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Large and giant breed dogs eat a lot of food. So most of the time pet owners stick with dry dog food rather than feeding them canned food to save money. However, canned food can add nutritional value, give them extra energy, and be a special treat. So it’s great to consider adding canned dog food to your large dog’s feeding routine.
What To Look For In A Large Breed Canned Dog Food
Large and giant breeds are dogs that weigh over 55 pounds, so they have some pretty big nutritional challenges. Large breed dogs need a lot of protein so look for a canned food with a 5.5% protein level or higher. Large breeds also have high risk for bone disease and issues like hip dysplasia, so you want to make sure that your canned food has a high calcium level of 1.5% or higher. Large dog breeds are also at risk for a serious digestive issue call gastric dilatation and volvulus (GBV) and bloat. GBV causes severe gas problems in the intestinal tract and is the number cause of death for large breed dogs. So it is important that you follow the feeding instructions of canned foods and are careful to not overfeed your dog.
Top Seven Large Breed Canned Dog Foods
There are many varieties of canned dog food specifically for large breeds. The following is a list of our seven favorite brands:
Natural Balance Ultra Premium Wet Dog Food
Natural Balance Ultra Premium canned dog food comes in beef, chicken, lamb, liver, and vegetarian flavors. It is an all stages food that can be feed at any life stage of your dog. It has a crude protein level of 9% and is made without any animal byproducts. Natural Balance Ultra Premium is easily digestible and contains a high level of fiber from a variety of whole grains and vegetables. The carbohydrates sources are also easily digestible. Natural Balance is also fortified with calcium to support bone health.
Wellness Complete Health Wet Dog Food
Wellness Complete Health Wet Dog Food is formulated with sweet potatoes and comes in a variety of wholesome meat flavors like chicken, lamb, whitefish, turkey, duck, and venison. It has an 8% crude protein level and loaded with vitamins and minerals. It is also loaded with omega-3 fatty acids to support the skin and coat. This is a great option that is easy to digest for most dogs. It covers all of the essential nutrients that are especially important for large breed dogs
Taste Of The Wild Canine Formula Stew
Taste of the Wild Canine Formula Stew is a dog food line formulated with wild game meats. These meats are great for large breeds because they are what they would eat in the wild. The flavors include Southwest Canyon made with wild boar, Sierra Mountain made with lamb, Wetlands made with duck, quail, and turkey, Pacific Stream made with salmon, and High Prairie made with bison and venison. Taste of the Wild Canine Formula Stews are power packed with 7-8.5% crude protein. They are also fortified with calcium to support your large breed’s bone health. They contain natural, wild ingredients so they are very easy to digest.
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Large Breed
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe comes in regular and grain-free. It was specially formulated to meet the needs of large and giant breed dogs and is made with deboned chicken so it has an incredibly high crude protein rating at 10%. Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe also contains glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support and calcium and the amino acid L-carnitine to build lean muscle. Further, it is made without animal byproducts, fillers, or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, so it is easily digestible.
Canidae Grain-Free Pure
Canidae Grain-Free Pure is a meat-first blended wet food that has a 10% crude protein rating. It comes in a variety of flavors including Elements made with lamb, turkey, and chicken, Sea made with salmon and mackerel, Land made with lamb, and Sky made with duck and turkey. Canidae Grain-Free Pure is a limited ingredient wet food that is great for dogs with digestion issues. It is also fortified with necessary minerals including calcium for bone health. Canidae Grain-Free Pure is also rated as being a favorite in taste tests, so it’s great if your large dog is also a picky eater.
Wild Calling Canned Dog Food (discontinued)
Wild Calling is a limited ingredient wet dog food that is 96% meat with a crude protein of 9%. It comes in a large variety of meat flavors including duck, chicken, pork, beef, lamb, salmon, rabbit, buffalo, turkey, duck, triple delight made with salmon, lamb, and chicken, and even alligator. Wild Calling is also fortified with vitamins and nutrients, including calcium for bone health. Wild Calling is a great food for a large breed dog because it is so close to their wild diet.
Merrick Backcountry Canned Dog Food
Merrick Backcountry is an all life stages, high-quality canned dog food. It comes in both stewed and meat in gravy varieties in chicken, venison, salmon, beef, and rabbit flavors. Merrick uses deboned meat, meat broth, peas, and organ meats to deliver a high protein level of 8%. Merrick Backcountry is also fortified with essential vitamins and nutrients including calcium for bone health and a high level of b vitamins for metabolic support. Merrick Backcountry is great for all large and giant breeds.
Large and giant dog breeds can benefit from canned foods, especially the great varieties of high-protein, meaty brands listed here. Though owners often overlook wet dog foods in favor of less expensive kibbles, a mix of both types of food will give your dog the nutrition and tasty flavors they deserve.
