Best wet dog food for senior dogs: what to look for

The best wet food for a senior dog is a canned or pouched food that is labeled complete and balanced, that your dog eats willingly, and that keeps them lean and well-muscled. There is no single best can. The right one depends on your dog's weight, teeth, appetite and any condition the vet is treating.

This article does not name or rank brands. It covers when wet food suits an older dog, what to read on the label, and how to work out how much to feed.

When wet food suits an older dog

Wet food is roughly three-quarters water, where kibble is about a tenth. It is also softer and smells stronger. Those three things are why vets often suggest it for older dogs in these situations:

• Worn, loose or missing teeth. A soft food takes little chewing. If your dog has started dropping food or chewing on one side, have the mouth checked as well as changing the food. See dental care for senior pets.
• A weak appetite. Smell fades with age, and smell drives appetite. Wet food, especially slightly warmed, is easier to notice and easier to start eating.
• Low water intake. A dog eating wet food takes in a lot of water with each meal. That helps dogs who do not drink much and dogs prone to constipation.
• Kidney or urinary concerns. Extra water in the diet is generally helpful. An ordinary senior wet food is not a kidney diet, though. If your dog has been diagnosed, see what to feed a dog with kidney disease.

Wet food costs more per calorie and spoils once opened. If dry food is still working for your dog, there is no need to switch. Our guide to dry food for senior dogs covers that side.

What to check on the can

The word "senior" on the front is the maker's own description. There is no separate official nutrient standard for senior dog food in the United States, so two senior cans can be quite different from each other. More on that in our guide to choosing a senior dog food.

Why the protein number on a can looks low

Label percentages include the water. A canned food showing 8% protein and 78% moisture is about 36% protein once the water is taken out. A kibble showing 26% protein and 10% moisture is about 29%. So the can that looks far lower in protein is actually higher.

The point is that you cannot compare a can with a bag by reading the two labels side by side. Ask your vet to compare two foods for you.

Texture

Smooth pate and loaf styles are the easiest for a dog with few teeth or a sore mouth, and they mash well into kibble. Stews and chunks in gravy tempt some picky dogs, though a few lick off the gravy and leave the rest.

How much canned food to feed a senior dog

This site does not give feeding amounts by body weight, in the same way it does not give doses. A single number would be wrong for most dogs. One can may hold far more calories than another the same size, and two dogs of the same weight can need very different amounts depending on age, activity and health. Your vet sets the daily amount for your dog.

What you can do at home is work from the label and then adjust:

1. Find the feeding guide on the can. It lists cans per day for a range of body weights, for that food only.
2. Use your dog's healthy target weight, not their current weight, if they are over or under. Ask your vet what that target is.
3. Treat the label amount as a starting point. Feeding guides are written for an average adult dog, and many older dogs are less active and need less. A thin or frail senior may need more.
4. Split the day's amount into two or more meals.
5. Weigh your dog every couple of weeks and check that you can feel the ribs under a thin covering. If weight is creeping up or down, tell your vet and adjust.

So for a question such as how much canned food to feed a 40 pound senior dog, the honest answer is that it depends on the can. Read that food's guide for a dog of that weight and confirm the figure with your vet. If your vet gives you a daily calorie target, the sum is simple: daily calories divided by calories per can.

Extra weight is the most common feeding problem in older dogs. See weight management for senior pets for how to judge body condition.

How to mix wet food with kibble

Mixing is fine for most dogs, and it is a good way to get the benefits of wet food at a lower cost. If your dog is on a prescription diet, ask your vet before mixing anything into it. The rule is to swap, not add. If you put wet food on top of a full ration of kibble, your dog is getting more calories than before.

• Add up calories from both foods. Both labels state them: per can for the wet, per cup for the dry.
• Take out the kibble calories that the wet food replaces. Some cans print a mixing guide that does this for you.
• Make sure both foods are complete and balanced. If the wet food is a topper for supplemental feeding only, keep it to a small share of the bowl.
• Introduce the wet food over a week or so, a little more each day, to avoid loose stools.

Best wet food for a senior Chihuahua or other small dog

Small dogs are the group most often moved to wet food in old age, mostly because of their teeth. Crowded mouths, tartar and tooth loss are very common in Chihuahuas and other toy breeds. A few things matter more at this size:

• Portions are tiny. A spoonful too much at each meal is a large overfeed for a very small dog. Weighing the food on a kitchen scale is more accurate than judging by eye.
• Small cans or trays. A large can may spoil before a toy dog finishes it. Smaller packs cost more but waste less.
• Heart disease is common. Many older small dogs have a heart murmur. If yours does, ask the vet whether sodium in the food matters yet. See mitral valve disease in dogs.

Storing and serving wet food

• Cover an opened can and keep it in the fridge. Use it within a few days, or sooner if the label says so.
• Pick up wet food your dog has not eaten within an hour or two, sooner in a warm room.
• Many dogs dislike food straight from the fridge. Let it come to room temperature or warm it slightly, stir well and check that there are no hot spots.

What to avoid

• Choosing a food for a medical condition yourself. Kidney, heart, pancreatitis and diabetes diets are chosen by the vet from test results. A senior label does not do the same job.
• Human canned food. Stews, soups and gravies made for people are usually salty and often contain onion or garlic, which are toxic to dogs.
• Switching food to solve a lost appetite. An older dog who stops eating usually has a reason that needs finding. See why an old dog stops eating.

When to call the vet today

• Your dog has eaten nothing for more than 24 hours, or much less than normal for several days.
• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea, or blood in either.
• Dropping food, crying out while eating, pawing at the mouth, or a swollen face.
• Weight loss you can see or feel, even though your dog is eating.
• Drinking or urinating far more than usual.
• A swollen, tight belly, retching without bringing anything up, or collapse. Go to an emergency clinic at once.

This article is general educational information about wet food for older dogs, not veterinary or nutritional advice for your dog. It does not recommend any brand or product, and it intentionally gives no feeding amounts by weight. What your dog eats and how much should be decided with your veterinarian, especially if your dog has kidney, heart or dental disease, is losing weight or has stopped eating.