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Instinct vs Purina Dog Chow

Instinct vs. Purina Dog Chow

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

Guaranteed Analysis: Purina Dog Chow 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. Purina Dog Chow Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodInstinctPurina Dog Chow
Crude Protein36.2%26.2%
Crude Fat24.1%12.3%
Crude Fiber4.4%4.9%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodInstinctPurina Dog Chow
Crude Protein42.1%49.5%
Crude Fat27.7%14.5%
Crude Fiber10.0%6.8%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Protein is an extremely important part of your dog's diet. Without sufficient protein, dogs can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.

When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for dry dog food, it's clear that Instinct provides significantly more protein. On average, Instinct guarantees about 9.94% more protein than Purina Dog Chow. For wet dog foods, Purina Dog Chow provides more protein (about 7.45% more).


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

The comparison table above shows that Instinct dry dog foods provide significantly more fat than Purina Dog Chow. More specifically, Instinct guarantees at least 11.82% more fat. Similarly, Instinct wet dog foods provide significantly more protein than Purina Dog Chow wet foods.


Instinct and Purina Dog Chow both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fiber (about 3.20% more).

Instinct Pet Food Ingredients vs. Purina Dog Chow 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)

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Purina Dog Chow.

Liver
Wheat Gluten
Soybean Flour
Corn Gluten Meal
Meat By-Products
Whole Grain Corn
Whole Grain Wheat
Ground Yellow Corn
Meat And Bone Meal
Turkey By-Product Meal
Chicken By-Product Meal
Poultry By-Product Meal

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Instinct and Purina Dog Chow both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Purina Dog Chow.

Blue 2
Red 40
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Added Color

Product Safety: Recall History of Instinct & Purina Dog Chow?

Instinct has been recalled 2 times.

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

According to our records, Purina Dog Chow has never been recalled.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodInstinctPurina Dog Chow
Per Pound$8.93$1.22
Per Calorie$0.0044$0.0008
Wet Dog FoodInstinctPurina Dog Chow
Per Pound$6.31$2.14
Per Calorie$0.0107$0.0042

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 Purina Dog Chow, 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 Purina Dog Chow 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 Purina Dog Chow. 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 Purina Dog Chow Pet Foods

You can purchase Purina Dog Chow pet food products from these retailers:


4 Recipes In-Stock Today

1 Recipes In-Stock Today

4 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductInstinctPurina Dog Chow
Dry Dog Food37 Recipes5 Recipes
Wet Dog Food10 Recipes9 Recipes
Dog TreatsNoneNone
Dry Cat Food20 RecipesNone
Wet Cat Food16 RecipesNone
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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Top Rated Purina Dog Chow Recipes

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