The Wet Dog Food To Keep Your Pup Healthy, Happy And Hydrated

Forbes

23-04-2025

If your pup turns up their nose at dry kibble or rarely visits their water bowl, wet dog food might be worth considering. Not only does this type of food appeal more to picky eaters, but it can be gentler on sensitive stomachs and provide extra moisture. After researching popular options, consulting veterinary experts and testing several brands ourselves, we confidently recommend Open Farm Surf & Turf Pâté as the best wet dog food overall. It's made with ethically sourced proteins and simple ingredients, and most importantly, dogs seem to love eating it. That said, the ideal choice depends heavily on your pup's lifestyle, health conditions and personal taste.
The best wet dog foods are healthy and hydrating, from trusted brands like Open Farm, Weruva and ... More Caru.
Knowing what to prioritize can make choosing the right food easier. To start, take a close look at each food's ingredient list. 'The best wet dog food includes clearly named protein sources, limited filler ingredients and whole-food elements like sweet potatoes or carrots,' says Dr. Aimee Warner, resident veterinarian at Waggel. 'When checking food labels, look for real, recognizable ingredients.' For example, a fresh dog food option like The Farmer's Dog delivers customized, human-grade meals made with incredibly high-quality ingredients. Ahead, we've rounded up the best wet dog foods available, including picks tailored specifically for puppies, senior dogs, prescription diets and more. And to give you further peace of mind, all of our recommendations adhere to nutritional guidelines set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), so you can feel confident you're choosing a complete and balanced food.
Open Farm
Type: Pâté | Life stage: Adult | AAFCO-compliant: Yes | Subscription required: No
What you'll love:
Keep in mind:
If you've ever read the label on a can of dog food and wondered where the ingredients actually came from, Open Farm makes it easy to find out. Its Surf & Turf Pâté is made with grass-fed beef, beef liver and sustainably caught whitefish—all ingredients you can trace online to see exactly how they were sourced. Every batch of the brand's canned food is tested for things like salmonella and heavy metals before it leaves the facility, and you can even review the lab results yourself. (To view sourcing and safety information about your specific batch, try the company's online transparency tool.)
The smooth pâté texture is easy for most dogs to eat, even those who tend to be picky, and the recipe doesn't include common irritants like soy, legumes or carrageenan. We especially like the Surf & Turf recipe because it combines beef and whitefish, both excellent sources of protein and nutrients dogs need, along with beef liver for extra vitamins and minerals. It's also free of chicken, which many dogs are sensitive to (often without their owners even realizing it).
If your dog prefers different proteins, Open Farm also has recipes with salmon, turkey and beef that are worth trying. I personally always keep a few cans in my pantry as backup in case my dog's usual food subscription gets delayed or we're going to be traveling. She loves the taste, and unlike dry kibble, it doesn't upset her digestion or cause changes to her stool.
The Farmer's Dog
Type: Fresh (frozen) | Life stage: All life stages | AAFCO-compliant: Yes | Subscription required: Yes
What you'll love:
Keep in mind:
The Farmer's Dog is different from typical wet foods because it's fresh and arrives frozen, but it still has the softer texture and high moisture content that make wet food appealing to many pups. Forbes Vetted recently named it the best dog food delivery service in 2025, thanks largely to its personalized approach and high-quality ingredients. Recipes feature proteins like beef, chicken, turkey and pork, combined with vegetables and nutrient-rich ingredients such as chickpeas and salmon oil. The meals are cooked gently in a human-grade facility, then frozen and shipped directly to you.
When you sign up, you first have to answer a quick survey about your dog's age, breed, weight and activity, so the meals arrive already portioned out for your pup's specific needs. The packaging conveniently includes your pet's name, which is helpful if you board your dog or use daycare regularly. Just remember you need a decent amount of freezer space, and the packages can't be resealed once opened. That said, I regularly feed The Farmer's Dog to my pup and have never had an issue with storage. The packs of food lay flat in the freezer and they're easy to stack, and the brand sends you a convenient storage container to keep partially used packages fresh in the fridge.
Open Farm
Type: Pâté | Life stage: Puppy | AAFCO-compliant: Yes | Subscription required: No
What you'll love:
Keep in mind:
Open Farm's puppy pâté uses the same high-quality ingredients and transparent sourcing as its adult recipes, but it's formulated specifically to meet the needs of growing puppies. The veterinarians we spoke to emphasized that young dogs require specific amounts of vitamins and minerals to support healthy growth—particularly larger breeds, which can have more demanding nutritional requirements. Rather than settle for a general "all life stages" food, they recommend choosing a dedicated puppy formula like this to ensure your pup gets the nutrients they need.
This recipe blends humanely raised chicken, wild-caught salmon, chicken liver and veggies like sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots. And while this is the brand's only puppy-specific flavor available right now, most reviewers say their pups happily clean their bowls. My own 8-month-old pup regularly eats this canned food, which we mix in with her fresh meals from The Farmer's Dog (now that she's getting older). She loves the taste and it hasn't caused any digestion issues, which I can't say about every food we've tried.
Amazon
Type: Canned | Life stage: Adult | AAFCO-compliant: Yes | Subscription required: No
What you'll love:
Keep in mind:
Several veterinarians we spoke to recommended limited-ingredient diets for senior dogs, because simpler recipes are often easier on aging digestive systems. Weruva's Paw Lickin' Chicken recipe is a great example. Its main ingredient is cage-free chicken breast, and you can actually see the recognizable chunks of real meat as soon as you open the can. Plus, it's soft enough for older dogs to chew comfortably without being overly mushy.
Weruva also offers plenty of variety if your older pup is still excited about trying new flavors. There are over a dozen other recipes to choose from, including options featuring turkey, duck, tuna, pumpkin, carrots and more, all made to the same high-quality standards. So even if your senior dog's tastes change as they age—or they simply get picky—there are plenty of options to keep them interested in mealtime.
Chewy
Type: Stew | Life stage: All life stages | AAFCO-compliant: Yes | Subscription required: No
What you'll love:
Keep in mind:
If your dog has a sensitive stomach, you already know how tricky it can be to find food that keeps their digestive system happy. This Caru recipe features a simple ingredient list with human-grade turkey and salmon, two proteins generally gentle on sensitive stomachs, plus mild veggies like pumpkin, carrots and apples. The stew is slowly cooked in small batches, and it even looks (and smells) like something you might make yourself.
Reviewers frequently note this recipe significantly improved their dogs' digestive issues after switching from other brands, especially those containing potatoes or grains. Plus, Caru packages its stew in a convenient, resealable pouch rather than a traditional can, so it's easy to portion out exactly what your dog needs.
JustFoodForDogs
Type: Fresh (frozen and pantry-stable options) | Life stage: Adult | AAFCO-compliant: Yes | Subscription required: No (prescription required)
What you'll love:
Keep in mind:
If your vet recommends a prescription diet to manage your dog's specific health issues, JustFoodForDogs has fresh recipes created by veterinarians and nutritionists. Unlike many prescription foods that use lower-quality ingredients, these recipes include recognizable, human-grade ingredients like wild-caught cod, lamb, turkey and fresh veggies.
The brand offers four specialized formulas to support a variety of concerns, such as kidney health, liver function, metabolism and appetite stimulation during critical care. Each recipe carefully controls nutrient levels based on specific health conditions, so you know your dog is getting exactly what their body needs. All four varieties come in frozen fresh formats, and two of the formulas also come in convenient shelf-stable 'Pantry Fresh' versions.
Just keep in mind that you' need a prescription from your veterinarian to order these diets, though you don't have to commit to a subscription unless you want to. The meals are available directly from the company online, at JustFoodForDogs stores nationwide and at select Petco locations.
The Forbes Vetted home team regularly researches and writes about pet products, from the best cat food to the best dog beds.
To find the best wet dog food, we combined personal testing, expert insights and thorough research, keeping our own dogs in mind every step of the way.