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Ingredient Reviews
35% OFF
Primal &
Instinct
First Auto-Ship
20% OFF
Primal &
Instinct
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Primal &
Instinct
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Primal vs. Instinct
In this comparison article for Primal vs Instinct, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Primal 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 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 Instinct Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Instinct 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. Instinct Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Primal | Instinct |
| Crude Protein | 48.0% | 36.2% |
| Crude Fat | 26.7% | 24.1% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.6% | 4.4% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Primal | Instinct |
| Crude Protein | 49.5% | 42.1% |
| Crude Fat | 28.4% | 27.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.3% | 10.0% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.
When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for dry dog food, it's clear that Primal provides significantly more protein. On average, Primal guarantees about 11.79% more protein than Instinct. For wet dog foods, Primal provides more protein (about 7.45% more).
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.
According to our data, Primal guarantees 2.57% more fat than Instinct. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. For wet dog foods, Primal and Instinct provide roughly the same amount of fat.
Instinct and Primal both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Instinct provides more fiber (about 4.67% more).
Primal Cat Food vs. Instinct Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Primal | Instinct |
| Crude Protein | 50.1% | 43.7% |
| Crude Fat | 24.0% | 25.4% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.8% | 3.7% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Primal | Instinct |
| Crude Protein | 54.6% | 47.1% |
| Crude Fat | 25.4% | 25.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.1% | 8.6% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.
Our analysis shows that Primal guarantees 6.49% more protein than Instinct dry cat food recipes. In addition, Primal wet cat foods also provide more protein than Instinct 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):
- Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
- Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
- Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.
There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fat content of the two brands. With regards to wet cat food, Primal and Instinct also provide roughly the same amount of crude fat.
Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Instinct provides more fiber (about 4.47% more).
Primal Pet Food Ingredients vs. Instinct Pet Food Ingredients
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.
Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Instinct.
Product Safety: Recall History of Primal & Instinct?
Primal has been recalled 2 times.
- March 13, 2015: low thiamine level
- Dec. 22, 2017: incorrect bone grind size
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 | Primal | Instinct |
| Per Pound | $45.57 | $8.93 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0227 | $0.0044 |
| Dry Cat Food | Primal | Instinct |
| Per Pound | $45.93 | $11.49 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0230 | $0.0057 |
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 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 Primal 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 Primal and Instinct. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- 20% Off First Auto-Ship @ PetFlow (Use Code PAWDIET20)
- 35% Off First Auto-Ship @ Chewy (No Code Required)
- 15% Off The Entire Site @ OnlyNaturalPet (Use Code AFPAWDIET)
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:
Where To Buy Instinct Pet Foods
You can purchase Instinct pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Primal | Instinct |
| Dry Dog Food | None | 37 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | None | 10 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | 6 Treats | None |
| Dry Cat Food | None | 20 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | None | 16 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | None |
Top Rated Primal Recipes
Top Rated Instinct Recipes
