Bringing home a new puppy can be an overwhelming experience; you’re still getting to know their unique personality, how to look after them, and most importantly, learning what to feed them! The quality of the food you choose to feed your new puppy will go a long way in ensuring their health in the future and sets the foundation for their overall health and wellness.
While dry food is great for adults, canned or wet food is arguably more suited for puppies as it’s softer and easier to digest, easier on their developing teeth, and has a high moisture content. Canned foods also typically have a higher protein content and fewer “filler” ingredients too, and so are ideal for growing pups.
Of course, there are a ton of different puppy foods available on the market, and choosing the right one can certainly be challenging. We’ve done all the heavy lifting and found 10 of the best puppy foods on the market. Below, we list these foods complete with in-depth reviews to help you choose the best canned food for your new puppy. Let’s get started!
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Best Overall
Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine Fresh Dog Food Subscription
USDA approved
Human grade
Great source of protein
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Best Value
Pedigree Puppy Canned Food
Formulated with DHA
Contains real chicken and beef
100% balanced complete nutrition
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Royal Canin Puppy Canned
Multiple protein sources
Added beet pulp for digestion
Added taurine for immune development
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Blue Buffalo Homestyle
Formulated with DHA
Natural sources of omega fatty acids
Packed with healthy fruits and veggies
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Purina ONE SmartBlend
High protein content
Packed with essential omega fatty acids
Healthy carbs oatmeal and long-grain-rice
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The 11 Best Canned & Wet Puppy Foods
1. Nom Nom Now Chicken Cuisine Fresh Dog Food Subscription — Best Overall
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First listed ingredients: Chicken, sweet potato, squash, spinach
Crude protein: 8.5% min
Crude fat: 7% min
Caloric content: 206 kcal/can
Our top choice as the best wet puppy food overall is the Nom-Nom Chicken Cuisine. We all worry about our furry companions, especially when they’re puppies, and Nom-Nom understands that. The Chicken cuisine recipe is an excellent source of protein and includes human-grade ingredients, including chicken, sweet potatoes, squash, and spinach.
The food is designed by a vet nutritionist, is USDA-approved, and is always prepared fresh only a couple of days before delivery to ensure the food is of the highest quality for your canine pal. All Nom-Nom products are prepared, packed, and mixed in their own kitchens based in the United States. Since the Chicken cuisine recipe comes in pre-portioned containers, you don’t have to worry about feeding your puppy too much.
The only drawback we’ve found with this recipe is that a few dogs didn’t like the taste, and the food is a bit expensive. That said, it’s well worth the price for your pup’s continued good health and happiness!
Pros
Human-grade ingredients
USDA approved
Designed by a vet nutritionist
Great source of protein
Prepared fresh just before delivery
Cons
Slightly more expensive than others
The Chopped Ground Puppy Food from Pedigree is the best canned puppy food for the money, offering 100% balanced and complete nutrition. The food is formulated specially for growing dogs and contains a high protein content of 9% which comes primarily from chicken and beef. It’s formulated with DHA to help with cognitive support in your pup and aid in coat and skin health, plus beneficial vitamins like vitamin A, B1, D, and E, and essential minerals like calcium and potassium.
Human-grade ingredients
USDA approved
Designed by a vet nutritionist
Great source of protein
Prepared fresh just before delivery
- Human-grade ingredients
- USDA approved
- Designed by a vet nutritionist
- Great source of protein
- Prepared fresh just before delivery
Slightly more expensive than others
- Slightly more expensive than others
First listed ingredients: Chicken, Chicken By-Products, Meat By-Products
Crude protein: 9% min
Crude fat: 7% min
Caloric content: 449 kcal/can
Check Price on Chewy
Our main concern with this food is the inclusion of meat by-products, which can cause gas and diarrhea in some puppies.
Pros
Inexpensive
100% balanced complete nutrition
Contains real chicken and beef
Formulated with DHA
Packed with essential vitamins and minerals
Cons
Contains meat by-products
May cause gas and diarrhea in some pups
This canned puppy food from Royal Canin is a great choice if you’re looking for premium wet food for your puppy. The food has multiple protein sources like chicken, pork, and salmon, and contains natural sources of essential omega fatty acids for healthy skin and a shiny coat. It’s packed with vitamin C, E, and taurine to help support your pup’s developing immune system, with added beet pulp for digestive aid. It contains all the vitamins and minerals your pooch needs and is 100% complete and balanced. The food is great for small breeds up to 10 months and large breeds up to 15 months.
Inexpensive
100% balanced complete nutrition
Contains real chicken and beef
Formulated with DHA
Packed with essential vitamins and minerals
- Inexpensive
- 100% balanced complete nutrition
- Contains real chicken and beef
- Formulated with DHA
- Packed with essential vitamins and minerals
Contains meat by-products
May cause gas and diarrhea in some pups
- Contains meat by-products
- May cause gas and diarrhea in some pups
First listed ingredients: Chicken By-Products, Chicken, Pork By-Products
Crude protein: 7.5% min
Crude fat: 4% min
Caloric content: 166 kcal/can
This food, unfortunately, contains cornmeal as well as powdered cellulose, both of which are filler ingredients and an unnecessary inclusion in this food.
Pros
Multiple protein sources
Packed with essential omega fatty acids
Added taurine for immune development
Added beet pulp for digestion
100% complete and balanced
Cons
Expensive
Contains filler ingredients
This Homestyle Recipe Canned Puppy Food from Blue Buffalo contains chicken as the first listed ingredient, with an overall protein content of 9%. It’s also packed with healthy garden vegetables and fruits like carrots, sweet potatoes, and cranberries. The included fish oil and flaxseeds are a great natural source of essential omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat development, and the added blueberries are a great natural antioxidant source. The food is also formulated with DHA for brain, eye, and cognitive development, and is free from by-product meals, grains, and artificial flavors or colors.
Multiple protein sources
Packed with essential omega fatty acids
Added taurine for immune development
Added beet pulp for digestion
100% complete and balanced
- Multiple protein sources
- Packed with essential omega fatty acids
- Added taurine for immune development
- Added beet pulp for digestion
- 100% complete and balanced
Expensive
Contains filler ingredients
- Expensive
- Contains filler ingredients
First listed ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver
Crude protein: 9% min
Crude fat: 6% min
Caloric content: 422 kcal/can
Pros
Contains chicken as the first listed ingredient
High protein content
Packed with healthy fruits and veggies
Natural sources of omega fatty acids
Formulated with DHA
Free from by-product meals, grains, and artificial flavors, or colors
Cons
Expensive
Purina ONE SmartBlend Classic Canned Puppy Food contains a delicious and healthy lamb and chicken combination as the first-listed ingredients. It’s packed with healthy carbs like long-grain rice and oatmeal to give your pup the energy they need to explore, and healthy vegetables like carrots and spinach. The food is free from poultry by-products but packed with essential omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat development, plus added vitamins and minerals for a complete and balanced meal, every time. It’s also free from fillers, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Contains chicken as the first listed ingredient
High protein content
Packed with healthy fruits and veggies
Natural sources of omega fatty acids
Formulated with DHA
Free from by-product meals, grains, and artificial flavors, or colors
- Contains chicken as the first listed ingredient
- High protein content
- Packed with healthy fruits and veggies
- Natural sources of omega fatty acids
- Formulated with DHA
- Free from by-product meals, grains, and artificial flavors, or colors
Expensive
- Expensive
First listed ingredients: Lamb and Chicken Broth, Lamb, Chicken
Crude protein: 8% min
Crude fat: 7% min
Caloric content: 426 kcal/can
Pros
Lamb and chicken are the first-listed ingredients
High protein content
Healthy carbs oatmeal and long-grain-rice
Packed with essential omega fatty acids
Added vitamins and minerals
Free from poultry by-products, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
Cons
None
Purina Pro Plan Development Canned Puppy Food contains real chicken as the first ingredient, with a great protein content of 10% overall to aid in muscle development. It also contains DHA for brain and vision development plus salmon for a natural source of essential omega fatty acids. The food is packed with 23 essential vitamins and minerals for 100% complete and balanced nutrition and is made in the US without any artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. The food has a delicious pate texture that your pup will love and will provide your puppy with the essential nutrition they need for up to 1 year old.
Lamb and chicken are the first-listed ingredients
High protein content
Healthy carbs oatmeal and long-grain-rice
Packed with essential omega fatty acids
Added vitamins and minerals
Free from poultry by-products, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
- Lamb and chicken are the first-listed ingredients
- High protein content
- Healthy carbs oatmeal and long-grain-rice
- Packed with essential omega fatty acids
- Added vitamins and minerals
- Free from poultry by-products, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives
None
- None
First listed ingredients: Chicken, Liver, Meat By-Products
Crude protein: 10% min
Crude fat: 7% min
Caloric content: 475 kcal/can
Unfortunately, this food contains meat by-products, which is disappointing as all the other ingredients are great.
Pros
Contains real chicken as the first listed ingredient
High protein content
Added DHA
Packed with 23 essential vitamins and minerals
100% complete and balanced
Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
Cons
Contains meat by-products
Royal Canin Small Puppy Wet Food comes in convenient, single-serve pouches, and contains real chicken as the first ingredient. The pate is highly digestible with irresistible gravy and is made for puppies up to 10 months old. The pate contains antioxidants like vitamin E for immune support and beet pulp for digestive health. The included fish oil is great for your puppy’s skin and coat health, plus the food includes highly digestible proteins for healthy digestion. The food is 100% complete and balanced and a great addition to dry food too.
Contains real chicken as the first listed ingredient
High protein content
Added DHA
Packed with 23 essential vitamins and minerals
100% complete and balanced
Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
- Contains real chicken as the first listed ingredient
- High protein content
- Added DHA
- Packed with 23 essential vitamins and minerals
- 100% complete and balanced
- Free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
Contains meat by-products
- Contains meat by-products
First listed ingredients: Chicken, Pork By-Products, Chicken By-Products
Crude protein: 6.5% min
Crude fat: 4.5% min
Caloric content: 79 kcal/pouch
This food is fairly low in protein and contains some questionable ingredients like pork and chicken by-products. It also contains several filler ingredients such as cellulose, plus contains vegetable oil — not ideal for growing puppies.
Pros
Convenient single-serve pouches
Real chicken is the first ingredient
Contains natural antioxidants
Included fish oil
100% complete and balanced
Cons
Comparatively low protein content
Contains several questionable ingredients
Purina Puppy Chow Variety Pack contains Beef and Chicken recipe canned foods — 4 cans of each — both of which are 100% complete and balanced nutrition for your puppy. Each recipe features either real beef or chicken for an 11% overall protein content to help with muscle development, plus are loaded with DHA for eye, heart, and cognitive development, and salmon for a natural source of essential omega fatty acids, and vitamin E antioxidant for immune support.
Convenient single-serve pouches
Real chicken is the first ingredient
Contains natural antioxidants
Included fish oil
100% complete and balanced
- Convenient single-serve pouches
- Real chicken is the first ingredient
- Contains natural antioxidants
- Included fish oil
- 100% complete and balanced
Comparatively low protein content
Contains several questionable ingredients
- Comparatively low protein content
- Contains several questionable ingredients
First listed ingredients: Beef: Meat By-Products, Chicken, Liver Chicken: Chicken, Meat By-Products, liver
Crude protein: 11% min
Crude fat: 5% min
Caloric content: Beef: 195 kcal/cup, Chicken: 184 kcal/cup
Both these recipes contain meat by-products, which cause gas and diarrhea in some dogs and are not an ideal protein source. Also, several customers reported that both the recipes had a pungent smell that some puppies did not enjoy.
Pros
Contains real chicken and beef
Two different recipes
100% complete and balanced
High protein content
Loaded with DHA
Cons
Contains meat by-products
May cause gas and diarrhea
Pungent odor
Nulo Freestyle Puppy Canned Food is made with real turkey as the first ingredient, with a 100% grain-free recipe. Instead, it contains sweet potato, peas, and lentils to give your pup the energy boost they need. It contains flaxseeds, cod, and salmon oil to give your pooch the omega fatty acids they need for skin and coat development, plus natural antioxidants like blueberries and cranberries. It also has balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth and DHA to support cognitive development.
Contains real chicken and beef
Two different recipes
100% complete and balanced
High protein content
Loaded with DHA
- Contains real chicken and beef
- Two different recipes
- 100% complete and balanced
- High protein content
- Loaded with DHA
Contains meat by-products
May cause gas and diarrhea
Pungent odor
- Contains meat by-products
- May cause gas and diarrhea
- Pungent odor
First listed ingredients: Turkey, Turkey Broth, Salmon Broth
Crude protein: 9.5% min
Crude fat: 5% min
Caloric content: 404 kcal/can
This food is expensive, and with the cod and salmon oil, has a pungent smell that a lot of puppies simply turned their noses up to.
Pros
Real turkey as the first ingredient
Grain-free recipe
Packed with healthy carbohydrates
Natural antioxidant sources
Added DHA
Balanced calcium and phosphorous ratio
Cons
Expensive
Pungent smell
The Merrick Lil’ Plates is a convenient single serving of delicious, healthy pate packed with chicken and turkey. The food is grain-free and loaded with prebiotics and probiotics to aid in digestion, and developed with high levels of essential omega acids and glucosamine and chondroitin from salmon for healthy skin and coat development. It’s also packed with healthy vegetables like sweet potatoes and red peppers, and healthy fruits like apples.
Real turkey as the first ingredient
Grain-free recipe
Packed with healthy carbohydrates
Natural antioxidant sources
Added DHA
Balanced calcium and phosphorous ratio
- Real turkey as the first ingredient
- Grain-free recipe
- Packed with healthy carbohydrates
- Natural antioxidant sources
- Added DHA
- Balanced calcium and phosphorous ratio
Expensive
Pungent smell
- Expensive
- Pungent smell
First listed ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Turkey Broth
Crude protein: 8.5% min
Crude fat: 3.5% min
Caloric content: 96 kcal/bowl
This food is pricey, and several customers reported that this food has a strong odor and their puppy would not eat it as a result. Also, it caused gas and runny stool in some puppies.
Pros
Convenient single-servings
Chicken is the first ingredient
Loaded with prebiotics and probiotics
Grain-free recipe
Loaded with healthy veggies and fruits
Cons
Pungent odor
Expensive
May cause gas and loose stools
Iams ProActive Health Puppy Food is a delicious pate that contains chicken as the first ingredient and is suitable for puppies 1–12 months old. It’s packed with flaxseeds and fish oils to give your puppy the essential fatty acids they need for healthy skin and a lustrous coat, plus contains all the essential vitamins and minerals your pup needs for optimal growth, including vitamin E for immune support and calcium for healthy bone development.
Convenient single-servings
Chicken is the first ingredient
Loaded with prebiotics and probiotics
Grain-free recipe
Loaded with healthy veggies and fruits
- Convenient single-servings
- Chicken is the first ingredient
- Loaded with prebiotics and probiotics
- Grain-free recipe
- Loaded with healthy veggies and fruits
Pungent odor
Expensive
May cause gas and loose stools
- Pungent odor
- Expensive
- May cause gas and loose stools
First listed ingredients: Chicken, Meat By-Products, Brewers Rice
Crude protein: 9% min
Crude fat: 8% min
Caloric content: 468 kcal/can
Several customers reported that their puppies would not eat this food due to the strong smell. Also, it contains meat by-products, with a fairly low protein content and high fat content overall.
Pros
Chicken is the first ingredient
Suitable for puppies 1–12 months old
Natural omega fatty acid sources
Packed with essential vitamins and calcium
Cons
Strong odor
Contains meat by-products
Low protein content
High fat content
Chicken is the first ingredient
Suitable for puppies 1–12 months old
Natural omega fatty acid sources
Packed with essential vitamins and calcium
- Chicken is the first ingredient
- Suitable for puppies 1–12 months old
- Natural omega fatty acid sources
- Packed with essential vitamins and calcium
Strong odor
Contains meat by-products
Low protein content
High fat content
- Strong odor
- Contains meat by-products
- Low protein content
- High fat content
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Wet Puppy Food
Your puppy is growing rapidly, and their first year of growth is arguably the most important to their health in the future. For this reason, complete and balanced nutrition is an essential consideration, and the food you choose to feed your puppy is an important factor to think about. Dry food is typically great for adults, but wet food is usually considered for growing puppies. It’s far more easily digestible, typically has a higher concentration of nutrients, is gentle on their developing teeth and gums, and has a much higher moisture content. Naturally, the most important factor to consider with your puppy’s food is the ingredients.
Here are some ingredients to look out for when choosing the right wet food for your puppy:
Puppy Food Protein
Protein is arguably one of the most important ingredients for growing puppies as it aids in their muscle development. Ideally, the protein source should be from an animal like chicken or beef and listed as the first ingredient or at least in the top 3. Ingredients for dog food are typically listed by the highest percentage first, so if a meat ingredient is first on the list, you know that it makes up the majority of the food’s content.
Puppy Food Carbohydrates
Whether you decide to feed your puppy grain-free food or not, they’ll still need healthy carbohydrates in their diet. Dogs are not, unlike cats, obligate carnivores, and while they need a lot of protein, they still need healthy vegetables and fruits too. This can be in the form of whole grains, sweet potatoes, peas, or fruits like cranberries, apples, and blueberries, all of which have beneficial nutrients for your pooch.
Vitamins and Minerals
The food you choose for your puppy needs to be complete and balanced, meaning it has the right ratio of vitamins and minerals for growing puppies. It should contain antioxidants like vitamin E and C for immune support, and minerals like calcium and phosphorus to aid in teeth and bone development.
Other Nutrients
There are some other vital nutrients to consider too. Omega essential fatty acids are essential for skin and coat health and should ideally come from fish or flaxseed oil. DHA is also present in most fish oils and is essential for eye, heart, and cognitive development.
Ingredients to avoid
While there are ingredients to keep an eye out for to aid your puppy’s growth and development, there are also some ingredients to ideally be avoided. These include:
Corn doesn’t contain much nutrition for your pup, as is typically used as a filler.
Meat by-products. Meat by-products are different from meat meals. Meat meals contain healthy, nutritious meats often including organ meats from an identifiable source, while meat by-products are leftover animal parts from meat production. While they aren’t necessarily harmful, they are far less nutritious than whole meats or meat meals.
Artificial ingredients. These include artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, and are not great for your puppy.
Often used as a filler ingredient, powdered cellulose has no nutritional value for your dog, and is basically powdered cardboard!
- Corn doesn’t contain much nutrition for your pup, as is typically used as a filler.
- Meat by-products. Meat by-products are different from meat meals. Meat meals contain healthy, nutritious meats often including organ meats from an identifiable source, while meat by-products are leftover animal parts from meat production. While they aren’t necessarily harmful, they are far less nutritious than whole meats or meat meals.
- Artificial ingredients. These include artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, and are not great for your puppy.
- Often used as a filler ingredient, powdered cellulose has no nutritional value for your dog, and is basically powdered cardboard!
Conclusion
Nom Nom Chicken Cuisine contains a delicious and healthy lamb and chicken combination and is our top choice overall. It also contains healthy carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruits and is free from poultry by-products fillers, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
The Chopped Ground Puppy Food from Pedigree is the best canned puppy food for the money according to our research. The food is 100% balanced and complete and packed with real chicken and beef, formulated with DHA, plus essential minerals like calcium and potassium.
If you’re looking for a superb option for your puppy, the Canned Puppy Food from Royal Canin is a great option. The food has multiple protein sources, natural sources of essential omega fatty acids, is packed with vitamins and minerals, and is 100% complete and balanced.
Finding the right food for your new puppy can be challenging, but hopefully, we’ve narrowed the options and helped you find the best option for your new canine companion!
See also:
- Best Puppy Foods at Petsmart – Reviews and Top Picks
- 10 Best Puppy Foods for Labs – Reviews & Top Picks
- 10 Best Puppy Food for Pit Bulls – Reviews & Top Picks
- 10 Best Grain-Free Puppy Foods – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: Gladskikh Tatiana, Shutterstock
