Evanger’s Signature Series (Canned)

Rating:

Evanger’s Signature Series dog food earns the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3 stars.

The Evanger’s Signature Series product line includes four canned dog foods.

However, since we’re unable to locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the Evanger’s website, it’s impossible for us to report specific life stage recommendations for these recipes.

• Evanger’s Signature Series Slow Cooked Beef Stew
• Evanger’s Signature Series Slow Cooked Lamb Stew
• Evanger’s Signature Series Slow Cooked Turkey Stew
• Evanger’s Signature Series Slow Cooked Chicken Stew

Evanger’s Turkey Chunks Dinner in Gravy dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

The first ingredient in this dog food is turkey. Turkey is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey”.¹

Turkey is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient includes turkey liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The third ingredient is gravy, described on the label as consisting of turkey broth, tomato paste and guar gum (a thickener).

The fourth item includes carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The fifth item is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth ingredient mentions peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With two one notable exceptions…

First, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

And lastly, this recipe also contains selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Evanger’s Signature Series Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Evanger’s Signature Series looks to be an above-average canned dog food.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33%, a fat level of 28% and estimated carbohydrates of about 31%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 33% and a mean fat level of 28%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 31% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 83%.

Below-average protein. Above-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing only a below-average amount of meat.

However, with 51% of the total calories in this food coming from fat as compared to just 25% from protein, this product may not be appropriate for every dog.

Bottom line?

Evanger’s Signature Series is a grain-free canned dog food using a below-average amount of poultry, beef or lamb as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3 stars.

Recommended.

Those desiring a lower fat content for their pet’s diet may wish to look elsewhere for a another product.

Those looking for a nice kibble to go with this product may wish to visit our review of Evanger’s dry dog food.

Special Alert

Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.

A Final Word

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Notes and Updates

03/12/2010 Original review
10/12/2010 Review updated
07/06/2012 Last Update