Score it for your dog

Best-scoring dog foods

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

For a small puppy, very 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 Salmon Grain-Free Puppy, a kibble, at 83.8 out of 100. The best-scoring of each kind: kibble, Open Farm Salmon Grain-Free Puppy at 83.8. 74 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 Salmon Grain-Free Puppy: On March 11, 2026 Pet Valu listed the 9.98 kg bag at $113.99 in Canadian dollars.

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Kibble

47 kibble foods fit this dog.

  1. 83.8 of 100
    • High protein (30.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (30.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat

  2. 2nd of 47, level with three others

    Open Farm Salmon & Ancient Grains Puppy

    82.2 of 100
    • High protein (27.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • High protein content (27.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat

    1.6 points under Open Farm Salmon Grain-Free Puppy:

    • Activity and goal, 26.2 against 26.3. High protein (27.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss. Fat is 15.6% of dry matter and fibre is 4.5% as fed. For this dog, a very active dog losing weight, full points need fat under 13.5% with fibre of 5% or more.
    • 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%.

  3. 2nd of 47, level with three others

    Open Farm RawMix Wild Ocean Grain-Free

    82.2 of 100
    • High protein (31.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

  4. 2nd of 47, level with three others

    Open Farm RawMix Wild Ocean Ancient Grains

    82.2 of 100
    • High protein (31.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

  5. 2nd of 47, level with three others

    Open Farm RawMix Ancient Grains Puppy

    82.2 of 100
    • High protein (31.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (31.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.0%) for this dog's joints and coat

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 66.5.

  1. 66.5 of 100
    • High protein (48.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (48.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog
  2. 62.5 of 100
    • High protein (40.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (40.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

    4 points under Smack Prairie Harvest Pork:

    • Nutritional quality, 15 against 18. Premium protein content (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

    59 of 100
    • High protein (38.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (38.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

    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.
  4. 59 of 100
    • High protein (44.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (44.0%) for this dog
    • Optimal caloric density for this dog

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 69.5.

  1. 69.5 of 100
    • High protein (57.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (57.0%) for this dog
    • Excellent Omega-3 (1.13%) for this dog's joints and coat
  2. 67.2 of 100
    • High protein (55.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (55.0%) for this dog
    • Balanced fat content (15.0%) for this dog

    2.3 points 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.
  3. 67.2 of 100
    • High protein (45.0%) preserves this dog's muscle during weight loss
    • Premium protein content (45.0%) for this dog
    • Balanced fat content (15.0%) 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 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

74 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.
  • 2 foodsKibble too large for small breed.
  • 2 foodsNot a complete diet.
  • 5 foodsScored under 50, so it is not offered.
  • 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 small puppy, very 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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