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Ingredient Reviews
35% OFF
Instinct
First Auto-Ship
20% OFF
Instinct &
Open Farm
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Instinct
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Instinct vs. Open Farm
In this comparison article for Instinct vs Open Farm, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Instinct and Open Farm, 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 Open Farm 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 Open Farm Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Open Farm 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. Open Farm Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Crude Protein | 36.2% | 34.0% |
| Crude Fat | 24.1% | 20.9% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Crude Protein | 42.1% | 40.0% |
| Crude Fat | 27.7% | 31.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 10.0% | 9.7% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.
If you look at the average percentages of crude protein, you'll notice that Instinct typically guarantees 2.15% more protein. This is a fairly small difference between Instinct and Open Farm, but still worth mentioning. In addition, Instinct wet dog foods also provide more protein than Open Farm wet foods.
Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food
Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.
According to our data, Instinct guarantees 3.20% more fat than Open Farm. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, Open Farm wet dog foods also provide more fat than Instinct wet foods.
As you can see, Instinct and Open Farm guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Instinct and Open Farm also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Instinct Cat Food vs. Open Farm Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Crude Protein | 43.7% | 41.1% |
| Crude Fat | 25.4% | 20% |
| Crude Fiber | 3.7% | 3.3% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Crude Protein | 47.1% | 43.5% |
| Crude Fat | 25.0% | 29.2% |
| Crude Fiber | 8.6% | 11.1% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.
There is a small difference between the protein content of Instinct and Open Farm. We can see that Instinct guarantees about 2.55% more protein than Open Farm. In addition, Instinct wet cat foods also provide more protein than Open Farm wet foods.
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):
- Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
- Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
- Maintain healthy blood pressure
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Fats improve the taste/texture of food.
The table shows that Open Farm provides far less fat than Instinct. The difference in fat content is roughly 5.36%. In addition, Open Farm wet cat foods also provide more fat than Instinct wet foods.
Open Farm and Instinct both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Open Farm typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.50% more).
Instinct Pet Food Ingredients vs. Open Farm Pet Food Ingredients
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 & Open Farm?
Instinct has been recalled 2 times.
- July 24, 2015: Salmonella
- Feb. 15, 2013: Pieces of clear plastic in bag
According to our records, Open Farm has never been recalled.
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Per Pound | $8.93 | $12.03 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0044 | $0.0058 |
| Dry Cat Food | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Per Pound | $11.49 | $5.92 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0057 | $0.0034 |
| Wet Dog Food | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Per Pound | $6.31 | $5.12 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0107 | $0.0119 |
| Wet Cat Food | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Per Pound | $8.87 | $7.83 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0179 | $0.0188 |
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 Open Farm, 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 Open Farm 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 Open Farm. 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 Open Farm Pet Foods
You can purchase Open Farm pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Instinct | Open Farm |
| Dry Dog Food | 37 Recipes | 17 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 10 Recipes | 8 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | None | 5 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | 20 Recipes | 4 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 16 Recipes | 6 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | None |
Top Rated Instinct Recipes
Top Rated Open Farm Recipes
