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Welcoming a puppy into your home is a momentous event, one that’s fun and exciting for sure, but it also brings with it a lot of responsibilities.
Primary among these responsibilities is proper nutrition. Whatever the reason you’re considering wet puppy food, we’re here to guide you through the process. Below we list our top picks, why we picked them, and answer some common questions.
Our picks at a glance
Is wet food good for puppies?
Whether it’s dry food or wet food, seeing the AAFCO seal printed on the label ensures that the food has undergone thorough quality testing. All dog foods that have this seal are sure to be complete & balanced diets, and you can rest assured your puppy is getting proper nutrition.
Advantages of wet food
That being said, wet puppy food will have some additional benefits over dry food. Wet food is easier to chew & swallow, especially for puppies that are teething. Wet food also has a much higher moisture content, which means it’s much tastier than dry food & sure to be enticing to even the pickiest of eaters. Wet food generally has higher fat & protein content, which will better support the rapid growth of a puppy in his first year of life.
Disadvantages of wet food
Wet food is more expensive than dry food, and has a shorter shelf life. Once the can is opened, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within a few days. Giving your puppy wet food may also may make him an even pickier eater, which could make it difficult to switch to dry food at a later time.
Best overall
Blue Buffalo’s wet puppy food is a popular choice among fur parents, and with good reason. The chunks of meat aren’t too big, so large and small puppies alike can chew & swallow this food with ease. Puppies certainly seem to love the taste. Each can is good for about 3 portions of food for small-breed puppies.
You can find higher-quality wet food options available out there, but Blue Buffalo’s is an excellent balance between price & quality.
Best budget
Not only is Purina ONE Plus’s wet puppy food one of the most inexpensive options we’ve seen, it’s also frequently marked down! Lamb, chicken, pork, fish and organ meats are among the meat products listed among the top ingredients. That’s a lot of bang for your buck.
Purina has been manufacturing dog food for decades now, and their brand name has become a seal of quality.
If you want the best of the best for your puppy, Orijen is the one you should be looking at. They’re consistently rated one of the top brands for ingredient freshness and quality, plus they’re transparent about where they source their meats. Orijen is a newer brand of dog food, only 35 years old and already changing the game.
Probably the highest quality dog food available on the market, but be prepared to pay a premium for it.
Best for large-breed puppies
It’s not easy to find wet puppy food that is suitable for large-breed puppies, so having a high-quality option like Merrick’s is quite a relief. It’s definitely on the pricey side, but still cheaper than other, lower-quality options.
Something to note here: this can of food doesn’t specifically say it’s for large-breed puppies but it is suitable for all breed sizes, including large breeds.
Best for small-breed puppies
Again, finding wet puppy food specifically for small breeds is not an easy task. There are a couple of other options available, but they’re much more expensive and not necessarily better in quality.
Purina does a good job here, the paté-type of food is easy to chew and swallow for our furry friends with small teeth & small mouths. They have chicken, salmon & liver meat listed within the first 5 ingredients. It’s moderately priced and a popular choice.
How much wet food should I feed my puppy?
Unfortunately there’s no easy rule-of-thumb to follow here — the amount of wet food to feed your puppy will depend heavily on the brand and specific product you go with. Some cans will have a feeding guide printed on the label, but most won’t. You’ll have to hop on to the brand’s website and find the information laid out there.
We highly recommend doing a quick search to find this information, as overfeeding or underfeeding puppies may lead to numerous problems later on.
Can I mix wet dog food with dry dog food?
Yes, of course, that’s an excellent idea! For picky eaters, for puppies that have gotten bored with their food, or even for good boys that just deserve a special treat — adding some wet food in with their dry food is sure to excite, and it’s much easier on the wallet to do a mix.
You can choose to do a half-wet, half-dry mix, or a one-fourth wet, three-fourths dry mix, or even use the wet food as “toppings” on the dry food. It’ll be a treat for your puppy regardless how you do it, and he’ll be sure to chow it all down with gusto.
Talk to your vet before switching your puppy’s food
Before making any changes to your puppy’s diet, talking to a trusted vet about it is the best practice. 85-90% of your puppy’s nutrition comes from this single source, and an abrupt change may not be easy on his digestive system.
Your vet can help you better understand the finer details of nutrition. For puppies especially, during the rapid growth phase in their first year of life, nutrition will have important, long-term effects.