Both dogs and cats benefit from eating high-protein, high-moisture canned foods as part—or all!—of their diets.
Passing the taste test
We often suggest enticing picky pets with canned food because it’s usually a sure-fire way to make them happy. Dogs and cats are very smell-oriented, and wet foods usually have a rich aroma that they find hard to resist. Including wet food in a variety of forms and flavors can encourage picky animals to eat more and maintain proper nutrition.
Promoting dental health
You have likely heard someone say that canned food isn’t as good for teeth as kibble, but this is a common misconception. Because it has fewer carbohydrates, canned food is actually less likely to contribute to dental decay than kibble. Eating exclusively kibble leaves a residue of starch that can build up below the gum line, where it ferments into sugar and causes more plaque buildup than a low-carb, high-meat diet.
Canned food helps pets maintain healthy weight
While canned foods may seem more indulgent, they actually are great for helping your dog or cat with weight management. Diets high in calories from carbohydrates (starches and sugars) are the main cause of obesity in dogs and cats. Because canned food is low in carbs and high in filling protein, it can help an animal lose weight while still maintaining their lean muscle mass. The high moisture content in canned pet food also helps animals feel full faster.
Small dogs and wet foods
Canned foods can offer big benefits for petite pups. Small dogs in particular benefit from wet foods because they face some unique nutritional needs due to their body size:
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is common in small dogs. High-protein foods help them maintain steady blood sugar levels better than high-carbohydrate foods.
- Many small dogs have dental problems, and wet food is easier for them to chew.
- Small dogs are prone to dehydration, so high-moisture foods help keep them in the peak of health.
Moisture Matters (especially for cats)
Did you know cats are meant to “eat their water?” Our domestic cats originally evolved in the desert, and they are best adapted to get the majority of their water from their prey. Cats have a low thirst drive and are inefficient drinkers.
Through their diet, cats eating canned food will consume roughly twice the amount of water as cats who eat dry food and drink from a water bowl! Cats who eat mostly dry food tend to visit their water bowl frequently, a sign that they are dehydrated and need more moisture in their diet.
High-moisture diets can pay off big for improving long-term health. A diet consisting of 50% or more raw or canned food can help prevent serious health issues such as renal (kidney) failure, diabetes, and feline lower urinary tract disease. Both fresh and canned foods have a high moisture content: an average of 78% moisture, versus 10% for dry food.
Give your pets better access to nutrients
Quality canned foods offer both top nutrition and improved digestion of the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in them. It’s easier for their bodies to break down foods when those foods have a lot of moisture.
This makes canned food particularly helpful for:
- Puppies
- Kittens
- Elderly animals
- Animals recovering from sickness or injury
Animals in these categories need all the calories and nutrients they can get! This also means you’ll be feeding less and they’ll be getting more out of what they eat. More complete digestion also results in less waste—meaning smaller pick-ups in the yard or litter box!
Canned foods contain more animal protein
Though they are cuddly companions, our dogs and cats are decidedly carnivores, so they need a lot of protein from animal sources—meat, poultry, fish, and eggs. They do not thrive on plant proteins, which supply an incomplete spectrum of amino acids for their bodies.
But even though plant ingredients (like grains, legumes, and potatoes) are less useful to carnivores than animal ingredients, they are often used to a greater extent in dry kibble as a binder, thickener, or as an inexpensive source of calories. Canned food allows for the inclusion of high levels of animal protein without the need for starchy binders.
Tips and tricks for switching to canned food
If your pet takes a bit of time to adjust to new foods, you will want to make a slower transition. Our feline friends can be a little reluctant to switch from their “crunchy munchies.”
- Introduce canned food slowly, a little at a time, mixed in with or alongside the current food.
- Take away all food the night before and introduce new food to a hungry pet.
- For cats, add tuna water, or a pinch of shaved bonito flakes.
- Add the new food a teaspoon at a time to the old food.
- Warm up the food by adding a splash of warm water.
- A teaspoon of canned pumpkin can be helpful if there is any digestive upset when transitioning to new foods.
The bottom line
- Dogs and cats both benefit significantly from having high-moisture, high-protein foods included in their diets.
- Pets will see the greatest benefit if at least half of their diet is wet food.
- Cats are especially vulnerable to dehydration, so cat owners should include wet food as much as possible.
- High-quality, nutritionally balanced canned foods are available in all sorts of flavors, textures, and protein types to tempt even the pickiest animals!
If you’re not sure where to start with canned foods, talk to one of our Pet Care Specialists for recommendations.
References/Further Reading
Bernal, D. (2024, June 28). Wet Cat Food: More Than a Meal, a Key Ingredient for Feline Wellbeing. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
Brister, J. (2024). Nutrition For Your Cat. Veterinary Partner – VIN.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. (2017, October 16). Feeding Your Cat. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Grant, C., Williams, K., & Downing, R. (2024). Dry, Canned, or Semi-Moist: Food Choices for Dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals.
Haven, L., Bodkin, A. J., & Criswell, S. (2023). Histologic examination of canned cat food. Journal of Histotechnology, 1–13.
Hofve, J. (2023, August). Why Cats Need Canned Food. Little Big Cat.
Sires, R., Yamka, R., & Wakshlag, J. (2025). Feeding fresh food and providing water ad libitum is clinically proven to exceed calculated daily water requirements and impact urine relative supersaturation in dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 12, 1675990.