smell and taste more appetizing to your furry friend, which is especially helpful for dog owners with picky eaters. Furthermore, older dogs and dogs with dental issues may find certain wet foods easier to digest than dry food.

Canned food vs Wet food: Is there a difference?

Why and When Should I Buy Canned Dog Food?

Mixers and toppers can be a great way to transition your dog into eating more moist and semi-moist based dog foods. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, start off by slowly introducing wet food into their diet by mixing it in with your dog’s preferred dry food.

What are the Ingredients to avoid in wet dog food?