Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

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

For a small adult dog, very active 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 Prairie Harvest Pork at 85.5; freeze-dried, Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets at 92. 159 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

106 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 1st of 106, level with another

    Orijen Small Breed Recipe

    96 of 100
    • Great protein (39.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (18.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (39.0%) for this dog

  2. 1st of 106, level with another

    Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free

    96 of 100
    • Great protein (34.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (17.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (34.0%) for this dog
  3. 95.5 of 100
    • Great protein (37.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (16.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • 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 106, level with three others

    Orijen Original Adult Recipe

    95 of 100
    • Great protein (38.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (18.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • 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 106, level with three others

    Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe

    95 of 100
    • Great protein (35.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (17.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) for this dog

  6. 4th of 106, level with three others

    Acana Adult Small Breed Recipe

    95 of 100
    • Great protein (31.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (17.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog

  7. 4th of 106, level with three others

    Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe

    95 of 100
    • Great protein (32.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (15.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (32.0%) for this dog

Gently cooked

12 gently cooked foods fit this dog.

  1. 86.5 of 100
    • Great protein (9.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (4.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (9.0%) for this dog
  2. 84.5 of 100
    • Great protein (8.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (3.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • 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
    • Great protein (7.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (4.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • 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. 85.5 of 100
    • Great protein (48.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (22.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
  2. 82.5 of 100
    • Great protein (35.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (24.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (35.0%) 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. 81.5 of 100
    • Great protein (40.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (29.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) 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.

Freeze-dried

25 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.

  1. 92 of 100
    • Great protein (57.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (19.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog

  2. 2nd of 25, level with two others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Nuggets

    88 of 100
    • Great protein (54.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (22.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog

    4 points under Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets:

    • Nutritional quality, 19 against 23. Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog. Excellent Omega-3 (1.23%) for this dog's joints and coat. The label gives no DHA figure, so those points could not be given. Calories are 4,891 kcal per kg of dry matter. For freeze-dried food, full points are given between 5,000 and 6,200. Fat is 23.9% of dry matter. Full points for fat are given between 13.3% and 22.5%.

  3. 2nd of 25, level with two others

    Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Turkey & Sardine Nuggets

    88 of 100
    • Great protein (54.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (23.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (54.0%) for this dog

  4. 2nd of 25, level with two others

    K9 Natural Chicken Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

    88 of 100
    • Great protein (48.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
    • Balanced fat (27.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) 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

159 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.
  • 4 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, very active 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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