Puppy feeding and growth
How much wet food should I give my puppy?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
The right amount of wet food depends on its calorie content compared with dry kibble, since wet food contains much more water, roughly 75 to 85 percent, so a similar weight of wet food provides fewer calories than the same weight of dry food. Always follow the specific product's feeding chart for the puppy's current weight.
Why weight alone is misleading for wet food
A 100 g serving of wet food might contain a third or less of the calories in 100 g of dry kibble, simply because so much of its weight is water. Comparing wet and dry portions by weight without adjusting for this difference is a common way owners accidentally underfeed or overfeed.
Feeding wet food alone versus mixed with kibble
If wet food is the puppy's sole diet, follow that specific product's feeding chart closely, since amounts needed are noticeably larger by weight than a dry food equivalent. If mixing wet and dry, reduce the dry portion to account for the calories the wet food adds, rather than simply adding wet food on top.
Practical serving tips
Wet food spoils faster once opened than dry kibble, so remove any uneaten portion after about 20 to 30 minutes rather than leaving it out, and refrigerate opened cans or pouches, warming gently to room temperature before the next serving if the puppy prefers it that way.
Key takeaways
- Wet food contains much more water than dry kibble, so it has fewer calories by weight.
- Follow the specific wet food product's feeding chart rather than matching dry food weight.
- Reduce the dry portion when mixing wet and dry food to avoid overfeeding.
- Remove uneaten wet food after 20 to 30 minutes since it spoils faster than dry kibble.