Meal toppers are the cheapest fix in the store for a dog who sniffs his bowl and walks away. Right now the Go! Solutions Booster Digestive Health Chicken + Lamb Stew pouch is $1.79, down from $2.48 — 28% off. That's $0.69 back per 2.8 oz (79 g) pouch, or $8.28 if you grab a dozen. If you've been meaning to test a wet topper over kibble without committing to a full case of wet dog food, this is the low-risk entry point.
But "on sale" and "right for your dog" aren't the same sentence. Below we've laid out our picks, the numbers that decide whether a topper earns its shelf space, and the one mistake we watch people make almost weekly at the counter. Sale pricing rotates, so check the product page for today's price before you plan a case buy.
Our top picks at a glance
Four topper formats cover nearly every situation we see in the store: pouched stew, bone broth, goat's milk, and freeze-dried raw crumble. Each solves a different problem.
- Go! Solutions Booster Digestive Health Chicken + Lamb Stew (2.8 oz pouch) — For the picky eater with a sensitive stomach. Pumpkin- and probiotic-forward, single-serve, no fridge storage headaches. Currently $1.79 (reg. $2.48).
- Open Farm bone broth — For senior dogs and dogs who need more water in their day. Pour-over liquid, minimal calories, easy on a dog recovering appetite after a vet visit.
- The Honest Kitchen instant goat's milk — For dogs transitioning diets. Powdered, shelf-stable, and you control the dilution to the millilitre.
- Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried raw meal mixers — For dogs who need calorie density and a protein bump, not moisture. Best for underweight or hard-working dogs.
- Caru daily stews — For rotation feeders who want a second stew flavour so the novelty doesn't wear off.
How to choose a wet topper: the criteria that actually matter
A topper should stay under 10% of your dog's daily calories, match the protein family your dog already tolerates, and cost less per serving than switching their entire diet. Those three rules eliminate most bad purchases before you read a single ingredient panel.
1. Calories per pouch versus the 10% rule
The American Veterinary Medical Association and most clinical nutritionists use the same guardrail for treats and extras: no more than 10% of daily energy intake. A 30 lb moderately active dog eats roughly 750–800 kcal per day, so the topper ceiling is about 75–80 kcal. Stew-style pouches in the 2.8 oz format generally land well inside that — check the kcal-per-pouch figure printed near the guaranteed analysis and subtract it from the kibble you serve.
2. Protein and fat content on an as-fed versus dry-matter basis
Wet toppers look low in protein content on the label — often 4–6% crude protein as fed — because they're 80%+ moisture. Convert before you panic. Divide the protein figure by the dry matter (100 minus moisture) and a 5% protein / 85% moisture stew is roughly 33% protein on a dry-matter basis, comfortably above the 18% adult minimum in AAFCO nutrient profiles.
3. "Complete and balanced" or "intended for supplemental feeding only"
This one line decides how much you can pour. Toppers and boosters carry a supplemental-feeding statement, which means they are not formulated to meet AAFCO standards on their own. AAFCO's label modernization framework — phasing in toward 2028 — will make these statements easier to spot, but for now, read the small print on the back panel.
4. Fibre and functional ingredients for digestion
If loose stool is the reason you're shopping, look for pumpkin, chicory root (a prebiotic), and a guaranteed probiotic count. Fiber content on a stew panel usually shows as crude fibre max 1–2% as fed, which is more meaningful than it sounds once you account for moisture. Research indexed on NCBI/PubMed, including microbiome work published through 2024, keeps pointing to prebiotic fibre as the lever that makes probiotic supplementation stick.
5. Cost per serving, not cost per package
At $1.79 a pouch, a topper used once daily runs about $12.53 a week. Used as a half-pouch flavour boost for a small dog, it's roughly $6.27. Both are cheaper than replacing a 25 lb bag of kibble your dog has decided to boycott.
Pick 1: Go! Solutions Booster Digestive Health Chicken + Lamb Stew
This is the deal worth acting on. A 2.8 oz single-serve pouch of chicken-and-lamb stew built around digestive support, made by a Canadian company, at $1.79 instead of $2.48 — a 28% discount on a product most owners buy repeatedly.
What stands out is the format. Single-serve pouches mean no half-opened can rusting in the fridge and no guessing at portions; you either use a whole pouch or split it cleanly in two. The Digestive Health recipe leans on pumpkin plus added pre- and probiotics, and the shredded stew texture gives dogs something to chew rather than a smooth paste smeared over kibble.
Read the guaranteed analysis on the pouch you buy — Go! Solutions revises recipes periodically — but expect the as-fed protein content and fat content to sit in the low single digits with moisture above 80%, which is normal and correct for a stew. Because it carries a supplemental-feeding statement, treat it as a topper layered onto a complete diet rather than a meal.
Our team at Ashario Pets recommends this one most often for two dogs: the fussy small-breed adult who eats better when kibble smells like food, and the dog with an occasionally unsettled gut whose vet has already ruled out anything clinical. In our store we see owners buy two or three pouches to test, then come back for a case once their dog cleans the bowl for a full week.
Who should skip it: dogs on a strict poultry or lamb elimination protocol, and dogs already at a healthy weight ceiling where any added calories matter.
Pick 2: Bone broth and goat's milk — the low-calorie hydration play
Bone broth and instant goat's milk add moisture and palatability with very few calories, which makes them the better choice for dogs who need appetite encouragement without weight gain. Both pour over kibble in seconds.
Open Farm produces bone broth in Ontario, and The Honest Kitchen's instant goat's milk rehydrates from powder, so you mix only what you need. Pet owners tell us the powdered format wins for dogs who eat twice daily — you're not committing a whole carton to the fridge. For a 50 lb dog, 60–120 mL of broth over dinner is a sensible starting point; start lower and watch stool quality for three days before increasing.
| Feature | Go! Solutions Booster Stew Pouch | The Honest Kitchen Instant Goat's Milk |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Picky eaters needing digestive support | Diet transitions and hydration |
| Format | Ready-to-serve 2.8 oz (79 g) pouch | Powder you rehydrate to any volume |
| Protein source | Chicken and lamb | Dehydrated goat's milk |
| Calorie load | Low — still counts toward the 10% rule | Very low per serving |
| Price tier | $ | $$ |
| Available at Ashario | Shop wet dog food | Shop freeze-dried dog food |
Pick 3: Freeze-dried raw mixers when calories are the goal
Freeze-dried raw meal mixers are the opposite tool: high protein, calorie-dense, and nearly moisture-free. They suit underweight dogs, working dogs, and winter walkers rather than dogs on a diet.
Brands like Stella & Chewy's, Instinct Raw and Primal crumble over kibble dry or rehydrate with warm water. Because dry matter is around 95%, the protein figure on the panel reads high — frequently 40%+ — so portion by weight, not by scoop. A 30 g serving on a 30 lb dog is meaningful; two handfuls is not a plan. If your dog needs joint support alongside the calories, that's a separate conversation about glucosamine and omega-3 products in our dog health and wellness range, not something a topper solves.
The buying mistake we see most: stacking toppers on top of a full bowl
The single most common error is adding a topper without removing any kibble, then wondering why the dog gained 1–2 kg over a season. A topper is a substitution, not an addition. If the pouch adds 60 kcal, take 60 kcal of kibble out — roughly a sixth of a cup for a food running 360 kcal per cup.
The second version of this mistake is using a digestive topper to paper over a real problem. Persistent diarrhea, vomiting, or weight loss needs a veterinarian, not a stew pouch. Talk to your vet first; the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association is a good starting point for finding a clinic if you've just moved to the GTA. Our nutrition experts at the North York store are happy to compare labels with you, but we're not a substitute for a diagnosis.
You'll find us at 1111A Finch Ave W, Unit 2, North York, ON M3J 2P7 (open 7 AM to 11 PM daily); most GTA addresses can get same-day delivery through SkipTheDishes or a similar app.
Worth knowing: toppers do double duty in a Toronto winter. When it's minus 20 and your dog would rather nap than walk the Finch hydro corridor, a warm stew-and-kibble bowl gets more water into a dog who's drinking less than usual.
Quick summary: At $1.79 down from $2.48 (28% off), the Go! Solutions Booster Digestive Health Chicken + Lamb Stew pouch is a genuinely low-risk way to test a wet topper on a picky or sensitive-stomach dog. Keep it under 10% of daily calories and subtract the equivalent kibble. Sale prices change, so confirm on the product page before buying a case.
Shop the Brands Mentioned in This Article
Find Go! Solutions, The Honest Kitchen, and other premium pet supplies in-store or Browse wet dog food online →.
Common questions about Go! Solutions toppers and current deals
Is the Go! Solutions chicken sale actually a good value at 28% off?
Yes, for most owners. At $1.79 versus the regular $2.48, you save $0.69 per 2.8 oz pouch — $8.28 across a dozen. Because it's a single-serve format with no waste, the effective cost per meal matches the label price, which isn't true of large cans you only half-use.
How much Booster stew should I add to my dog's kibble?
Start with half a pouch for dogs under 20 lbs and a full pouch for dogs over 20 lbs, then reduce kibble by the same calorie amount. Keep total toppers and treats under 10% of daily kcal. Introduce over 5–7 days so the gut adjusts, and stop if stool softens.
Can a topper replace my dog's regular food?
No. Boosters and toppers carry a "supplemental feeding only" statement, meaning they aren't formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for any life stage. Your dog's complete diet should come from a food that states it meets AAFCO standards — browse our dry dog food range or ask us to check a label with you.
Where else can I find pet deals in North York?
Our rotating clearance sale and cat deals collections update as stock moves, and we run a price match guarantee on identical items. For past deal breakdowns, see our reviews of the Kettle Craft Venison and Okanagan Apple small-bite treats at 43% off and The Honest Kitchen Goat's Milk N' Cookies at 45% off. More buying guides live on our dog blog.
