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Dog Food Insiders Rating
4 1/2 PAWS
You can find detailed information about Natura Pet, manufacturer of EVO dog food, in our main review of EVO Dog Food. There you will also find information about how the food is made, recalls, and their quality control procedures. Evo dog food is considered to be a “top tier” dog food with higher quality ingredients and has gained quite a bit of popularity among dog nutritionists.
Evo claims their dog food products more closely mimic an “ancient” or “natural” diet than most other dog food brands provide. That means their products are normally much higher in meat based proteins and lack most of the “filler ingredients” used by other dog food brands. Let’s take a closer look at this food by analyzing the specific ingredients used. In addition to looking at the top 5 ingredients, we will also look deeper into the ingredients list to see if there are any ingredients of concern. Finally, we will take a close look at the Guaranteed Analysis.
Ingredients in EVO 95 Percent Salmon & Herring Dog Food
Salmon, Herring, Herring Broth, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Oil, Herring Oil, Guar Gum, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Iodide), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Vitamins (Vitamin E, A, D3, B12 Supplements, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Choline Chloride, Salt, Taurine.
A Few Words About Ingredients Used In Evo Dog Food
If you read many dog food labels one of the things you start to figure out is that not all products made by the same company are alike. You might assume that when a company makes five kinds of canned food, the way EVO makes this 95% meat line of food, that the foods would be just alike except for the meats. But that’s not exactly the case. There are some differences between these foods. For example, all of the foods except the 95% Salmon and Herring Canned Dog Food use carrageenan as a thickener. Carrageenan, as you might know, has become a controversial ingredient recently because some research links it to gastrointestinal problems. The 95% Salmon & Herring Canned Dog Food doesn’t contain this ingredient. It uses several other kinds of gum thickeners instead.
You should keep this in mind when you look at other brands and their foods. Most brands will have foods that vary somewhat in their ingredients. Some of their products will be outstanding but some of their products, even in the same line, may have some ingredients that you might not like for your dog to eat. Read the labels carefully and don’t assume that food “A” is just as good as food “B” or food “C,” even if they’re all “Traditional (Chicken, Venison, Duck, etc.) Dinner For Dogs.” There might be different protein percentages, fillers, a different quality of ingredients, and so on. So, read the labels, even if you are already familiar with one of the foods from that company.
Otherwise the foods in this line from EVO are very similar, especially in the fact that they all either have higher fat percentages than protein percentages, or they are equal. That’s unusual in any dog food. Most foods have fat percentages that are about half or, at most, two-thirds of the protein percentage. This is definitely not a line of food that you would want to feed to an overweight dog. Dogs of average weight will probably gain weight if they eat this food regularly unless they use up a lot of energy. On the other hand, if you have dogs that are burning a lot of calories in sports like hunting, coursing, or other field sports, you may like the added calories in this food. But for most pets who stay home all the time, this food will pack on pounds.
Top 5 Ingredients Breakdown
The first two ingredients in EVO 95% Salmon & Herring Canned Dog Food are salmon and herring. These two fish are excellent sources of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is a good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Vitamin B12 and Selenium. Herring is a very good source of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and Selenium. The third ingredient is herring broth. The food contains approximately 78 percent moisture so the herring broth provides some of this moisture. It’s better than simply adding water to the food but it doesn’t contain a lot of nutrients.
The fifth and sixth ingredients are sunflower oil and herring oil which are fat sources. Sunflower oil is high in omega-6 fatty acid and a good source of Vitamin E; while herring oil is very high in omega-3 fatty acid.
Additional Ingredients of Interest
The next three ingredients are Guar Gum, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum. These ingredients are added as thickeners and to give texture to the food. Guar gum has almost eight times the water-thickening potency as cornstarch. Xanthum gum is often used in salad dressings and sauces. It is possible for some dogs to be allergic to xanthum gum if they are allergic to the growth medium that is used to make the xanthum, which is often corn, soy, or wheat. However, a dog would have to be highly sensitive to have an allergic reaction to xanthum because of its source. Cassia gum is mainly used in pet foods in the U.S. but it is used in human foods in the European Union and other parts of the world.
The food also contains a mineral called Selenium Yeast. Selenium-enriched yeast (Se-yeast) is a common form of Selenium used to supplement the dietary intake of this important trace mineral. However, its use in the European Union is currently being questioned because of concerns expressed by the European Community (EC) Scientific Committee on Food that Se-yeast supplements are poorly characterized and could potentially cause the build up of Selenium in tissues to toxic levels. Research suggests that Selenium yeast used by quality manufacturers should not pose any kind of risk.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15522125
The food also contains L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C and Vitamin E. These vitamins are used as mild preservatives, though the canning process provides most of the preservation for the food.
Ingredients Of Concern
The only ingredient of real concern is the “Natural Flavor” that appears as the fourth ingredient. That’s very early in the ingredient list, too, so it can conceivably have a large presence in the food. Natural flavor can refer to anything from liver broth to a whole list of things the FDA considers “natural” – but which most people wouldn’t think of when they hear the term “natural.” The main problem with the term “natural flavor” is that it’s very vague and you don’t know what it is. It’s always best to know exactly what’s in your dog’s food and what you’re feeding him.
Guaranteed Analysis
- Crude Protein (Min) 8.5%
- Crude Fat (Min) 9.0%
- Crude Fiber (Max) 1.0%
- Moisture (Max) 78.0%
- Magnesium (Max) 0.035%
- Vitamin E (Min) 100.0 IU/kg
- Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)(Min) 330.0 mg/kg
- DHA + EPA (Min) 0.8%
From the Nutritional Analysis:
- Carbohydrates (NFE) 1.17%
- Calcium 0.59%
- Phosphorous 0.43%
1.18 : 0.86 Calcium to Phosphorous ratio
Calorie Content:
- 1312.0 kcal/kg; 297.6 calories per 8 ounce cup
- 205.0 kcals per 5.5oz can
- 491.0 kcals per 13.2 oz can
Nutritional Statement:
EVO 95% Salmon and Herring Canned Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.
Dry Matter Basis:
On a dry matter basis this food contains approximately 36.6 percent protein; 40.9 percent fat; 4.5 percent fiber; and 5.3 percent carbohydrates. It’s not unusual for canned food to have a very low amount of carbohydrates. However, it is unusual for any food, even canned foods, to have more fat than protein. This is reflected in the calories for this food which are high for a canned food. If your dog needs to lose weight or has any problems digesting fat, then you should not feed this food.
Summary
EVO 95% Salmon and Herring Canned Dog Food – and this entire line of food – contains more fat than protein (or equal amounts fat and protein), so it’s not recommended for most pet dogs who don’t get much exercise. Or it should only be fed in small amounts. But, if you have a very active dog who gets lots of exercise and burns lots of calories, this looks like a good food.
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