Ingredient file // Other
Filtered Water Sufficient For Processing
Plain water with a real job in the can
This is the water a canned or tub food needs so the batter mixes, fills and cooks safely in a sealed can. It adds no nutrients, but it adds water to the dog's day, and in small trials that diluted the urine.
- What it is
- Tap or well water, run through a filter and added so a wet food mixes, fills and cooks in the can.
- Made from
- Municipal or well water, then filtered
- Main job
- Moisture for mixing and canning
- Typical amount
- Enough to bring a can near 78% moisture
- Watch for
- Paying wet-food prices for mostly water
- Not the same as
- Broth or stock
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 1023 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
3 of the 3,068 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 1 brand. All wet dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 4. In the top five of 3 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
Who leans on it
100%
of the foods that list it are from Against the Grain. 1 brand use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Wet dog food starts as ground meat and dry ingredients. Water is added to reach the target moisture, then the sealed can is cooked under pressure until it is shelf stable.5,7,8,10
- 01 // Source Plant water supply Municipal or well water. FDA rules require any water touching animal food to be safe for its intended use.
- 02 // Process Filtered Run through a filter before use. The label does not say what kind of filter or what it removes.
- 03 // Process Mixed into batter In one canned diet study, water was added to bring the batter up to 78% moisture.
- 04 // Process Sealed and retorted Filled cans are heated to about 240 to 250°F under pressure to deal with Clostridium botulinum.
- 05 // Output Water in the can Part of the finished food. A canned dog food tested in one trial held about 75% moisture.
What is in it
Composition, as fed
78
% moisture
The general moisture cap in AAFCO-based state rules, or the ingredients' natural moisture if higher. Labeled stews, gravies and broths may run wetter.
The mineral rows are North American tap water, measured in mg per liter, which is about mg per kg. Groundwater ran higher in minerals than surface water. Water itself carries no protein, fat or calories.6
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Makes canning possible
Water brings the batter to its target moisture so it fills the can, and retorts circulate hot water to heat the sealed cans evenly.1,7,8
-
02
Sets the product type
Moisture shapes the format. The general cap is 78%, or the ingredients' natural moisture if higher, and foods labeled as stew, gravy, sauce or broth may go above it.2
-
03
Weight without calories
Water costs far less than meat and adds weight but no calories, so comparing a can with kibble only works on a dry matter basis.
How much Recipes add water to a set moisture target; one canned diet study added water until the batter reached 78% moisture.7
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Critics say
A can of wet food is mostly water
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Plain arithmetic. A tested canned dog food was 75.1% moisture, and the general cap is 78%, or the ingredients' natural moisture if higher. Under a quarter of that can carries the nutrients.2,10
-
Brands say
Wet food keeps dogs better hydrated
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Two 10-dog, 7-day crossovers funded by a fresh-food brand put canned food at 178% of calculated water needs, against 155% for fresh. Canned was never tested against kibble; in the other trial kibble-fed dogs met about 102%. No health gain was measured.10
-
Vets say
Extra moisture lowers the risk of bladder stones
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
In a 16-dog Waltham trial, raising diet moisture from 7% to 73% diluted the urine and cut calcium oxalate supersaturation in the 8 miniature schnauzers. That is a risk marker, not fewer stones, and it came from one manufacturer's lab.9
-
Brands say
Filtered water makes the food purer
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
No study compares filtered and unfiltered water in pet food. FDA already requires any water touching animal food to be safe for its intended use, and the label names no filter or what it removes.5
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
No, it has a jobAAFCO notes water is added to canned foods to allow for processing; one canned diet study added it until the batter hit 78% moisture. It adds no nutrition, so judge the food on its dry matter analysis.1,7
-
Q02
Why is water listed so high?
Weight orderIngredients are listed by weight, and water is heavy. In a food named for one meat, the meat comes first and water often second, ahead of vitamins and minerals.1,4
-
Q03
Does the water count in naming rules?
Mostly notA food called Beef Dog Food must be 95% beef not counting added water, and still 70% counting it. A 'with beef' claim needs 3% beef, again excluding processing water.1,3
-
Q04
Should I just add water to kibble?
Possibly, for urineIn one Waltham trial, adding water to dry food to reach 73% moisture diluted the urine of 8 miniature schnauzers. That is a urine marker, not a proven health gain. As general practice, pick up soaked food your dog leaves.9
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
On the shelf
Foods that list it
3 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Our read // On the bag
Ignore the water, compare on dry matter
Water near the top of a wet food list is normal and says nothing about quality. Judge the can by the meat named above it and the guaranteed analysis converted to dry matter. Over 78% moisture usually means a labeled stew, gravy or broth, so expect even less food per can.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Reading Labels
- 2 4 Tex. Admin. Code § 63.5 - Ingredients
- 3 ATCP 42.44(9), Wisconsin Administrative Code
- 4 A Consumer's Guide: Overview of Pet Food Labels
- 5 21 CFR § 507.20 - Plant and grounds
- 6 Comparison of the Mineral Content of Tap Water and Bottled Waters
- 7 Effects of container type and size on thermal processing characteristics and B-vitamin retention of canned cat food
- 8 Understanding retort processing: A review
- 9 Effect of dietary moisture and sodium content on urine composition and calcium oxalate relative supersaturation in healthy miniature schnauzers and labrador retrievers
- 10 Feeding fresh food and providing water ad libitum is clinically proven to exceed calculated daily water requirements and impact urine relative supersaturation in dogs