Tinned dog food
Tinned dog food carries far more moisture than dry kibble, which is part of why plenty of dogs find it more appealing, but it behaves differently once it is in your kitchen — a tin unopened keeps for a long time, an opened one does not, and storing and portioning it takes more thought than pouring from a bag.
Storage — before and after opening
An unopened tin has a long shelf life at room temperature, which is one of the genuine practical advantages of buying it in bulk — there is no need for refrigeration or careful stock rotation the way some fresher formats require. Once opened, though, it needs treating like any other perishable food.
Cover an opened tin and refrigerate it, and use up the remainder within a day or two rather than leaving it out at room temperature between meals. Handling a case of tins is also simply heavier and bulkier than the equivalent weight in dry food, which is worth knowing before ordering a large amount at once if storage space or lifting is a consideration.
Portioning and mess
Wet food is straightforward to measure precisely by weight per meal, which suits a dog on a specific calorie target, but it does not lend itself to free-feeding or topping up a bowl throughout the day the way dry food can. Bowls need washing more thoroughly and more often, since wet food dries onto a bowl in a way kibble does not.
It is generally messier to serve than dry food, and a dog who eats enthusiastically can end up with more of it around their face and paws than with a drier meal, which is simply part of feeding this format rather than a fault with any particular product.
Value, and where it fits
Tinned food usually costs more per calorie than dry food, largely because you are paying to transport and package a lot of water alongside the meat. That does not make it poor value on its own — many owners feed it specifically for the higher moisture content or because their dog simply prefers the texture, and judge the cost against that benefit rather than against dry food directly.
Mixing tinned and dry food is common and there is no rule against it, provided the combined feeding amount is adjusted so the dog is not simply getting extra calories on top of a full dry ration. Handling cases of tins ourselves, the ones that arrive dented or with a compromised seal are the ones that never make it to a shelf in the first place.
This format, in stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Lily's Kitchen Dog Lean Machine — 10 x 150g Trays
Sold as a case: 10 x 150g trays. Lily's Kitchen's lowest-calorie wet recipe for adult dogs, in a 150G foil
£16.89
Forthglade Complete Puppy Chicken with Liver Grain Free — 18 x 395g Trays
Sold as a case: 18 x 395g trays. A complete grain-free wet food for puppies, built on 71% chicken and 4% chicken liver
£35.89
Lily's Kitchen Lean Machine — 6 x 400g Tins
Sold as a case: 6 x 400g tins. Lily's Kitchen's lowest-calorie wet recipe for adult dogs, with turkey, squash and kale
£22.79
Lily's Kitchen Dog Great British Breakfast
Sold as a case: see the options. Complete venison and ham wet dog food offered in two pack sizes
From£16.89
Forthglade British Classics Chicken Family Lunch — 18 x 395g Trays
Sold as a case: 18 x 395g trays. Complete Forthglade wet dog food with 75% chicken in a 395G tray
£44.09
Harringtons Just 6 Salmon — 8 x 380g Trays
Sold as a case: 8 x 380g trays. Grain-free wet dog food built from six named ingredients, led by 70% salmon
£19.19
Lily's Kitchen Dog Recovery Recipe — 6 x 400g Tins
Sold as a case: 6 x 400g tins. Grain-free wet dog food with chicken, potato and banana, for adult dogs
£22.79
Forthglade Just 90% Multicase Grain Free 12 Pack (4xChicken, 4xlamb, 4xbeef)
Twelve trays of single-meat food, four each of chicken, lamb and beef, at 90% meat
£23.25
Aatu Dog 80 20 Chicken
A grain-free wet food with 80% chicken, sold as a complete meal or a topper
From£19.49
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Adult Wet Dog Food Turkey, Lamb & Chicken in Loaf 12 Pack
Grain-free wet dog food tins, a 12-tin multipack across three loaf flavours
£36.39
Forthglade Complete Grain Free Beef & Sweet Potato Adult — 18 x 395g Trays
Sold as a case: 18 x 395g trays. A grain-free complete tray with beef named at 75%, well above the usual named-meat share
£35.89
Champion Professional Adult Working Dog Beef & Chicken 12 Pack
Twelve 400g cans of complete meaty chunks in jelly for adult working dogs.
£11.99
Common questions
- How long does an opened tin of dog food last in the fridge?
- Use it within a day or two once opened, covered and refrigerated. Beyond that, the quality and safety of the food can no longer be relied on, so it is better to portion tins to match what your dog will finish within that window.
- Is tinned dog food better than dry food?
- Neither format is universally better — they suit different situations. Tinned food offers more moisture and is often more palatable, while dry food is easier to store, portion loosely and transport in bulk. Many owners choose based on their dog's preference and their own practical needs.
- Can I mix tinned and dry dog food?
- Yes, this is a common way to feed, provided you adjust the portions of each so your dog is not simply getting more total food than they need. There is no rule against combining formats as long as the overall amount stays appropriate.
- Why is tinned dog food more expensive per calorie than dry food?
- A large proportion of a tin's weight is water, and you are paying to package and transport that water alongside the meat and other ingredients. Dry food carries very little moisture by comparison, which generally makes it cheaper per calorie even when the ingredient quality is similar.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.