Overview

Instinct Original is as close to raw feeding as canned dog food gets. The formula is 95% real animal ingredients — cage-free chicken, chicken liver, chicken broth — with only 5% vegetables, fruits, and vitamins rounding out the recipe. No grains, no corn, no wheat, no soy, no potato, no artificial anything. For raw-feeding advocates who want the philosophy without the prep work, food safety concerns, or freezer space requirements, Instinct delivers the closest commercially available alternative.

At $4.69 per 13 oz can (~$0.36/oz), it commands the highest per-ounce price of any traditional canned food in our comparison (Royal Canin's small pouches cost more per ounce but in a different format category). The ingredient list justifies the premium — there's simply more meat in this can than in almost any competitor. The grain-free DCM question applies, and a 2021 recall on Instinct's freeze-dried line (not this canned product) is a minor footnote on the safety record.

Features Deep-Dive

95% Real Animal Ingredients

The 95% animal ingredient claim isn't marketing fluff — it's verifiable through the ingredient list. Cage-free chicken and chicken liver dominate the formula, with chicken broth providing moisture and flavor. The remaining 5% consists of montmorillonite clay (a natural digestive aid), vitamins, minerals, and a small amount of pumpkin seeds and dried kelp. This ratio means your dog is eating primarily meat, not a meat-flavored matrix of starches and fillers. The caloric density is correspondingly higher — fewer carbohydrates means more energy per ounce from protein and fat.

Cage-Free Chicken Sourcing

Instinct specifies cage-free chicken, which is a meaningful transparency claim. While "cage-free" in the pet food context doesn't carry the same USDA certification as human food labeling, it indicates chickens raised without battery cages. The brand (Nature's Variety) has been relatively transparent about their sourcing philosophy, positioning themselves alongside Open Farm as one of the more forthcoming brands about where ingredients originate.

Minimally Processed Philosophy

Instinct's brand ethos centers on minimal processing — the idea that dogs evolved to eat raw, whole foods, and that commercial processing destroys nutrients and enzymes. While the canning process does involve heat treatment (eliminating the "raw" claim), the formula is designed to preserve as much of the original nutritional profile as possible. The low-carbohydrate, high-protein composition aligns with ancestral diet theories, which have passionate advocates and legitimate skeptics in the veterinary community.

Pricing Analysis

At $4.69 per 13 oz can (~$0.36/oz), Instinct Original is the most expensive traditional canned food in our comparison. A 50-pound dog on a wet-food-primary diet would cost $9-11 per day, or $270-330 per month. As a kibble topper, half a can daily runs about $2.35/day. The premium over Merrick ($0.30/oz) is about 20%, buying you the 95% animal-ingredient guarantee and cage-free chicken sourcing. Over a year, the difference between Instinct and a mid-range option like Blue Buffalo ($0.23/oz) amounts to roughly $1,400 for a single medium-sized dog. The price is the primary barrier for most buyers.

Who Is This For?

Instinct Original Real Chicken Recipe works best for:

• Raw-feeding advocates who believe in high-meat, low-carb diets but want the safety and convenience of commercial canned food
• Owners of dogs with grain and starch sensitivities — the near-elimination of plant-based ingredients makes this one of the most hypoallergenic canned options available
• Active, high-energy dogs that benefit from the higher caloric density and protein content compared to standard wet foods
• Ingredient maximalists who want the highest percentage of named animal protein available in a canned format, regardless of price

Who Should NOT Use This

Instinct Original Real Chicken Recipe might not be the right choice if:

• Budget is a factor — at $0.36/oz, Instinct costs more than double Rachael Ray Nutrish, which also features named proteins with no by-products
• You're skeptical of the raw-feeding philosophy — the ancestral diet approach is debated among veterinary nutritionists, and the premium pricing only makes sense if you buy into the high-meat philosophy
• The grain-free DCM investigation concerns you — like Merrick and Wellness CORE, Instinct's grain-free formula falls under FDA scrutiny

Bottom Line

Instinct Original is the purist's canned dog food — maximum meat, minimum everything else. The 95% animal ingredient formula and cage-free sourcing represent the top of what commercial wet food can deliver in terms of ingredient quality. Whether the philosophy and the price premium are worth it depends on your feeding beliefs and budget tolerance.

FAQ

Is the 95% animal ingredient claim really true?

Yes — the ingredient list confirms it. Chicken, chicken liver, and chicken broth account for the vast majority of the formula by weight. The remaining ingredients (montmorillonite clay, vitamins, minerals, pumpkin seeds, dried kelp) constitute approximately 5%. This is verified through guaranteed analysis and ingredient panel ordering requirements.

What was the 2021 Instinct recall about?

The recall affected specific lots of Instinct Raw Boost Mixers (freeze-dried product) due to potential Salmonella contamination. It did not affect the canned wet food line reviewed here. The recall was voluntary and handled transparently by Nature's Variety. No illnesses were reported.

Is Instinct worth the premium over Merrick?

If you prioritize maximum animal-ingredient percentage and cage-free sourcing, yes — the $0.06/oz premium gets you 95% real animal ingredients vs. Merrick's more conventional (though still excellent) deboned-chicken-first formula. If you prioritize value-per-quality-ratio, Merrick offers the better deal with ingredient quality that's close to Instinct at 17% less cost.