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Instinct &
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Instinct &
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Instinct
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Instinct vs. Solid Gold
In this comparison article for Instinct vs Solid Gold, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Instinct and Solid Gold, 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 Solid Gold 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 Solid Gold Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Solid Gold 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. Solid Gold Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Crude Protein | 36.2% | 30.2% |
| Crude Fat | 24.1% | 14.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.4% | 5.5% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Crude Protein | 42.1% | 41.8% |
| Crude Fat | 27.7% | 24.8% |
| Crude Fiber | 10.0% | 6.2% |
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.
Our analysis shows that Instinct guarantees 6.00% more protein than Solid Gold dry dog food recipes. For wet dog foods, Instinct and Solid Gold provide roughly the same amount of protein.
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.
When you look at the average percentages of crude fat for dry dog food, it's clear that Instinct provides significantly more fat. On average, Instinct guarantees about 9.41% more protein than Solid Gold. For wet dog foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fat (about 2.91% more).
Instinct and Solid Gold both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fiber (about 3.79% more).
Instinct Cat Food vs. Solid Gold Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Crude Protein | 43.7% | 39.9% |
| Crude Fat | 25.4% | 17.2% |
| Crude Fiber | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| Wet/Canned Cat Food | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Crude Protein | 47.1% | 53.6% |
| Crude Fat | 25.0% | 15.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 8.6% | 6.1% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Protein is an extremely important part of your cat's diet. Without sufficient protein, cats can develop a wide-range of serious health problems.
According to our data, Instinct guarantees 3.80% more protein than Solid Gold. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference. In addition, Solid Gold wet cat foods also provide more protein than Instinct 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):
- Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
- Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
- Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.
The comparison table above shows that Instinct dry cat foods provide significantly more fat than Solid Gold. More specifically, Instinct guarantees at least 8.14% more fat. Similarly, Instinct wet cat foods provide significantly more protein than Solid Gold wet foods.
There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. For wet cat foods, Instinct typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.51% more).
Instinct Pet Food Ingredients vs. Solid Gold Pet Food Ingredients
Instinct and Solid Gold both use the following controversial ingredients in many of their products:
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Instinct.
Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Solid Gold.
We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.
Instinct and Solid Gold both use the following harmful ingredients in many of their products:
Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Solid Gold.
Product Safety: Recall History of Instinct & Solid Gold?
Instinct has been recalled 2 times.
- July 24, 2015: Salmonella
- Feb. 15, 2013: Pieces of clear plastic in bag
Solid Gold has been recalled once.
- May 8, 2012: Salmonella
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Per Pound | $8.93 | $2.90 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0044 | $0.0018 |
| Dry Cat Food | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Per Pound | $11.49 | $3.62 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0057 | $0.0022 |
| Wet Dog Food | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Per Pound | $6.31 | $4.35 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0107 | $0.0095 |
| Wet Cat Food | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Per Pound | $8.87 | $8.21 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0179 | $0.0166 |
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 Solid Gold, 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 Solid Gold 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 Solid Gold. 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 Solid Gold Pet Foods
You can purchase Solid Gold pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Instinct | Solid Gold |
| Dry Dog Food | 37 Recipes | 23 Recipes |
| Wet Dog Food | 10 Recipes | 13 Recipes |
| Dog Treats | None | None |
| Dry Cat Food | 20 Recipes | 8 Recipes |
| Wet Cat Food | 16 Recipes | 28 Recipes |
| Cat Treats | None | None |
Top Rated Instinct Recipes
Top Rated Solid Gold Recipes
