Instinct Dog Food Review: Raw Boost vs Original
Instinct Pet Food, produced by Nature’s Variety, has built a strong following as a pioneer in raw-inspired pet nutrition. Since its founding in 2001, Instinct has championed the philosophy that the best nutrition for dogs comes from raw, whole-food ingredients. The brand is best known for its Raw Boost line, which combines high-protein kibble with freeze-dried raw pieces, offering a middle-ground solution for owners interested in raw feeding but not ready for a fully raw diet.
Instinct Original is their grain-free, high-protein kibble line. The Original Chicken formula features cage-free chicken as the first ingredient, with 72% animal ingredients and 28% vegetables, fruits, and supplements. Each piece of kibble is coated with freeze-dried raw chicken for enhanced flavor and nutrition. The formula includes probiotics for digestive support, omegas for skin and coat health, and natural antioxidants from whole-food sources.
Instinct Raw Boost takes this concept further by adding freeze-dried raw pieces directly into the kibble bag. The Raw Boost Chicken formula provides 77% animal ingredients plus 23% vegetables and fruits. Owners simply scoop the kibble and raw pieces together into the bowl, providing variety in texture and nutritional profile without the preparation required for fresh raw diets. The freeze-dried raw pieces include chicken, chicken liver, and chicken heart, delivering organs in natural proportion.
For dogs with sensitive stomachs, Instinct offers Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) formulas that use a single animal protein source and a single carbohydrate source. The LID Turkey formula uses turkey as the sole protein with peas as the carbohydrate source, making it suitable for elimination diets. Instinct also produces raw frozen patties for owners committed to fully raw feeding, and raw freeze-dried meal toppers for added nutritional variety.
Instinct products are made in Lincoln, Nebraska, in company-owned facilities. The brand sources cage-free chicken and grass-fed lamb where possible, with regional ingredients sourced from American farms. Instinct conducts AAFCO feeding trials and tests each production batch for nutritional consistency. At $3.50 to $5.00 per pound for Raw Boost and $2.50 to $3.50 per pound for Original, Instinct occupies the premium price tier. Owners consistently report that their dogs are highly enthusiastic about the Raw Boost kibble-raw combination.