Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

Best-scoring dog foods without chicken or beef on the label for a small adult dog, calm, building muscle

For a small adult dog, calm and building muscle, leaving out every food that names chicken or beef on its label, the best-scoring foods among the 265 dog foods BowlWise scores, all sold in Canada, are Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe and Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe, both at 95 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe and Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe at 95; gently cooked, Open Farm Gently Cooked Homestead Turkey at 81.5; air-dried, Smack Prairie Harvest Pork at 85.5; freeze-dried, Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 92. 98 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.

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

66 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 1st of 66, level with another

    Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe

    95 of 100
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.5%) for this dog's joints and coat
    • Good DHA for this dog's brain health

  2. 1st of 66, level with another

    Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe

    95 of 100
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.2%) for this dog's joints and coat
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
  3. 94.5 of 100
    • Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (2.1%) for this dog's joints and coat
    • Good DHA for this dog's brain health

    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.

  4. 4th of 66, level with two others

    Orijen Tundra Adult Recipe

    94 of 100
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat
    • Good DHA for this dog's brain health

    0.5 points under Orijen Six Fish Adult Recipe:

    • Price value, 3 against 3.5. Price per kilogram is in the most expensive quarter of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
  5. 94 of 100
    • 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

  6. 4th of 66, level with two others

    Orijen Wild Reserve Wild-Caught Fish Recipe

    94 of 100
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.5%) for this dog's joints and coat
    • Good DHA for this dog's brain health

Gently cooked

5 gently cooked foods fit this dog.

  1. 81.5 of 100
    • Premium protein content (9.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage
  2. 80 of 100
    • Premium protein content (10.0%) for this dog
    • Balanced fat content (3.0%) for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage

    1.5 points under Open Farm Gently Cooked Homestead Turkey:

    • Price value, 3.5 against 5. Price per kilogram is above the middle of gently cooked foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
  3. 61 of 100
    • Premium protein content (10.0%) for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage
    • Fresh meat as primary ingredient for this dog

    19 points under Tom & Sawyer Classic Pork Stew:

    • Activity and goal, 21 against 35. Fat is 8.0% of dry matter. For this dog, a calm dog building muscle, full points start at 12%.
    • Nutritional quality, 10 against 15. Premium protein content (10.0%) 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 3,832 kcal per kg of dry matter. For gently cooked food, full points are given between 4,500 and 5,800. Fat is 8.0% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.

Air-dried

4 air-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 85.5 of 100
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage
  2. 81.5 of 100
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult 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.

  3. 3rd of 4, level with another

    Ziwi Peak Original Air-Dried Lamb Recipe

    81 of 100
    • Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage

    0.5 points under Smack Lip Smacking Lamb:

    • 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.
  4. 81 of 100
    • Premium protein content (44.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage

Freeze-dried

17 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 92 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
  2. 89 of 100
    • 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

    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 17, level with two others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Nuggets

    88 of 100
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.23%) for this dog's joints and coat
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage

    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 17, level with two others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Turkey & Sardine Nuggets

    88 of 100
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.18%) for this dog's joints and coat
    • Formulated for this dog's adult life stage

  5. 3rd of 17, level with two others

    K9 Natural Lamb Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    88 of 100
    • Premium protein content (41.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
    • Formulated for this dog's adult 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:

Left out here because the label names chicken or beef

What was left out, and why

98 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.
  • 2 foodsKibble too large for small breed.
  • 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
  • 3 foodsScored under 50, so it is not offered.
  • 121 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 small adult dog, calm and building muscle.

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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