10 Best Wet Dog Foods for Weight Loss: 2024 Reviews & Top Picks
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When you’re dealing with a dog with weight issues, it can seem like there are a thousand companies throwing a million promises your way. With so much noise, it can be challenging to find what your dog needs.
You don’t want to cycle your dog through tons of food until you find what works, which is why we highlighted the best choices here. There are thorough reviews for each one so you can find what’s best for your pup. There’s also a comprehensive buyer’s guide to walk you through any questions that you might have while picking out weight-loss dog food
Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.
A Quick Look at Our Favorite Picks in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall
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Blue Buffalo Homestyle Healthy Weight |
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Check Price |
Budget Buy
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Evanger's Classic Weight Management |
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Check Price |
Premium Choice
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Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription |
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Click to Save 50% |
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Canidae All Life Stages Less Active |
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Check Price | |
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Hill's Prescription Diet w/d |
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Check Price |
The 10 Best Wet Dog Foods for Weight Loss
1. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight Dog Food — Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, carrots, and brown rice |
| Protein content: | 6.5% |
| Fat content: | 4% |
| Calories: | 354 kcal/can |
If you’re looking for the best overall wet dog food for weight loss, look no further than Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Healthy Weight Chicken Dinner. It’s an outstanding mix of price and quality, with Blue Buffalo only using high-quality ingredients in the recipe.
Even better, a prescription isn’t required for this formula, so all you need to do is put an order in! Blue Buffalo doesn’t use any by-product meals in its formulas, and the nutritional content matches most other weight-loss foods.
The calorie content is slightly higher than other weight-loss wet dog foods, but it’s still lower than traditional wet foods. It’s an easy way to transition your dog to a weight-loss formula without getting too extreme with it.
- Good mix of price and quality
- Only high-quality ingredients
- Doesn’t require a prescription
- No by-product meals
- Slightly high-calorie content for weight-loss food
2. Evanger’s Classics Weight Management Dog Food — Budget Buy
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken broth, brown rice, guar gum, and dried kelp |
| Protein content: | 7% |
| Fat content: | 4% |
| Calories: | 301 kcal/can |
If you’re on a tight budget but need to transition your dog to a weight loss or weight control recipe, Evanger’s Classic Recipes Weight Management is ideal. It’s a low-calorie recipe that you can get for a great price, and it doesn’t have any by-product meals. It also has a high protein content without the fat or calorie content also being high, which is a real win-win.
However, it is worth noting that this is a recipe that’s better suited for older or less active dogs, so once you get your pup’s weight problems under control, you’ll probably want to transition them off this dog food.
It also has a low fiber content, so your pup might not feel quite as full as if they were on a different recipe. Still, at this price point and with this quality, it’s easily the best wet dog food for weight loss for the money.
- Low-calorie content
- No by-product meals
- Affordably priced
- Great for senior dogs
- Low fiber content
- Not the best for young dogs
3. Ollie Fresh Dog Food Subscription (Lamb Recipe) — Premium Choice
| Main ingredients: | Lamb, cranberries, butternut squash, kale |
| Protein content: | 10% |
| Fat content: | 7% |
| Fibre: | 2% |
Fresh dog food dominates the pet nutrition market, and we think Ollie Fresh Lamb Dog Food is one of the best. All of Ollie’s dog food is 100% human-grade and full of other beneficial nutrients, but this recipe will work for dogs with most sensitivities.
Lamb is often a novel protein for many dogs, so it doesn’t trigger a protein allergy like beef or chicken. Plus, since it is lean and full of protein, it aids in weight loss with an easily digestible concoction of ingredients. This recipe is ultra-agreeable with cranberries, butternut squash, kale, and chickpeas as the base foundation.
Individually packaged and packed with pieces you can see, the Fresh Lamb recipe is aromatic and easy to serve. This recipe uses no fillers, artificial flavors, or otherwise irritating ingredients. These recipes obtain minimal processing and are created in USA-based facilities.
Ollie is a subscription-based service, meaning your dog gets every meal tailored especially for them. You receive your subscription at your door, eliminating store runs and prolonged delivery. We think you will be very happy with this dog food and the excellent company it comes from.
- 100% human-grade ingredients
- Subscription delivery
- Easily digestible
- Free of harsh ingredients
- Subscription only
4. Canidae All Life Stages Less Active Formula Food — Best for Puppies
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken broth, brown rice, chicken liver, and lamb |
| Protein content: | 6% |
| Fat content: | 4.5% |
| Calories: | 428 kcal/can |
While it’s more common for older dogs to deal with weight problems, it’s not impossible to run into weight problems with puppies. If that’s a problem that you’re dealing with, it can seem impossible to find a weight-control formula for them.
Fortunately, this Canidae Weight-Control Formula is perfect for all life stages, puppies included. It’s a multi-protein formula, but they’re high-quality proteins that most pups’ digestive tracts can easily handle.
This dog food is an outstanding mix of price and quality, but you do need to be careful with the high-calorie content. It’s excellent for puppies dealing with weight issues, but it’s a little high for adult dogs dealing with weight problems, though it’s still great for general weight management. It’s not the perfect weight-loss food for every dog, but for puppies, it’s hard to find a better choice.
- Great for all life stages
- Good protein options
- Good mix of price and quality
- Only high-quality ingredients
- High-calorie content per can
- Multi-protein formula
5. Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Brewers rice, whole-grain corn, chicken meal, pea protein, and egg product |
| Protein content: | 3.2% |
| Fat content: | 1.6% |
| Calories: | 201 kcal/can |
If you’re not worried about spending more money if your pup needs drastic weight loss, Hill’s Prescription Multi-Benefit Diet w/d might be what you need. It’s expensive, but it also has low calorie and fat content, making it an excellent choice for weight loss.
Even better for your pup, it has a high fiber content, so they’ll feel full for longer after getting a meal. This formula doesn’t leave your dog feeling hungry after they eat, but they’ll still lose weight because of the low-calorie content.
However, due to the extreme cut in calories and fat, you’ll need to get a prescription from a vet to feed this to your dog. It also uses by-product meals, which aren’t the best alternatives, but it’s how Hill’s keeps the calorie content of this food so low, and if that’s what your dog needs, it can still be the best choice for them.
- Low-calorie count
- Prescription diet formula
- High fiber content
- Great for weight loss
- Has by-product meals
- Requires a prescription
- Expensive
6. Purina ONE SmartBlend Canned Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Lamb and chicken broth, liver, lamb, wheat gluten, and pork lungs |
| Protein content: | 10% |
| Fat content: | 3% |
| Calories: | 350 kcal/can |
If you’re looking for a great weight-loss dog food, why not go with the Purina ONE SmartBlend Tender Cuts in Gravy that might also surprise you with how affordable it is.
It’s one of the lowest-priced options on this list, but it’s a nutritionally complete formula with a high protein content. It has a low-fat content and calorie count to help with weight loss.
It’s also easy for your pup to digest. It’s a great choice that both your dog and budget will love, and it’s sure to help your dog shed a few unwanted pounds.
- High protein content
- Affordable
- Nutritionally complete formula
- Easy-to-digest formula
- Low fiber content
7. Blue Buffalo True Solutions Fit & Healthy Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Chicken, chicken broth, whitefish, potatoes, and chicken liver |
| Protein content: | 7.5% |
| Fat content: | 4% |
| Calories: | 336 kcal/can |
This Blue Buffalo True Solutions Fit & Healthy recipe is an excellent choice for weight loss and control. It’s the company’s “True Solutions Fit & Healthy Weight Control” recipe, and it aims to give your pup enough energy to stay active while losing weight.
It has a high protein percentage but low fat and calorie content. It’s an outstanding mix of price and quality, and only high-quality ingredients are in the formula. That means no by-product meals, artificial flavors, or preservatives.
The fiber content leaves a little to be desired, but it’s not terrible. It’ll leave your dog feeling full, and paired with the low-calorie content, it should help your pup lose weight without compromising their activity level. However, this is a multiple-protein formula. For most dogs, this isn’t an issue, but if they have food allergies, it can present a problem.
- Good mix of price and quality
- Only high-quality ingredients
- No artificial flavors or preservatives
- Decent fiber content
- Multi-protein formula
8. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets OM Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Water, chicken, liver, powdered cellulose, and rice |
| Protein content: | 7.5% |
| Fat content: | 1% |
| Calories: | 245 kcal/can |
When you think of veterinary prescription diets, you generally think of Science Diet and Royal Canin, but Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets OM has a prescription diet plan too. It’s more expensive compared to most other weight-loss wet dog foods, but compared to other prescription dog foods, it’s not as pricey.
It’s a great choice for weight loss with just 245 kcal per can of food, and the fat content is extremely low at just 1%. But quality or protein wasn’t compromised, as it has high-quality ingredients and a 7.5% protein content.
It’s an excellent formula for weight loss, but it’s not something that your dog should stay on for the long term due to the limited calorie content. Since it’s a prescription diet, your vet will walk you through everything that you need to know before you purchase it for your dog.
- High protein content
- Low fat and calorie content
- Only high-quality ingredients
- Great for weight loss
- Expensive
- Requires a prescription
9. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight
| Main ingredients: | Chicken broth, pork liver, carrots, green peas, and powdered cellulose |
| Protein content: | 4% |
| Fat content: | 1.5% |
| Calories: | 247 kcal/can |
When you think of Hill’s, there’s a good chance that you think of prescription dog food, but with Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight wet dog food, you do not need a prescription. It’s also available for a better price compared to most prescription foods. Moreover, it has low calorie and fat content to help your dog lose weight.
Only high-quality ingredients are used in the formula, ensuring that you’re feeding your dog food that’s good for them. However, the most notable drawback of this dog food is that it has a low protein content.
If you don’t have an active dog, that’s not a problem, but if you do, you might notice a dip in their energy levels. Finally, it does have multiple protein sources, which can be a problem with dogs that have food allergies and sensitivities.
- Great mix of price and quality
- Low calorie content
- Doesn’t require a prescription
- Low fat content
- High-quality ingredients
- Multiple protein sources
- Low protein content
10. Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Weight Management
| Main ingredients: | Water, chicken, meat by-products, chicken by-products, and brewers rice |
| Protein content: | 7% |
| Fat content: | 2% |
| Calories: | 280kcal/can |
Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Weight Management wet dog food might be just what you need if you’re on an extremely tight budget. It’s an affordable choice with low-calorie content that helps your dog lose weight. It also has a low-fat content and high protein content, which are great when it comes to your dog’s activity level and weight loss.
However, Pedigree made this food affordable by using low-quality ingredients, including multiple by-product meals. It also has low fiber content, so your pup likely won’t feel completely full between meals. If you can’t afford a better-quality dog food, it’s fine, but if you can, it’s better to go with a different option.
- Affordable
- Low-calorie content
- High protein content
- Low fat content
- Multiple by-product meals
- Low fiber content
- Not the highest quality ingredients
Buyer’s Guide – How to Choose the Best Wet Dog Food for Weight Loss
With so many great wet dog foods for weight loss out there, it’s only natural to have a few questions. This buyer’s guide will walk you through everything that you need to know to get the perfect wet dog food for your pup to help you get their weight under control.
Is Wet or Dry Food Better for Overweight Dogs?
If your dog is having problems with their weight, wet food has several distinct advantages over dry food. It contains the same amount of nutrients as dry dog food but takes up more space.
This means your pup can eat until they feel full without overeating, which is a big advantage when your dog is trying to lose weight. Wet dog food also tends to have lower carbohydrate numbers than dry foods, which helps prevent weight gain.
In short, if you have to pick between wet or dry dog food to help your dog lose weight, wet food is typically the way to go.
When to Take Your Dog to a Vet for Weight Gain Issues
While you don’t need to take your dog to a vet as soon as they become a little overweight, if you can’t get it under control after a few weeks or months and a dietary switch, it might be time to get professional advice.
Another reason to take your dog to a vet for weight gain is if the weight is sudden or rapid. This can be a sign of an underlying condition that you need to address. Furthermore, if there are any weird bulges, especially around their underside, this could be a sign of a parasitic infection.
But for most situations, you can try to get it under control yourself, and switching their diet to a wet dog food specifically for weight loss and control is a great place to start!
Important Factors in Dog Food for Weight Loss
When you’re looking at dog food for weight loss, there are three key numbers that you’ll want to look at. The first is the calorie content. When dogs are trying to lose weight, it’s all about cutting calories.
The second number that you want to look at is the fat content. Foods high in fat tend to lead to weight gain, so cutting the total fat is a great way to help push along weight loss.
Finally, you’ll want to look at the protein content in the food. Just because your dog is trying to lose weight, that doesn’t mean their food can’t or shouldn’t have high protein content. This is a big part of where your dog gets their energy, and when your dog is trying to lose weight, you want to keep them active. High protein content goes a long way in encouraging an active and healthy dog.
Conclusion
After reading all the reviews and buyer’s guide, all that’s left is for you to pick a dog food and order it! Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe is our top choice for its combination of price and value, while Evanger’s Classic Recipes weight management is great for those on a tight budget.
We hope our reviews have helped you find the best food for weight loss for your pooch.
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