Best-scoring dog foods
Best-scoring dog foods without chicken or beef on the label for a medium puppy, moderately active, losing weight
For a medium puppy, moderately active 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 91.5 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Open Farm Pollock & Oatmeal Digestive Health at 91.5. 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.
Open the form with this dog filled inKibble
50 kibble foods fit this dog.
91.5 of 100- Low fat (10.0%) supports this dog's weight loss goal
- High protein content (28.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.1%) for this dog's joints and coat
87 of 100- Low fat (12.0%) supports this dog's weight loss goal
- Balanced fat content (12.0%) for this dog
- Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage
4.5 points under Open Farm Pollock & Oatmeal Digestive Health:
- Nutritional quality, 13 against 19. 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.
86.5 of 1003rd of 50
Open Farm Salmon Grain-Free Puppy
- Premium protein content (30.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
0.5 points under Open Farm Goodbowl Wild-Caught Salmon & Brown Rice:
- Activity and goal, 25 against 35. Fat is 16.7% of dry matter. For this dog, a moderately active dog losing weight, full points need fat under 13.5%.
- Price value, 3.5 against 5. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
85 of 1004th of 50, level with three others
Open Farm Salmon & Ancient Grains Puppy
- High protein content (27.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
1.5 points under Open Farm Salmon Grain-Free Puppy:
- Nutritional quality, 22 against 24. High protein content (27.0%) for this dog. Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Balanced fat content (14.0%) for this dog. Protein is 30.0% of dry matter. Full points for protein start at 33.3%. DHA is 0.2% as fed. Full points for DHA start at 0.3%.
85 of 1004th of 50, level with three others
Open Farm RawMix Wild Ocean Grain-Free
- Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
- Balanced fat content (14.0%) for this dog
85 of 1004th of 50, level with three others
Open Farm RawMix Wild Ocean Ancient Grains
- Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
- Balanced fat content (14.0%) for this dog
85 of 1004th of 50, level with three others
Open Farm RawMix Ancient Grains Puppy
- Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat
- Balanced fat content (13.0%) for this dog
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 64.
64 of 1001st of 4
Smack Prairie Harvest Pork
- Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
- Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage
60 of 1002nd of 4
Smack Lip Smacking Lamb
- Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
- Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage
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.
56.5 of 1003rd of 4, level with another
Ziwi Peak Original Air-Dried Lamb Recipe
- Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
- Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage
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.
56.5 of 1003rd of 4, level with another
Ziwi Peak Original Air-Dried Mackerel & Lamb Recipe
- Premium protein content (44.0%) for this dog
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
- Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage
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 67.
67 of 100- Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog
- Excellent Omega-3 (1.13%) for this dog's joints and coat
- Optimal caloric density for this dog
66 of 1002nd of 17, level with another
Vital Essentials Rabbit Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Patties
- Premium protein content (55.0%) for this dog
- Balanced fat content (15.0%) for this dog
- Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage
1 point 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, 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.
66 of 1002nd of 17, level with another
Vital Essentials Duck Entree Freeze-Dried Soft Nibs
- Premium protein content (45.0%) for this dog
- Balanced fat content (15.0%) for this dog
- Formulated for this dog's puppy life stage
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:
- Stella & Chewy's Dandy Lamb Meal Mixers62.8
- Stella & Chewy's Duck Duck Goose Meal Mixers69.8
- Stella & Chewy's Tantalizing Turkey Meal Mixers62.8
- Vital Essentials Turkey Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs64.8
- Vital Essentials Duck Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs67.8
- Vital Essentials Rabbit Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs74
Left out here because the label names chicken or beef
- Open Farm RawMix Tide & Terrain Grain-Free4th among kibbles without the allergy, at 86. Its label names beef.
- Open Farm RawMix Tide & Terrain Ancient Grains4th among kibbles without the allergy, at 86. Its label names beef.
- Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice1st among gently cooked foods without the allergy, at 64. Its label names chicken.
- Open Farm Gently Cooked Puppy2nd among gently cooked foods without the allergy, at 63.5. Its label names chicken.
- Open Farm Gently Cooked Beef & Brown Rice3rd among gently cooked foods without the allergy, at 57. Its label names beef.
- Smack Chunky Chicken2nd among air-dried foods without the allergy, at 61. Its label names chicken.
- Open Farm Harvest Chicken Air-Dried Recipe3rd among air-dried foods without the allergy, at 60. Its label names chicken.
- Open Farm Pollock & Lamb Air-Dried Recipe3rd among air-dried foods without the allergy, at 60. Its label names beef.
- Open Farm Chicken & Salmon Freeze-Dried Raw Puppy Patties1st among freeze-dried foods without the allergy, at 67. Its label names chicken.
- Open Farm Chicken & Salmon Freeze-Dried Raw Morsels for Puppies3rd among freeze-dried foods without the allergy, at 66.5. Its label names chicken.
- Stella & Chewy's Stella's Super Beef Meal MixersA topper without the allergy, at 57.8 as a topper. Its label names beef.
- Stella & Chewy's Chewy's Chicken Meal MixersA topper without the allergy, at 55.8 as a topper. Its label names chicken.
- Vital Essentials Chicken Entree Freeze-Dried Mini NibsA topper without the allergy, at 57.8 as a topper. Its label names chicken.
- Vital Essentials Beef Entree Freeze-Dried Crunchy Mini NibsA topper without the allergy, at 59.8 as a topper. Its label names 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.
- 4 foodsKibble size not suitable for medium breed.
- 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
- 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 medium puppy, moderately 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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