Evermore Dog Food (Cooked Frozen)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★★

Evermore Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The Evermore Dog Food product line includes two frozen cooked recipes. However, since we’re unable to locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the product’s web page, it’s impossible for us to report specific life stage recommendations for these recipes.

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

  • Evermore Beef Recipe
  • Evermore Chicken Recipe

Evermore Chicken Recipe was selected to represent both products in the line for this review.

Evermore Chicken Recipe

Frozen Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 42% | Fat = 19% | Carbs = 31%

Ingredients: Chicken breast and leg meat, chicken hearts, chicken livers, yams, free-range eggs, carrots, rutabegas, apples, kale, dandelion greens, wild blueberries, organic oats, organic barley, safflower oil, parsley, organic kelp, organic pumpkin seeds, alfalfa, calcium citrate, salmon oil, mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E), choline bitartrate, zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis42%19%NA
Dry Matter Basis42%19%31%
Calorie Weighted Basis35%39%26%

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

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

The second ingredient is chicken heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing to us humans, heart tissue is pure muscle — all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.

The third ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient is yams. In much of North America, the word yam can be used interchangeably with the term sweet potatoes.

So, assuming this item is indeed sweet potatoes, it can be considered a good source of complex carbohydrates. In addition, yams are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.

The fifth ingredient is eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The next six items include a series of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables…

  • Carrots
  • Rutabegas
  • Apples
  • Kale
  • Dandelion greens
  • Wild blueberries

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 four notable exceptions…

First, safflower oil is nutritionally similar to sunflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3′s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.

Safflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.

Next, pumpkin seeds are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and, more importantly, linoleic acid — an essential omega-6 fat.

In addition, salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.

And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Evermore Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Evermore Dog Food looks like an above average wet product.

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 42%, a fat level of 19% and estimated carbohydrates of about 31%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 40% and a mean fat level of 21%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 32% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 51%.

Near-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing a generous amount of meat.

However, even though it’s our policy to avoid consideration of any data other than what’s on the published label, it’s important to recognize the exceptional quality of these ingredients.

For example, this recipe includes 100% human-edible ingredients, such as the breast and leg meat from antibiotic-free, humanely raised chickens.

When it comes to a cooked dog food, Evermore is just about as close to homemade as one can get.

Bottom line?

Evermore Dog Food is a meat-based cooked-then-frozen product using a generous amount of chicken or beef as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content.

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

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been 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 specific health benefits for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyze each product, please 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 qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

To learn how we support the cost of operating this website, please visit our public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.

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

Notes and Updates

12/02/2011 Original review
06/03/2013 Review updated
06/03/2013 Last Update

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
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  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja Dog Food Ninja

    Ruth, while I’m glade your dogs do well on this food and I think this is a fine product, I’d like to know how you are under the impression that dogs or their ancestors EVER ate grains? Grains are just an inedible grass seed that is very spars and seasonal. It requires human intervention with nature by way of farming in mono-cultures and cooking to create an edible product from grass seeds. Even large herbivores like cows don’t eat grass seeds. They eat grass. Or, well, they would eat grass if we didn’t make them eat corn. The only plant matter that has ever been part of wild dogs and wolves diets are leafy greens and fruits. You know, stuff that can just be plucked up and munched on or easily dug up. But none of that even made up a substantial portion of any canine diet. Ever. That’s why they have pointy teeth. :-)

  • Ruth

    I know of many dogs who are currently thriving on “Evermore”. In answer to some of the comments: 1)cooked versus raw – the differences are in palatability, digestibility and pathogen risk. This food simply tastes great to most dogs, so even very finicky eaters usually love this food. Sometimes dogs that have previously eaten raw, lose the taste for it or have problems digesting as they get older or frail. The gentle low temperature cooking process destroys potential pathogens without sacrificing the nutritional value of the food 2) Grain Free – “Evermore” does not claim to be grain free. It claims to not have any cheap fillers or common allergens such as wheat, corn or soy. The dog’s wild ancestors did consume some grain in their diet, as the prey that they consumed would have had grain products in their entrails. The high quality organic oats and barely comprise only 5% of the ingredient total and are there to promote digestive health. The website is: http://www.evermorepetfood.com for complete information
    Evermore is currently available throughout the Northeast and online. There is a store locater on the website.

  • erin c.

    THANK YOU for giving us a link to the places to buy these dog foods.
    It helps a lot.

  • erin c.

    This looks like really good food.

    Our old dog has been rejecting all dog food lately–can, dry, dry in water.
    When I offered cooked chicken with dry food in water, she eats the chicken and leaves the rest. She got down to eating almost nothing.

    What did we offer? Evo Chicken, Blue Wilderness Chicken or Duck, TOTW Chicken or Duck or Salmon, Chicken Soup, and many others–I have a list.

    Can dogs be allergic to chicken? I’ve stayed away from Beef dog food.
    Maybe some dog foods give her stomach aches and now she is afraid to eat it? Some do smell alike.

    The last couple of days I’ve been offering cooked rice, grnd. beef, peas & carrots.
    I also tried mixing some rice, froz. steamed peas & carrots with some can Chicken Soup for the soul. She ate it but only after I added peas & carrots.

    She ate 4 times today–by 1 p.m.
    Is eating rice not very fulfilling for dogs–sort of like eating Chinese food and then you are hungry soon after?
    Maybe she is making up for all the times she ate very little or nothing.

    She hasn’t spent that much time in the kitchen in a long time. “I want some more,” she seems to be saying when she looked at me in the kitchen today.

    Leftover Turkey, rice, and peas & carrots is next on the menu.

    This year I noticed they inject a lot of stuff into Turkeys.
    Is it ok to feed Turkey to a dog? No worse than chicken?

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja Dog Food Ninja

    Those are grains, to be sure. They are pretty far down the list of ingredients, so I doubt they have much of a negative impact on the nutrition of the food, but I certainly question the logic of adding them in the first place.

  • Heather

    I’m confused why this food is labeled grain-free. It contains oats and barley. Are these not grains?

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja Dog Food Ninja

    What’s their logic behind cooking the food? They could save a step and just freeze it raw. ;-)