Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

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

For a small adult dog, calm and holding weight, leaving out every food that names beef on its label, the best-scoring foods among the 265 dog foods BowlWise scores, all sold in Canada, are Orijen Small Breed Recipe and Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free, both at 96 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Orijen Small Breed Recipe and Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free at 96; gently cooked, Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice at 86.5; air-dried, Smack Chunky Chicken at 82.5; freeze-dried, Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 74.5. 161 of the 265 foods fit this dog. The scores are BowlWise’s own, worked out from each food’s label on October 13, 2026.

Orijen Small Breed Recipe: On October 9, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 4.54 kg bag at $70.99 in Canadian dollars.

Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free: On March 3, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 4.99 kg bag at $64.99 in Canadian dollars.

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Kibble

109 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 1st of 109, level with another

    Orijen Small Breed Recipe

    96 of 100
    • Balanced protein (39.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (18.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (39.0%) for this dog

  2. 1st of 109, level with another

    Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free

    96 of 100
    • Balanced protein (34.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (17.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (34.0%) for this dog
  3. 95.5 of 100
    • Balanced protein (37.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (16.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (37.0%) for this dog

    0.5 points under Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free:

    • Nutritional quality, 22 against 23. Premium protein content (37.0%) for this dog. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Balanced fat content (16.0%) for this dog. Omega-3 is 0.5% 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%.

  4. 4th of 109, level with three others

    Orijen Original Adult Recipe

    95 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

    0.5 points under Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Original Recipe Small Bite:

    • Format suitability, 6 against 10. Regular kibble — compatible with this dog's size. This is regular kibble. For a small dog, full points are given for small kibble.

  5. 4th of 109, level with three others

    Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe

    95 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

  6. 4th of 109, level with three others

    Acana Adult Small Breed Recipe

    95 of 100
    • Balanced protein (31.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (17.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog

  7. 4th of 109, level with three others

    Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe

    95 of 100
    • Balanced protein (32.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (15.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog

Gently cooked

12 gently cooked foods fit this dog.

  1. 86.5 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. 84.5 of 100
    • Balanced protein (8.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (3.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • Premium protein content (8.0%) for this dog

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

    • Nutritional quality, 18 against 20. Premium protein content (8.0%) 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. Calories are 4,340 kcal per kg of dry matter. For gently cooked food, full points are given between 4,500 and 5,800.
    • 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 of 100
    • Balanced protein (7.0%) for this dog's lower activity level
    • Moderate fat (4.0%) prevents weight gain for this dog
    • High protein content (7.0%) for this dog

    0.5 points under Performatrin Culinary Gently Cooked Turkey Dinner:

    • 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.

Air-dried

8 air-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 82.5 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. 68 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

    64 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

    64 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

24 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 74.5 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. 71.5 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 24, level with three others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Nuggets

    70.5 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

    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 24, level with three others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Turkey & Sardine Nuggets

    70.5 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

  5. 3rd of 24, level with three others

    K9 Natural Chicken Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    70.5 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

  6. 3rd of 24, level with three others

    K9 Natural Lamb Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    70.5 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

161 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.
  • 9 foodsKibble too large for small breed.
  • 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
  • 2 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 small adult dog, 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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