Evanger’s Signature Series (Canned)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★☆

See FDA Warning Letter

Evanger’s Signature Series dog food earns the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.

The Evanger’s Signature Series product line includes four canned dog foods… each formula designed to be “a grain-free stew” and meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.1

  • Evanger’s Beef Chunks Dinner in Gravy
  • Evanger’s Lamb Chunks Dinner in Gravy
  • Evanger’s Turkey Chunks Dinner in Gravy
  • Evanger’s Chicken Chunks Dinner in Gravy

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

Evanger's Turkey Chunks Dinner in Gravy

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 33% | Fat = 28% | Carbs = 31%

Ingredients: Turkey, turkey liver, gravy (turkey broth, tomato paste, guar gum), carrots, potatoes, peas, rosemary extract, vitamins {vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, vitamin D2 supplement}, minerals {zinc sulfate, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, selenium yeast, potassium iodide}

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 8.3%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

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”.2

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. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, turkey liver is a beneficial component.

The third ingredient lists gravy… which consists of turkey broth (mostly water), tomato paste and guar gum (a thickener).

In general, gravies provide minimal nutritive value.

The fourth ingredient includes carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The fifth ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

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

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

Evanger’s Signature Series Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Evanger’s Signature Series appears 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%.

All four products reveal the exact same nutrient percentages as our chosen example.

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

With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing a moderate amount of meat.

A decent profile. Yet nothing extraordinary.

To be eligible for our highest rating, we would have preferred to have seen a more generous proportion of meat as well as the inclusion of chelated minerals.

In any case, the grain-free nature of all four recipes along with the lack of any Red Flag items entitle the line to favored status.

Bottom line?

Evanger’s Signature Series is primarily a meat-based canned dog food using a fair amount of poultry, beef or lamb as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.

Highly recommended.

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

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

03/12/2010 Original review
10/12/2010 Review updated

  1. Evanger’s Customer Service, 10/8/2010 ↩
  2. Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor and based upon the official definition for chicken published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, Official Publication, 2008 Edition ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • Melanie A.

    Thank you for these reviews, your site is very helpful. I have been using Evanger’s for a long time and didn’t even know about the Signature Series until I saw it posted on your site last year. My shih tzu loves gravy, so I was using the Chunky Chicken Casserole and pouring it over her dry food. Then I read about the Evanger’s grain-free stews, and thought I’d give it a try. It is very easy to pour the gravy over the dry food, and I love that it comes in small cans for my small dog! Sometimes I do know a little bit of a color variation from case to case, but I guess that is to be expected since when I buy salami at the grocery store, for example, it isn’t always the exact color as the previous time. To me that says, “fresh.” I also like that I can actually SEE the ingredients like the potatoes and sliced carrots. For me, the Signature Series is great, and it lets me give a little meat variety, but has the texture and gravy my princess loves.

  • Lisa Rybicki

    Thank you, Doctor. The info provided on this website alone regarding food content is very helpful. We’ve been keeping a very close eye on her creatinine, phosphorus and urinary protein/creatinine ratio. I noted Fromm’s canned food is rated five stars, and we’ve had a very positive experience with other dogs and Fromm’s dry (we are avoiding dry food for Murph since the moisture in canned is reportedly better for renal insufficiency). And we may switch to Fromm and just continue to keep an eye on her labs. This website is a great resource….thanks!!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Lisa… I’m not aware of any concerns about this Evanger’s product. However, it is impossible for us (or anyone) to monitor the quality of the finished foods. Now, regarding your dog’s kidney disease… yes, newer studies do appear to endorse higher protein content in dog food (even for seniors). But a restricted protein diet may actually be appropriate when urinary nitrogen is high (uremia) or urinary protein is elevated (proteinuria).

    In any case, since I’m not a veterinarian, you’ve asked a question I don’t feel qualified to answer. Although I’m sure there are specific dog foods that could help, we try to limit our reviews to reading and interpreting pet food labels only. We never attempt to judge the ability of any dog food to treat certain problems or deliver specific health benefits. I wish I could be more help.

  • Lisa Rybicki

    I’m happy to see this review was recently updated as I have a question that Evanger’s hasn’t been able to answer to my satisfaction. Our dogs have been eating the Signature Series Turkey Chunks Dinner in Gravy since the beginning of this year. The food I purchased most recently is distinctly different. The turkey chunks are not soft like they used to be, not as dark brown and seem to have little bits of grizzle (or something similar) in them. The gravy is thicker, and Evanger’s will only admit they increased the guar gum in the gravy. In regards to the turkey chunks they only said the color varies from batch to batch as different parts of the turkey are used. If that were the case all along, I would expect to have noticed these harder, chewier chunks at some time before now. Are you aware of any change? Also, our oldest has early stage renal insufficiency, but we won’t feed her Hill’s kidney diet. We have heard that protein is not an issue if the protein source is high quality, but I’m concerned that the change in Evanger’s might be adverse for her. Do you recommend a specific food for her situation?