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Primal vs Dr. Tim's

Primal vs. Dr. Tim's

In this comparison article for Primal vs Dr. Tim's, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Primal and Dr. Tim's, 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 Dr. Tim's vs Primal comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Primal Review Page or Dr. Tim's Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Dr. Tim's vs. Primal

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.

Primal Dog Food vs. Dr. Tim's Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodPrimalDr. Tim's
Crude Protein48.0%34.5%
Crude Fat26.7%19.8%
Crude Fiber4.6%4.8%

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.

On average, Primal dry dog food recipes contain 13.44% more protein than Dr. Tim's recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the protein content of Dr. Tim's and Primal.


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.

The table shows that Dr. Tim's provides far less fat than Primal. The difference in fat content is roughly 6.91%.


As you can see, Primal and Dr. Tim's guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber.

Primal Cat Food vs. Dr. Tim's Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodPrimalDr. Tim's
Crude Protein50.1%41.1%
Crude Fat24.0%24.4%
Crude Fiber4.8%3.6%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodPrimalDr. Tim's
Crude Protein54.6%40.9%
Crude Fat25.4%22.7%
Crude Fiber4.1%4.5%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for dry cat food, it's clear that Primal provides significantly more protein. On average, Primal guarantees about 9.04% more protein than Dr. Tim's. Similarly, Primal wet cat foods provide significantly more protein than Dr. Tim's wet foods.


Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

  • Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
  • Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
  • Maintain healthy blood pressure
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Fats improve the taste/texture of food.

Primal and Dr. Tim's both provide roughly the same amount of crude fat. For wet cat foods, Primal typically provides a little more fat (about 2.64% more).


There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet cat food, Dr. Tim's and Primal also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Primal Pet Food Ingredients vs. Dr. Tim's Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Dr. Tim's.

Corn Flour
Powdered Cellulose

Product Safety: Recall History of Primal & Dr. Tim's?

Primal has been recalled 2 times.

  • March 13, 2015: low thiamine level
  • Dec. 22, 2017: incorrect bone grind size

According to our records, Dr. Tim's has never been recalled.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodPrimalDr. Tim's
Per Pound$45.57$2.92
Per Calorie$0.0227$0.0018
Dry Cat FoodPrimalDr. Tim's
Per Pound$45.93$4.37
Per Calorie$0.0230$0.0023

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 Primal or Dr. Tim's, 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 Primal or Dr. Tim's will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Primal and Dr. Tim's. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


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 Primal Pet Foods

You can purchase Primal pet foods from the following stores:


15 Recipes In-Stock Today

20 Recipes In-Stock Today

15 Recipes In-Stock Today

14 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Dr. Tim's Pet Foods

You can purchase Dr. Tim's pet food products from these retailers:


24 Recipes In-Stock Today

18 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductPrimalDr. Tim's
Dry Dog FoodNone11 Recipes
Wet Dog FoodNoneNone
Dog Treats6 Treats1 Treats
Dry Cat FoodNone1 Recipes
Wet Cat FoodNone1 Recipes
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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