Choosing the best dog food for your best friend is an essential part of being a dog owner. While kibble has its benefits, notwithstanding the lower price, canned dog food is high in fibre and protein, low in fat, and has the right balance of carbohydrates. Wet food is quite effective at helping dogs maintain a healthy weight and can even help dogs lose weight.
But given the multitude of options out there, finding the best one can be challenging, especially if you are Canadian. So, we created reviews of 10 of the best wet dog foods in Canada to make things a little easier. There are pros and cons for each brand, as well as a buyer’s guide, so your next canned dog food purchase can be an easy one.
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A Glance at Our Top Picks (2024 Update)
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall | Beyond Grain Free Entrée Variety Pack |
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Best Value | Pedigree Chopped Adult Wet Dog Food |
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Premium Choice | Hill’s Science Diet Canned Dog Food |
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Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Canned Food |
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Nature’s Recipe Variety Pack |
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The 10 Best Wet Dog Foods in Canada
1. Beyond Grain Free Entrée Variety Pack — Best Overall
Size: | 368-gram cans x 6 |
Flavours: | Chicken and carrots and peas, cod, salmon and sweet potato, turkey and sweet potato |
Texture: | Ground |
Special diet: | Grain-free |
The overall best wet dog food for Canadian dogs is Beyond Grain-Free Ground Entrée Variety Pack. It comes in three flavours: chicken, carrots, and peas; Alaskan cod, salmon, and sweet potato; and turkey and sweet potato. Variety packs give you the opportunity to do a little taste-testing with your dog. This food contains poultry and fish as the first and main ingredients. The ingredients are limited and can all be traced back to North American sources. It’s grain-free without any corn, soy, by-products, artificial colours, preservatives, or flavours.
The flaws with this food are that it might cause stomach upset in some dogs and that picky pups might not like any of the flavours.
- Variety pack includes three flavours
- Fish and poultry are the first and main ingredients
- Limited ingredients only sourced from North America
- Grain-free for any dogs sensitive to grains
- No artificial ingredients
- Might cause stomach upset
- Picky dogs might not like any of the flavours
2. Pedigree Chopped Adult Wet Dog Food — Best Value
Size: | 375-gram cans x 12 |
Flavours: | Beef, chicken, or filet mignon |
Texture: | Chopped |
Special diet: | N/A |
The best canned dog food for the money is Pedigree’s Chopped Adult Wet Dog Food. You can choose from three flavours—beef, chicken, or filet mignon—which come in 12 cans for an affordable price. It provides a balanced diet and has real chicken as the main ingredient. It is highly digestible, which allows for much easier nutrient absorption, and most dogs seem to enjoy this food!
The problems with Pedigree’s formula are that it contains artificial colours and that there are issues with the cans, which sometimes arrive dented if you order online. Also, if you have any issues with your fingers, the pull tab might be challenging to open.
- Inexpensive
- Choose from three flavours
- Real chicken is the main ingredient
- Highly digestible with the right balance of nutrients
- Contains artificial colours
- Pull tabs might be challenging to open
3. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dog Food — Premium Choice
Size: | 363-gram cans x 12 |
Flavours: | Beef and vegetables |
Texture: | Stew |
Special diet: | Adults 1–6 years |
Hill’s Science Diet Canned Dog Food is a delicious beef-and-vegetable stew that’s a high-quality source of protein for adult dogs. It contains vegetables such as peas, spinach, carrots, and potatoes, in addition to pork liver and beef. Because it’s easy to digest, it contributes to lean muscles and a healthy digestive system. Most dogs seem to enjoy eating this human-style stew!
However, it is expensive, and small dogs might have difficulty eating the stew; the chunks of meat and veggies can be large for tiny mouths.
- High-quality protein for adult dogs
- Human-style beef and veggie stew
- Contributes to a healthy digestive system and lean muscles
- Most dogs love it
- Expensive
- Food chunks can be large
4. Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Canned Food
Size: | 363-gram cans x 12 |
Flavours: | Chicken and vegetable |
Texture: | Stew |
Special diet: | For puppies |
Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Canned Food is a great food for puppies ages 1 and under. It has the perfect balance of minerals and vitamins for puppies and includes DHA for healthy eye and brain development. Thanks to the highly digestible ingredients and added calcium, it will support your puppy’s growing bones and teeth and is easy to digest. This is a tasty stew with a variety of meat and vegetables.
However, this food is quite expensive, and some of the chunks might be too big for the small puppies.
- Supports a growing puppy’s development
- Contributes to strong bones and teeth
- Includes DHA for brain and eye development
- Human-style chicken and veggie stew
- Easily digested
- Expensive
- Some chunks might be too big for tiny mouths
5. Nature’s Recipe Variety Pack
Size: | 78-gram cups x 12 |
Flavours: | Chicken, chicken and duck, chicken and venison |
Texture: | Shredded meat in broth |
Special diet: | N/A |
Nature’s Recipe Variety Pack contains three flavours: chicken, chicken and duck, and chicken and venison. It features shredded chicken in broth with all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that dogs need. It doesn’t have any added corn, soy, wheat, by-products, artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives. It comes in easy-to-serve cups, so you can simply peel and serve.
However, Nature’s Recipe is expensive for 12 cups, and it might cause stomach issues in some dogs.
- Variety pack with three flavours
- Shredded chicken in broth
- No corn, wheat, soy, by-products, or artificial ingredients
- Peel-and-serve individual cups
- Expensive for 12 cups
- Might cause stomach upset
6. Purina ONE SmartBlend True Instinct Variety Pack
Size: | 368-gram cans x 6 |
Flavours: | Turkey and venison, chicken and duck |
Texture: | Pâté |
Special diet: | N/A |
The Purina ONE SmartBlend True Instinct Variety Pack is a handy variety pack that includes three cans of chicken and duck and three cans of turkey and venison flavours. The first and main ingredients are whole chicken or turkey (depending on the flavour), so it’s an excellent source of protein. It has the right balance of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for a healthy diet and contains a natural source of glucosamine to maintain healthy joints. It doesn’t have any artificial flavours, colours, or fillers.
The flaws here are that some dogs seem to dislike this food and that some of the cans seem to contain a fair amount of gel-like substance on top of the food.
- Two different flavours in six cans
- Turkey or chicken are the main ingredients
- Balanced nutrition with a natural source of glucosamine
- No fillers or artificial colours or flavours
- Picky dogs might reject it
- Gel-like substance can be found on top of the food
7. Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dog Food
Size: | 363-gram cans x 12 |
Flavours: | Chicken and vegetable |
Texture: | Pâté |
Special diet: | Sensitive skin and stomach |
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin Canned Dog Food is a good option for dogs with skin or stomach problems. It’s grain-free for dogs with sensitivities to grains and made with easily digested ingredients. It’s a chicken-and-vegetable pâté that provides a balanced diet and nutrition for digestive health. It includes omega-6 and vitamin E, which can aid in healthy skin and fur.
However, Hill’s formula is expensive, and the texture can be inconsistent. Sometimes, the pâté can be dry, and at other times, it’s mushy.
- Grain-free for dogs with grain sensitivity
- Easily digestible ingredients
- Balanced nutrition for stomach and skin health
- Omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E for skin and coat health
- Expensive
- Inconsistent texture
8. Purina Pro Plan Wet Dog Food
Size: | 363-gram cans x 12 |
Flavours: | Salmon and rice |
Texture: | Pâté |
Special diet: | Sensitive skin and stomach |
Purina’s Pro Plan Wet Dog Food is an excellent option for dogs with stomach or skin issues. It’s a tasty salmon and rice pâté that is quite gentle on the digestive tract and stomach because it’s easily digested.
It contains omega fatty acids, including linoleic acid, for a healthy coat and skin. It doesn’t have corn, wheat, soy, or chicken, which should be helpful if your dog has a food allergy or sensitivity to any of these ingredients.
However, some dogs don’t like salmon and might reject the Pro Plan formula. Another issue is that the formula was recently updated, and several dogs dislike the new one.
- Helps dogs with stomach or skin issues
- Salmon and rice formula is gentle on the stomach
- Linoleic acid for healthy fur and skin
- Picky dogs might not like salmon
- Some dogs dislike the new formula
9. Hill’s Science Diet Senior Canned Dog Food
Size: | 371-gram cans x 12 |
Flavours: | Beef and barley |
Texture: | Pâté |
Special diet: | Senior dogs 7+ |
Hill’s Science Diet Senior Canned Dog Food is easy to digest and keeps muscles lean for senior dogs over the age of 7. It contains the all-important antioxidants to support your older dog’s overall health and includes vitamin E and omega fatty acids to maintain a healthy coat and skin. There are also added minerals that contribute to kidney and heart health.
However, Hill’s Senior Canned Dog Food is expensive, and some customers have mentioned problems with the texture. There are times when the canned food is too dry.
- High-quality protein for older dogs
- Easily digested
- Antioxidants for overall health
- Added minerals for kidney and heart health
- Expensive
- Texture can sometimes be dry
10. Cesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Variety Pack
Size: | 100-gram trays x 24 |
Flavours: | Grilled chicken, NY strip, and lamb |
Texture: | Loaf in sauce |
Special diet: | Small dogs |
The Cesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Variety Pack gives you three flavours—New York strip, lamb, and grilled chicken—all for small dogs. It comes with 24 trays, which works out to eight trays for each of the flavours, and they are designed to make feeding your pup a little easier. Each tray is a single serve, so you just peel and serve and don’t have to worry about any leftovers.
Cesar’s formulas include high-quality proteins, which provide a balanced diet for your small-breed dog. However, the Variety Pack might cause some dogs to have diarrhea, and when you consider how small these trays are, they are expensive.
- Three different flavours
- 24 peel-and-serve trays, so no leftovers
- Variety pack great for picky dogs
- Balanced diet for small breeds
- Might cause stomach upset
- Expensive for small trays
Buyer’s Guide: Buying the Best Wet Dog Food in Canada
This buyer’s guide is designed to provide additional tips on purchasing wet dog food. We’ll show you what you might need to look for before you try out a new food on your dog.
Price
Dog food can be expensive. This is partly because most dog food is manufactured in the United States and then imported into Canada. Amazon products fluctuate in price, so try to keep a close eye on your chosen dog food and consider buying in bulk if you see it offered at a lower price.
Ingredients
The ingredients in most dog food can be an issue for many dog parents. However, remember that unless your vet has told you to keep certain ingredients away from your dog, you don’t have to worry too much if your dog is eating food that contains by-products or corn. According to the AKC, the main foods that trigger food sensitivities and allergies are beef, dairy, wheat, chicken, and egg, in that order.
If your dog seems to have a reaction to the new food, see your vet so they can determine the source of the problem. It might not even be the food!
Online Shopping Issues
One issue with shopping online is that sometimes the food arrives damaged. Many customers have to deal with dented cans, which might make the food go bad. But you can sometimes get better deals online, and it’s certainly easier to have heavy cans of food delivered to your door instead of lugging them home.
Introducing New Food
When introducing a new food to their dog, some owners might instantly replace the old food with the new one without a slow transition. This can lead to stomach issues in many dogs. It’s always safest to replace a small amount of the old food with the new food and then slowly increase that amount over time. This gives your dog’s digestive system time to adjust to the new formula.
But be sure to speak to your vet before you try a new brand, particularly if your dog has any health issues. Your vet can also advise you on the best choices for your dog.
If you need to speak with a vet but can’t get to one, head over to PangoVet. It’s an online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the personalized advice you need for your pet — all at an affordable price!
How We Selected These Wet Dog Foods in Canada
This buyer’s guide was carefully crafted by our writers and editors in collaboration with our team of in-house veterinarians. The dog foods reviewed here are rated on a combination of factors: brand reputation, customer reviews across multiple retail outlets, personal experience, and in some cases, feedback from our own dogs! Together, we choose and review only the best dog foods available, to help you make the most informed decisions that foster the well-being of your furry friends.
Why Trust Dogster?
Dogster has been a trusted brand for dog owners online since 2004, which means we have a lot of experience with dog foods. We are a team of passionate dog owners who care about our pups as much as you do yours. We want the best for every canine on the planet. Dogster’s writers, editors, and veterinarians are deeply invested in the well-being of our pets, and we believe that all pet owners share this dedication to providing only the highest quality products and services for our dogs.
Final Thoughts
Our favourite wet dog food is the Beyond Grain-Free Ground Entrée Variety Pack. It comes in three flavours without any artificial ingredients, and the limited ingredients can all be traced back to North American sources. Pedigree’s Chopped Adult Wet Dog Food is affordable and is highly digestible, which enables easier nutrient absorption. Finally, Hill’s Science Diet Canned Dog Food is our premium choice pick because it is a delicious beef-and-vegetable stew with a high-quality protein source and is easy to digest.
We hope that these reviews have helped Canadian dog owners on the hunt for new wet food and that your dog will love the newest delicious addition to their diet.
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Featured Image Credit: chaoss, Shutterstock