The Best Soft Dog Foods: Ranked and Reviewed

When compared with traditional dry dog food, soft, wet dog food usually contains more protein, fewer carbs, and no potentially carcinogenic preservatives. Plus, soft dog food is much easier to chew —especially for senior dogs and those with dental problems. Soft dog food is also a great choice for puppies and small dogs that are more prone to choking hazards as well. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best soft dog food brands you can purchase for your dog.

A-Z-Animals Top Picks For Soft Dog Food

#1 Best Overall: Castor & Pollux Organix Free Range Chicken and Vegetable

We chose Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Organic Chicken & Vegetable Recipe Adult Canned Dog Food as our #1 Best Overall soft dog food because it’s made from the cleanest ingredients. The very first ingredient in this brand is organic, free-range chicken, which is important, as this means it is the most prevalent ingredient in dog food. The rest of the food consists of high-quality superfoods, including flaxseed, blueberries, and coconut flour, that are sure to help boost your dog’s nutrition levels. This brand is also grain-free, which is great for dogs that have a sensitive stomach or an allergy to grain ingredients. This brand is also free from chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, artificial preservatives, added growth hormones, and antibiotics.

It is important that any dog food you ultimately choose for your dog does not contain unnecessary ingredients that may be harmful to your dog’s health over time. Some ingredients, like sulphite preservatives, can even cause your dog to become deficient in certain nutrients like thiamine (vitamin B1). Thiamine deficiencies can cause neurological damage and if prolonged can become fatal.

The fewer artificial flavors and preservatives that your dog’s food ingests the better. Removing these harmful additives from your dog’s diet can help improve their overall health and wellbeing as well as potentially improve symptoms associated with digestive issues. Many people have found that removing grains from their diets helped relieve their digestive issues. Many veterinarians recommend removing grains from dogs’ diets to help improve digestion as well, though the peas, other legumes, and potatoes in many grain-free diets have been linked to canine heart disease (DCM).

This recipe includes peas and potatoes.

A few reviewers reported that their dogs experienced digestive issues, including diarrhea and vomiting, after eating this food.

Pros and Cons of Castor & Pollux Organix Free Range Chicken and Vegetable

Best Overall

Castor & Pollux Organix Grain-Free Organic Chicken & Vegetable Recipe Adult

• The first ingredient in this recipe is organic, free-range chicken
• The grain-free formula is perfect for dogs with sensitive stomachs or grain allergies or sensitivities
• Free from synthetic fertilizers, artificial flavors, or preservatives
• The recipe includes high-quality superfoods selected to boost your dog's nutrition levels
• Does not include unnecessary ingredients with the potential to damage your dog's health over time

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2. Best for Seniors: Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Senior Wet Dog Food Chicken

If your dog is getting up in years, we recommend feeding them Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Senior Wet Dog Food Chicken. This brand features soft, wet dog food in a pâté style that is a great source of high-quality protein made from real chicken. This is important for maintaining your dog’s healthy muscle mass and keeping energy levels up even with age.

This soft dog food can be served on its own or mixed into your dog’s favorite dry food to add an extra boost of hydration and make the food easier to consume. Blue Buffalo does not contain any by-product meals, corn, or wheat. These are commonly used additives and thickening agents that can be found in many commercial dog food brands as a way to “bulk up” the final product and they offer no additional health benefits to your dog.

There are also no artificial flavors or preservatives in this soft food, which is much better for your dog’s health. In the long run, those extra unnecessary ingredients can cause your dog to develop health issues and in some cases, can even lead to the development of certain cancers.

A couple of reviewers said that their dogs didn’t like this recipe. Some reviewers reported that their dogs got diarrhea after eating this food.

Pros and Cons of Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Senior Wet Dog Food Chicken

Best for Seniors

Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Senior Chicken Dinner

• Contains healthy ingredients like fish oil, carrots, flaxseed, potatoes, chicken liver
• Help promote healthy skin, coat, and the entire immune system
• Doesn’t contain wheat, corn, soy, artificial flavors, by-products, or preservatives
• Contains glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health and mobility

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3. Limited Ingredients Brand: Wellness Thick and Chunky Chicken Stew

Wellness Thick and Chunky Chicken Stew starts with real chicken for the protein your adult dog needs to build and maintain healthy muscles. This grain-free recipe includes peas and carrots, which are rich in antioxidants, in a thick, homestyle stew in gravy. It’s also packed with omega fatty acids from salmon oil to support your dog’s healthy skin and glowing coat.

Incorporating more antioxidant-rich vegetables into your dog’s diet can have many profound health benefits. Antioxidants are compounds like vitamins and minerals, that protect the body against cellular damage. Cellular damage can be caused by a variety of things but is usually a result of free radicals.

This recipe is free from poultry by-products, wheat, wheat gluten, soy, corn, artificial colors, and preservatives. It’s made in Canada from globally sourced, non-GMO ingredients.

A few reviewers said that their dogs didn’t like this food. A handful of others reported that their dogs developed diarrhea or vomiting after eating this recipe.

Pros and Cons of Wellness Thick and Chunky Chicken Stew

Limited Ingredients Brand

Wellness Thick & Chunky Natural Grain Free Canned Dog Food, Chicken Stew

• Made with limited ingredients, which is ideal for dogs with multiple ingredient sensitivities
• Features clean, healthy ingredients
• All-natural, grain-free
• Includes chunks of high-quality chicken, an excellent source of protein
• The formula also includes vegetables for antioxidants that will help maintain your dog's immune system health

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4. Most Convenient: CESAR WHOLESOME BOWLS Adult Soft Wet Dog Food Chicken, Carrots, Barley & Green Beans Recipe

CESAR WHOLESOME BOWLS Adult Soft Wet Dog Food Chicken, Carrots, Barley & Green Beans Recipe is the most convenient ready-to-serve dog food available. This soft food comes in an easy-peel container that keeps the meal fresh and allows you to take it with you on the go. This is perfect for a day out and about with your dog or when you plan to be away from home for a while and it’s close to your dog’s meal time.

Even though this brand is best for convenience, it doesn’t skimp on healthiness. This soft food is made with real chicken as its first ingredient, along with fresh, wholesome vegetables to provide your dog with important nutrients. It contains no artificial colors, flavors, or fillers, and is a 100% complete and balanced dog food. You can add it on top of your dog’s regular food for added moisture, or serve it on its own as a snack. Either way, your dog is sure to love the flavor.

It is important that dogs get plenty of vitamins and minerals from their food. They may not need as much fiber as we do, but it’s still important that they have enough in their diet, as it’s crucial for them too. The fresh vegetables that are packed within the Cesar Wholesome Bowls will provide your dog with some of the fiber they need to keep their digestive system functioning at its best.

Several reviewers said that their dogs didn’t like this ready-to-serve meal.

Pros and Cons of CESAR WHOLESOME BOWLS Adult Soft Wet Dog Food Chicken, Carrots, Barley & Green Beans Recipe

Most Convenient

Cesar Wholesome Bowls Chicken, Carrots, Barley & Green Beans Recipe

• Comes in ready-to-serve, easy-peel containers
• Perfect for traveling
• The first ingredient is real chicken
• Includes fresh, nutritious vegetables
• Does not include artificial colors, flavors, or fillers

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Choosing the Best Soft Dog Food: What to Look For

When choosing the best soft dog food, there are a few things you want to look out for: quality, convenience, and ingredients. Making sure that you choose soft dog food based on these factors will help ensure that you pick the best option when it comes to healthy soft food for your dog. Having good quality food will help keep it healthy and ensure that it enjoys the best possible quality of life.

Quality

You’ll want to choose soft dog food that is made from quality ingredients so that you know that your dog’s food will be healthy. You don’t want to have low-quality chicken by-products and other fillers on the ingredients list in your dog’s food. These things will only lower the quality of the food and could contribute to health issues later down the line for your dog.

Convenience

Soft dog food should be easy and simple to feed to your dog. Most will come in cans that have a pull tab and can be opened easily and quickly. The most convenient soft food brand will come in an easy-peel container that keeps the dog food fresh but allows it to be easily taken with you on the go.

Ingredients

Similar to the first point, you want to check the specific ingredients in the dog food and stick with things that are complete, whole foods, and not overly processed. Artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives are unnecessary dog food ingredients and should be avoided when at all possible.

Different Types of Dog Food: Pros and Cons Compared

There are a couple of different types of dog food that you can feed your dog and they each have their own pros and cons. This comparison should help you decide what type is best for your dog if you’re considering whether or not to purchase a soft dog food brand.

Soft

Soft dog food is made with fresh, wet ingredients that are easy for your dog to chew and digest. This type of dog food is best for puppies, small dogs, senior dogs, or any dog that has digestion issues. Soft dog food contains much more moisture than traditional dry dog food and is, therefore, easier to digest. It is also more hydrating. Dry dog food can actually cause your dog to become more dehydrated which can be dangerous when the weather is warm. It requires a lot more water for your dog to stay hydrated if he’s eating dry dog food, and his digestion may not be as well.

Dry

Dry dog food is a very common form of dog food and has its own conveniences as well as its drawbacks. Dry dog food is a convenient form of dog food that offers a complete, balanced source of nutrition just like soft dog food. Dry dog food, however, can be too hard for some dogs to chew and can pose choking risks if eaten too quickly. It is also very dehydrating and will require your dog to drink more water in order to stay properly hydrated. These dry dog food brands can also contain a lot of unnecessary ingredients that could be harmful to your dog long-term.

Now, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each of these types:

Soft

Dry

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