Canned Food for Dogs

Canned food is the ideal solution to diversify your animal friend's diet. You can use canned food as an extra supplement to kibble, but there are also food brands that contain a balanced scope of nutrients for an everyday diet. What should—or shouldn't —canned dog food have?

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What are the pros and cons of canned food?

Canned dog food is generally well-received and even the pickiest dogs tend to like it. Depending on the type and manufacturer, canned food can represent either a full-spectrum diet or supplementary food, which is then combined with various additions or kibble.

Canned dog food - pros

Can serve as a tasty treat or a full-spectrum diet.
Juicy and almost irresistible for your four-legged pals.
Long shelf life.
Unopened cans can be stored virtually anywhere.

Canned dog food - cons

Contains up to 80% water, compared to about 10% in dry kibble.
If your dog doesn't finish his or her bowl, the leftover food dries quickly and becomes inedible—this means you have to spend more time feeding your pet.
Opened cans must be stored in a refrigerator and used within 2 days.

Dogs can be just as fussy as any human. It’s better to keep their diet varied, so make sure to stock up on different flavours—the most common are canned chicken, beef, or lamb. You can also find canned rabbit, salmon, or duck.

Age, size, and activity level—choosing the right dog food can be a challenge

Do you want to choose the best canned meat for your pet, but have no idea where to start? Nutritional requirements vary depending on the age, size, and activity of the dog. Here’s a short overview to make your selection easier.

Canned puppy food is made for dogs aged 0-24 months (depending on the breed). They are packed with nutrients that your puppy needs for proper growth and joint development.
Canned food for adult dogs contains large chunks of meat. Adult dogs also eat more, so this type tends to come in larger cans. Depending on the size of the dog, a 1200g can may contain up to 10 portions.
Canned food for senior dogs is typically less caloric to prevent weight gain, which is a big danger for less active dogs. As the dog grows older, its metabolism changes and the risk of disease rises.
Canned food for active dogs is designed to contain plenty of calories and meat protein. Physically active dogs need more energy.

Breed Size	Adult Weight	Full Adulthood
Small Breeds	under 10kg	10–12 months
Medium Breeds	under 25kg	12 months
Large Breeds	under 45kg	15–18 months
Giant Dog Breeds	45+kg	24 months

Canned puppy food is usually labelled as Puppy or Junior, while adult dog food is marked as Adult. Canned food for senior dogs can be identified by the label Senior.

Good canned food contains plenty of fresh meat

Do you really want the best for your four-legged pal? Then choose high-quality canned dog food, which you can recognise by the high meat content. Use the parametric filter in the left menu, which lets you set the minimum fresh meat content in the dry matter.

Special dog food for allergy sufferers or sick dogs

If you want to give your dog the best and avoid allergies or other health problems, you should also consider the presence of other substances:

GMO-free canned food doesn’t contain corn, potatoes, rape, soy, or sugar cane. These ingredients can cause allergies or other health problems in sensitive dogs.
Preservative-free canned food either doesn't contain these substances at all or uses natural ingredients such as vitamin E or various oils to maintain its shelf life.

Ideally, you should buy 100% pure meat with known ingredients

Canned dog food that is 100% pure meat is made from one or more types of muscle. However, make sure the food doesn’t contain ‘unspecified products of animal origin’. This label may hide viscera, skin, or ground bones.

Don't gamble with your dog's health—if you want to save money, buy in bulk

Always buy high-quality food containing the optimum proportion of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. To save money, buy in bulk or purchase large cans that will ultimately cost you much less per kilogram. They are also great for large dog breeds or if you have two or more dogs at home. What are the largest food cans you can get?

If you have a large breed, a 1250g can—which is incidentally the largest can size available—will last it about one day.
The most popular are 800g cans, which can feed up to two medium-sized dogs a day.
You can also save money by buying smaller cans in bulk, for example a pack of 12 cans at once.