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6 Best Wet Dog Food for Great Danes | Reviews

By Marian Haaz · · Updated

Best wet dog food for Great Danes
Contents

Your Great Dane needs a complete, balanced diet that supports healthy growth and a healthy weight. Wet food can be a good option, especially for picky eaters, older dogs, or as a topper on kibble.

In this article, we share wet dog foods worth considering for a Great Dane, plus what to look for on the label. Talk to your veterinarian before changing your dog's diet, especially for a puppy or a dog with health problems.

Wet food or Dry, which is Better for your Dog?

Neither is automatically better. Both can be complete and balanced; what matters most is that the food meets your dog's nutritional needs for its life stage.

Wet food has more moisture, is easy to chew, and many dogs find it tasty. That can help older dogs and picky eaters.

The downside is cost. Feeding a giant dog only canned food gets expensive, so many owners mix wet food with dry. Opened cans must be refrigerated.

OUR TOP PICK

Best Pick

Blue Buffalo Wet Dog Food

  • Flavor: Chicken
  • Item Form: Wet
  • Breed: All breed sizes

Budget Pick

Taste of the Wild Wet Canned Dog Food

  • Flavor: Venison and Bison
  • Item Form: Wet
  • Breed: All breed sizes

Editor Pick

Wellness Complete Wet Canned Dog Food

  • Flavor: Chicken, Salmon
  • Item Form: Wet
  • Breed: All breed sizes

Our Best Wet Dog Food

  1. Blue Buffalo Wet Dog Food (Best Overall)
  2. Taste of the Wild Wet Canned Dog Food (Best under Budget)
  3. Wellness Complete Wet Canned Dog Food (Editor Choice)
  4. Hills Prescription Diet w/d Multi-benefit (Prescription Option)
  5. Merrick Grain-free Wet Dog Food (Grain-free Option)
  6. Canidae All Life Stages Premium Wet Dog Food (Best for Large Breeds)

Product details below come from the product listings at the time of writing. Recipes, ingredients, and nutrient levels change, so always check the current label.

1. Blue Buffalo Wet Dog Food – Budget-friendly

Reasons to Buy

  • Chicken is the first ingredient
  • No corn, soy, or wheat
  • Many dogs like the taste

Reasons to Avoid

  • A giant dog needs several cans a day if fed wet food alone

Product Description

Blue Buffalo Wet Dog Food is a chicken-based canned food for adult dogs. Check the guaranteed analysis on the current label for its protein and fat levels.

Features:

  • Real chicken is the first ingredient.
  • No corn, wheat, soy, or artificial flavors.
  • Fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Company review:

Blue Buffalo is a well-known pet food brand that markets recipes with real meat as the first ingredient.

About the product:

Blue Buffalo Wet Dog Food lists chicken and chicken liver near the top of its ingredients. It is made without corn, wheat, soy, or artificial colors.

You can mix this food with dry food as a topper. If you do, reduce the kibble so your Great Dane doesn't gain weight.

Specifications:

First 5 ingredientsChicken, Peas, Chicken liver, chicken broth, Carrots
TypeGrain-free
Best forAll breeds
TextureFinely chopped pate
Life stageMaintenance
Quantity12 Packs
FormWet

Highlights: A popular chicken recipe that works well as a topper.

2. Taste of the Wild Wet Canned Dog Food – Grain-free Option

Reasons to Buy

  • Real meat is the first ingredient
  • Chicken-free recipe
  • No artificial colors

Reasons to Avoid

  • Not cheap for a giant dog
  • Grain-free (see the note on DCM below)

Product Description:

Taste of the Wild Wet Canned Dog Food is a chicken-free, grain-free canned food. Recipes vary by flavor, so check the label for the guaranteed analysis.

Features:

  • Real meat is the first ingredient.
  • No artificial colors or preservatives.
  • Made in the USA with domestic and globally sourced ingredients.
  • Contains fruits and vegetables such as blueberries and sweet potatoes.

Company review:

Taste of the Wild makes dog and cat food built around proteins such as salmon, venison, bison, duck, and beef.

About the product:

This Taste of the Wild recipe is free of chicken and grain, which some owners look for when a dog has a suspected chicken allergy. Food allergies should be confirmed with your vet through a proper elimination diet.

Like any canned food, it gets expensive when fed alone to a giant dog. Many owners use it as a topper on dry food.

Specifications:

First 5 ingredientsBeef broth, Lamb liver, Beef, Vegetable broth, Lamb broth
TypeChicken-free, Grain-free
Best forAll breeds size
TextureLumpy
Life stageAdult
Quantity1 Pack
FormWet

Highlights: A chicken-free option for dogs whose vet suspects a chicken sensitivity.

3. Wellness Complete Wet Canned Dog Food – Editor's Choice

Reasons to Buy

  • Mix of meat, vegetables, and fruit
  • No artificial colors or flavors
  • Many dogs like the taste

Reasons to Avoid

  • Pricey

Product Description:

Wellness Complete Wet Canned Dog Food is a canned food made without artificial colors or flavors. Check the label for its guaranteed analysis and its AAFCO life stage statement.

Features:

  • Contains antioxidant-rich vegetables.
  • No meat by-products or artificial preservatives.
  • Meaty texture.

Company review:

Wellness offers grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes, plus limited-ingredient diets for dogs with food sensitivities.

About the product:

Wellness Complete recipes combine meat with vegetables and fruit, and many dogs find them tasty.

If you want to feed it to a Great Dane puppy, check that the label says it is complete and balanced for growth, including large-size dogs. Giant-breed puppies need carefully controlled calcium and calories.

Highlights: A tasty canned option for adult Great Danes and picky eaters.

4. Hills Prescription Diet w/d Multi-benefit – Prescription Option

Reasons to Buy

  • Formulated to help with weight, digestive, and urinary health
  • Used under veterinary guidance

Reasons to Avoid

  • Expensive
  • Requires veterinary authorization

Product Description:

Hill's Prescription Diet w/d Multi-benefit is a therapeutic diet. It's meant for dogs whose veterinarian recommends it, such as dogs that need weight management or help with certain digestive or urinary problems.

Features:

  • Formulated with fiber for weight and digestive support.
  • Designed to support urinary health.
  • Chicken is the first ingredient.

Company review:

Hill's is a major pet food maker that employs veterinarians and nutritionists and makes both everyday and prescription diets.

About the product:

This is not an everyday food. You need your veterinarian's approval to buy it, and your vet will tell you how much to feed and whether to combine it with the dry version.

Prescription diets are chosen to manage a specific medical condition. Don't switch to one, or stop one, without talking to your vet.

Specifications:

First 5 ingredientsChicken, Pork liver, Flaxseed, Corn, Chicken liver flavor
TypePea-free, With Grain
Best forAll breeds size
Texture:Pate
Life stageAdult
QuantityPack of 12
FormWet

Highlights: A vet-directed option for dogs with weight, digestive, or urinary needs.

5. Merrick Grain-free Wet Dog Food – Grain-free Option

Reasons to Buy

  • Deboned beef is the first ingredient
  • Chunks in gravy
  • Easy-pull tabs

Reasons to Avoid

  • Pricey
  • Grain-free (see the note on DCM below)

Product Description:

Merrick Cowboy Cookout is a grain-free canned food with deboned beef as the main protein. Check the label for its guaranteed analysis.

Features:

  • No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
  • Cans with easy-pull tabs.
  • Deboned beef is the first ingredient.
  • Contains apples, carrots, and green beans.

Company review:

Merrick makes grain-free and grain-inclusive dog foods, including many canned recipes.

About the product:

This Merrick recipe has a chunky texture in gravy that many dogs enjoy. You can add it to dry food as a topper.

Grain-free doesn't mean easier to digest, and most dogs digest grains well. Choose grain-free only if your vet recommends it for your dog.

Specifications:

First 5 ingredientsBeef broth, Beef liver, Deboned beef, Carrots, Chicken broth
TypeGrain-free
Best forAdults only (Not for puppies)
Texture:Chunks in gravy
Life stageMaintenance
QuantityPack of 12
FormWet

Highlights: A tasty beef topper for adult dogs.

6. Canidae All Life Stage Wet Dog Food – Best for value

Reasons to Buy

  • Chicken is the first named meat
  • Includes whole grains
  • Suitable for multi-dog households

Reasons to Avoid

  • Dented cans reported by some buyers
  • Some dogs dislike the flavor

Product description:

Canidae All Life Stages is a grain-inclusive canned food made with chicken. Check the label for its guaranteed analysis.

Features:

  • No wheat, soy, or corn.
  • Contains whole grains such as brown rice and barley.
  • Formulated with probiotics.

Company review:

Canidae makes dog foods with proteins such as chicken, turkey, lamb, and fish, including grain-inclusive recipes.

About the product:

Canidae All Life Stages is made with chicken and whole grains. It's a grain-inclusive option for owners who prefer to avoid grain-free diets.

"All life stages" foods must meet nutrient levels for growth. For a Great Dane puppy, check that the label specifically includes growth of large-size dogs before feeding it as the main diet.

Specifications:

First 5 ingredientsChicken broth, Dried egg product, Chicken, Brown rice, Chicken liver
TypeGrain-inclusive (Brown rice, Barley)
Best forCheck label for large-breed growth
Texture:Finely chopped pate
Life stageAll life stages
QuantityPack of 12
FormWet

Highlights: A grain-inclusive canned food for households that feed several dogs.

A Note on Grain-Free Diets and DCM

The FDA has investigated reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious heart disease, in dogs eating certain diets. In its DCM investigation, about 91% of reported diets were labeled grain-free and about 93% contained peas and/or lentils.

The FDA has not shown that these diets cause DCM, and research continues. Great Danes are also one of the breeds with a known genetic tendency toward DCM.

If you are considering a grain-free food for your Great Dane, talk to your veterinarian first. Contact your vet promptly if your dog shows low energy, coughing, trouble breathing, or collapse.

Comparison of Blue Buffalo and Taste of the Wild

Blue Buffalo

  • Well-known brand with many wet and dry recipes.
  • Markets real meat as the first ingredient.
  • Offers both grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes.
  • Usually priced in the mid range.

Taste of the Wild

  • Built around proteins such as bison, venison, salmon, and duck.
  • Makes food for dogs and cats.
  • Many recipes are grain-free.
  • Can be pricey to feed a giant dog.

How to choose Wet Dog Food for Great Dane

The best wet food for your Great Dane depends on its age, activity level, health, and calorie needs. Here is what to look at.

Life Stage Statement

This is the most important part of the label. Look for an AAFCO statement that the food is "complete and balanced" for your dog's life stage.

For a Great Dane puppy, the food should be complete and balanced for growth, including large-size dogs. Giant-breed puppies need controlled calcium and calories to grow at a steady pace.

Calories and Activity Level

Calorie needs vary a lot between Great Danes. A young, active Dane needs more than a couch-loving senior.

There is no single daily calorie number that fits every Dane. Use the label's feeding guide as a starting point, then adjust to keep your dog lean, and ask your vet for a target weight.

Growth

Great Danes grow for well over a year. Puppies should grow steadily, not as fast as possible, because rapid growth raises the risk of bone and joint problems.

Senior Danes don't automatically need less protein. Many older dogs need high-quality protein to keep their muscle, so ask your vet what suits your dog.

Brand

The WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee suggests asking pet food companies whether they employ a qualified nutritionist, who formulates their diets, and what quality control they use.

Guaranteed Analysis

The guaranteed analysis lists minimum protein and fat and maximum fiber and moisture. Because wet food is mostly water, you can't compare these numbers directly with dry food without converting to a dry matter basis.

Ingredients

Ingredients are listed by weight. If your Great Dane has a diagnosed food allergy, read the full list to avoid the trigger ingredient.

Customer ratings

Reviews can tell you whether dogs like the taste or whether cans arrive dented. They can't tell you whether a food is nutritionally complete, so use the label and your vet for that.

What are some general things to see in Great Dane food?

  • A "complete and balanced" AAFCO statement for your dog's life stage.
  • For puppies, a statement that includes growth of large-size dogs.
  • A maker that employs a qualified nutritionist and does quality control.
  • A calorie count you can use to keep your Dane lean.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it OK to mix wet and dry dog food?

Yes, you can mix wet and dry dog food, which many dogs find more appealing. Reduce the amount of each so the total calories stay right, and make sure both are complete foods for the same life stage. Also check out our Best Dry Dog Food.

How long can wet food remain in the bowl?

Not long. Pick up and throw out uneaten wet food after the meal rather than leaving it out for hours, and wash the bowl.

How long does wet dog food last if it's not opened?

Unopened cans last a long time. Check the "best by" date on the can or package, and don't use cans that are swollen, leaking, or badly dented.

How long does canned food last once it's open?

The FDA advises promptly refrigerating or throwing out unused canned pet food. Cover it tightly and keep your fridge at 40°F or below. Follow the storage time on the label, and when in doubt, throw it out.

How much wet food should I feed my dog?

It depends on your dog's size, age, and activity level, and on the calories in the food. Start with the feeding guide on the label, then adjust to keep your Great Dane at a healthy weight. Your vet can help you set the right amount.

Final words

Finding the right diet for your Great Dane takes some homework. Start with a complete and balanced food for your dog's life stage, keep your Dane lean, and ask your vet before making big changes.

Check out these guides:

Sources

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