Rating: 
EVO dry dog food earns the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.
Currently, the EVO product line includes 7 kibbles… four designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and two for adult maintenance (herring/salmon and weight management formulas).
- EVO Red Meat Formula
- EVO Turkey and Chicken Formula
- EVO Herring and Salmon Formula (adults only)
- EVO Weight Management Formula (adults only)
- EVO Red Meat Formula Small Bites
- EVO Turkey and Chicken Formula Small Bites
- EVO Turkey and Chicken Meal Senior
EVO Turkey and Chicken Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
EVO Turkey and Chicken Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Turkey, chicken, turkey meal, chicken meal, potatoes, herring meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of vitamin E), natural flavors, eggs, apples, tomatoes, potassium chloride, carrots, vitamins (ascorbic acid, vitamin E supplement, betaine hydrochloride, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, beta carotene, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, folic acid), cottage cheese, minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, calcium iodate), alfalfa sprouts, dried chicory root, direct-fed microbials (dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first two ingredients include turkey and chicken .
Although it is a quality item, raw poultry contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
Which brings us to turkey and chicken meals… which are more likely to be the dominant meat ingredients in this dog food.
Turkey and chicken meals are both meat concentrates delivering almost 300 percent more protein than fresh poultry itself.
The fifth ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The sixth ingredient is herring meal… another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Unlike most fish meals, this item appears1 to be ethoxyquin-free.
The seventh ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
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 three notable exceptions…
First, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
Next, chicory root is naturally rich in a substance called inulin… a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
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.
EVO Dry Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Based upon the ingredients alone, EVO Dry Dog Food looks like an above-average kibble.
However, ingredient quality by itself can never 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 47%, a fat level of 24% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 21%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 48% and an average fat level of 22%. Together, these figures suggest an overall carbohydrate content of 22% for the full product line.
High protein. High fat. And low carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this is the profile of a kibble containing an abundance of meat.
For those desiring to mimic a dog’s natural ancestral diet, EVO Dry makes an excellent choice.
Bottom line?
EVO Dry Dog Food is a grain-free kibble using an abundance of named meats and meat meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a comparable wet food from the same company may wish to check out our review of EVO Canned 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 specific health benefits 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 brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
11/22/2009 Original review
06/23/2010 Review updated
01/30/2011 Review updated (added new Senior recipe)
03/31/2011 Review updated (slight change in vitamin and mineral sequence)
- Per Natura Customer Service, 6/23/2010 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.