Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

Best-scoring dog foods without chicken or 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 chicken or beef on its label, the best-scoring food among the 265 dog foods BowlWise scores, all sold in Canada, is Open Farm Pollock & Oatmeal Digestive Health, a kibble, at 78.8 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Open Farm Pollock & Oatmeal Digestive Health at 78.8. 77 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The scores are BowlWise’s own, worked out from each food’s label on October 13, 2026.

Open Farm Pollock & Oatmeal Digestive Health: On March 11, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 9.98 kg bag at $114.99 in Canadian dollars.

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Kibble

50 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 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
  2. 76.1 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

    2.7 points under Open Farm Pollock & Oatmeal Digestive Health:

    • Activity and goal, 13.1 against 26.3. Adequate protein (28.0%) for this dog's lower activity level. Fat is 16.7% of dry matter and fibre is 4.0% as fed. For this dog, a calm dog losing weight, full points need fat under 13.5% with fibre of 5% or more.
  3. 74.2 of 100
    • Adequate protein (25.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Balanced fat content (12.0%) for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage

    1.9 points under Go! Solutions Skin + Coat Care Large Breed Puppy Salmon Dry with Grains:

    • Nutritional quality, 13 against 23. Balanced fat content (12.0%) for this dog. Protein is 27.8% 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. DHA is 0.1% as fed. Full points for DHA start at 0.3%. Calories are 3,889 kcal per kg of dry matter. For kibble, full points are given between 4,000 and 5,000.
    • 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.
    • Format suitability, 6 against 10. Regular kibble — compatible with this dog's size. This is regular kibble. For a large dog, full points are given for large kibble.
  4. 74 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 (1.2%) for this dog's joints and coat

    0.2 points under Open Farm Goodbowl Wild-Caught Salmon & Brown Rice:

    • Life stage, 10 against 15. Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage. Optimal calcium-phosphorus ratio for this dog's growing bones. The label gives no DHA figure, so those points could not be given.
    • Formulation integrity, 6 against 9. No controversial ingredients — clean nutrition for this dog. None of the label's first five ingredients is a meat named as itself. The label names 1 main protein. Full points for variety are given for 3 or more. No feeding trial is on file for this food.
    • Price value, 4 against 5. Good value for this dog. Price per kilogram is in the cheaper half of kibble foods, above the cheapest quarter. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
  5. 73.1 of 100
    • Adequate protein (35.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.5%) for this dog's joints and coat

    0.9 points under Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health Salmon Dry with Grains:

    • Activity and goal, 13.1 against 35. Adequate protein (35.0%) for this dog's lower activity level. Fat is 19.3% of dry matter and fibre is 4.0% as fed. For this dog, a calm dog losing weight, full points need fat under 13.5% with fibre of 5% or more.

Gently cooked

Every gently cooked food that fits this dog names chicken or beef on its label, so none is listed.

Air-dried

4 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.

  1. 62.1 of 100
    • 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
  2. 58.1 of 100
    • 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

    4 points under Smack Prairie Harvest Pork:

    • Nutritional quality, 15 against 18. Premium protein content (40.0%) 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 30.2% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.
    • 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.

  3. 3rd of 4, level with another

    Ziwi Peak Original Air-Dried Lamb Recipe

    54.6 of 100
    • Adequate protein (38.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

    3.5 points under Smack Lip Smacking Lamb:

    • Life stage, 7 against 10. Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage. The label gives no calcium and phosphorus figures, so this part was given a middle score.
    • Price value, 3.5 against 4. Price per kilogram is above the middle of air-dried foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
  4. 54.6 of 100
    • Adequate protein (44.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (44.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

Freeze-dried

17 freeze-dried foods fit this dog. No freeze-dried food scores 70 or more for this dog; the closest is Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 65.1.

  1. 65.1 of 100
    • 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
  2. 62.1 of 100
    • Adequate protein (40.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.1%) for this dog's joints and coat

    3 points under Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets:

    • Nutritional quality, 18 against 23. Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog. Excellent Omega-3 (1.1%) for this dog's joints and coat. Optimal caloric density for this dog. The label gives no DHA figure, so those points could not be given. Fat is 41.3% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.

  3. 3rd of 17, level with three others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Lamb Nuggets

    61.1 of 100
    • Adequate protein (39.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (39.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

    1 point under K9 Natural Lamb & King Salmon Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food:

    • Nutritional quality, 17 against 18. Premium protein content (39.0%) for this dog. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Omega-3 is 0.54% 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 38.0% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.

  4. 3rd of 17, level with three others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Nuggets

    61.1 of 100
    • Adequate protein (54.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.23%) for this dog's joints and coat

  5. 3rd of 17, level with three others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Turkey & Sardine Nuggets

    61.1 of 100
    • Adequate protein (54.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.18%) for this dog's joints and coat

  6. 3rd of 17, level with three others

    K9 Natural Lamb Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    61.1 of 100
    • Adequate protein (41.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (41.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

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 or 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. 6 toppers fit this dog; each number is a topper’s score out of 100:

Left out here because the label names chicken or beef

What was left out, and why

77 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.
  • 2 foodsKibble too small for large breed.
  • 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
  • 2 foodsScored under 50, so it is not offered.
  • 94 foodsName chicken or 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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