The Best Canned Food for Dogs.

In 2018, the global pet food sales managed a high of $72b. Of this, the biggest share was brought in by dog food sales. There are hundreds of dog food brands around the globe striving every year to meet an ever ballooning demand. Dry dog food is more popular since it does not require much when it comes to storage, and it also comes in large quantities.

Wet food, on the other hand, has to be canned in small containers that on average, provides a single meal. The food has to be properly sealed by a can seamer to keep contaminants out. Once opened, the food cannot be stored for long.

Photo credit: Pixabay.

Canned dog food has the following benefits:

Benefits of Canned Dog Food
1. Canned dog food has more protein compared to dry foods. The high meat content in canned foods is the reason why their cost is higher than kibble diets.

2. Canned dog foods have fewer carbs compared to kibble diets. Dry food has gluten that binds food together like glue, making them more chewy and pliable.

3. There are fewer preservatives in canned dog food because the preservation of the food mainly relies on the airtight seal. The amount of preservatives you can find in canned foods is minimal.

4. Canned food tastes better. Most are wet with juices and water. These preserve the flavors of the dish and act as soups too. Dry foods, on the other hand, are not that palatable.

5. Canned food reduces bloat as it does not absorb too much water from the body like kibble diets. It is also hard to gulp wet food.

Park Seo Joon and his fur baby, Simba.

The following are some of the biggest canned dog food brands:

Taste of the Wild 

• Ingredients: lamb broth, dried egg, beef, vegetable broth, and lamb liver. 
• Texture: Chunks in Gravy 
• Type: Free of grain 
• Life Stage: All Life Stages 
• Age: Adults and Puppies. 

Taste of the Wild is a brand that has five different varieties of wet food for dogs. It derives the majority of its nutrients from beef with a 44% protein yield, 225 fat, and 25% carbs. Taste of the Wild is a receiver of the 5 Stars, an award given to the best food brands in the market.

Merrick Classic Canned Food

• Ingredients: Beef broth, chicken broth, deboned beef, beef liver, and peas.
• Texture: Chunks in gravy
• Type: Free of grain
• Life Stage: All stages
• Age: Adults and all puppies.

Merrick dog food is a brand that has over 11 varieties of dog food. Three of the 11 are certified 4.5 stars. The brand uses fresh beef in all its recipes on top of other foods that are kind to the pet’s stomach. Merrick classic canned food contains 47% protein, 29% carbs, and 16% fat.

Halo Wet Dog Food

• Ingredients: Chicken broth, lamb, beef liver, barley, and carrots
• Texture: Pate or stew
• Type: Inclusive of grain
• Life stage: Maintenance
• Age: Limited to adults only

Halo dog food comes in 8 different varieties, with three of them certified four stars. It is notably filled with grains and vegetables, which makes it palatable to dogs that love vegetables in their food. Halo foods contain 50% protein, 14% carbs, and 28% fat.

Weruva Wet Dog Food

• Ingredients: Water, chicken, pumpkin, egg and sweet potato
• Texture: Chunks in gravy
• Type: Free of grain Life stage; All stages
• Age: Adults and puppies

Weruva wet food is a famous brand among pet owners and it comes in 14 different varieties, one of which is rated 4.5 stars. The Weruva grain-free bed and breakfasts are a product line of the brand that is a big hit with cat and dog owners. Weruva packs 57% protein, 10% fat, and an estimated 25% carbs.

My sister's fur baby, Pepper. :)

Wellness Stews Canned Dog Food

• Ingredients: turkey broth, turkey, water, turkey liver, and barley
• Texture: Chunks in gravy
• Type: Inclusive of grain
• Life stage: All stages
• Age: Adults and medium-sized puppies

Wellness stews for dogs have six different recipes, all rated class A., the protein in this brand of dog food, is mainly gotten from turkey meat. It packs about 44% protein, 31% carbs, and 175 fat. Many pet owners have had nothing but glowing reviews for the brand, which is among the few that use turkey meat.

Instinct Original Wet Dog Food

• Ingredients: Beef broth, beef liver, beef, ground flaxseed, tricalcium phosphate
• Texture: Fine-chopped pate
• Type: Free of grain
• Life Stage: All stages
• Age: Adults and medium breed puppies.

With eight different varieties, Instinct dog food has over 4 of its products certified 4 stars. The other versions are made using different meats like lamb, venison, and rabbit. Instinct has a protein content of about 52%, a fat content of around 34%, and carbs ranging in the region of 6%.

Whole Earth Farms Canned Dog Food

• Ingredients: Chicken broth, chicken, chicken liver, turkey and peas
• Texture: A combination of pate and stew
• Type: Free of grain
• Life stage: All stages
• Age: Adults and all puppies

With bird meat as its dominant source of protein, Whole Farm is a brand that has 15 products under its name. Whole Earth is packed with 47% protein, 22% carbs and 27% fat. Most of its products are rated between 4 and 5 stars because of its superb quality.

Nature’s Recipe Dog Food Trays

• Ingredients: Chicken broth, chicken, salmon, pumpkin, and brown rice
• Texture: Chunks in gravy
• Type: Inclusive of grain
• Life stage: Maintenance
• Ages: Reserved for adults only

Nature’s Recipe has 3 product lines under its brand. It derives its proteins from chicken and salmon. The three products include Nature’s Recipe Chicken, Nature’s Recipe Chicken and Turkey and Nature’s Recipe Chicken and Wild Salmon. The brand has a high protein content of 65%, 16% carbs, and 12% fat.

Photo credit: Park Seo Joon 

Conclusion
Pet care has been a big business for years and continues to grow. The brands mentioned here are nothing but a tiny drop in the ocean. As the race to dominate the $100b market share boots up, the quality of pet care improves. If you are a pet owner, it is time you treated your dog to a nice can of tuna or chicken.