Beneful vs. Instinct
In this comparison article for Beneful vs Instinct, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Beneful and Instinct, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.
Throughout this Instinct vs Beneful comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Beneful Review Page or Instinct Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Instinct vs. Beneful
According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.
All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.
Beneful Dog Food vs. Instinct Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Beneful | Instinct |
| Crude Protein | 28.7% | 35.6% |
| Crude Fat | 14.3% | 20.3% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Beneful | Instinct |
| Crude Protein | 46.7% | 45.0% |
| Crude Fat | 9.5% | 25.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 6.6% | 7.9% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.
There is a relatively large difference between the protein content of Instinct and Beneful. On average, Beneful dry dog food recipes contain 6.86% less protein than Instinct recipes. For wet dog foods, Beneful and Instinct provide roughly the same amount of protein.
Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food
Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.
Beneful dry recipes contain 6.00% less fat than Instinct dry recipes. This difference in fat content is a notable difference between Instinct and Beneful. In addition, Instinct wet dog foods also provide more fat than Beneful wet foods.
There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Instinct and Beneful also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Beneful Pet Food Ingredients vs. Instinct Pet Food Ingredients
Beneful and Instinct both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Beneful.
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Instinct.
We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.
Beneful and Instinct both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:
Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Beneful.
Product Safety: Recall History of Beneful & Instinct?
Beneful has been recalled once.
- March 9, 2016: Incorrect Vitamins and Minerals
Instinct has been recalled 2 times.
- July 24, 2015: Salmonella
- Feb. 15, 2013: Pieces of clear plastic in bag
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Beneful | Instinct |
| Per Pound | $1.38 | $3.31 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0009 | $0.0017 |
| Wet Dog Food | Beneful | Instinct |
| Per Pound | $4.02 | $5.97 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0091 | $0.0111 |
The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.
If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Beneful or Instinct, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.
Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Beneful or Instinct will depend on your shopping habits.
Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Beneful and Instinct. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- $10 Off + Free Shipping Orders $60+ @ PetFlow (Use Code SAVENOW)
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Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!
Where To Buy Beneful Pet Foods
You can purchase Beneful pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Instinct Pet Foods
You can purchase Instinct pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Beneful | Instinct |
| Dry Dog Food | 10 Recipes | 27 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 22 Recipes | 18 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | 7 Treats | |
| Dry Cat Food | 14 Recipes | |
| Wet Cat Food | 17 Recipes | |
| Cat Treats |
