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Instinct vs. Petcurean

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

Guaranteed Analysis: Petcurean 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. Petcurean Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Instinct	Petcurean
Crude Protein	36.2%	29.4%
Crude Fat	24.1%	15.8%
Crude Fiber	4.4%	4.8%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Instinct	Petcurean
Crude Protein	42.1%	43.9%
Crude Fat	27.7%	25.4%
Crude Fiber	10.0%	5.6%

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 Petcurean provides far less protein than Instinct. The difference in protein content is roughly 6.78%. For wet dog foods, Petcurean and Instinct provide roughly the same amount of protein.

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.

On average, Instinct dry dog food recipes contain 8.35% more fat than Petcurean recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the fat content of Petcurean and Instinct. For wet dog foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fat (about 2.34% more).

As you can see, Instinct and Petcurean guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Instinct provides more fiber (about 4.36% more).

Instinct Cat Food vs. Petcurean Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Instinct	Petcurean
Crude Protein	43.7%	37.7%
Crude Fat	25.4%	18.4%
Crude Fiber	3.7%	3.6%

Wet/Canned Cat Food	Instinct	Petcurean
Crude Protein	47.1%	42.0%
Crude Fat	25.0%	24.9%
Crude Fiber	8.6%	5.0%

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.

Our analysis shows that Instinct guarantees 5.97% more protein than Petcurean dry cat food recipes. In addition, Instinct wet cat foods also provide more protein than Petcurean 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.

There is a relatively large difference between the fat content of Instinct and Petcurean. On average, Petcurean dry cat food recipes contain 6.94% less fat than Instinct recipes. For wet cat foods, Instinct and Petcurean provide roughly the same amount of fat.

Petcurean and Instinct both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet cat foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fiber (about 3.64% more).

Instinct Pet Food Ingredients vs. Petcurean Pet Food Ingredients

Instinct and Petcurean both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:

Canola Oil

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

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

Garlic

Pea Protein

Tomato Pomace

Dried Tomato Pomace

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid)

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

White Rice

Pork Plasma

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 & Petcurean?

Instinct has been recalled 2 times.

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

According to our records, Petcurean has never been recalled.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Instinct	Petcurean
Per Pound	$8.93	$4.29
Per Calorie	$0.0044	$0.0025

Dry Cat Food	Instinct	Petcurean
Per Pound	$11.49	$5.77
Per Calorie	$0.0057	$0.0032

Wet Dog Food	Instinct	Petcurean
Per Pound	$6.31	$5.40
Per Calorie	$0.0107	$0.0127

Wet Cat Food	Instinct	Petcurean
Per Pound	$8.87	$7.94
Per Calorie	$0.0179	$0.0176

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 Petcurean, 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 Petcurean 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 Petcurean. 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 Petcurean Pet Foods

You can purchase Petcurean pet food products from these retailers:

55 Recipes In-Stock Today

8 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Instinct	Petcurean
Dry Dog Food	37 Recipes	32 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	10 Recipes	20 Recipes
Dog Treats	None	None
Dry Cat Food	20 Recipes	12 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	16 Recipes	14 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None