Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Evanger’s Heritage Classic for Dogs’s product range is made up of nine recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 5 stars.
It’s important to note that five of the recipes in this product line appear to be entirely meat-based, and suitable for supplemental feeding only.
Each of these recipes is made from a single protein source with limited ingredients, making it an ideal choice for dogs with sensitivities. They are free of preservatives and fillers.
Pros
- No fillers or preservatives
- Limited ingredient
- Made with 100%, locally sourced pure USDA meat
Cons
- Not budget-friendly
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Evanger’s Heritage Classic for Dogs Lamb and Rice Dinner was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
Evanger's Heritage Classic for Dogs Lamb and Rice Dinner
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Lamb, water sufficient for processing, rice, liver, guar gum, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate [source of vitamin C], thiamine mononitrate [source of vitamin B1], calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride [source of vitamin B6], riboflavin supplement [source of vitamin B2], folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, vitamin D3 supplement), minerals (zinc sulfate, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, selenium yeast, potassium iodide).
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 9% | 6% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 41% | 27% | 24% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 31% | 51% | 18% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is lamb. Lamb is considered “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered” lamb and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1
Lamb is naturally rich in all 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The third ingredient is rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The fourth ingredient is liver. Normally, liver can be considered a quality component. However, in this case, the source of the liver is not identified. For this reason, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.
The fifth ingredient is guar gum, a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.
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 two notable exceptions…
First, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
And lastly, this dog food contains selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.
Nutrient Analysis
Judging by its ingredients alone, Evanger’s Heritage Classic for Dogs Lamb and Rice Dinner Dog Food appears to be an above-average canned product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 40.4%, a fat level of 26.9% and estimated carbohydrates of about 21.2%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 42.1% and a mean fat level of 26.9%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 19.5% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 64%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a canned product containing a significant amount of meat.
Evangers Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Evangers through March 2025.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Evanger’s Heritage Classic for Dogs's Dog Food
Evanger’s Heritage Classic for Dogs’s is a meat-based canned dog food using a significant amount of named meats as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
The Chicago Rabbinical Council endorses (the products proceeded by an asterisk) as chometz-free pet foods acceptable for dogs and cats in Kosher households on Passover.
About
Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company was founded in 1935 by Fred Evanger.
All these years later, Evanger’s pet food line is manufactured on the original site, following the same tradition of uncompromising quality. Evanger’s remains a family-owned and operated company and in 2003, Evanger’s was the first pet food company to create a food that was packed by hand instead of machine by putting whole pieces of fresh meat and vegetables into the cans.
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A Final Word
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