10 of the Best Wet Dog Foods for Puppies

1. Science-based puppy food:  Hill’s Science Diet

2. Specially formulated puppy nutrition:  Purina Pro Plan 

3. Holistic Nutrition for Growing Puppies: Wellness Complete Health

4. Spreadable puppy Patè: IAMS Puppy Patè

5. Wet puppy food in a handy pouch: Royal Canin Medium

6. Perfectly balanced and delicious food: Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free

7. Smooth pâté with a spreadable consistency: Royal Canin Puppy

8. Healthy and Holistic: Blue Buffalo Puppy

9. Biologically Appropriate diet: Orijen Puppy poultry & fish patè recipe

10. Grain-Free Formula: Merrick Puppy Plate Beef Recipe

Wet Puppy Food Reviews

1. Hill's Science Diet Wet Puppy Food - Chicken & Barley Entrée

#1 Veterinarian recommended 

Science-based puppy food that is well balanced. 

  • First six ingredients: Water, Chicken, Whole Grain Corn, Cracked Pearled Barley, Soybean Meal, Pork Liver.
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (13 oz) 
  • Designed for: Puppies up to 1 year old
  • Cost: $2.47 / can ($3.04 / lb) **
  • Also available as (puppy): Chicken Meal & Barley Recipe; Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables
Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

 

What the manufacturer states:

“Hill’s® Science Diet® Puppy dry food is rich in flavor & carefully formulated for the developmental needs of puppies, so they get the best start in life & grow to their full potential.”

2. Purina Pro Plan Puppy Chicken & Rice Entrée Wet Food

Chicken is the #1 ingredient 

Specially formulated puppy nutrition. This recipe is easily combinable with Pro Plan dry food.

  • First six ingredients: Chicken, liver, meat by-products, water, salmon, rice
  • Designed for: Puppies under one year
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (13 oz.) 
  • Cost: $1.98 / can ($2.44 / oz) **
  • Other puppy wet food recipes available: High Protein Chicken & Rice Entrée; Grain Free Classic Chicken Entrée; Grain Free Classic Turkey Entrée
Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

 

What is the manufacturer states:

“Purina Pro Plan is the most advanced nutrition for your pet’s best life. That’s why we’re proud to offer a full spectrum of performance and specialized nutrition formulas […].”

3. Wellness Complete Health Just for Puppy Wet Food

Holistic Nutrition for Growing Puppies
This is a completely smooth pâté with a uniform and spreadable consistency.

  • First six ingredients: Chicken Broth, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Salmon, Ground Barley, Sweet Potatoes
  • Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (12.5 oz.) 
  • Cost: $2.98 / can ($3.81 / oz) **
  • Other puppy wet food recipes available: CORE grain free puppy formula. Wellness also has a variety of other recipes and product lines that can be suitable for puppies (always check the nutrition statement).
Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

 

What the manufacturer states:

“At Wellness, we’re committed to your pet’s overall wellness, which is why we’re passionately pursuing new ways to bring love, joy and nutrition to a lifetime of mealtimes.”

4. IAMS Puppy with chicken and rice Paté

Paté for your Puppy
Smooth and spreadable recipe.

  • First six ingredients: Sufficient Water for Processing, Chicken, Meat By-Products, Brewers Rice, Meat Protein Isolate, Dried Egg Product 
  • Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (13 oz.)
  • Cost: $ 1.49 / can ($1.83 / lb) **
  • Other puppy wet food recipes available: Not at the moment.
Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

 

What the manufacturer states:

 “We deliver Tailored Nutrition to keep your pet healthy and happy for life.”

5. Royal Canin Medium Puppy Pouch Dog Food

Wet puppy food in a handy pouch 

Easy-open pouch. Has gravy texture with chunks. 

  • First six ingredients: Water sufficient for processing, pork by-products, chicken, chicken-by-products, vegetable oil, wheat gluten
  • Designed for: Puppies (medium)
  • Packaging & content weight: Pouch (4.9 oz.) 
  • Cost: $ 2,99 / pouch ($9.75 / lb) **
  • Other puppy wet foods available: Available for smaller and larger size puppies.
Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

 

What the manufacturer states:

“Taste of the Wild and Taste of the Wild PREY are quality, affordable dog and cat foods with protein sources that are based on your pet’s natural diet.”

6. Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Wet Puppy Dog Food

Turkey, Cod & Sweet Potato Recipe
Delivers a perfectly balanced and delicious food for your puppy.

  • First six ingredients: Turkey, Turkey Broth, Salmon Broth, Turkey Liver, Cod, Sweet Potatoes
  • Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (13 oz.)
  • Cost: $ 3.13 / can ($3.85 / lb) **

Other puppy dry foods available: Other recipes are available

** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.
Check Price

 

What the manufacturer states:

“We believe in food that’s rich in nutrients, full of flavor and made with high-quality, non-GMO ingredients† sourced from our trusted network of farmers and suppliers.”

7. Royal Canin Puppy Wet Puppy Food

Canine Health Nutrition
This is a smooth pâté with a uniform and spreadable consistency.

  • First six ingredients: Water Sufficient for Processing, Chicken By-Products, Chicken, Pork By-Products, Chicken Liver, Salmon
  • Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (13.5 oz.)
  • Cost: $ 2.78 / can ($3.29 / lb) **

Other puppy dry foods available: Royal Canin offers a variety of puppy foods.

Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

What the manufacturer states:

“We craft the ideal recipe to meet each pet’s health needs so they can enjoy the best health possible.”

8. Blue Buffalo Puppy Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables

Healthy and Holistic

The “chicken dinner” can of course be served any time of day. Contains real chicken as first ingredient with no chicken/poultry by-product-meals. 

  • First six ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Carrots, Peas, Pea Flour
  • Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (12.5 oz.) 
  • Cost: $2.25 / can ($2.88 / lb) **

Other puppy dry foods available: For specific breed sizes; other ingredients formulas

Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

 

What the manufacturer states:

“High-quality ingredients, a robust testing and research program, and state-of-the art facilities allow us to deliver the superior quality products that pets deserve.”

9. Orijen Puppy poultry & Fish Paté recipe

Biologically Appropriate diet

Packed with quality animal ingredients, both farm and from the wild.

  • First six ingredients: Chicken, chicken liver, chicken heart, mackerel, chicken bone broth, turkey bone broth
  • Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (12.8 oz.) 
  • Cost: $3.69 / can ($4.61 / lb) **
  • Other puppy wet food recipes available: Currently only one puppy recipe. 
Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

What the manufacturer states:

“Inspired by your pet’s ancestral diet, ORIJEN® is packed with ingredients that reflect the diet nature and evolution intended dogs and cats to eat.”

10. Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe

Quality protein and healthy fats

Chunks in gravy texture, made with high-quality meat and vegetables.

  • First six ingredients: Deboned Beef, Beef Broth, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Natural Flavor
  • Designed for: Puppies (all breeds/sizes)
  • Packaging & content weight: Can (12.7 oz.)
  • Cost: $3.08 / can ($3.88 / lb) **
  • Other puppy wet food recipes available: Variety of formulas, such as “grain free beef”.
Check Price
** Approximates based on largest bag available on Amazon.com in January 2022.

 

What the manufacturer states:

“OUR FIVE STAR PROMISE: Merrick’s commitment to work hard, deliver superior nutrition and improve the lives of pets and their parents.”

How to Make an Informed Choice for (Good Quality) Wet Puppy Food

Choosing what food your dog can eat can be overwhelming, especially when you are getting a puppy for the first time. The number of seemingly different options can be confusing.

The good news is: if you orientate yourself along with the top brands of good quality dog puppy food, there is not much you can do wrong. The big players in dog food know what they are doing and you can rest assured that all dog food will generally provide complete and balanced nutrition. Check for the statement of nutritional adequacy, which in the US are regulated by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). 

Many different high-quality puppy foods are actually similar, even if manufacturers try to come up with some unique selling point to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

There are however a couple of topics around dog food that you should familiarize yourself with in order to be able to make an informed decision about what brand of puppy food to get for your puppy:

 

The “first five ingredients”...

Food law requires manufacturers to list the ingredients according to the relative weight share of the whole product, from biggest to smallest. Therefore, dog food companies will often highlight the quality of these main ingredients in their products.

The promoted “key benefits” of wet puppy food

Most quality brands promote (1) eye and brain development using DHA (an Omega-3 fatty acid), (2) a good protein source for muscle growth. (3) calcium and other minerals for strong bones and teeth; and (4) the development of a healthy immune system.

Brands may also highlight some other unique properties of their puppy food, but don’t be too impressed, this is a “Marketing 101” tool of using what is called a “unique selling point” (USP). We believe that, from a nutritional point of view, no one chosen product is uniquely better than another.

Feeding guide

All featured products have good feeding guides printed on the packaging.

Grain or no grain… does it really matter?

A real grain allergy is very uncommon.

From a purely nutritional point of view, it does not really matter. Products that do not contain grains will instead contain carbohydrate-rich ingredients such as peas and potatoes.

See what your puppy likes and check how your puppy’s digestion likes the food. You can always change from “grains” to “grain-free” for other reasons than a real grain allergy.

Fortification with micronutrients

High-quality dog foods are generally fortified with vitamins, minerals, and trace elements to ensure that the puppy gets all the micronutrients it needs. Don’t be impressed or unsettled by ingredients like “Pyridoxine Hydrochloride” (that’s just Vitamin B6) or d-Calcium Pantothenate (that’s Vitamin B5, not Calcium as such).

Must it be puppy food? The balance of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber.

According to Purina, a puppy has special nutritional needs during its tremendous growth period. When compared to AAFCO standards for adult dog food, a puppy will need 25% more protein, 40% more fat and 140% more calcium. Puppies also need added DHA and other fatty acids for brain and vision growth and antioxidants for immune system development.

In other words, it is generally not a good idea to feed adult dog food to your puppy. However, there are a few dog foods available that are formulated for all life stages.

 

The cost of wet puppy food

Not all wet puppy foods cost the same. As a guideline – but not as a rule –, the higher the cost, the better is the quality of ingredients. 

When buying wet food, you will get the best value for money if you choose the largest pack available (as is the case with most things); online, wet food is mostly sold in units (packs) of 12.

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