Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

Best-scoring dog foods for a medium adult dog, very active, building muscle

For a medium adult dog, very active and building muscle, the best-scoring foods among the 265 dog foods BowlWise scores, all sold in Canada, are Orijen Original Adult Recipe, Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe and Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe, all at 99 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Orijen Original Adult Recipe, Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe and Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe at 99; gently cooked, Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice at 86.5; air-dried, Smack Prairie Harvest Pork at 85.5; freeze-dried, Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 92. 196 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The scores are BowlWise’s own, worked out from each food’s label on October 12, 2026.

Orijen Original Adult Recipe: On October 9, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 11.34 kg bag at $110.99 in Canadian dollars.

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 in

Kibble

114 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 1st of 114, level with two others

    Orijen Original Adult Recipe

    99 of 100
    • High protein (38.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (18.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog

  2. 1st of 114, level with two others

    Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe

    99 of 100
    • High protein (35.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (17.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog

  3. 1st of 114, level with two others

    Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe

    99 of 100
    • High protein (32.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (15.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog

  4. 4th of 114, level with another

    Orijen Six Fish Adult Recipe

    98.5 of 100
    • High protein (38.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (18.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • 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.

  5. 4th of 114, level with another

    Orijen Regional Red Adult Recipe

    98.5 of 100
    • High protein (38.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (18.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog

Gently cooked

22 gently cooked foods fit this dog.

  1. 86.5 of 100
    • High protein (9.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (4.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (9.0%) for this dog
  2. 85.5 of 100
    • High protein (7.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (4.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (7.0%) for this dog

    1 point under Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice:

    • Price value, 4 against 5. Good value for this dog. Price per kilogram is in the cheaper half of gently cooked foods, above the cheapest quarter. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
  3. 84.5 of 100
    • High protein (8.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (5.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • 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.
  4. 84.5 of 100
    • High protein (8.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (3.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (8.0%) for this dog

Air-dried

11 air-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 85.5 of 100
    • High protein (48.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (22.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
  2. 82.5 of 100
    • High protein (35.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (24.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) 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 11, level with two others

    Open Farm Harvest Chicken Air-Dried Recipe

    81.5 of 100
    • High protein (32.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (28.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) 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 11, level with two others

    Open Farm Pollock & Lamb Air-Dried Recipe

    81.5 of 100
    • High protein (40.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (15.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog

  5. 3rd of 11, level with two others

    Smack Lip Smacking Lamb

    81.5 of 100
    • High protein (40.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (29.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog

Freeze-dried

39 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 92 of 100
    • High protein (57.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (19.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog
  2. 89 of 100
    • High protein (40.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (38.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog

    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 39, level with five others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Nuggets

    88 of 100
    • High protein (54.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (22.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog

    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 39, level with five others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Turkey & Sardine Nuggets

    88 of 100
    • High protein (54.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (23.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog

  5. 3rd of 39, level with five others

    K9 Natural Beef Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    88 of 100
    • High protein (40.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (33.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog

  6. 3rd of 39, level with five others

    K9 Natural Chicken Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    88 of 100
    • High protein (48.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (27.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog

  7. 3rd of 39, level with five others

    K9 Natural Lamb Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    88 of 100
    • High protein (41.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (34.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (41.0%) for this dog
  8. 88 of 100
    • High protein (46.0%) supports this dog's muscle building goal
    • High fat (32.0%) fuels this dog's active lifestyle
    • Premium protein content (46.0%) for this dog

Toppers

A topper is added to a meal, not fed as one, and is scored on other parts than a meal. These are not ranked against the foods above. 10 toppers fit this dog; each number is a topper’s score out of 100:

What was left out, and why

196 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.
  • 25 foodsKibble size not suitable for medium breed.
  • 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
  • 3 foodsScored under 50, so it is not offered.

A dog a little different

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 12, 2026.

Is your dog a little different?

Open the form with these answers and change what differs.

Open the form

Free. No account required. Takes about 30 seconds.