Instinct is a leading supplier of raw pet Food in the United States and Canada. Each of the seven different dog food lines are made up of raw, whole, all-natural ingredients, supporting the company’s Feed What’s Real® slogan. The foods are designed to promote digestion, muscle strength, healthy skin, a shiny coat, and dental hygiene. Instinct is a great choice for dogs with food sensitivities as it’s made entirely without gluten or grains.

Quality Of Ingredients

Instinct uses all raw ingredients, meaning that the food is never heated or cooked. Instead, they use a freeze drying process called High Pressure Processing to make the food safe to keep on your shelf without refrigeration. All food is made in the United States and produced in Instinct’s own factory in Nebraska, so you won’t have to worry about quality control or contamination.

The main ingredient in each Instinct dog food recipe is meat, such as beef, chicken, rabbit, or lamb. They never use grain, corn, wheat, soy, or potato, which are all common sensitivities in dogs. Instinct also keeps its foods free of fillers, artificial colors, and preservatives.

Ingredients are sourced from responsible suppliers; for example, grass-fed lamb is imported from New Zealand, while the farm-raised rabbits used come directly from a supplier in France. All fruits and vegetables are non-GMO.

Full Ingredients And Analysis

Analyzing the first 10 ingredients in a dog food is a great way to understand the overall nutrient content of the dog food because AAFCO requires all dog food ingredients to be listed in order of predominance by their weight. Here’s a closer look at what’s inside Instinct® Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Beef:

Full Ingredients:

Beef, Chicken Meal, White Fish Meal (Pacific Whiting, Pacific Sole, Pacific Rockfish), Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Tapioca, Chickpeas, Menhaden Fish Meal, Natural Flavor, Herring Meal, Dried Tomato Pomace, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin), Montmorillonite Clay, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide), Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Freeze Dried Beef, Freeze Dried Beef Liver, Pumpkin Seeds, Freeze Dried Beef Heart, Freeze Dried Beef Kidney, Freeze Dried Beef Spleen, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract

Overall this formula is excellent – high protein with ideal levels of fat and carbohydrates.

Ingredients You May Wonder About:

• Beef: Beef is a great source of protein for your dog. It’s commonly used as the main protein in pet food. It also provides essential vitamins and minerals that help maintain a shiny coat and healthy joints. The Omega-3 fatty acids found in beef can help relieve skin problems.
• Fish Meal: Dogs love the smell of this ingredient. It’s a great source of amino acids and antioxidants. 
• Peas: This green veggie provides vitamins A, B, and K as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. ^Reference
• Tapioca: Tapioca is a healthy source of carbohydrates in your dog’s diet. It’s a better alternative to wheat and corn, which are both common allergens.
• Montmorillonite Clay: In addition to acting as an anti-caking agent, this clay helps your dog’s body remove toxins and maintain a healthy pH level and digestive flora. ^Reference
• Carrots: Carrots contain beta-carotene, which lowers the risk of cancer.
• Apples: This fruit adds fiber to your dog’s diet, in addition to supplying vitamins A and C. ^Reference
• Cranberries: Cranberries provide even more vitamins and minerals: vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, just to name a few.
• Choline Chloride: This is another name for vitamin B4.
• Potassium Chloride: Potassium and chloride are both important electrolytes.
• Pumpkin Seeds: This popular snack for humans is also great for dogs. It has prebiotics, probiotics, and fiber.
• Bacillus Coagulans: A type of “good bacteria”, this ingredient is often used to support healthy digestive function. ^Reference
• Rosemary Extract: Rosemary extract is a natural preservative that has been deemed safe for use in dog food. ^Reference

Instinct Raw Dog Food Product Line

Instinct currently offers seven different product lines of dog food. Three of these lines are traditional kibble, three contain special freeze-dried pieces, and the seventh is a wet food option.

Instinct Original

The Instinct Original product line is a traditional dog kibble made from 70% animal ingredients and 30% fruits and vegetables. It comes in five flavors: beef, chicken, duck, rabbit, and salmon. There’s also a small breed-specific option, which only comes in chicken flavor.

Instinct Be Natural

This vitamin- and mineral-boosted dog food combines Instinct’s traditional meat protein source with a high-quality carbohydrate, such as brown rice or oatmeal.

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet

If your dog has a long list of food sensitivities, this is the food you need. Each of the four flavors are made from only one animal protein and one vegetable source, making it easy to avoid the ingredients your dog can’t eat.

Instinct Raw

Instinct Raw is the brand’s purest 100% raw recipe. It comes in three forms: freeze-dried bites, and frozen medallions, and patties. There are also options for small breeds.

Instinct Raw Boost

A combination of kibble and freeze-dried pieces, Instinct Raw Boost gives you the best of both worlds from the Instinct Original and Instinct Raw product lines.

Instinct Raw Signature

This is Instinct’s premiere dog food product line, made from 95% animal protein and only 5% fruits and vegetables. It’s available in bites and medallions and comes in six different flavors.

Instinct Wet

Instinct’s wet food recipes take all-natural meat and vegetables and turn them into delicious stews and loaves. They come in convenient pouches and cans and can be used on their own or as a dry food topper. In addition to a wide variety of flavors, there are also diet options and formulas specific to puppies and small breeds.

About Instinct

Instinct is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, where it makes all of its raw dog food onsite in small batches. Their mission is “to transform the lives of pets” through a raw food diet. The company also values giving back to the community, with employees clocking a combined 5,300 hours of volunteer work and counting.

Where To Buy

Instinct Raw Dog Food is available in most of the places you shop for pet food, both in stores and online. The brand is widely carried by Petco, Petsmart, and smaller independent pet stores across the United States and Canada. You can also order it online from Chewy and Amazon.

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