Shopping for puppy food can be very overwhelming especially for people having their first-ever puppy. Puppies start eating solid food when they’re around 8 weeks old, but they should be gradually introduced to it much earlier. It's best to start with the best canned puppy food brands to help Fido transition to his new kibble diet.
The puppy food selected must be high in protein, calories, vitamins and minerals to ensure that it can adequately support the development needs of a growing pup. Puppies grow at an alarming rate! Because of this rapid growth, they need added nutrients to help their bones, muscles and organs stay strong and healthy.
Before choosing the best canned puppy food, it's imperative to discuss the topic with your veterinarian. They'll help you decide on the food that will meet your pup's needs based on his breed and overall health condition. Unlike with canned dog food for adult canines, puppy foods will require some extra consideration.
After a significant amount of research, we've found a few high quality commercial puppy diets. Later in this article we'll give you more information about these diets, but for now here's a quick look at the best canned puppy food brands that we're recommending:
| Wet Puppy Food Brands | Price | Quality | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellness Complete Health Natural Wet Canned Dog Food | $$$ | A | 4.3/5 |
| Merrick Classic Grain Free Canned Dog Food | $$$ | A+ | 4.2/5 |
| Newman’s Own Premium Canned Formulas for Dogs | $$$$ | A- | 4.3/5 |
| Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Canned Dog Food | $$$ | B | 4.2/5 |
| Merrick Lil' Plates Grain-Free Small Breed Wet Dog Food | $$$$ | A- | 4.3/5 |
| Nature's Recipe Grain Free Wet Dog Food Stews | $$$ | B | 4.3/5 |
| Holistic Select Natural Wet Grain Free Canned Dog Food | $$$ | C- | 4.0/5 |
* Click on the best wet puppy food brand for more information, prices and details. Or below to read reviews.
When can puppies eat wet food?
A lot of pet owners who just adopted a new puppy are confused, when can puppies eat wet food? You can start feeding your pup canned puppy food when you brought him home after adopting. However, make sure sure to inquire the shelter/breeder what type of food the puppy was fed before. The transition period is very important to avoid stomach upset.
If your puppy was eating dry kibble before, then you'll need to gradually change his food. Never switch from one type or even brand of food to another in an instance. Instead, the transition should be done over the period of 7-10 days. Start with 80% old food and add 20% new food, and then continue to change the percentage in favor of the new food.
The two most common types of commercial dog food for puppies are dry kibble and wet/canned food. In most cases, majority of veterinarians recommend starting off your puppy on dry kibble rather than wet puppy food. This is mostly because dry kibble's nutrition is easier to calculate and it's cheaper for the pet owner.
General rule of thumb for feeding puppies is this:
- Puppies under 6 months of age – 3-4 times daily
- Puppies over 6 months of age – 2 times daily
This sets a routine for the dog. And especially for puppies, this will make it easier for you to predict when your dog will need to go potty on a regular basis.
When can puppies start eating adult dog food
Growing puppies need to be fed a puppy food diet that has been specifically formulated to meet their unique nutritional needs for a period of approx 1 year. The best canned puppy food will supply all the necessary nutrition. If you feed your puppy a food that is formulated for “all life stages” or adult dogs, his body will be robbed of some of those required nutrients which can result in many different diseases and health problems in adulthood.
There is no science-based definite time frame for feeding the best canned puppy food, according to veterinarians, but your veterinarian can give you advice on the best time to switch your Fido to an adult food. Typically, smaller breeds can be switched to an adult food around 8-10 months of age. However, large breed should not be switched until they are between 12 and 15 months old.
Many veterinarians will also recommend that you feed your puppy 4-5 small meals per day at first. As your dog ages, you can reduce the number of feedings to just 2. Again, this is something that your veterinarian will be able to talk with you about, as they'll have seen your puppy in person, will know what diet he's eating and will know his medical history.
FULL RANKINGS: Top 25 Best Puppy Food Brands (2018)
Top 7 Best Canned Puppy Food Brands
for small and large breeds
1 Wellness Complete Health Natural Wet Canned Dog Food
The Wellness Complete Health Natural Dog Food Just for Puppy recipe is a naturally-preserved product made from chicken, salmon, sweet potatoes and other premium-quality ingredients. It is available in 6-oz and 12.5-oz cans. This product lists its first ingredient as chicken, and it’s important for a puppy food’s first ingredient to be meat.
- Canned puppy food reviews: Read opinions of other pet owners
For this reason, Wellness Complete Health Natural Wet Canned Dog Food gets the nod of many pet owners and their dogs. Puppies switching from other brands and recipes take to it very well. As long as the food was gradually introduced, it caused no stomach upset and the dogs’ poops were healthy-looking.
The puppies attained their ideal weight at the expected time or age for their breed, and they always seemed interested in their food. These are indications that this Wellness puppy food is doing an excellent job as a puppy’s growing up food.
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Most helpful review (read the full Amazon review): “I just started giving my puppy the food from this batch of Wellness Just for Puppies- she usually loves this food. The consistency of the food was liquid and she refused to eat it. Opened 2 other cans from this same batch and same consistency…”
2 Merrick Classic Grain Free Canned Dog Food
THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Puppies have a lot of growing up and exploring to do, so their source of nutrition must be high in protein which is responsible for building muscles. Merrick Classic has several recipes available but this particular recipe, the Puppy Plate, made it to our Top 7 Best Canned Puppy Food list. Meat is its number 1 ingredient – being turkey, chicken and duck. Its other ingredients include sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, and apples. This recipe definitely contains no grains.
- Canned puppy food reviews: Read opinions of other pet owners
This is a product of the USA so pet owners feel confident feeding their puppies with this home-style stew preparation. Merrick Classic Grain Free Canned Dog Food has been most helpful in helping undernourished and underweight puppies survive. In no time at all, these helpless pups were able to attain their ideal weight, eating better, and engaging in activities normal to their age. To prevent soft stool, proper transition must be observed as is the usual practice when introducing new food or diet to dogs. The importance of this cannot be overemphasized since puppies have very sensitive tummies.
The usual comment on this puppy food is that it smells like home-cooked turkey dinner and that a spoonful would show bits of real meat, fruits and vegetables. All these wholesome and authentic ingredients provide an optimally balanced diet that makes puppies noticeably energetic and visibly healthy.
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Most helpful review (read the full Amazon review): “My dogs absolutely ADORE this stuff. It does have quite a bit of chicken broth compared to some other high quality canned foods, but that only makes it more palatable and definitely pleasing to the human eye. Full chunks of meat, not some…”
3 Newman’s Own Premium Canned Formulas for Dogs
The first ingredient of Newman’s Own Premium Canned Formula for dogs is turkey, and not just any turkey – organic turkey. The other ingredients are organic chicken, organic brown rice, flaxseed, and other sources of important nutrients. It contains no artificial ingredients, corn or wheat. There are four variants including this Turkey & Chicken recipe, and these are available in 5.5-oz and 12.7-oz cans. This premium dog food is proudly made in the USA by Newman’s Own Organic, a trusted maker of organic products for over 20 years.
- Canned puppy food reviews: Read opinions of other pet owners
Sticklers to clean and organic food were delighted to find Newman’s dog food. It made feeding their pups a lot simpler and more convenient without compromising on the quality. Dogs love Newman's Own Premium Canned Formulas for Dogs, and since there are several recipes available, the variation keeps them from getting tired of this organic dog food line.
Out of the can, this organic blend smells meat, and this makes dogs really crazy for it. Even extremely picky dogs love it. Not all responsibly-prepared dog food brands are this enticing, but this brand apparently is.
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4 Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Canned Dog Food
THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
The ingredients list of Whole Earth Farms puppy food starts off with chicken, and then followed by turkey, chicken liver, salmon, peas, carrots, and a lot more real food and herbs. Four recipes are available and all contain only naturally nutritious ingredients. The Puppy recipe is a moist meal perfect for puppies in terms of consistency, nutritional value, and palatability. This product is made in the USA and none of its ingredients are sourced from China.
- Canned puppy food reviews: Read opinions of other pet owners
This preparation is pâté style and dog owners say that they prefer that over the stew style because the meaty content fills the can. That way they get more value for their money. Wholesome food does not need to be expensive, and Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Canned Dog Food is one example.
Dogs simply love it. It’s gentle on the stomach, which can be a make-or-break issue for puppies. Once weak little puppies have now become healthy and energetic young dogs, and all of that became possible because they had the right food to begin with. This is a really highly-rated puppy food, but not so high-priced. What a deal!
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Most helpful review (read the full Amazon review): “My basenji love this recipe. I mix about a tablespoon with her Merrick Grain Free Real Chicken & Sweet Potato dry kibble. She absolutely loves it. You can see small chunks of the vegetables in it, but it is not chunky since the…”
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Merrick Lil' Plates Grain-Free Small Breed Wet Dog Food
This pocket-sized puppy food makes it easier for small breed dogs to eat smaller portions frequently. Smaller portions are easier to digest and because they’re given more frequently, fluctuation in energy levels is avoided. Merrick Lil’ Plates wet dog food has 10 variants in this lineup, but this best canned puppy food is especially prepared for the high-caloric requirement of actively growing small breed puppies.
- Canned puppy food reviews: Read opinions of other pet owners
The first ingredient is deboned chicken, blended with farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, probiotic and prebiotic sources, and enriched with vitamins and minerals. Merrick Lil' Plates Grain-Free Small Breed Wet Dog Food contains no corn, wheat, ingredients from China, or artificial additives – just plain wholesome natural food sources.
The small serving is just perfect for one meal according to a Yorkie owner. Sometimes they halve it and mix it with dry food. That doubles the number of servings that a pack makes. The dogs are always enthusiastic over it and they’re thriving very well on this diet. It’s very convenient especially when traveling with pets, so this mini dinner is definitely going places!
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6 Nature's Recipe Grain Free Wet Dog Food Stews
THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
This chicken and turkey stew is made from real chicken, turkey, sweet potatoes and green beans. This wholesome and grain-free meal comes with thick gravy that dogs love. Nature’s Recipe Grain-free Chicken & Turkey Stew is prepared for dogs of all breeds and ages. Only the amount of food fed is varied according to the life stage, age and weight of the dog. Grain-free chicken and venison recipe is also available for variation. One pack contains 24 10-oz cans.
- Canned puppy food reviews: Read opinions of other pet owners
Dog owners want only the best for their pets, so they prefer this because it’s loaded with meaty chunks instead of the pâté -style meal. This high-protein content builds up lean muscles, and the carefully selected vegetables support the dog’s high-energy activities. Indeed, this company has been true to its word that every ingredient in Nature's Recipe Grain Free Wet Dog Food Stews counts.
While the meal is nutrient-packed, it is easy on the stomach. It is common for dogs to suffer from tummy issues after the introduction of new food or recipe, so pet owners were pleasantly surprised that their pup experienced none of these. Dogs can’t get enough of this food and it has been very beneficial to them; so though it’s on the pricey side, their humans aren’t really complaining.
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7 Holistic Select Natural Wet Grain Free Canned Dog Food
THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Dogs that don’t take too well to poultry, pork, or meat, find fish as the best protein source for them. Made from salmon, mackerel, and whitefish, this recipe from Holistic Select Natural Pet Food provides dogs with a healthful and balanced meal every day. This premium pâté style dog food does not contain grains, corn, soy, wheat, and artificial ingredients. Five other recipes are available with five different protein sources. This product is proudly made in the USA.
- Canned puppy food reviews: Read opinions of other pet owners
The usual dry doggy meals take on new form when topped or mixed with this fish and vegetable medley. Dogs are always excited about Holistic Select Natural Wet Grain Free Canned Dog Food and it definitely turns dreary meals into a big hit. It’s great as topper, but dogs don’t mind eating it as a complete meal. Their wagging tail as they eat their share actually seems to mean that they really don’t mind at all.
Most pet owners didn’t just chance upon this product. In fact, they purposely searched for food that didn’t only provide protein and energy, but one that would also provide healthy skin and coat. Their search led them to this holistic food that’s rich in omega 3 and omega 6. In just a few weeks in this diet their pet began displaying markedly improved skin and coat. A few weeks more and they were seeing really healthy skin and enviable coat. The owners couldn’t be any happier or prouder, of course.
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Most helpful review (read the full Amazon review): “7/30/2015 Edit: About a year after writing this review I felt the need to come back and follow up on it. Since we fed our dog this food (only got through about 5 out of 12 cans before we stopped) almost exactly a year ago, we've had…”
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