Canagan vs Lily's Kitchen Wet Dog Food — Grain-Free Cans Compared
If you're shopping for a genuinely natural, grain-free wet dog food in the UK, two British brands come up again and again: Canagan and Lily's Kitchen. Both make whole-ingredient, hypoallergenic cans with no fillers, no meat meal and no artificial additives — a world away from the cereal-bulked tins that fill supermarket shelves. But they're aimed at slightly different owners, and the right pick depends on what you value most: maximum meat content, or the ease of buying it.
The short version: Canagan is the meatier, marginally higher-rated can with added joint support, sold mainly through pet specialists. Lily's Kitchen is the convenient, B Corp-certified supermarket option that fussy dogs tend to love. This guide compares them head-to-head on meat content, ingredients, independent ratings, price and availability — informed by feeding our own dog, Milo, a 12-year-old Labrador/Lurcher rescue who's wheat-sensitive, alongside published data and independent All About Dog Food (AADF) ratings.
At a Glance
| Canagan | Lily's Kitchen | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Complete wet, 400g cans | Complete wet, 400g tins (paté/loaf) |
| Meat content | 65% freshly prepared meat | 60%+ freshly prepared meat |
| Grain-free | Yes — hypoallergenic | Yes — hypoallergenic |
| AADF rating | ~79% (Good) | ~75% (Good) |
| Price (400g) | ~£3.19–3.69 (cheaper in 6-packs) | ~£2.70–3.70 (supermarket multibuys) |
| Extras | Green-lipped mussel (joints), prebiotics | B Corp, botanical herbs |
| Availability | Pet specialists & online | Supermarkets, pet shops & online |
| Best for | Meatier bowls, joint support, kibble matching | Convenience, ethics, fussy eaters |
Meat Content & Ingredients
Both brands are built on the same principle: real, named meat first, then vegetables, botanicals and the vitamins and minerals needed to make a complete meal — no cereals, no "meat derivatives", no fillers. That's why both rate far above mainstream cans.
Canagan leads on meat. Its Free-Run Chicken can is 65% freshly prepared chicken, with sweet potato for slow-release energy, prebiotics (chicory, banana) for digestion, and — unusually for a wet food — green-lipped mussel as a natural source of glucosamine for joint support. The recipes deliberately mirror Canagan's popular kibble, which makes mixed feeding seamless. Its game recipes (venison, duck, wild boar) also suit dogs that need novel proteins.
Lily's Kitchen uses 60%+ freshly prepared meat with vegetables and a signature blend of botanical herbs, steam-cooked with no meat meal. It's a touch lower on meat than Canagan but still well above the supermarket norm, and the simple, clearly labelled recipes make it easy to feed sensitive dogs. Lily's Kitchen is also a certified B Corp, so the ethical credentials are genuine rather than marketing gloss.
Verdict: Canagan for the higher meat content and added joint support; Lily's Kitchen for clean, simple recipes with strong ethical backing.
Independent Ratings
On the independent All About Dog Food scale — the most trusted neutral rating in the UK — both foods score in the "Good" band, comfortably ahead of typical supermarket wet food. Canagan's adult wet tins rate around 79%, helped by their high named-meat percentage and clean ingredient list. Lily's Kitchen's grain-free wet recipes sit around 75%. The gap is modest and comes mostly from Canagan's higher meat content; both are naturally preserved, clearly labelled and certified nutritionally complete to FEDIAF standards.
Verdict: Canagan by a small margin on independent rating — but both are genuinely high-quality wet foods.
Cost & Availability
This is where the practical difference shows up. Canagan's 400g cans carry an RRP of roughly £3.19–£3.69 depending on recipe, dropping a little when you buy six-packs or subscribe. But it's mostly sold through pet specialists, independent shops and its own website — so feeding it usually means ordering online or a dedicated trip.
Lily's Kitchen's 400g grain-free tins are around £2.70–£3.70 each, and crucially they're stocked in most major UK supermarkets as well as pet shops, so you can add a few tins to a normal grocery shop and catch the regular multibuy offers. For most households that convenience — and the chance to buy on promotion — makes Lily's Kitchen the easier and often slightly cheaper everyday choice.
Verdict: Lily's Kitchen for convenience and everyday value; Canagan if you don't mind ordering and want more meat per can. Neither is a budget option — for the cheapest grain-free wet, see Wainwright's in our roundup below.
Palatability & Suitability
Both foods are highly palatable, and both are grain-free, hypoallergenic and free from wheat, dairy, soya and artificial additives — exactly what you want for a sensitive dog. Lily's Kitchen's softer paté/loaf texture is a long-standing hit with fussy eaters and older dogs who struggle with chunks. Canagan's chunkier, meatier texture appeals to dogs that like a heartier bowl, and its higher meat content and green-lipped mussel make it a strong pick for dogs needing joint support.
For our own Milo (12), who's wheat-sensitive, grain-free wet food from either brand works well — the moisture and aroma help a fading senior appetite. For a fuller breakdown of feeding older dogs, see our best senior dog food guide.
Verdict: Lily's Kitchen for the fussiest and softest-textured feeders; Canagan for meatier bowls and joint support.
Which Should You Choose?
There's no universal winner — both are genuinely good grain-free wet foods. It comes down to what you value:
- Choose Canagan if: you want the highest meat content, added green-lipped mussel for joints, or you already feed Canagan kibble and want a matching topper. It's the meatier, marginally higher-rated can.
- Choose Lily's Kitchen if: convenience and supermarket availability matter, you value its B Corp ethics, or your dog prefers a softer paté texture — it's the easy-to-buy everyday choice.
- On a budget? Both are premium. If price is the priority, a single-source value can like Wainwright's gives you grain-free wet for around £1.80 — see our full roundup.
- Still unsure? Buy a couple of cans of each and let your dog decide — palatability is individual, and both are safe, complete grain-free options.
For the wider field — including our top-rated tray pick Forthglade (82% AADF) and the best-value Wainwright's — see our full best grain-free wet dog food UK guide, where both Canagan and Lily's Kitchen rank among the best cans.
How to Switch
Whichever you choose, transition gradually over 7-10 days, mixing increasing amounts of the new food into the old. Wet food is richer and more moisture-dense than kibble, so a sudden switch can cause loose stools — slow down if you see any upset. As always, if your dog's appetite, weight or toileting changes noticeably and doesn't settle, book a vet check.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between Canagan and Lily's Kitchen wet food?
Meat content and how you buy them. Canagan's wet cans lead on protein — its Free-Run Chicken recipe is 65% freshly prepared meat and it adds green-lipped mussel for joint support, but you mostly buy it online or in pet specialists. Lily's Kitchen sits a little lower at 60%+ meat but wins on convenience: it's a B Corp brand stocked in most UK supermarkets, so you can grab a few tins on a normal shop. Both are British-made, grain-free, hypoallergenic and free from fillers and artificial additives.
Which has the higher AADF rating, Canagan or Lily's Kitchen?
Canagan edges it. Independent reviewer All About Dog Food rates Canagan's adult wet tins around 79% — a 'Good' score driven by its high meat content and clean ingredient list. Lily's Kitchen's grain-free wet recipes sit a little lower, around 75%, which is still well above mainstream supermarket cans. Both are clearly labelled, naturally preserved and certified nutritionally complete; the gap comes mostly from Canagan's higher named-meat percentage.
Is Canagan or Lily's Kitchen cheaper?
They're close. Canagan's 400g cans have an RRP of around £3.19–£3.69 depending on recipe (cheaper bought as a six-pack subscription). Lily's Kitchen's 400g grain-free tins are roughly £2.70–£3.70 each, and often discounted in supermarket multibuys. For everyday value Lily's Kitchen is usually a touch cheaper and easier to find on offer; Canagan costs a little more but gives you more meat and joint support per can. Neither is a budget food — for the cheapest grain-free wet, see Wainwright's in our full roundup.
Which is better for a sensitive or fussy dog?
Both are grain-free, hypoallergenic and free from wheat, dairy, soya and artificial additives, so both suit sensitive tummies far better than typical supermarket cans. For dogs reacting to common proteins, Canagan's named single-source recipes and Lily's Kitchen's simple ingredient lists both work well. For sheer palatability, Lily's Kitchen's softer paté-style loaf is a long-standing favourite with fussy eaters, while Canagan's chunkier texture and higher meat content tempt dogs who like a meatier bowl. Our own 12-year-old Lurcher Milo, who's wheat-sensitive, does well on grain-free wet food from either.
Can I use these as a topper or do they need to be a full meal?
Both work either way. Canagan and Lily's Kitchen wet cans are complete and balanced, so they can be fed as a standalone meal, but they're equally popular as a tasty topper over kibble to boost moisture and palatability. Canagan's wet range deliberately mirrors its kibble recipes, which makes mixed feeding especially easy if you already feed Canagan dry food.
Is Lily's Kitchen really easier to buy than Canagan?
Yes — that's one of Lily's Kitchen's biggest practical advantages. It's widely stocked in UK supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and others) as well as pet shops and online, so you can pick up tins on a normal grocery run. Canagan is mostly sold through pet specialists, independent shops and its own website, so it usually means ordering online or a dedicated trip. If you want genuinely natural wet food without changing how you shop, Lily's Kitchen wins on convenience.
Which should I choose, Canagan or Lily's Kitchen?
Choose Canagan if you want the higher meat content, added green-lipped mussel for joint support, and you already feed (or are happy to order) a premium pet-specialist brand — it's the meatier, slightly higher-rated can. Choose Lily's Kitchen if convenience and supermarket availability matter, you like its B Corp ethics, or you have a fussy dog who loves a softer paté texture. Both are genuinely good grain-free wet foods; the decision usually comes down to meat content versus how easily you can buy it.