Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

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

For a medium puppy, calm and holding 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 Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe, a kibble, at 99 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe at 99; gently cooked, Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice at 84; air-dried, Smack Chunky Chicken at 81. 120 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 Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe: On October 9, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 11.34 kg bag at $110.99 in Canadian dollars.

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Kibble

77 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 99 of 100
    • Balanced protein (35.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (17.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog

  2. 2nd of 77, level with four others

    Acana Highest Protein Wild Prairie Recipe

    98 of 100
    • Balanced protein (35.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (17.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog

    1 point under Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe:

    • Nutritional quality, 24 against 25. Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog. Excellent Omega-3 (0.9%) for this dog's joints and coat. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Balanced fat content (17.0%) for this dog. DHA is 0.2% as fed. Full points for DHA start at 0.3%.

  3. 2nd of 77, level with four others

    Acana Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe

    98 of 100
    • Balanced protein (31.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (20.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog

  4. 2nd of 77, level with four others

    Acana Healthy Grains Sea to Farm Puppy Recipe

    98 of 100
    • Balanced protein (31.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (20.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog

  5. 2nd of 77, level with four others

    Acana Puppy Recipe

    98 of 100
    • Balanced protein (33.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (20.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (33.0%) for this dog

  6. 2nd of 77, level with four others

    Orijen Wild Reserve Free-Run Chicken Recipe

    98 of 100
    • Balanced protein (38.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (18.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog

Gently cooked

2 gently cooked foods fit this dog.

  1. 84 of 100
    • Balanced protein (9.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (4.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (9.0%) for this dog
  2. 66 of 100
    • Balanced protein (10.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (10.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

    18 points under Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice:

    • Activity and goal, 17.5 against 35. Balanced protein (10.0%) for this dog's lower activity level. Fat is 35.4% of dry matter. For this dog, a calm dog holding weight, full points are given between 10% and 30%.
    • 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.

  1. 81 of 100
    • Balanced protein (35.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (24.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog
  2. 66.5 of 100
    • Moderate fat (22.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

    14.5 points under Smack Chunky Chicken:

    • Activity and goal, 17.5 against 35. Moderate fat (22.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog. Protein is 51.1% of dry matter. For this dog, a calm dog holding weight, full points are given between 22% and 45%.

  3. 3rd of 8, level with another

    Open Farm Harvest Chicken Air-Dried Recipe

    62.5 of 100
    • Balanced protein (32.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

    4 points under Smack Prairie Harvest Pork:

    • Nutritional quality, 15 against 18. Premium protein content (32.0%) 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 34.1% 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.

  4. 3rd of 8, level with another

    Smack Lip Smacking Lamb

    62.5 of 100
    • Balanced 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. No freeze-dried food scores 70 or more for this dog; the closest is Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 69.5.

  1. 69.5 of 100
    • Moderate fat (19.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.13%) for this dog's joints and coat
  2. 66.5 of 100
    • Balanced 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 four others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Lamb Nuggets

    65.5 of 100
    • Balanced 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 25, level with four others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Nuggets

    65.5 of 100
    • Moderate fat (22.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.23%) for this dog's joints and coat

  5. 3rd of 25, level with four others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Turkey & Sardine Nuggets

    65.5 of 100
    • Moderate fat (23.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.18%) for this dog's joints and coat

  6. 3rd of 25, level with four others

    K9 Natural Chicken Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    65.5 of 100
    • Moderate fat (27.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

  7. 3rd of 25, level with four others

    K9 Natural Lamb Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    65.5 of 100
    • Balanced 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

120 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.
  • 13 foodsKibble size not suitable for medium 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 medium puppy, calm and holding 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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