Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

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

For a medium adult dog, very active 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 Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe, a kibble, at 90.2 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe at 90.2; gently cooked, Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Turkey Dinner at 75.8; freeze-dried, Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 74.5. 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.

Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe: On March 12, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 10.88 kg bag at $99.99 in Canadian dollars.

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Kibble

94 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 90.2 of 100
    • High protein (32.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.2%) for this dog's joints and coat
  2. 89.2 of 100
    • High protein (40.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (0.9%) for this dog's joints and coat

    1 point under Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe:

    • 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.
  3. 88 of 100
    • High protein (35.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Low fat (11.0%) + high fiber (8.0%) supports this dog's weight loss
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog

    1.2 points under Orijen Fit & Trim Adult Recipe:

    • Nutritional quality, 13 against 24. Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog. Omega-3 is 0.4% 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%. Calories are 3,489 kcal per kg of dry matter. For kibble, full points are given between 4,000 and 5,000. Fat is 12.5% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.
  4. 87.2 of 100
    • High protein (32.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat

    0.8 points under Acana Light & Fit Recipe:

    • Activity and goal, 26.2 against 35. High protein (32.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss. Fat is 16.7% of dry matter and fibre is 4.5% as fed. For this dog, a very active dog losing weight, full points need fat under 13.5% with fibre of 5% or more.
  5. 87.2 of 100
    • High protein (28.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • High protein content (28.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (0.8%) for this dog's joints and coat

Gently cooked

10 gently cooked foods fit this dog.

  1. 75.8 of 100
    • High protein (8.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (8.0%) for this dog
    • Balanced fat content (3.0%) for this dog
  2. 71.3 of 100
    • High protein (10.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (10.0%) for this dog
    • Balanced fat content (3.0%) for this dog

    4.5 points under Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Turkey Dinner:

    • Nutritional quality, 15 against 18. Premium protein content (10.0%) for this dog. Balanced fat content (3.0%) 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. The label states 1,633 kcal per kg and moisture of 82% at most. Those two do not give a usable figure for calories in the dry matter, so those points could not be given.
    • 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 4. Price per kilogram is above the middle of gently cooked foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
  3. 69.8 of 100
    • High protein (8.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (8.0%) for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage

    1.5 points under Tom & Sawyer Classic Pork Stew:

    • Nutritional quality, 13 against 15. Premium protein content (8.0%) 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. Calories are 4,195 kcal per kg of dry matter. For gently cooked food, full points are given between 4,500 and 5,800. Fat is 10.0% 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 68.

  1. 68 of 100
    • High protein (48.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
  2. 65 of 100
    • High protein (35.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • 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

    64 of 100
    • High protein (32.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • 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

    64 of 100
    • High protein (40.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

Freeze-dried

25 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 74.5 of 100
    • High protein (57.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.13%) for this dog's joints and coat
  2. 71.8 of 100
    • High protein (55.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (55.0%) for this dog
    • Balanced fat content (15.0%) for this dog

    2.7 points under Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets:

    • Nutritional quality, 15 against 23. Premium protein content (55.0%) for this dog. Balanced fat content (15.0%) 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. Calories are 4,459 kcal per kg of dry matter. For freeze-dried food, full points are given between 5,000 and 6,200.
    • Life stage, 11.5 against 15. Formulated for this dog's adult life stage. The label gives no omega-3 figure, so those points could not be given.
  3. 71.8 of 100
    • High protein (45.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (45.0%) for this dog
    • Balanced fat content (15.0%) for this dog

Toppers

A topper is added to a meal, not fed as one, and is scored on other parts than a meal. 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

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.
  • 24 foodsKibble size not suitable for medium breed.
  • 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
  • 3 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, very active 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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