Tuesday, October 2, 2012

People Food for Pets: Evanger's Dog Food and Treats Review

 Jeffie and Rudy really enjoyed their taste testing of Evanger's dog food and treats.  Not only did it, obviously, taste good, but there were so many things to taste.

The good folks at Evanger's Food For Dogs and Cats sent us a generous box of their products to sample:

Jeffie and Rudy take a close look at Evanger's pet food products.
Since they were so generous and I'm not keen on changing my dog's food, it has taken some time for Jeffie and Rudy to give all of these products a thorough review.  Trust me... they didn't mind!

Here's how we conducted the taste tests.  Dry kibble was hand fed as a treat.  Canned food was rationed and a small amount was added to their regular dry kibble.  Treats were given as treats - though not nearly often enough to fully satisfy the boys.


Every single product passed the taste testers with flying colors!  Bottom line:  8 paws up for Evanger's.   Favorite products were the canned foods, though the dogs definitely loved everything.  
Evanger's Dried Beef Liver Treats
The boys didn't want to pose for photos; they wanted TREATS!
I loved Evanger's products, too and here's why:
  • Made in the United States by a family owned and operated company since 1935.
  • Free of harmful additives and preservatives
  • No soy, corn, wheat or by-products
  • Human grade ingredients
  • Every single product smelled good and looked good to the humans. (However, we did have to watch out for bones in the chicken thighs; cans do contain an appropriate warning)
  • Competitively priced for premium organic pet food
  • A VERY wide selection of food and treats: beef, chicken, fish, lamb and more.  Many recipes for pets with special needs.
Okay, I also love the story behind Evanger's.  Back in 1935, Fred Evanger bred, exhibited, and championed his Great Danes in international kennel clubs.  He believed that the key to his success in the show ring, as well as his dogs' health and the health of their offspring was due to nutritious food.  

In fact, he felt so strongly about it that he built a canning factory on his family farm so he could make a quality pet food. Even back then, Evanger's dog food was free of additives and preservatives.  In fact, he used crops and livestock raised on the family farm. 

In 2003, Evanger's was the first pet food company to create pet food packed by hand instead of machine by putting whole pieces of fresh meat and vegetables into the cans.

You read that right.  Open a can of Evanger's and you'll immediately recognize the ingredients.  Yes, that's real shredded, pulled (organic) chicken.  OMD!  those are chicken drumsticks, alright!

Cans include a warning about bones; we picked out two.

In addition, many of their recipes are created especially for dogs with special diet needs:  food allergies, low fat diet, gluten free,  sensitive stomach, irritable bowel syndrome and more.  They also have a large line of Kosher Kosher pet food products, as well as healthy selections for cats.

I should note that I found no evidence of any recalls for Evanger's pet food products, however, there were some issues with the USFDA in early 2011 regarding  misbranding of ingredients, none of which constituted a health or safety issue.

Bottom line:  We're pleased to recommend Evanger's dog food and dog treats! 
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14 comments:

  1. Sounds good, we have heard of this food but never really feed it. We made add it to our rotation now

    urban hounds

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    1. Well, we'd never heard of this brand before. It's not available locally for us (but then we live in the middle of nowhere). However, it's readily available online at many of the pet food supply places. We really like this pet food!

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  2. We taste tested Evangers at the Reliant Dog Show this year…. my dogs love the canned food and we are transitioning to the dry… We use the can food as tracking and training rewards also, its THAT good!!

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    1. I can easily imagine using the canned food as tracking and training rewards! It IS that good! Thanks, Lana

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  3. I've only recently heard about the food, but one of our dogs is allergic to chicken so it didn't make it into our rotation. We're a Halo Pets family. Most foods have options other than chicken so next time I'm at the pet store, I'll give this one a look. We like to give our dogs canned food once a day along with their kibble as a treat.

    Kimberly

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    1. Kimberly, Give Evanger's a try... they have many more products than just chicken and I regret I didn't include that in my review! Lots of beef varieties.

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    2. That's good to know. Beef is okay. We usually go for Salmon, Lamb and Beef for our dogs.

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    3. And I just updated my review post (thank you, Kimberly!). They have recipes with beef, lamb, fish and chicken. Visit their site and you'll be surprised at all the variety. Several are formulated for special needs. (Can you tell... I'm "high" on this brand. And I'd never heard of it before.)

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  4. Woof! Woof! Have not tasted any of their food or treats due to my allergies. But from you photos, I can tell you guys LOVE it. Golden Thanks for sharing. Happy Tasty Tuesday. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  5. What a great review! Jeffie and Rudy certainly looked like they enjoyed it! :)

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  6. Oh, that stuff looks good! Looks like you had some very willing taste-testers there!

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  7. That sounds like something we could really get behind! Nice review Sue.

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  8. Those dried liver treats look like something Buster and Ty would love! I'm going to have to check them out.

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  9. I think that dog food is a great invention for our pets. It is something that makes them healthy while they enjoy their meal.

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