Instinct Dog Food Review 2026: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Review Summary

Instinct Dog Food is made by Nature’s Variety, a brand that’s been in operation since 2002, specializing in holistic pet food. None of its formulas contains wheat, corn, by-product meals, or artificial colors or flavors.

The Instinct Raw Boost line is one of the brand’s most popular, and it combines kibble with pieces of freeze-dried raw meat. This allows owners to provide a raw diet without committing to a full lifestyle change. Instinct has advantages and disadvantages, which you can check out in this review.

At a Glance: The Best Instinct Dog Food Recipes:

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Our Favorite		Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Real Beef	High protein Fatty acids and antioxidants No artificial ingredients or by-products	Check Price
		Instinct Original Grain-Free Real Chicken	Real chicken and raw chicken bites US-made Grain-free	Check Price
		Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Real Chicken	Real chicken and raw chicken bites US-made Wide variety of fruit and vegetable ingredients	Check Price
		Instinct Be Natural Chicken & Brown Rice	Grain-inclusive formula Brown rice No fillers, by-products, or artificial ingredients	Check Price
		Instinct Original Natural Wet Dog Food	Wet food, high in moisture Grain-free Protein from Chicken and Turkey	Check Price

Instinct Dog Food Reviewed

Who Makes Instinct, and Where Is It Produced?

Instinct is made by Nature’s Variety, a pet food company owned by the Barcelona-based Agrolimen company. Nature’s Variety has manufacturing facilities in Lincoln, NE, and headquarters in St. Louis, MO. The company focuses on natural, raw, and grain-free foods for dogs and cats in dry and wet varieties.

Which Type of Dog Is Instinct Best Suited for?

Instinct formulas provide whole and balanced nutrition for adult maintenance diets and offer formulas for puppies or different dietary needs. The grain-free line features freeze-dried raw pieces, which may appeal to most dogs. Active dogs will likely thrive with Instinct foods.

Which Type of Dog Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

If you’re concerned about feeding a raw diet or your dog wouldn’t do well with raw or grain-free food, this may not be the best choice for you. Be sure to speak with your vet about whether this food is appropriate for your dog or if you have concerns about feeding raw or grain-free diets.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

Instinct offers a good balance of ingredients and nutrients, such as animal protein from deboned meat, meal, and fat. The carbohydrates primarily come from peas and tapioca. You’ll also find chicken heart, chicken liver, fish meal, and other animal protein sources to create the raw bites.

Animal Protein Sources

Regardless of the recipe, the animal protein sources in Instinct foods come from high-quality sources, like deboned meat, meals, and organ meats. There are no questionable by-products from unknown sources with unknown food safety standards.

High-Protein Recipes

With so many animal protein sources, it’s expected that Instinct recipes boast a lot of protein. This is ideal for active dogs but may not be ideal for all dogs. Excess protein may be stored as fat, which contributes to obesity. In addition, some dogs with medical conditions may be harmed by diets that are too high in protein.

Freeze-Dried Raw Still Has Risks

While high-pressure processed and freeze-dried raw meat and animal products are generally regarded as safer than handling the raw meat yourself, there are still contamination risks. If you handle your dog’s food, wash your hands thoroughly afterward. You should also clean anything that comes in contact with the raw bits, such as the counter, food scoop, dog bowls, and floor where your dog eats.

Grain-Free Is Not Always Appropriate

Dogs evolved alongside humans and adapted to many of the same foods we eat, so they do best with a diet consisting of protein, fat, and healthy carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can come from vegetable and fruit sources, but they can also come from grain-based sources like rice or wheat. Consider whether a grain-free diet is appropriate for your dog.

Instinct also makes a line of natural dog food that includes high-quality grains like brown rice.

A Quick Look at Instinct Dog Food

Recall History

Instinct has been recalled several times from 2010 to 2015. It was also one of the brands discussed in the FDA investigation into grain-free diets and a possible link to canine dilated cardiomyopathy.

Reviews of the 3 Best Instinct Dog Food Recipes

1. Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Real Beef

This dog food features real beef and freeze-dried raw pieces made of USA-raised beef. In addition to being a high-protein formula, this recipe has probiotics to support digestive health and high levels of omega-fatty acids for a healthy coat and skin. It also has antioxidants for immune health. There are no grains, potatoes, corn, wheat, by-product meals, soy, artificial colors, or preservatives. Though many dogs will find the raw pieces appetizing, they may not be appropriate or tasty to all dogs. The Grain-Free Real Beef Recipe is also a little expensive.

2. Instinct Original Grain-Free Real Chicken

This chicken recipe combines real deboned chicken with fish meal protein sources in their raw coated kibble. Vegetables, probiotics, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants round out the recipe for complete and balanced nutrition. Like other Instinct recipes, it is made with premium ingredients in a US-based facility and contains no grain, potato, corn, wheat, soy, by-product meal, or artificial colors and preservatives. This is only a grain-free meal with raw bites, and it’s a little expensive.

3. Instinct Be Natural Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe

If you want a grain-inclusive formula with the same benefits as Instinct brand food, the Be Natural line is a good solution. This recipe features freeze-dried raw bites and real chicken with brown rice for whole and balanced nutrition. It uses rice as the primary grain source but contains no fillers, wheat, corn, chicken by-product meal, artificial colors, or preservatives. It’s made in the US with ingredients sourced from trusted retailers. This formula is also a little expensive.

What Other Users Are Saying

Do you wonder how customers (and their pets) like the food? Take a look:

• Chewy - “If you look at ingredients, this is some of the best stuff out there, and those freeze-dried raw chunks are a ‘No Brainer.’”
• PetSmart - “My dogs switched from Purina to this, and they are doing so much better! Simpler ingredients, and they lost healthy weight!”
• Amazon - As pet owners, we always double-check with Amazon reviews from buyers before we buy something. You can check the user reviews on the product pages on Amazon.

Conclusion

Instinct is a great dog food brand made by Nature’s Variety. Based in the US, the company focuses on natural, holistic pet food free of fillers and artificial ingredients. Most recipes are grain-free and contain freeze-dried raw pieces, which may not be appropriate for all dogs. There are a few grain-inclusive recipes, however. We think this brand is a healthy, well-balanced choice for many dogs!