Instinct Dog Food Ingredients

Instinct manufactures roughly 73 different dog food products. Each product utilizes a unique set of ingredients to achieve a desired nutritional profile.

In this article, we'll explore Instinct ingredients and answer many of the most common questions.

As of right now, our records indicate that Instinct uses roughly 184 different ingredients.

First 5 Ingredients

Dog food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.

For Instinct, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 dog food ingredients.

chicken
chicken meal
pea
tapioca
carrot

As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Instinct is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken meal, followed by pea, tapioca, and carrot.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Instinct does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 73 Instinct dog foods contain artificial food dyes.

Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.

In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most dogs consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.

To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, click here.

Animal By-Products

According to our records, Instinct does not contain any animal by-products.

Animal by-products are basically the leftover parts of the the carcass after its been processed for meat. AAFCO defines by-products as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals.

Although by-products are still fairly nutritious ingredients, consumers have equated them with slaughterhouse waste. Therefore, most premium brands, including Instinct have decided to remove by-products and instead use named organ meats (beef liver, chicken gizzards).

For further reading on the controversy over animal by-products, click here.

Anonymous Meat Ingredients

Anonymous meats are inexpensive low-quality ingredients that can come from practically any animal. These type of ingredients are often used to produce very inexpensive dog foods.

In general, we prefer ingredients which specify the animal source used to derive the ingredient. For example, ingredients such as duck fat are much better than animal fat or poultry fat.

In our analysis, we've looked through all 184 Instinct ingredients. According to our data, Instinct does not contain any anonymous animal-based ingredients.

Controversial Ingredients

In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.

Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce dog foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.

In our analysis, we've identified 3 controversial ingredients inside Instinct products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.

dried tomato pomace

17 Recipes

Dried tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.

The following recipes contain dried tomato pomace:

pea protein

6 Recipes

Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.

The following recipes contain pea protein:

canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid)

14 Recipes

Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.

The following recipes contain canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid):

Potentially Harmful Ingredients

Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.

During our review, none of the Instinct ingredients analyzed were classified as harmful by our system. The absence of harmful ingredients is indicative of a relatively premium dog food brand.

Instinct Dog Food Ingredient Lists

Instinct Be Natural Real Beef & Barley Recipe

Instinct Be Natural Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

Instinct Be Natural Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe For Puppies

Instinct Be Natural Real Lamb & Oatmeal Recipe

Instinct Be Natural Real Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe

Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Beef

Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken

Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Duck

Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Rabbit

Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon

Instinct Original Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Small Breed Dogs

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Lamb

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Turkey For Small Breed Dogs

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe With Real Turkey

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Salmon

Instinct Raw Boost Gut Health Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken

Instinct Raw Boost Healthy Weight Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Beef

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Duck

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Large Breed Puppies

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Puppies

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Senior Dogs

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Small Breed Dogs

Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken For Toy Breed Dogs

Instinct Raw Boost Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe For Puppies (Whole Grain)

Instinct Raw Boost Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe (Whole Grain)

Instinct Raw Boost Real Lamb & Oatmeal Recipe (Whole Grain)

Instinct Raw Boost Real Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe (Whole Grain)

Instinct Raw Boost Skin & Coat Grain-Free Recipe With Real Chicken

Instinct Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe With Real Beef

Instinct Raw Meals Cage-Free Chicken Recipe

Instinct Raw Meals Real Beef Recipe

Instinct Raw Bites Real Beef Recipe

Instinct Raw Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe

Instinct Raw Bites Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe

Instinct Raw Bites Real Beef Recipe For Small Breed Dogs

Instinct Raw Bites Cage-Free Chicken Recipe For Small Breed Dogs

Instinct Raw Medallions Real Beef Recipe

Instinct Raw Medallions Cage-Free Chicken Recipe

Instinct Raw Medallions Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe

Instinct Raw Patties Real Beef Recipe

Instinct Raw Patties Cage-Free Chicken Recipe

Instinct Raw Signature Real Beef Recipe For Dogs

Instinct Raw Signature Real Chicken Recipe For Dogs

Instinct Raw Signature Real Duck Recipe For Dogs

Instinct Raw Signature Real Lamb Recipe For Dogs

Instinct Raw Signature Real Rabbit Recipe For Dogs

Instinct Original Canned Real Beef Recipe

Instinct Original Canned Real Chicken Recipe

Instinct Original Canned Real Rabbit Recipe

Instinct Original Canned Small Breed Real Chicken Recipe

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Lamb Recipe

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Rabbit Recipe

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Turkey Recipe

Instinct Original Canned Real Chicken Recipe For Puppies

Instinct Original Canned Small Breed Real Beef Recipe

Instinct Original Canned Stew Lamb Recipe With Carrots & Green Beans

Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Beef Recipe

Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Blends Real Beef Recipe

Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Cage-Free Chicken Recipe

Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Gut Health For Dogs

Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Immune Health For Dogs

Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Lamb Recipe

Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Mobility Support For Dogs

Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Skin & Coat Health For Dogs

Instinct Healthy Cravings Real Lamb Recipe In Savory Gravy

Instinct Healthy Cravings Real Salmon Recipe In Savory Gravy

Instinct Healthy Cravings Real Beef Recipe In Savory Gravy

Instinct Healthy Cravings Real Chicken Recipe In Savory Gravy

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Lamb Recipe In Savory Gravy For Dogs

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Real Turkey Recipe In Savory Gravy For Dogs

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