Best-scoring dog foods
Best-scoring dog foods without chicken on the label for a large adult dog, moderately active, holding weight
For a large adult dog, moderately active and holding weight, leaving out every food that names chicken on its label, the best-scoring foods among the 265 dog foods BowlWise scores, all sold in Canada, are Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe and Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe, both at 95 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe and Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe at 95; gently cooked, Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Beef Risotto at 85.5; air-dried, Open Farm Pollock & Lamb Air-Dried Recipe and Smack Lip Smacking Lamb at 81.5; freeze-dried, K9 Natural Beef & Hoki Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food at 88. 145 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The scores are BowlWise’s own, worked out from each food’s label on October 13, 2026.
Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe: On October 9, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 11.34 kg bag at $110.99 in Canadian dollars.
Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe: On March 12, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 10.88 kg bag at $99.99 in Canadian dollars.
Open the form with this dog filled inKibble
85 kibble foods fit this dog.
95 of 1001st of 85, level with another
Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe
- Balanced protein (35.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (17.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog
95 of 1001st of 85, level with another
Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe
- Balanced protein (32.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (15.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog
94.5 of 1003rd of 85, level with another
Orijen Six Fish Adult Recipe
- Balanced protein (38.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (18.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
0.5 points under Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe:
- Price value, 3.5 against 5. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
94.5 of 1003rd of 85, level with another
Orijen Regional Red Adult Recipe
- Balanced protein (38.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (18.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
94 of 1005th of 85, level with two others
Orijen Tundra Adult Recipe
- Balanced protein (40.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (18.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
0.5 points under Orijen Regional Red Adult Recipe:
- Price value, 3 against 3.5. Price per kilogram is in the most expensive quarter of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
94 of 1005th of 85, level with two others
Orijen Wild Reserve Farm-Raised Beef & Lamb Recipe
- Balanced protein (38.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (18.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
94 of 1005th of 85, level with two others
Orijen Wild Reserve Wild-Caught Fish Recipe
- Balanced protein (40.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (16.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
Gently cooked
14 gently cooked foods fit this dog.
85.5 of 100- Balanced protein (7.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (4.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (7.0%) for this dog
84.5 of 100- Balanced protein (8.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (5.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- High protein content (8.0%) for this dog
1 point under Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Beef Risotto:
- Nutritional quality, 18 against 20. High protein content (8.0%) for this dog. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Balanced fat content (5.0%) for this dog. Protein is 32.0% of dry matter. Full points for protein start at 33.3%. The label gives no omega-3 figure, so those points could not be given. The label gives no DHA figure, so those points could not be given.
84 of 100- Balanced protein (8.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (4.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (8.0%) for this dog
0.5 points under Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Bison & Beef Bowl:
- Price value, 3.5 against 4. Price per kilogram is above the middle of gently cooked foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
Air-dried
7 air-dried foods fit this dog.
81.5 of 1001st of 7, level with another
Open Farm Pollock & Lamb Air-Dried Recipe
- Balanced protein (40.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (15.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
81.5 of 1001st of 7, level with another
Smack Lip Smacking Lamb
- Balanced protein (40.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (29.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
81.2 of 1003rd of 7
Smack Prairie Harvest Pork
- Balanced fat (22.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
0.3 points under Smack Lip Smacking Lamb:
- Activity and goal, 30.6 against 35. Balanced fat (22.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal. Protein is 51.1% of dry matter. For this dog, a moderately active dog holding weight, full points are given between 25% and 50%.
Freeze-dried
31 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.
88 of 100- Balanced protein (46.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (32.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (46.0%) for this dog
87.6 of 100- Balanced fat (19.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.13%) for this dog's joints and coat
0.4 points under K9 Natural Beef & Hoki Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food:
- Activity and goal, 30.6 against 35. Balanced fat (19.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal. Protein is 62.0% of dry matter. For this dog, a moderately active dog holding weight, full points are given between 25% and 50%.
- Price value, 3 against 5. Price per kilogram is in the most expensive quarter of freeze-dried foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
86 of 1003rd of 31
Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Beef Nuggets
- Balanced protein (42.0%) for this dog's moderate activity
- Balanced fat (32.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
- Premium protein content (42.0%) for this dog
1.6 points under Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets:
- Nutritional quality, 15 against 23. Premium protein content (42.0%) for this dog. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Omega-3 is 0.44% as fed. Full points for omega-3 start at 0.8%. The label gives no DHA figure, so those points could not be given. Fat is 34.8% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.
Toppers
A topper is added to a meal, not fed as one, and is scored on other parts than a meal. Each topper’s score here is for a dog whose food must not name chicken. A topper earns more points for such a dog, so its score here can be higher than on its own page, which is worked out for a dog with no allergy. These are not ranked against the foods above. 8 toppers fit this dog; each number is a topper’s score out of 100:
- Stella & Chewy's Stella's Super Beef Meal Mixers65.3
- Stella & Chewy's Dandy Lamb Meal Mixers65.3
- Stella & Chewy's Duck Duck Goose Meal Mixers72.3
- Stella & Chewy's Tantalizing Turkey Meal Mixers65.3
- Vital Essentials Turkey Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs73
- Vital Essentials Duck Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs77.8
- Vital Essentials Rabbit Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs78
- Vital Essentials Beef Entree Freeze-Dried Crunchy Mini Nibs74.8
Left out here because the label names chicken
- Orijen Large Breed Adult Recipe1st among kibbles without the allergy, at 99. Its label names chicken.
- Acana Adult Large Breed Recipe2nd among kibbles without the allergy, at 96. Its label names chicken.
- Open Farm RawMix Large Breed Grain-Free2nd among kibbles without the allergy, at 96. Its label names chicken.
- Orijen Original Adult Recipe4th among kibbles without the allergy, at 95. Its label names chicken.
- Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice1st among gently cooked foods without the allergy, at 86.5. Its label names chicken.
- Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Turkey Dinner3rd among gently cooked foods without the allergy, at 84.5. Its label names chicken.
- Smack Chunky Chicken1st among air-dried foods without the allergy, at 82.5. Its label names chicken.
- Open Farm Harvest Chicken Air-Dried Recipe2nd among air-dried foods without the allergy, at 81.5. Its label names chicken.
- Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Scoopable Pronto Chicken3rd among freeze-dried foods without the allergy, at 86. Its label names chicken.
- Stella & Chewy's Chewy's Chicken Meal MixersA topper without the allergy, at 64 as a topper. Its label names chicken.
- Vital Essentials Chicken Entree Freeze-Dried Mini NibsA topper without the allergy, at 66 as a topper. Its label names chicken.
What was left out, and why
145 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The others:
- 28 foodsMade for the puppy life stage, not adult.
- 11 foodsMade for the senior life stage, not adult.
- 8 foodsKibble too small for large breed.
- 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
- 1 foodScored under 50, so it is not offered.
- 70 foodsName chicken on their label.
BowlWise reads the ingredients printed on each label. It cannot see what a label does not say, such as traces from other foods made in the same place. Check the bag itself before you buy.
A dog a little different
The same dog with every food counted: a large adult dog, moderately active and holding weight.
How to read this
These scores are BowlWise’s own, worked out from each food’s label for one kind of dog at a time. They are not veterinary advice. How a score is worked out: How we score.
Worked out on October 13, 2026.
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