Becoming a dog parent comes with a lot of responsibility, and one of the top priorities is your dog’s diet. Naturally, we want the best for our furry friends and provide them with a well-balanced, nutritious and delicious meal to keep them strong, healthy, and satisfied.

We have gathered our top picks and reviewed their pros and cons, the best value for money, and some helpful guidance when buying your companion’s food.

A Quick Comparison of Our Winners (2024)

The 12 Best Moist Dog Foods

1. Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Canned Food – Best Overall

Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Dog Food is a delicious combination that nourishes and satisfies your dog. The first ingredient, which is a source of high-quality protein, is chicken. Rice and other premium ingredients are added to create a delicious wet paté dog food. Every serving provides the optimum amount of protein to support your dog’s lean muscles, support the immune system, and nourish healthy skin and coat. This extra premium dog food loaf has the tasty flavor and soft texture your dog loves. This recipe contains meat by-products and is low in fiber which may affect your dog’s stools.

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2. Purina ONE SmartBlend Canned Dog Food – Budget Buy

Purina ONE SmartBlend Adult Canned Dog Food is our best choice for the money. You can feel confident that you’re giving your dog the nutrition they need to support a lifetime of good health because it is made from carefully chosen, high-quality ingredients, vitamins, and minerals. This formula Includes two times the recommended antioxidant levels with zinc, selenium, and vitamins A and E. Your pet will love the flavor of real lamb and brown rice in a flavorful gravy, which will keep its diet well balanced and satisfy your dog.

If your dog has allergies to chicken, this recipe is not ideal. Some dog owners have reported that their dog experiences excessive flatulence after eating ONE.

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3. Ollie Fresh Dog Food Beef Recipe – Premium Choice

Ollie is the best if you’re looking for wet food free of fillers, preservatives, and that horrible dog food smell. Each package contains fresh vegetables, meat, and chelated minerals to ensure your dog receives the best nutrition.

With Ollie recipes, there’s no weird gelatinous gravy or oddly shaped meat you typically find in other wet foods. You can thank the lack of preservatives and gravy enhancers for that. But since there are no preservatives, you’ll have to keep this food refrigerated to avoid spoilage.

Our favorite recipe is the classic beef recipe, full of fiber, protein, and vitamins A, C, and K. However, you can choose between four protein options to offer a balanced diet.

We also like that the food is packaged in plastic bags, so you never have to handle loud, sharp aluminum cans again.

This option is our premium choice for a reason: it’s more expensive than store bought dog foods. Even so, we feel it’s a great fresh wet food source.

• Read more: Ollie Fresh Dog Food Review: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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4. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Puppy Food

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Natural Puppy Wet Dog Food will energize your puppy. Tender chicken pieces provide the first source of high-quality protein, which is combined with fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden and boosted with vitamins and minerals. Omega fats contribute to a silky, lustrous coat and aid in the development of the eye and brain function. This paté-style puppy food can be given to your dog as a treat, as an addition to dry food to make it more appetizing, or as a stand-alone meal. This formula is produced with nutritious ingredients and doesn’t contain any by-product meals, corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, or preservatives.

While this recipe is well-reviewed, there have been some instances where dogs haven’t enjoyed the taste.

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5. Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Canned Food

Nourish your furry friend from nose to tail with Purina Pro Plan Adult Large Breed dog food. This recipe is made with real beef, and it is packed with high-quality protein to promote lean muscle. It is a fully balanced formula that includes 23 essential vitamins and minerals, calcium and phosphorus for healthy bones and teeth, and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. This recipe will support our dog’s immune system and contains highly digestible rice for a healthy gut. It is free from preservatives, artificial flavors, and colorants.

This recipe contains chicken, and it should be avoided if your dog is allergic. Some dog owners who have purchased this product mention that the recipe contained too much rice.

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6. Natural Balance L.I.D. Canned Food

Natural Balance LID Dog Food is suited for both adults and puppies of all breeds and is a healthy, complete, and balanced formula that uses limited ingredients. It is also highly digestible, so your dog can absorb all the nutrients. This food is packed with antioxidants, and duck is the first ingredient

This formula is grain-free, which is suitable for dogs with allergies. Grains can be beneficial for most dogs, and it’s best to check with your veterinarian before serving a grain-free diet.

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7. Wellness Turkey Stew Canned Dog Food

Wellness Turkey Stew Dog Food is the perfect way to spoil your dog. This recipe contains soft pieces of premium protein and nutrient-rich vegetables simmered in a flavorful gravy for a flavor that dogs adore. It doesn’t have wheat, poultry by-products, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Wellness was created to provide a completely balanced diet for daily feeding, mixing, or nibbling.

Some dog owners have reported this recipe causes unpleasant gas in their dogs.

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8. American Journey Stews Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

American Journey Stews are available in a variety of flavors that uses whole meat as the primary ingredient. Its recipes include beneficial omega fats, vitamins, and minerals to support your dog’s immune system and promote muscle growth and healthy skin and coat. While the recipes are packed with flavor, they are free from poultry by-products, artificial flavors or colors, and preservatives.

While grain-free foods are beneficial for dogs with allergies, you should consult your vet before deciding if a grain-free diet is suitable for your dog.

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9. Nature’s Recipe Original Ground Canned Dog Food

Nature’s Recipe Chicken Dog Food is made with a palatable blend of homestyle ingredients with rice and barley. This recipe contains real animal protein with added antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to support a healthy immune system. It is 100% balanced with ingredients that are easy to digest, and it doesn’t contain animal by-products, artificial flavors, or preservatives.

Some dog owners have commented on the food’s unpleasant smell after opening the can and claimed the food was too soft.

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10. Hill’s Prescription Diet Digestive Care Low Fat Wet Food

Hills Prescription Diet Digestive care dog food is designed by vets and nutritionists and formulated to support your dog’s digestive wellness. It is a low-fat recipe created with highly digestible protein that ensures proper nutrient absorption. Activbiome+ technology regulates a healthy gut bacteria and microbiome balance, while a prebiotic blend assists regular bowel movements and gastrointestinal health. Ginger is added to soothe the GI tract, and omegas promote healthy skin and fur.

Hill’s can only be purchased with a veterinarian’s prescription and comes with a higher price tag.

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11. Canidae All Life Stages Canned Dog Food

Canidae All Life Stages dog food is a vet-formulated recipe made with real chicken, simmered in a tasty, savory broth. It is suited for dogs of all breeds and ages and made with wholesome grains to support your dog’s digestion and provide all the energy your pup needs and does not contain soy, wheat, or corn.

Some dog owners are concerned about the texture of this recipe, saying it sticks to the can and is too mushy. Unfortunately, some dogs don’t care for the taste.

• Also Read: Canidae Dog Food Review: Recalls, Pros & Cons

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12. Eukanuba Adult Canned Dog Food

Eukanuba Adult Canned Dog Food is scientifically formulated for active dogs. It is made with high-quality protein to help build strong and lean muscles. This recipe is made with nutritious beef and vegetable stew that delivers a healthy balance of vitamins and minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. This food can be fed to your dog as a stand-alone meal or as a tasty topper to its kibble.

Some dog owners who have purchased this food have mentioned that the consistency is too runny.

Buyer’s Guide: Picking the Best Moist Dog Food

It can sometimes be overwhelming to choose the best food for your dog, but we have put together a buyer’s guide to help you choose the best moist dog food for your companion.

Moist vs Dry

Moist food is usually preferred by dogs because of its rich and meaty flavor. It has a much higher moisture content than dry food, which may be beneficial if your dogs don’t drink enough water. It is usually more palatable than dry food due to its flavor and smell. Moist food usually gives your dog a fuller feeling which is helpful for weight management. It is also more suitable for dogs with dental issues as it is easier to chew.

Flavor

It may take some time to discover what flavors your dog enjoys best, and the best way to do this is by purchasing variety packs so your dog can experiment. If your dog enjoys a specific flavor, then variety packs should be avoided.

Size

Consider the size of your dog when purchasing its food. Bigger breed dogs naturally require more food, and larger cans are more suitable. A smaller dog will only need smaller cans so they don’t end up sitting in the fridge for too long. The size of can you end up purchasing will be relative to the size of your dog.

Ingredients

Evaluating the label and ingredients is crucial to understanding what your dog is eating. A label, for example, that reads “salmon and rice” means that 95% of the recipe is made from those ingredients.

The ingredients listed on the label are in weighted order, and it’s important to check the first five ingredients. Knowing more about certain ingredients you are unfamiliar with is also helpful. They can include:

Meal: Usually, organ meat with the fat and water removed.

Natural Flavor: This can come from any plant or animal source, but it does not mean that it is organic.

Ingredients that sound like chemicals are often vitamins, minerals, and other supplements.

You should look for an AAFCO statement on the label to say that the food is complete and balanced. Most balanced diets contain protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Final Thoughts

Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Dog Food is our best overall pick and Purina O.N.E. SmartBlend Adult Canned Dog Food is a great budget buy. Ollie Fresh Dog Food Beef Recipe gets the premium choice spot.

We hope our top picks and reviews have helped you feel more confident in choosing the best moist food for your dog!

You may also be interested in:

• Maev Dog Food Review: Recalls, Pros & Cons
• 10 Best Dog Foods for Colitis

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Featured Image Credit: Alejandro rodriguez, Shutterstock