4 Best Wet Dog Food For Huskies [Adult, Puppy & Senior]

Wet dog food can be a great option to entice a husky to eat because of how stubborn and picky they tend to be with their food, especially if they are bored of their regular dry food.

The best wet dog food for huskies needs to be high in protein and essential fatty acids while ideally not containing any filler ingredients and low amounts of grains. It also needs to be low in carbs and packed with high-quality animal protein sources.

In this guide, we’ll break down the best options for wet food for your husky, including for puppies and senior huskies as well. We’ll also look at what factors go into deciding between different wet foods and much more, so let’s get into it!

Quick note – Always consult with your veterinarian before implementing new food into your husky’s diet.

Our Top Pick

If you’re in a hurry, our top pick is the Purina Beyond Wild Prey-Inspired wet food.

It’s super high in protein, grain-free, and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

There really isn’t anything to complain about with this wet food, which is why it made the top of our list.

Understanding Wet Food Nutritional Values

A basic understanding of how nutritional values change between wet and dry dog food is important, especially when looking at the content of critical nutrients like protein.

Wet food may seem to have less protein when you look at the crude analysis, with most options in the 7 to 12% protein range, but the actual protein content is much higher.

This is because wet food contains much more water, so you need to compare the amounts on a dry matter basis. To figure out the dry matter basis, you take the stated protein amount, divide it by the total amount of dry matter, and multiply by 100.

TLDR: Wet food still contains a very high amount of protein, higher than what is stated on the can. For example, a 10% crude protein number would equate to 40% protein on a dry matter basis in a wet food that contains 75% water.

What To Look For In Wet Dog Food For Huskies

Let’s take a look at the factors that we took into consideration when choosing the best wet dog food for huskies.

Protein & High Quality Ingredients

Protein is the most important nutrient for your husky, and any wet dog food needs to contain lots of protein from high-quality animal sources.

By high-quality, we mean things like deboned chicken or whole mackerel rather than animal byproducts. The flavor of wet food is usually the protein source that makes up most of the protein content.

Protein supports your husky’s muscles and gives them energy for their daily exercise, so it’s crucial to prioritize it.

A Note On The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is an independent organization that guides international feed regulators with standards and much more.

The AAFCO lays out the minimum requirements for key nutrients in dog food, like protein and fats.

According to their guidelines, adult maintenance food needs at least 18% protein, and growth and reproduction (puppies or pregnant huskies) need at least 22.5% protein from their food. These are on a dry basis, which you need to remember when looking at our top picks, as we’ll list the protein content as a crude amount.

These guidelines are beneficial in terms of dog food manufacturers meeting the absolute minimum, but we are always looking for higher protein content than these recommended amounts.

Technically speaking, the AAFCO doesn’t ‘approve’ any dog foods. However, according to the FDA, dog food can only claim it is ‘complete and balanced if it meets the AAFCO’s minimum guidelines, so it is taken into account.

The AFFCO also lays out other nutritional standards, such as the ratio of calcium to phosphorus.

All the options in this list are very high in protein, much higher than the minimum guidelines, even for growth and reproduction.

Healthy Fats & Low Carbs

Other important nutrients to look at are the fat and carbohydrate content:

• Healthy fats are very beneficial for huskies, and the AAFCO recommends a minimum of 8.5% for reproducing or growing huskies and 5.5% for adult maintenance. These are usually added via fish oils or other natural fat sources.
• Contrary to many people’s assumptions, we want our husky’s wet food to be quite low in carbohydrates. Huskies, like all dogs, are adapted to a high-protein diet, and filler carbs like potatoes or grains are not beneficial for their health in high amounts.

Avoid Filler Ingredients

On the topic of filler ingredients, watch out for things like soy and corn. These filler ingredients offer little to no nutritional value for your husky and are used to bulk up wet food cheaply.

Huskies are prone to hypothyroidism, which can lead to unexpected weight gain without an increase in appetite, so every calorie counts.

Avoid Artificial Flavorings, Dyes, Or Preservatives

We also want to avoid any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

These are only added to improve the flavor or appearance of the food artificially, but if wet dog food already contains enough high-quality ingredients, there shouldn’t be any need for artificial additives.

FDA Research

The last thing to mention is some recent FDA research that found a link between dogs eating foods containing peas, lentils, other legumes, and potatoes and an increased risk of canine-dilated cardiomyopathy.

This is interesting because these types of foods are usually marketed as being grain-free, but it seems like the addition of these alternative ingredients could be linked to other health issues.

With this in mind, we should try to avoid wet foods where one of these ingredients makes up the bulk or is found within the top 3 ingredients by weight.

Top 4 Best Wet Dog Food For Huskies

It’s time to take a look at the four best options for wet dog food for huskies.

We’ve only included four because these cover every type of wet dog food you could need for your husky, from regular adult food to senior and puppy wet food; we’ve got every base covered.

1. Our Top Pick – Purina Beyond Wild Prey-Inspired Canned Dog Food

This wet dog food by Purina is our top pick for the best wet dog food for huskies for a few reasons:

• It’s very high in protein, 9.0% crude, and just under 41% on a dry basis, which is more than enough for all huskies.
• It’s free from grains and is made mainly from high-quality animal protein sources.
• It doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

The only problem we could find is that it contains chicken as one of the main ingredients without listing it in the flavor, so you need to be careful if your husky has a chicken allergy.

2. Protein Focus – Purina ONE SmartBlend True Instinct

We wanted to include a higher protein option on our list for those concerned about your husky’s protein intake, and this SmartBlend by Purina is a great option with 11% crude protein (55% dry basis).

It does contain small amounts of soy flour and wheat gluten, but the majority of the ingredients are still high-quality animal sources.

3. Senior Huskies – Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Senior Chicken Dinner

Senior huskies are less active, which means they don’t require as much protein as protein can cause loose stools in less active dogs.

They can still be fed wet dog food that states it is ‘suitable for all ages,’ but in our opinion, it is best to switch to a senior-specific brand.

An ideal senior wet dog food will have less protein and fewer overall calories, as senior huskies are less active, which helps them maintain their weight rather than becoming overweight.

It also helps if the food has added nutrients that support joint health, something that is very important for senior huskies who are at higher risk of hip problems like hip dysplasia.

With all that being said, our top pick for the best wet dog food for senior huskies is the Blue Buffalo Homestyle recipe wet food.

It’s lower in protein and calories than a lot of other options and contains added glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health, which is especially beneficial for older huskies.

4. Puppy Pick – Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Puppy Canned Wet Dog Food

Last but certainly not least is a great wet food option for husky puppies specifically.

This wet food by Pedigree is designed specifically with growing dogs in mind; it’s pretty high in calories and contains all the essential vitamins and minerals for growth.

It does contain grains in the form of dried yams, but only a minimal amount.

Pregnant huskies can also be fed this diet, but consult with your veterinarian for more information.

Benefits Of Wet Dog Food For Huskies

Wet dog food can be a great addition to your husky’s diet, but what specific benefits does it have? Let’s find out…

Flavor

Wet dog food definitely wins out in terms of flavor, thanks to the amount of moisture (mostly gravy) and animal protein sources it contains.

Huskies can sometimes be picky with their food, so having some wet food as a backup option is never a bad idea.

Hydration

Wet food is great for hydrating your husky, thanks to the high moisture content.

Obviously, your husky should always have a water source around, but it can be helpful to get extra moisture from their food, especially in hot weather.

Fewer Carbs

Wet dog foods tend to have fewer carbs than dry food, which is beneficial for huskies as they need a higher protein diet.

Is Wet Dog Food Better Than Dry?

As I mentioned before, I prefer to use wet food as a supplement to my husky’s diet, but it can also be used on its own.

There are certain pros of using each type though:

Pros Of Wet Food Over Dry Food For Huskies

Wet food contains a higher moisture content, which can be beneficial if your husky doesn’t drink enough water or requires more water in their diet from a medical issue like kidney disease.

Wet food is also more appetizing for your husky, so it can be ideal if your husky is a picky eater or has a reduced appetite due to old age. We all know how stubborn huskies can be, so don’t overlook this one!

Pros Of Dry Food Over Wet Food For Huskies

Dry food is better for dental health as it encourages chewing, which helps to reduce plaque. Note that it shouldn’t be used as a replacement for regular teeth brushing, and your husky’s oral health can also be supplemented with dental chews as well.

Dry food is much easier to work with, and it’s usually a cheaper option that stores for a longer period of time. It can also be added to slow feeders more easily, which can be helpful if your husky is prone to eating very quickly.

Click here for our rundown on the best dry dog foods for huskies.

How Much Should Your Husky Eat?

It’s always a good starting point to follow the recommended amount of dog food on the can and see how your husky’s weight responds to it.

You can find our complete husky feeding guide here for more details on adjusting the amount of food your husky eats.

Consider Exercise

Don’t be surprised if your husky needs more food than the recommended amount; they are an incredibly active breed.

Although huskies are designed to thrive on less food, they still have a higher caloric intake than other dog breeds that require much less exercise.

In Summary

Wet dog food is an excellent supplement to a husky’s diet, especially if they have trouble staying interested in their normal food.

You can opt to feed your husky entirely wet food as well, but some benefits of dry food make it easier to work with.

My advice is to experiment with some of the options above and see what your husky thinks; there’s no harm in trying them on wet food to see how they respond.

Header image Credit – Jiel Beaumadier, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons