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INSTINCT · ORIGINAL

Instinct Original Food for Small Breed Dogs Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog Food

Wet food in 5.5 oz cans, complete and balanced. With the water taken out it is 39% protein and 20% fat, and each can carries 161 kcal.

  • Complete & balanced (AAFCO, on the label)
  • 5.5 oz can
  • 78% water
Protein is 38.6% once the water is taken out, below the wet food median of 43%. The label prints 8.5% because that figure includes the water. One can carries 161 kcal and about 4.3 oz of water.
PROTEIN, WATER OUT
38.6%
KCAL / CAN
161
CANS A DAY*
6.7
COST A DAY*
$21.54

*For a 45 lb adult dog on this food alone. Set your own dog.

Compare With Another Food
Buy on
PetSmart 5.4 oz $3.19 ($9.38/lb)
Instinct Original Food for Small Breed Dogs Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Wet Dog Food

Ingredient Wiki

FIRST 5 OF 28 COMPONENTS
Chicken

Chicken

The clean flesh of the chicken, with or without skin, used fresh. Roughly 70% of its weight is water, most…
Chicken Broth

Chicken Broth

The liquid produced by simmering chicken, used to add moisture and flavor.
Chicken Liver

Chicken Liver

The liver of the chicken, an organ meat.
Cod

Cod

A lean white ocean fish used as a protein source.
Peas

Peas

The seed of the pea plant, used whole, split or dried as a carbohydrate and plant protein source.
READING THE LIST

What’s in the can

First meat
Chicken, first on the list. Named meats near the top: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Cod and Eggs.
Thickeners and binders
Guar Gum, Cassia Gum and Xanthan Gum. They give the food its texture and hold pieces together. Normal in wet food; starches and flours also add carbohydrate.
Added color
None listed.
Flagged additives
None from our list.

Guaranteed
Analysis

As printed on the can, measured “as fed”

Calories
1,033 kcal/kg
Crude Protein (min.)
8.5%
Crude Fat (min.)
4.5%
Crude Fiber (max.)
3.0%
Moisture (max.)
78.0%

161 kcal per 5.5 oz can.

Put these nutrition facts on your site

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Full Ingredient
Declaration

Exactly as the can prints it, heaviest first

SALT DIVIDER

Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Cod, Peas, Eggs, Pea Fiber, Ground Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay, Guar Gum, Salt*The Salt Divider. Ingredients are listed heaviest first, and a dog food needs very little salt, so everything after this point is present in an even smaller amount., Potassium Chloride, Dried Kelp, Cassia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Proteinate, Potassium Iodide), Vitamins (Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Artichokes, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Tomato, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Parsley

Ingredients are listed heaviest first, and a dog food needs very little salt, so everything after the divider is present in an even smaller amount.

NUTRITION WITH THE WATER TAKEN OUT

Wet food is mostly water, so the label’s percentages look small next to kibble. Taking the water out is the only fair way to compare it with other foods.

NUTRIENT ON THE LABEL WATER OUT WET FOOD MEDIAN
PROTEIN 8.5% 38.6% 43.2%
FAT 4.5% 20.5% 22.2%
FIBER 3.0% 13.6% -
CARBS (EST.) - 18.2% -

Carbohydrate is not on any label: it is what is left after protein, fat, fiber, water and an assumed 2% ash.

AMONG 816 WET FOODS
Protein, water out
39%
Higher than 29%. Median 43%.
Calories
1,033 kcal/kg
Richer than 57%. Median 994 kcal/kg.
Water
78%
Wetter than 6%. Median 78%.
Price per 1,000 kcal
$20.02
Pricier than 88%. Median $10.36.
PRICE BY PACK SIZE

What a can costs

SIZE LOWEST PRICE PER LB WHERE
4.8 oz $3.19 $10.63 PetSmart
5.4 oz $3.19LIVE $9.38 PetSmart

Prices marked LIVE were read from the store on Oct 18. Others are from our check on Sep 30. Prices change often; the store’s price at checkout is the one that counts. We may earn a commission on some links.

HOW MUCH TO FEED

Daily portion calculator

Weight
45 lb
Weight goal
OF THIS FOOD, PER DAY
6.7CANS
    1,076 kcal36.7 oz

    Calculated from the resting energy formula vets use and this food’s actual calorie density (1,033 kcal per kg, 161 kcal per can). A starting point to adjust from, not a prescription.

    RECALL HISTORY // INSTINCT

    2 FDA Recalls On Record

    JUL 24, 2015
    SALMONELLA

    Instinct® Raw Chicken Formula for dogs Matched by brand. The notice lists the exact products and lots.

    FEB 15, 2013
    PLASTIC PIECES

    Pet food Matched by brand. The notice lists the exact products and lots.

    None in the last three years. Older events stay on the record. See the recall log

    SAME LINE

    Other Flavors

    Original Food Real Beef Recipe 52.3% Original Food Real Chicken Recipe Grain-Free 43.2% Original Grain-Free 52.3% Original Food for Small Breed Dogs Real Beef Recipe 38.6%

    Protein with the water taken out, read the same way.

    One honest caveat. These figures are what a label will tell us: protein, calories, the top of the ingredient list, flagged additives and the brand’s recall record. They cannot tell you whether your dog will do well on this food. Allergies, gut sensitivity, age and health conditions all matter more than any of it, and none of them are printed on a can. If your dog is thriving on a food whose figures read lower than this one, that is not a mistake, and we would not switch on our say-so.

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