Evolve Dog Food: Review

Evolve is a family owned and operated pet food brand. They are produced and manufactured by Sunshine Mills, an Alabama pet food company that was founded in 1949. Sunshine Mills has more than 50 years and four generations of experience in the pet food industry. While they originally started as an animal feed company, they eventually added a pet food line in the 1960s. 

Today, Evolve is known for being a premium, affordable pet food brand that offers pet parents nutritious and delicious choices for their pets. The Evolve brand is committed to creating high-quality products using only the freshest, natural ingredients. Their promise to pet owners is founded in food that is of the highest quality, kitchen crafted and enriched with wholesome ingredients. 

All of Evolve’s food ranges use real meat as the main protein source. There’s no corn, wheat, soy or artificial ingredients in any of the formulas. Your dog will instead get a healthy balance of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, fiber and digestible carbohydrates. 

Evolve is a US-based company, so they produce all of their own food at company-owned facilities or Sunshine Mills production plants. This means that quality control and safety standards are easier to uphold. 

Now that you have more background on Evolve as a brand, it’s time to dive deeper into their dog food. To help you better decide on whether Evolve’s products are the right fit for your canine, we’ve reviewed their highest-rated dry, wet and grain-free dog food below.

Evolve’s top-selling dry food is a balanced formula of deboned salmon and sweet potato. It is grain-free as well. The carbohydrate sources are mainly sweet potatoes and garbanzo beans, which will give your pup a long-lasting energy source to make it through the day. With deboned salmon as the main protein and fat source, you can rest assured that this will adequately support muscle growth, skin/coat health, and mobility.

With 25% protein and 15% fat this recipe fits in with industry averages. It does have better quality ingredients than the industry average, and the added prebiotics and probiotics are great for digestion. Feel free to feed your dog this corn free, wheat-free, soy-free, filler-free, and artificial additive-free recipe!

Customer reviews:

“I have to purchase this dog food because both my dogs have a grain and chicken allergy. This product is much cheaper than all the other products like it. My dogs love it the vet approves it so it’s a very good product!!

“My Lab loves this kibble. Eats it up dry and his coat is shiny, stools are firm(we live in a pickup after your dog neighborhood)”

Guaranteed analysis:

• Protein (min): 25.0%
• Fat (min): 15.0%
• Fiber (max): 3.0%
• Moisture (max): 10.0%

Nutritional Info
Ingredients: Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Tapioca Starch, Sweet Potatoes, Garbanzo Beans, Turkey Meal, Peas, Pea Starch, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Ground Flaxseed, Beet Pulp, Dried Yeast, Dried Apples, Natural Chicken Flavor, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Menhaden Fish Oil, Choline Chloride, Dried Chicory Root, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Avocado, Dried Carrots, Parsley, Papaya, Spinach, Kale Powder, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Dl-Methionine, 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) Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Reuteri Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product.

Caloric Content

3,696 kcal/kg, 363 kcal/cup

With how much turkey is in this wet dog food it’s making me start to think it’s Thanksgiving! Evolve’s top-selling wet dog food has a nice mix of protein (8%) and fat (6%) coming from whole turkey, chicken liver, and lamb. It also has added vitamins for your dog’s wellbeing, and chelated minerals to make absorption easier for your pup’s stomach. This recipe has received great reviews for how easily dogs take to it, and their sustained enjoyment, so maybe it tastes like Thanksgiving dinner too?

Customer reviews:

“I have no issues with brand nor flavor my dog seems to like it. I was told by rescue that’s what they have been feeding her.”

“This food is great if you are looking for a smooth ground up food. I use this to give daily meds in (pill pockets never worked for us!) and the dogs love it. This is completely ground and smooth (no chunks) and it does not get hard in the refrigerator (so saving a partially used can for use later is great!) The ingredients are excellent, and the price is good too.

Guaranteed analysis: 

• Protein (min): 8.0%
• Fat (min): 6.0%
• Fiber (max): 1.0%
• Moisture (max): 78.0%

Nutritional Info
Ingredients: Turkey, Turkey Broth, Chicken Liver, Lamb, Carrots, Rice Flour, Brown Rice, Ocean Fish, Dried Egg Product, Cottage Cheese (Milk Ingredients, Bacterial Culture, Salt, Citric Acid, Guar Gum, Mono And Diglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Microbial Enzyme, Carbon Dioxide). Peas, Oat Bran, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Carrageenan, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide), Brewers Dried Yeast, Vitamins (Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Inulin, Choline Chloride.

Caloric Content

1,286 kcal/kg, 481 kcal/can

Evolve has been affected by a few recalls over the years. But it’s important to note that recalls can happen for a variety of reasons. Overall, the company has a good track record.

Here’s a brief snapshot of Evolve’s recall history, starting with the most recent: 

2018 

Select varieties of Evolve dry dog food were recalled this year due to elevated levels of Vitamin D. 

2014

Evolve’s parent company, Sunshine Mills, issued a voluntary recall of some dog food products this year due to low thiamine levels. 

2007

A recall for Evolve dry kitten food occurred due to potential melamine contamination.