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

Kibble

83 kibble foods fit this dog.

1. 

   1st of 83

   Acana Puppy Small Breed Recipe

   97 of 100
   • Great protein (33.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
   • Balanced fat (20.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
   • Premium protein content (33.0%) for this dog
2. 

   2nd of 83

   Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free

   96.5 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

   0.5 points under Acana Puppy Small Breed Recipe:

   • Price value, 3.5 against 4. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
3. 

   3rd of 83

   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

   1.5 points under Open Farm Small Breed Grain-Free:

   • 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.
4. 

   4th of 83

   Open Farm Small Breed Ancient Grains

   94.5 of 100
   • Great protein (27.5%) for this dog's active lifestyle
   • Balanced fat (16.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
   • High protein content (27.5%) for this dog

   0.5 points under Acana Highest Protein Pacifica Recipe:

   • Nutritional quality, 21 against 25. High protein content (27.5%) for this dog. Excellent Omega-3 (1.2%) for this dog's joints and coat. Optimal caloric density for this dog. Balanced fat content (16.0%) for this dog. Protein is 30.6% of dry matter. Full points for protein start at 33.3%. DHA is 0.15% as fed. Full points for DHA start at 0.3%.
   • Price value, 3.5 against 4. Price per kilogram is above the middle of kibble foods. Full points are given for the cheapest quarter.
5. 

   5th of 83, level with six others

   Acana Highest Protein Wild Prairie Recipe

   94 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

   0.5 points under Open Farm Small Breed Ancient Grains:

   • 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.
6. 

   5th of 83, level with six others

   Acana Healthy Grains Puppy Recipe

   94 of 100
   • Great protein (31.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
   • Balanced fat (20.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
   • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog
7. 

   5th of 83, level with six others

   Acana Healthy Grains Sea to Farm Puppy Recipe

   94 of 100
   • Great protein (31.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
   • Balanced fat (20.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
   • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog
8. 

   5th of 83, level with six others

   Acana Puppy Recipe

   94 of 100
   • Great protein (33.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
   • Balanced fat (20.0%) supports this dog's maintenance goal
   • Premium protein content (33.0%) for this dog

And 3 more at the same score.

Gently cooked

2 gently cooked foods fit this dog.

1. 

   1st of 2

   Open Farm Gently Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice

   84 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. 

   2nd of 2

   Open Farm Gently Cooked Puppy

   79.1 of 100
   • Great protein (10.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle
   • Premium protein content (10.0%) for this dog
   • Optimal caloric density for this dog

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

   • Activity and goal, 30.6 against 35. Great protein (10.0%) for this dog's active lifestyle. Fat is 35.4% of dry matter. For this dog, a very active dog holding weight, full points are given between 12% and 32%.
   • 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. 

   1st of 8

   Smack Prairie Harvest Pork

   84 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. 

   2nd of 8

   Smack Chunky Chicken

   81 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. 

   3rd of 8

   Smack Lip Smacking Lamb

   80 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

27 freeze-dried foods fit this dog.

1. 

   1st of 27

   Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Venison Nuggets

   87 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 27, level with two others

   Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Rabbit Nuggets

   83 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 27, level with two others

   Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Turkey & Sardine Nuggets

   83 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 27, level with two others

   K9 Natural Chicken Feast Freeze-Dried Dog Food

   83 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:

• Stella & Chewy's Chewy's Chicken Meal Mixers74.3
• Stella & Chewy's Dandy Lamb Meal Mixers74.5
• Stella & Chewy's Duck Duck Goose Meal Mixers81.5
• Stella & Chewy's Tantalizing Turkey Meal Mixers74.5
• Vital Essentials Chicken Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs76.3
• Vital Essentials Turkey Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs78.3
• Vital Essentials Duck Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs81.3
• Vital Essentials Rabbit Entree Freeze-Dried Mini Nibs83.3

Left out here because the label names beef

• Open Farm Gently Cooked Beef & Brown Rice3rd among gently cooked foods without the allergy, at 77. Its label names beef.
• Open Farm Pollock & Lamb Air-Dried Recipe3rd among air-dried foods without the allergy, at 80. Its label names beef.
• Stella & Chewy's Stella's Super Beef Meal MixersA topper without the allergy, at 69.5 as a topper. Its label names beef.
• Vital Essentials Beef Entree Freeze-Dried Crunchy Mini NibsA topper without the allergy, at 71.5 as a topper. Its label names beef.

What was left out, and why

128 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.
• 7 foodsKibble too large for small breed.
• 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
• 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 small puppy, 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.