Rating: 
Nature’s Variety Instinct dry dog food earns the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.
The Nature’s Variety Instinct product line includes five dry dog foods… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit Meal Formula
- Nature’s Variety Instinct Salmon Meal Formula
- Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken Meal Formula
- Nature’s Variety Instinct Beef Meal and Lamb Meal Formula
- Nature’s Variety Instinct Duck Meal and Turkey Meal Formula
Nature’s Variety’s Instinct Duck Meal and Turkey Meal Formula was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Nature's Variety Instinct Duck Meal and Turkey Meal
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Duck meal, turkey meal, salmon meal, tapioca, canola oil, tomato pomace, pumpkinseeds, herring meal, sun-cured alfalfa meal, montmorillonite clay, natural flavor, vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, biotin, niacin supplement, vitamin A acetate, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, carotene, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), potassium chloride, minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, ethylenediamine dihydriodide), sea salt, dried kelp, peas, cranberries, blueberries, direct-fed microorganisms (Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast culture, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract), inulin, mixed tocopherols with citric acid (a natural preservative), rosemary extract, freeze dried turkey, freeze dried turkey liver, freeze dried turkey heart, freeze dried ground turkey bone
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 35% | 22% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 39% | 24% | 29% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 31% | 47% | 23% |
The first two items in this food are duck meal and turkey meal. Duck and turkey meals are both considered meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is salmon meal… another high-protein meat concentrate.
Unlike most fish meals, this item appears to be ethoxyquin-free.1
The fourth ingredient is tapioca. Tapioca is a natural extract made from the root of the cassava plant. It is a starchy carbohydrate that is not only grain-free… but also gluten-free.
Tapioca is mainly used as a binder to hold all the other ingredients together during the cooking process.
The fifth item is canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.2
Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as a cheap pet food filler laden with pesticides found on the skin of the tomato before processing.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
The seventh ingredient lists pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and, more importantly, linoleic acid… an essential omega-6 fat.
Herring meal is yet another source of concentrated protein.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall quality of this product.
With three notable exceptions…
First, Instinct contains montmorillonite… a naturally occurring clay rich in numerous minerals. Montmorillonite has been approved for use in USDA Organic Certified products.
Reported benefits include the binding of certain mold-based toxins and even controlling diarrhea.
Next, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Nature’s Variety Instinct Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Based on the quality of these ingredients, it’s easy to see Nature’s Variety Instinct Dog Food is an exceptional kibble.
Just the same, we still must study the label’s nutrient percentages before we determine a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 39%, a fat level of 24% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 29%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 39% and a mean fat level of 23%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 30% for the overall product line.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing an abundance of meat.
When you also consider its lack of any critical Red Flag items, it becomes obvious we’re evaluating an exceptional dry food.
Bottom line?
Nature’s Variety Instinct is a grain-free kibble using an abundance of meat and poultry meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a top-level grain-free wet product may want to check-out our review of Nature’s Variety Instinct Canned Dog Food.
See a recap of all the product lines made by this company when you visit our summary page… Nature’s Variety Dog Food Reviews.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes
11/03/2009 Original review
05/12/2010 Review updated
09/05/2010 Review updated (new recipe)
01/26/2011 Review updated (added Beef Recipe)
03/21/2011 Review updated (added Salmon Recipe
03/21/2011 Last Update
- Nature’s Variety FAQ, 5/12/2010 ↩
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.