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Primal vs Taste of the Wild

Primal vs. Taste of the Wild

In this comparison article for Primal vs Taste of the Wild, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Primal and Taste of the Wild, 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 Taste of the Wild 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 Taste of the Wild Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Taste of the Wild 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. Taste of the Wild Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodPrimalTaste of the Wild
Crude Protein48.0%32.0%
Crude Fat26.7%17.8%
Crude Fiber4.6%4.6%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodPrimalTaste of the Wild
Crude Protein49.5%45%
Crude Fat28.4%20.6%
Crude Fiber5.3%5.6%

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.

Primal dry dog foods clearly provides more protein than Taste of the Wild. In fact, the difference between the protein content is roughly 15.97%, which is a significant amount. For wet dog foods, Primal provides more protein (about 4.52% more).


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Dietary fats serves a multitude of roles in the proper development and function of our canine companions. Here are some of the benefits (not exhaustive):

  • Help produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among other critical functions.
  • Aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Improve skin and coat health
  • Improve the palatially of your dog's food

On average, Primal dry dog food recipes contain 8.87% more fat than Taste of the Wild recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the fat content of Taste of the Wild and Primal. For wet dog foods, Primal provides more fat (about 7.84% more).


Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Taste of the Wild and Primal also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Primal Cat Food vs. Taste of the Wild Cat Food

Dry Cat FoodPrimalTaste of the Wild
Crude Protein50.1%38.4%
Crude Fat24.0%17.8%
Crude Fiber4.8%3.3%
Wet/Canned Cat FoodPrimalTaste of the Wild
Crude Protein54.6%44.4%
Crude Fat25.4%16.7%
Crude Fiber4.1%8.3%

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.

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 11.70% more protein than Taste of the Wild. Similarly, Primal wet cat foods provide significantly more protein than Taste of the Wild 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):

  • Aid in the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Improve the health of skin/coat
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Slow the development and spread of certain type of cancers.
  • Maintain healthy blood pressure

Taste of the Wild dry recipes contain 6.26% less fat than Primal dry recipes. This difference in fat content is a notable difference between Primal and Taste of the Wild. In addition, Primal wet cat foods also provide more fat than Taste of the Wild wet foods.


As you can see, Taste of the Wild and Primal guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Taste of the Wild provides more fiber (about 4.19% more).

Primal Pet Food Ingredients vs. Taste of the Wild Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Taste of the Wild.

Pea Protein
Tomato Pomace
Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Product Safety: Recall History of Primal & Taste of the Wild?

Primal has been recalled 2 times.

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

Taste of the Wild has been recalled once.

  • May 5, 2012: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodPrimalTaste of the Wild
Per Pound$45.57$2.30
Per Calorie$0.0227$0.0014
Dry Cat FoodPrimalTaste of the Wild
Per Pound$45.93$2.97
Per Calorie$0.0230$0.0018

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 Taste of the Wild, 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 Taste of the Wild 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 Taste of the Wild. 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 Taste of the Wild Pet Foods

You can purchase Taste of the Wild pet food products from these retailers:


21 Recipes In-Stock Today

26 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

18 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductPrimalTaste of the Wild
Dry Dog FoodNone16 Recipes
Wet Dog FoodNone5 Recipes
Dog Treats6 TreatsNone
Dry Cat FoodNone5 Recipes
Wet Cat FoodNone2 Recipes
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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