Wet dog food is designed to bring the animal's nutrition as close to natural as possible. Of course, economy class products are not able to compete with real meat products, since they are made from production waste and substitutes.
Cheap food based on offal is addictive and provokes the development of urolithiasis due to its high salt and dye content, but this is not the case with good wet food.
Advantages and disadvantages of wet food
Canned meat has a number of undeniable advantages over nutrition based on natural products and dry food.
Advantages:
- Convenience. On the road, in the garden, when it is not possible to give the dog fresh meat, it is more practical to use wet food. The packages are often pre-measured, so you don't have to worry about storing leftovers so your food doesn't spoil. Also, feeding your animal canned food will eliminate the need to give it water on the go - wet food contains a sufficient amount of moisture.
- Fast digestibility compared to dry granules and table food, which is not recommended for pets.
- Attractive aroma of canned food. Animals rarely refuse new food when the owner tries to diversify their diet.
- Save time. Natural food requires daily preparation, taking into account all the dog's needs. Wet food does not even need to be heated - just open the bag or remove the lid from the can.
- High water content. Super premium wet food is introduced into a dog’s daily diet to reduce the risk of the animal developing urolithiasis.
- The variety of products allows you to choose food for your pet based on different parameters: for a specific breed (large, small), age (puppies, adults) or lifestyle (sedentary, active).
- A large number of price categories. Dog owners have the opportunity to choose food based on their financial situation.
- Canned food contains high protein content with a low level of carbohydrates, which has a beneficial effect on the development of the dog.
- Portioning. About 50% of wet food requires one-time opening of the package - the bag or jar contains food that is enough for 1 meal. This helps owners regulate the amount of food consumed by the animal, as well as protect it from overeating.
- Practicality in food variety. The portion size of wet food allows dog owners to experiment with the diet without compromising their budget - if the animal does not like the innovation, they do not have to throw away the food.
Also, canned food, even super premium and holistic class, has a number of significant disadvantages:
- Short shelf life after opening a bag or jar of food. On the other hand, some manufacturers prefer to produce products in portions, calculating the amount of food in the package for 1 feeding.
- Soft texture of canned food. This makes chewing easier for puppies with weak teeth, but in adults this diet causes degradation of the gum structure.
- Insufficient content of minerals in canned delicacies.
- High concentration of moisture, which reduces the energy value of the product.
- Price. Wet food is approximately 20% more expensive than dry food.
- Due to the fact that canned food is easy to chew, dogs quickly eat a portion, but do not have time to get enough.
- The soft consistency of food provokes the development of tartar. That is why veterinarians advise preparing a dog’s diet so that wet food is combined with dry granular food. With a proper balance of two types of food, teeth are naturally cleaned, as well as moderate training of the jaw muscles.
- Habituation due to frequent use. If your pet's daily diet consists mostly of wet food, he may stop eating natural foods or dry kibble.
Dog owners sometimes replace wet food with real meat, but often abuse this diet to the exclusion of other foods. This is fraught with excessive stress on the animal’s liver and oversaturation with toxins.
For small breeds
Food for small breeds of dogs must meet the needs of pets, namely, give them enough energy so that it is enough not only for their own heating, but also for activity.
The food ratings are based on popularity and owner reviews:
- 1st place - Grandorf - more expensive, but better quality than Royal Canin and Pro Plan.
- 2nd place - Royal Canin - a confident leader in terms of price-quality ratio.
- 3rd place - Purina Pro Plan - an equally popular food and the closest competitor to Royal Canin, slightly inferior in quality.
A diet of exclusively soft food is recommended for most small dogs until teeth are completely replaced and the bite is corrected, if necessary.
Small dogs are also prone to early tooth loss, so many owners have to switch their pets to soft food at 5-6 years of age.
The best wet food for holistic dogs: rating 2022
Husse
Husse wet food is complete nutrition for dogs of all ages.
Pates and pieces in jelly do not contain GMOs, chemical colors and flavors. In addition to the necessary ingredients, the composition includes plant components (echinacea, ginseng and others) that support the immunity and stress resistance of animals.
Release form: jars and lamisters. Price from 200 rubles.
Manufacturer's website: https://www.husse.ru/dlja-sobak/konservy-dlja-sobak
Holistic
Holistic category products are elite food for dogs of the highest quality, which is reflected in its price. Holistic canned food contains at least 60% meat, diluted with fruits, grains, berries, and vegetables.
All ingredients are completely natural - without artificial additives, preservatives, flavors, or dyes.
Interesting article: What to feed your dog at home
Veterinarians often prescribe these products for the prevention and treatment of a number of diseases in dogs:
- obesity;
- urolithiasis disease;
- diabetes;
- gastrointestinal dysfunction.
It is not recommended to buy holistic food for dogs on an ongoing basis. The course of treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian.
The best canned food in the Holistic category includes products from the following brands, which invariably make it to the top of wet food ratings:
- Grandin (Grandin);
- Barking Heads (Barking Heads);
- Belcando (Belkando).
Grandin
This canned food is predominantly meat. It does not contain food additives: vegetables, grains, berries, fruits.
The product contains broth, flax oil, natural lamb, turkey, chicken or beef (about 65%).
There are no soy, GMOs, preservatives or dyes. The package contains enough food for one meal.
Release form: cans.
Pros:
- the main product in the feed is meat;
- no additives, by-products;
- All components are listed in percentage terms.
Minuses:
- antioxidants not listed;
- difficulties in purchasing.
Price of canned food: from 129 to 169 rubles.
Barking Heads
The product line is represented by a wide variety of compositions and packaging. The food contains up to 85% natural meat, fish and food additives of natural origin: herbs, vegetables, vegetable oils.
The leading characteristic of canned food is rapid saturation.
Release form: cans and spiders for dogs
Pros:
- vitamin and mineral supplement;
- absence of synthetic preservatives, dyes;
- diversity;
- availability (food is sold in many pet stores).
Minuses:
- high cost;
- high concentration of fat.
Cost from 143 to 287 rubles.
Belcando
Wet food in several versions: with chicken, veal, beef, lamb, duck, turkey. The share of meat in products reaches 80%.
Release form: cans and pouches.
Pros:
- the ingredients of canned food are subjected to gentle processing, so the beneficial properties of the ingredients are preserved as much as possible;
- Belcando food uses only natural dyes and flavoring additives;
- transparency – antioxidants are indicated;
- does not contain soy protein, GMOs or processed foods.
Minus: the food is not distributed in pet stores in Russia, so in small towns you will have to order canned food via the Internet.
Price: from 154 to 380 rubles.
How to choose canned food
When choosing, it is important to pay attention to the composition, giving preference to natural ingredients. The best canned food for dogs, which belongs to the holistic class, consists mainly of meat and healthy additives. They are ideal as daily dog food.
Other features of high-quality canned food include:
- low percentage or complete absence of grains such as wheat and corn, whose vegetable protein is poorly digestible and can cause food allergies;
- Rice, potatoes or other vegetables are used as carbohydrates to aid digestion;
- The composition contains no preservatives, hormones, flavor enhancers or artificial antioxidants.
When purchasing canned food for dogs with allergies, exclude products containing chicken, preferring turkey, veal or fish. For castrated and sterilized pets, choose food with a minimum content of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. These elements in high concentrations provoke diseases of the genitourinary system.
Production technology
Each manufacturer keeps the process of producing canned food secret, but the general stages of production can be briefly described. At the initial stage, meat and meat by-products, fresh or frozen, are ground into pieces of the required size, then minerals, vitamins, water and grains, vegetables are added in certain proportions, if they are provided for in the recipe.
Next, all the components that make up a particular canned food are mixed to the desired consistency; during the mixing process, the mass is gradually heated to a certain temperature - to the point at which the starch turns into jelly.
Then the finished mass is packaged, sealed, sterilized by heating to a temperature of more than 120 degrees Celsius for several minutes and cooled.
At the final stage of production, the packaging is marked, labeled, packed into boxes and delivered to the market.
Food manufacturers produce canned food for adult dogs of small, medium, large breeds, puppies, elderly and pregnant dogs, as well as for dogs suffering from obesity and other diseases.
Owner reviews
Irina K. I buy Royal Canin for my dog. We switched to it from Bozita due to the high cost of the latter. Dachshund dog, there are many. it was too expensive for a super-premium class. Combine with cereals and vegetables. Our dog is very active. I can note that there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract, the coat is fine. The dog eats with pleasure and always runs to the bowl. But he still wasn’t used to dry food.
Oleg R. We were on medicinal food due to urolithiasis. The dog was elderly and had difficulty chewing dry granules, especially since he had problems with sore gums. We switched to canned food - Grandin. I took the new food with pleasure, there was no addiction or unpleasant consequences. It’s a little expensive, but we order online through joint purchases - it’s cheaper.
Briefly about the main thing
- Wet food is a food that can be combined with other types.
- You should not make canned food the only source of nutrients.
- The dog needs additional “hard” types of food for teeth cleaning and the functioning of the paraanal glands.
- Delicate types of wet food should not make up more than a tenth of the diet.
- It is better to choose food from the super-premium class: premium products are often disguised as economy products, and holistic food is not suitable for constant nutrition.
Do you buy wet food for your pets? How do you combine them with other types of food? Share your experience in the comments, please.
Main types
Wet canned food for dogs varies in ratings based on quality and various other parameters. Wet food can be either for regular consumption or a delicacy. In addition, it is important to take into account the age of the dog and buy appropriate dog food:
- for puppies (including for newborns - milk replacer);
- adult dogs;
- elderly pets.
It is important to consider the size of the dogs and purchase accordingly: for small, medium, large and even giant breeds. In addition, a distinction is made between special and everyday meals. The first group includes nutrition:
- medicinal;
- lightweight;
- for pregnant or lactating women.
Attention! To choose the best option, you should contact your veterinarian. The doctor will assess the current state of health of the pet and select proper nutrition.
Small dogs require a different food composition than large dogs.
"Zoogourmand"
This brand from the company of the same name appeared relatively recently. However, the domestic manufacturer very quickly won the hearts of owners of four-legged pets. Canned dog food "Zoogourman" is inexpensive and includes natural ingredients of the highest class. Meat is purchased from the same factories that produce products for people.
At the same time, dog breeders are offered a fairly wide range of varieties of food that do not contain harmful or toxic components.
Types
Delicatessen (additional) and canned food for main feeding differ in the balance of nutrients.
Canned food for constant feeding is based on animal muscle tissue and cereals. The food is more or less balanced, contains minerals and vitamins. But even their composition is not complete, so you cannot feed your dog only canned food, otherwise serious problems with the pet’s health will arise.
Delicatessen are usually made from rare varieties of meat, with fruits or berries, as well as with the addition of offal. Delicacy food may contain an increased amount of fat and protein, which, with constant feeding, can lead to obesity, improper formation of the puppy's skeleton, kidney problems and other diseases. The share of gourmet food in the daily diet should not exceed 10%.
Medicinal canned food is given on the recommendation of a veterinarian in the presence of certain diseases or after surgery or a course of treatment. For example, wet canned food is recommended for dogs with diseases of the lower urinary tract, cancer, and gastrointestinal diseases.
