35% OFF
Instinct &
Taste of the Wild
First Auto-Ship
20% OFF
Instinct &
Taste of the Wild
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Instinct &
Taste of the Wild
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Compare Instinct To
Compare Taste of the Wild To
Brands Similar To
Ingredient Reviews
35% OFF
Instinct &
Taste of the Wild
First Auto-Ship
20% OFF
Instinct &
Taste of the Wild
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Instinct &
Taste of the Wild
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Instinct vs. Taste of the Wild
In this comparison article for Instinct vs Taste of the Wild, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Instinct 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 Instinct comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Instinct Review Page or Taste of the Wild Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Taste of the Wild vs. Instinct
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.
Instinct Dog Food vs. Taste of the Wild Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Crude Protein | 36.2% | 32.0% |
| Crude Fat | 24.1% | 17.8% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Crude Protein | 42.1% | 45% |
| Crude Fat | 27.7% | 20.6% |
| Crude Fiber | 10.0% | 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.
Our analysis shows that Instinct guarantees 4.18% more protein than Taste of the Wild dry dog food recipes. For wet dog foods, Taste of the Wild typically provides a little more protein (about 2.93% 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.
There is a relatively large difference between the fat content of Instinct and Taste of the Wild. On average, Taste of the Wild dry dog food recipes contain 6.30% less fat than Instinct recipes. In addition, Instinct wet dog foods also provide more fat than Taste of the Wild wet foods.
Instinct and Taste of the Wild both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Instinct provides more fiber (about 4.40% more).
Instinct Cat Food vs. Taste of the Wild Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Crude Protein | 43.7% | 38.4% |
| Crude Fat | 25.4% | 17.8% |
| Crude Fiber | 3.7% | 3.3% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Crude Protein | 47.1% | 44.4% |
| Crude Fat | 25.0% | 16.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 8.6% | 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.
Taste of the Wild dry recipes contain 5.21% less protein than Instinct dry recipes. This difference in protein content is a notable difference between Instinct and Taste of the Wild. For wet cat foods, Instinct typically provides a little more protein (about 2.63% more).
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.
The table shows that Taste of the Wild provides far less fat than Instinct. The difference in fat content is roughly 7.59%. In addition, Instinct wet cat foods also provide more fat than Taste of the Wild wet foods.
There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet cat food, Instinct and Taste of the Wild also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Instinct Pet Food Ingredients vs. Taste of the Wild Pet Food Ingredients
Instinct and Taste of the Wild both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:
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 Instinct & Taste of the Wild?
Instinct has been recalled 2 times.
- July 24, 2015: Salmonella
- Feb. 15, 2013: Pieces of clear plastic in bag
Taste of the Wild has been recalled once.
- May 5, 2012: Salmonella
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Per Pound | $8.93 | $2.30 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0044 | $0.0014 |
| Dry Cat Food | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Per Pound | $11.49 | $2.97 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0057 | $0.0018 |
| Wet Dog Food | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Per Pound | $6.31 | $3.47 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0107 | $0.0085 |
| Wet Cat Food | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Per Pound | $8.87 | $5.72 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0179 | $0.0132 |
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 Instinct 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 Instinct 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 Instinct and Taste of the Wild. 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 Instinct Pet Foods
You can purchase Instinct pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Taste of the Wild Pet Foods
You can purchase Taste of the Wild pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Instinct | Taste of the Wild |
| Dry Dog Food | 37 Recipes | 16 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 10 Recipes | 5 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | None | None |
| Dry Cat Food | 20 Recipes | 5 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 16 Recipes | 2 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | None |
Top Rated Instinct Recipes
Top Rated Taste of the Wild Recipes
