Best-scoring dog foods
Best-scoring dog foods without beef on the label for a large puppy, calm, losing weight
For a large puppy, calm and losing weight, leaving out every food that names beef on its label, the best-scoring food among the 265 dog foods BowlWise scores, all sold in Canada, is Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health Chicken Dry with Grains, a kibble, at 79 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health Chicken Dry with Grains at 79. 127 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The scores are BowlWise’s own, worked out from each food’s label on October 13, 2026.
Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health Chicken Dry with Grains: On May 5, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 9.98 kg bag at $91.99 in Canadian dollars.
Open the form with this dog filled inKibble
82 kibble foods fit this dog.
79 of 100- Adequate protein (24.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Low fat (12.0%) + high fiber (5.0%) — ideal for this dog's weight loss
- Excellent Omega-3 (0.8%) for this dog's joints and coat
78.8 of 100- Adequate protein (28.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- High protein content (28.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.1%) for this dog's joints and coat
0.2 points under Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health Chicken Dry with Grains:
- Activity and goal, 26.3 against 35. Adequate protein (28.0%) for this dog's lower activity level. Fat is 11.1% of dry matter and fibre is 4.5% as fed. For this dog, a calm dog losing weight, full points need fat under 13.5% with fibre of 5% or more.
- Formulation integrity, 9 against 10. Fresh meat as primary ingredient for this dog. No controversial ingredients — clean nutrition for this dog. The label names 1 main protein. Full points for variety are given for 3 or more. No formulator with a veterinary nutrition credential or a doctorate in nutrition is on file for this food. No feeding trial is on file for this food.
- Price value, 3.5 against 5. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
77.1 of 1003rd of 82
Orijen Puppy Large Recipe
- Adequate protein (38.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (0.9%) for this dog's joints and coat
1.7 points under Open Farm Pollock & Oatmeal Digestive Health:
- Activity and goal, 13.1 against 26.3. Adequate protein (38.0%) for this dog's lower activity level. Fat is 18.2% of dry matter and fibre is 6.0% as fed. For this dog, a calm dog losing weight, full points need fat under 13.5% with fibre of 5% or more.
76.1 of 1004th of 82, level with another
Acana Puppy Large Breed Recipe
- Adequate protein (33.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (33.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.2%) for this dog's joints and coat
1 point under Orijen Puppy Large Recipe:
- Nutritional quality, 23 against 25. Premium protein content (33.0%) for this dog. Excellent Omega-3 (1.2%) for this dog's joints and coat. Good DHA for this dog's brain health. Balanced fat content (15.0%) for this dog. Calories are 3,835 kcal per kg of dry matter. For kibble, full points are given between 4,000 and 5,000.
76.1 of 1004th of 82, level with another
Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Large Breed Puppy Salmon Dry with Grains
- Adequate protein (28.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- High protein content (28.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.1%) for this dog's joints and coat
Gently cooked
2 gently cooked foods fit this dog. No gently cooked food scores 70 or more for this dog; the closest is Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice at 62.1.
62.1 of 100- Adequate protein (9.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (9.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
61.6 of 1002nd of 2
Open Farm Gently Cooked Puppy
- Adequate protein (10.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (10.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
0.5 points under Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice:
- Nutritional quality, 15 against 20. Premium protein content (10.0%) for this dog. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Omega-3 is 0.3% as fed. Full points for omega-3 start at 0.8%. DHA is 0.08% as fed. Full points for DHA start at 0.3%. Fat is 35.4% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.
Air-dried
8 air-dried foods fit this dog. No air-dried food scores 70 or more for this dog; the closest is Smack Prairie Harvest Pork at 62.1.
62.1 of 1001st of 8
Smack Prairie Harvest Pork
- Adequate protein (48.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
59.1 of 1002nd of 8
Smack Chunky Chicken
- Adequate protein (35.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
3 points under Smack Prairie Harvest Pork:
- Nutritional quality, 15 against 18. Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog. Optimal caloric density for this dog. 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. Fat is 25.8% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.
58.1 of 1003rd of 8, level with another
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Air-Dried Recipe
- Adequate protein (32.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
1 point under Smack Chunky Chicken:
- Price value, 4 against 5. Good value for this dog. Price per kilogram is in the cheaper half of air-dried foods, above the cheapest quarter. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
58.1 of 1003rd of 8, level with another
Smack Lip Smacking Lamb
- Adequate protein (40.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
Freeze-dried
27 freeze-dried foods fit this dog. No freeze-dried food scores 70 or more for this dog; the closest are Open Farm Chicken & Salmon Freeze-Dried Raw Puppy Patties and Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 65.1.
65.1 of 1001st of 27, level with another
Open Farm Chicken & Salmon Freeze-Dried Raw Puppy Patties
- Adequate protein (42.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (42.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
65.1 of 1001st of 27, level with another
Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets
- Adequate protein (57.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.13%) for this dog's joints and coat
64.6 of 100- Adequate protein (42.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
- Premium protein content (42.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
0.5 points under Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets:
- Nutritional quality, 17 against 23. Premium protein content (42.0%) for this dog. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Omega-3 is 0.75% as fed. Full points for omega-3 start at 0.8%. DHA is 0.1% as fed. Full points for DHA start at 0.3%. Fat is 38.7% 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 beef. 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 Chewy's Chicken Meal Mixers60
- Stella & Chewy's Dandy Lamb Meal Mixers62
- Stella & Chewy's Duck Duck Goose Meal Mixers69
- Stella & Chewy's Tantalizing Turkey Meal Mixers62
- Vital Essentials Chicken Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs62
- Vital Essentials Turkey Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs64
- Vital Essentials Duck Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs67
- Vital Essentials Rabbit Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs69
Left out here because the label names beef
- Open Farm Gently Cooked Beef & Brown Rice3rd among gently cooked foods without the allergy, at 55.1. Its label names beef.
- Open Farm Pollock & Lamb Air-Dried Recipe3rd among air-dried foods without the allergy, at 58.1. Its label names beef.
- Stella & Chewy's Stella's Super Beef Meal MixersA topper without the allergy, at 57 as a topper. Its label names beef.
- Vital Essentials Beef Entree Freeze-Dried Crunchy Mini NibsA topper without the allergy, at 59 as a topper. Its label names beef.
What was left out, and why
127 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The others:
- 77 foodsMade for the adult life stage, not puppy.
- 11 foodsMade for the senior life stage, not puppy.
- 6 foodsKibble too small for large breed.
- 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
- 2 foodsScored under 50, so it is not offered.
- 40 foodsName beef 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 puppy, calm and losing 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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