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Instinct vs. Orijen

In this comparison article for Instinct vs Orijen, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Instinct and Orijen, 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 Orijen 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 Orijen Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Orijen 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. Orijen Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Instinct	Orijen
Crude Protein	36.2%	42.9%
Crude Fat	24.1%	22.6%
Crude Fiber	4.4%	5.5%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Instinct	Orijen
Crude Protein	42.1%	57.4%
Crude Fat	27.7%	24.7%
Crude Fiber	10.0%	7.8%

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.

The table shows that Instinct provides far less protein than Orijen. The difference in protein content is roughly 6.70%. In addition, Orijen wet dog foods also provide more protein than Instinct 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.

As you can see, Orijen and Instinct guarantee a similar amount of crude fat. For wet dog foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fat (about 3.05% more).

Instinct and Orijen both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.12% more).

Instinct Cat Food vs. Orijen Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Instinct	Orijen
Crude Protein	43.7%	44.8%
Crude Fat	25.4%	21.0%
Crude Fiber	3.7%	4.0%

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 relatively insignificant difference between the crude protein content of the two brands.

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.

Our analysis shows that Instinct guarantees 4.41% more fat than Orijen dry cat food recipes.

Both brands provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Instinct Pet Food Ingredients vs. Orijen Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Instinct.

Garlic

Canola Oil

Pea Protein

Tomato Pomace

Dried Tomato Pomace

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid)

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.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Instinct & Orijen?

Instinct has been recalled 2 times.

July 24, 2015: Salmonella
Feb. 15, 2013: Pieces of clear plastic in bag

Orijen has been recalled once.

Nov. 22, 2008: irradiation treatment consequences

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Instinct	Orijen
Per Pound	$8.93	$12.58
Per Calorie	$0.0044	$0.0060

Dry Cat Food	Instinct	Orijen
Per Pound	$11.49	$6.57
Per Calorie	$0.0057	$0.0036

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 Orijen, 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 Orijen 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 Orijen. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.

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:

84 Recipes In-Stock Today

59 Recipes In-Stock Today

67 Recipes In-Stock Today

17 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Orijen Pet Foods

You can purchase Orijen pet food products from these retailers:

38 Recipes In-Stock Today

23 Recipes In-Stock Today

27 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Instinct	Orijen
Dry Dog Food	37 Recipes	14 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	10 Recipes	3 Recipes
Dog Treats	None	13 Treats
Dry Cat Food	20 Recipes	7 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	16 Recipes	None
Cat Treats	None	6 Treats