Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

Best-scoring dog foods without beef on the label for a medium adult dog, calm, losing weight

For a medium adult dog, calm and losing weight, leaving out every food that names beef on its label, the best-scoring foods among the 265 dog foods BowlWise scores, all sold in Canada, are Acana Light & Fit Recipe and Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health Chicken Dry with Grains, both at 88 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Acana Light & Fit Recipe and Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health Chicken Dry with Grains at 88; freeze-dried, Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 70.1. 146 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 Light & Fit Recipe: On March 3, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 11.34 kg bag at $95.99 in Canadian dollars.

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.

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Kibble

93 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 1st of 93, level with another

    Acana Light & Fit Recipe

    88 of 100
    • Adequate protein (35.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Low fat (11.0%) + high fiber (8.0%) — ideal for this dog's weight loss
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog
  2. 88 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
  3. 84.5 of 100
    • Adequate protein (29.5%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Low fat (8.5%) + high fiber (10.0%) — ideal for this dog's weight loss
    • High protein content (29.5%) for this dog

    3.5 points under Go! Solutions Digestion + Gut Health Chicken Dry with Grains:

    • Nutritional quality, 11 against 13. High protein content (29.5%) for this dog. Protein is 32.8% of dry matter. Full points for protein start at 33.3%. Omega-3 is 0.7% as fed. Full points for omega-3 start at 0.8%. DHA is 0.2% as fed. Full points for DHA start at 0.3%. Calories are 3,333 kcal per kg of dry matter. For kibble, full points are given between 4,000 and 5,000. Fat is 9.4% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.
    • Price value, 3.5 against 5. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
  4. 83 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

    1.5 points under Open Farm Chicken & Whitefish Healthy Weight:

    • Formulation integrity, 6 against 10. 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.
  5. 82.8 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 Salmon 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.
    • Price value, 3.5 against 4. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.

Gently cooked

12 gently cooked foods fit this dog. No gently cooked food scores 70 or more for this dog; the closest is Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Chicken Stew at 69.8.

  1. 69.8 of 100
    • Adequate protein (8.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (8.0%) for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage
  2. 69.3 of 100
    • Adequate protein (7.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • High protein content (7.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

    0.5 points under Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Chicken Stew:

    • 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.
  3. 67.8 of 100
    • Adequate protein (11.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage
    • Fresh meat as primary ingredient for this dog

    1.5 points under Tom & Sawyer Thai Coconut Chicken & Rice Recipe:

    • Nutritional quality, 11 against 13. Protein is 27.5% 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. Calories are 4,395 kcal per kg of dry matter. For gently cooked food, full points are given between 4,500 and 5,800. Fat is 12.5% 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 63.7.

  1. 63.7 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. 60.7 of 100
    • 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%.

  3. 3rd of 8, level with another

    Open Farm Harvest Chicken Air-Dried Recipe

    59.7 of 100
    • 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.

  4. 3rd of 8, level with another

    Smack Lip Smacking Lamb

    59.7 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

Freeze-dried

25 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 70.1 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. 67.1 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 25, level with three others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Nuggets

    66.1 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

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

    • 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.

  4. 3rd of 25, level with three others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Turkey & Sardine Nuggets

    66.1 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

  5. 3rd of 25, level with three others

    K9 Natural Chicken Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    66.1 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

  6. 3rd of 25, level with three others

    K9 Natural Lamb Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    66.1 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 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:

Left out here because the label names beef

What was left out, and why

146 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.
  • 24 foodsKibble size not suitable for medium breed.
  • 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
  • 2 foodsScored under 50, so it is not offered.
  • 52 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 medium adult dog, 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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