Best Canned Dog Food [2021 UPDATE]

Dog food is food formulated specially for consumption by dogs and other related canines. These animals are said to be omnivores but with an affinity to carnivorous food. Canned dog food typically contains more protein than dry dog food. They are also made with fewer carbohydrates. Due to their air tight packaging, canned dog foods do not contain any synthetic preservatives. Fats and oils sealed inside cans therefore, do not get rancid easily. There are also no artificial flavorings or colorings.

Common Canned Dog food ingredients

When added to your dog’s diet, canned foods give your pet a better option as opposed to dry food alone. All canned foods are not equal as some contain very little amounts of meat and their nutritional value is low. It is advised to carefully check the labels of these canned foods whenever you go shopping and also give thought as to why the food is cheap before you pick it as your choice.
Some of the ingredients in canned foods are;

Meat
Meat, usually its main ingredient, is always in canned foods. The type of meat it contains is always listed on the label, either as a part of the name of the product or it is listed among the ingredients. Common types of meat include chicken, lamb, beef and pork. High quality meat is usually used in premium dog foods; they are often good for even human consumption. Most of the cheaper dog foods make use of meat byproducts, usually low quality food which include ground bones and organ meats. Byproducts sometimes also include chicken beaks, chicken feet, chicken skin, ground up intestines and lungs.

Filler
Filler is simply a means of making dog food without the use of a lot of meat. Though filler isn’t particularly bad for dog, it isn’t always beneficial to them. The main reason for the use of fillers is to reduce the cost of product as much as possible. Common filler types include beet pulp, corn, wheat, brewers rice and soy. Though they provide some fiber, they also reduce the amount of meat contained in each can. It isn’t unusual for dogs to develop allergies to fibers, mainly because these products are mostly used in dry dog foods.

Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits, vegetables or both are contained in many dog foods. Dogs are omnivorous creatures, therefore, the addition of these are beneficial to them. Some of the common additions to canned dog foods are bananas, carrots, peas, strawberries and green beans. Though, these aren’t found in cheap canned dog foods, many of the premium canned dog food add one or more of these ingredients to their canned foods as it is beneficial. Inexpensive brands also include peas, potatoes and carrots both for the benefits they provide and to help reduce how much meat to be used by the manufacturer.

Reading Labels
The label on the can of the dog food would inform you as to what the can contains. Canned foods containing 95% of meat content would be tagged with the name of the meat – LAMB DOG FOOD, If its lamb.

It applies to other types of meat as well. The meat percentage reduces to about 70% when water is added during processing. It has only 25% lamb if it is called “Lamb Dinner”. It only has 3% lamb if it is called “dog food with lamb”. The ingredients are usually mentioned in the order of quantity used. Therefore, the first thing used is usually the main ingredient.

Here are some of the best canned dog foods.

Taste of the wild’s Wet Dog food

This canned food contains majorly, the following: beef, lamb broth, vegetable broth, lamb liver and dried egg product. These are the first five ingredients in this product. Its texture is gravy like with chunks in it. It is a grain free product that can be fed to dogs at any stage of their lives. It is good for fully grown dogs and all puppies as well.

The Taste of the Wild Wet dog food gets the majority of its meat protein content from beef. The recipe, according to dry matter label analysis contains 44% proteins, 22% Fat and estimated carbs of 25% and that leads to a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%. It is a highly recommended product that works for all life stages.

The Merrick Cowboy Cookout Classic Canned Dog food

The Merrick Cowboy Cookout is a grain free dog food that contains Deboned beef, beef broth, chicken broth, beef liver and peas. It has a gravy like texture as well with chunks in it.

The leading percentage of protein source in the Cowboy Cookout is gotten from fresh beef. As revealed in the dry matter label analysis, the recipe contains 47% protein, 16% fat and an estimated carbs value of 29% which brings the fat to protein ratio to about 33%. It is a healthy food for both adult dogs and puppies. It is highly recommended.

Canned Wet Dog Food from Halo

Halo Lamb Canned dog wet food is a product whose leading ingredient is Lamb. Some other major constituents are chicken broth, beef liver, barley, and carrots. It usually has a paste like texture, or it can be in form of stew. It is preferably fed to dogs in maintenance life stage. It also includes grains like barley and rolled oats.

The majority of Halo Lamb recipe’s protein source is acquired from Lamb and beef liver. According to the dry matter label analysis for this product, the recipe contains 50% protein, 28% fat and an estimated carb percentage of 14% and that gives us a fat – to – protein ratio of 56%. It is a highly recommended grain inclusive food product for adult dogs.

Wureva Bed and Breakfast Wet Dog Food

This grain and gluten free canned food product is suitable for breakfast or dinner for your dogs. The five major constituents are Chicken, water, egg, Pumpkin and sweet potato. This canned food is gravy like with chunks in it.

The Wureva Bed and breakfast canned food gets the majority of its meat protein from fresh chicken. The dry matter analysis of this recipe reveals that it contains 57% protein, 10% fat and 25% estimated carbs and this brings the fat to protein ratio to a value of 18%.
It is a highly recommended grain free formula that’s suitable for all adult dogs and puppies as well.

Wellness Turkey Stew Canned Dog Food

The Wellness Turkey Stew Canned Dog food is a natural home style stew with tender cuts marinated in savory gravy. Its contents majorly include Turkey, turkey broth, water; enough for processing, turkey liver and barley.

The wellness Turkey Stew acquires the majority of its animal protein from fresh turkey. The dry matter label analysis reveals that the recipe has a percentage distribution of 44%protein, 17% fat and 31% estimated carbs and this brings our fat to protein ratio to 38%. It is a very healthy wet formula with a well-balanced fat to protein ratio. It is highly recommended for all adult dogs and small, medium sized dogs.
A super-healthy, wet formula with an exceptional fat-to-protein balance. Highly recommended.

Instinct Original Grain free wet Dog Canned Food

This Canned food product is a real beef recipe that has a fine chopped paste texture. Its top five ingredients are beef, beef liver, beef broth, tricalcum phosphate and ground flaxseed. The majority of the meat protein for this canned food product is derived from fresh beef.

The dry matter label analysis reveals the percentage distribution to be 52% protein, 34% fat and 6% estimated carbs. This brings our fat to protein ratio to 65%. The Instinct Original Grain Free Canned Dog food is a naturally balanced wet dog food that is good for adults and small or medium breed puppies. It is a highly recommended canned Dog food.

Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Canned Dog food

This Grain Free Canned Dog food has a paste variation as well as a stew variation. Its top five ingredients include; Chicken, chicken broth, turkey, chicken liver and peas.

The lion share of its meat protein comes from fresh chicken and turkey. It is revealed in the dry matter label analysis that the recipe contains 43% protein, 27% fat and 22% estimated carbs. The fat to protein ratio is about 63%. This superior formula is suitable for all adult dogs as well as all puppies. It is also recommended for all life stages.

Nature’s Recipe Real chicken and Salmon Canned Dog Food Trays

The Nature’s Recipe Dog Food Tray is a chicken and Wild salmon mix that is gravy like with chunks in it. The majority of the meat protein for this food recipe is derived from Chicken. The top five ingredients of this dog food tray are as follows; Chicken, chicken broth, pumpkin, salmon and brown rice.

The bulk percentage of the Nature’s Recipe Chicken and Wild Salmon is derived from Chicken. According to the dry matter label analysis, the recipe contains 65% protein, 12% fat and 16% estimated carbs and as such, a fat to protein ratio of about 18% is created.
The Natures Recipe Dog Food Tray is Recommended for adults only and should never be fed to puppies.

The Blue Buffalo home-style Chicken Recipe Wet Dog Food

This canned product is a product of The Blue Buffalo. Co. It is a grain free paste that is finely chopped. The Blue Buffalo Home Style Recipe Chicken Dinner with garden vegetables is composed primarily of Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, carrots and peas.

The Blue Buffalo home style Recipe dinner has most of its animal protein content gotten from chicken As revealed in the dry matter label analysis, the recipe contains 39% protein, 27% fat, and estimated carbs of 26%. This brings us to a fat to protein ratio of about 71%. This nutritionally complete formula is ideal only for adult dogs and should not be fed to puppies.

Eukanaba Beef and Vegetable Stew Canned Dog Food

The Eukabana Beef and Vegetable Stew Canned Dog Food is a premium dog food product that has a gravy like texture with chunks in it. It is not a grain free product, as it includes wheat. The top five ingredients of this product are; water, chicken, beef, beef liver, and pork plasma.

The Eukabana Beef and Vegetable Stew food product derives the majority of its animal protein from chicken and beef. According to the dry matter label analysis, it is revealed that the recipe contains 44% protein, 22% fat and 25% estimated carbs. This brings the fat to protein ratio to a value of about 50%. This product is a superior formula for adult dogs only and should never be fed to puppies.