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Disclosure: Watchdog Labs is free to use. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn a commission.
Please be aware that Hill’s is voluntarily recalling some canned dog food due to potentially elevated levels of Vitamin D. More information here.
Evolve Deboned Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe is a low-priced dry dog food with good quality overall. This product has 1 controversial ingredient, but luckily no artificial preservatives, colors and flavors. However, the food has a high amount of carbs, compared to its protein and fat - contrasted by excellent meat and fat quality. Evolve has a below-average number of recalls. Unfortunately, the company was non-responsive when answering our important food quality questions.
Read the Full Review BelowLearn what makes a great dog food and get expert advice on how to choose the best food for your dog.
Learn MoreThis dog food review was created by experts who love dogs. Find out more about our team and mission.
About Watchdog LabsThe food has high carbs and somewhat low protein and fats, making it less nutritionally balanced compared to other dog foods we evaluated. Carbohydrates are cheap so they keep the food’s cost low and they are nutritionally useful to dogs in the right amounts. However, high amounts of carbs can reduce the much-needed meat-based protein and fat content.
To evaluate dog foods, we first calculate out the moisture. This is called the “dry matter basis” and shows you only the solid ingredients in the food. These estimated “dry matter” numbers are different from the food label, but a better way to understand the real nutritional value of the food. We also calculate the carbs. Find out more
Min. Protein 27.78%
Min. Fat 16.67%
Min. Carbs 47.78%
Max. Fiber 3.33%
Max. Ash 7.78%
Max. Moisture 0.00%
Min. Protein: 25.0%
Min Fat: 15.0%
Min Carbs: N/A
Max Fiber: 3.0%
Max Ash: N/A
Max. Moisture: 10.0%
363 Calories per Cup
This product has an average amount of calories. It’s important to understand how many calories you are feeding to prevent under or overfeeding. Average calorie foods like this are typically best for fairly active dogs who need a moderate amount of daily calories. Based on your dog's current weight and activity level you may want to feed more or less than the recommended amount. It's helpful to know that weight loss foods often have fewer than 340 calories per cup, weight maintenance foods typically range from 340-380 calories, and high-activity dog foods are usually over 400 calories.
Grain-Free Dog Foods
This is a grain-free dog food. The FDA is investigating a potential connection between grain-free diets and canine heart disease. There is not enough evidence yet to affect our ratings but we've created an article for you explaining the topic.
Learn MoreDeboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potato, Whole Ground Garbanzo Bean, Pea Flour, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Starch, Lentils, Ground Flaxseed, Natural Salmon Flavor, Dried Chicory Root, Dried Cranberries, Blueberries, Carrots, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Bifidobacterium Animalis Product Dehydrated, Lactobacillus Reuteri Fermentation Product Dehydrated, Potassium Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Copper sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Source Of Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement).
The average dog food we reviewed has 39 total ingredients, with 1 controversial ingredient. This product does not have any controversial ingredients, which is great to see.
Top 5 Ingredients
Dog food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. So when looking at a dog food label, take a close look at the first 5 ingredients. They make up about 80% of the total weight.
Controversial Ingredients
Evolve has not included any controversial ingredients in this recipe.
Country of Origin
Made in the United States.
Meat & Fat Quality
This dog food uses named meat and protein sources like deboned salmon, chicken meal. This is fantastic because it shows you the species the ingredient comes from. The same goes for the two fat sources flaxseed and chicken fat - both identify the plant and animal they come from.
Artificial Preservatives
This Evolve recipe does not contain any controversial preservatives. It’s good to know that not all artificial preservatives are bad. That’s because they serve an important purpose, which is to prevent food from spoiling. However, we consider 11 artificial preservatives controversial because of their potential link to cancer and other serious health conditions.
Artificial Colors
No artificial colors are in this product.
Artificial Flavors
No artificial flavors are in this product.
Evolve has a below average number of recalls.
We love dog food brands that are committed to transparent business practices. If you make quality dog food you should be willing to openly talk about how it’s sourced and produced. That’s why we reached out to pet food companies, asking questions about all their brands and products. Each company had three weeks to reply to our messages.
How Easy Was it to Reach the Company?
Unfortunately, Evolve did not respond to any of our messages.
Does Evolve have a veterinary nutritionist on staff? If so, who are they?
No Response.
Who formulates your recipes, and what are their credentials?
No Response.
Do you test your products using the AAFCO feeding trials? Why, or why not?
No Response.
What country are your products manufactured?
No Response.
Can your manufacturing facilities be visited?
No Response.
What quality measures do you use to assure consistency and quality?
No Response.
Does Evolve own its manufacturing facility? If it is another company, what company is it?
No Response.
Do any parts of your product come from China?
No Response.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1242073/
https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/proposition-65-list
https://petfood.aafco.org/Nutritional-Labeling
https://petfood.aafco.org/Labeling-Labeling-Requirements
https://petfood.aafco.org/Calorie-Content
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/ucm047120.htm
http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/miscellaneous/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf
http://www.acvn.org/nutrition-resources/
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/Products/AnimalFoodFeeds/PetFood/ucm2006475.htm
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2011-N-0922-0489
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/ires/
https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/safety-loophole-for-chemicals-in-food-report.pdf
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/pubhealth/roc/index-1.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8493816
Linda P Case, MS; Daniel P Carey, DVM; and Diane A Hirakawa, PhD, Canine and Feline Nutrition A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, Mosby-Year Book, Inc.