Grain-Free Hand Packed Whole Chicken Thighs Canned Dog Food, 12-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Evanger's Grain-Free Hand Packed Whole Chicken Thighs Canned Dog Food is a wet food featuring chicken thighs, with no life stage specified.
This wet food is very simple, featuring whole chicken thighs and chicken broth as the only listed ingredients. It's a straightforward, meat-first recipe that highlights its hand-packed nature.
The biggest concern is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. This also means the score is capped. There's also no declared source of omega-3s.
Good fit for dogs needing a simple, limited-ingredient topper or a specific, vet-recommended diet. Less ideal as a complete and balanced meal.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken thighs anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 45/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). A hard cap of 59 also applied because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address fat quality as well.
No positive drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest fat quality in Evanger's's lineup (4/16)
- Top 3% for DMB fat in Evanger's's lineup (38.9%)
- Bottom quartile for carb quality in Evanger's's lineup (9/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.

Evanger's Venison & Beef Dinner Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 12.8-oz, case of 12
Scores 13 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Evanger's Beef & Bacon Grain-Free Wet Dog Food, 20.2-oz can, case of 12
$2.76/lb vs your seed's $5.65/lb (51% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 89%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1chicken thighs
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2chicken broth
Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
1 of 2 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.