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Our Verdict
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost product range is made up of 13 recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 5 stars.
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free with Real Chicken was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Instinct Raw Boost with Real Chicken
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, chicken meal, peas, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tapioca, dried yeast, turkey meal, sweet potatoes, freeze-dried chicken, ground flaxseed, fish meal, natural flavor, dried tomato pomace, freeze-dried chicken liver, pumpkin seeds, salt, freeze-dried chicken heart, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin), apples, blueberries, cranberries, carrots, montmorillonite clay, miscanthus grass, minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, ethylenediamine dihydriodide), potassium chloride, choline chloride, taurine, yeast culture, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, dried bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, salmon oil, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.8%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 34% | 20% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 37% | 21% | 34% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 30% | 42% | 28% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The fourth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The fifth ingredient is tapioca, a gluten-free, starchy carbohydrate extract made from the root of the cassava plant.
The sixth ingredient is dried yeast. Dried yeast can be a controversial item. Dried yeast contains about 45% protein and is rich in other healthy nutrients.
Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.
Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.
What’s more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.
In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, we feel yeast should be considered a nutritious addition.
The seventh ingredient is turkey meal. Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.
The eighth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The ninth ingredient is freeze-dried chicken, another quality inclusion. It should be noted the meat used here has been freeze-dried prior to use in this recipe. Because of the gentleness of the process used to create this item, freeze-dried ingredients can be considered nutritionally superior to meat meals.
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 affect the overall rating of this Nature’s Variety product.
With seven notable exceptions…
First, we find tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup. Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others believe it’s often used as an inexpensive pet food filler.
As the presence of fiber in a dog’s diet is shown to have great importance, we view the inclusion of tomato pomace in this food as a positive.
Next, we note the use of montmorillonite clay, a naturally occurring compound rich in many trace 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 and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
In addition, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Next, we note the inclusion of sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
This product also contains salmon oil. Salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.
And lastly, we find taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
We view the presence of taurine in this recipe as a positive addition.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Instinct Raw Boost Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 39%, a fat level of 22.4% and estimated carbohydrates of about 26.4%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 35% and a mean fat level of 19.9%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 34.6% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.
Which means this Instinct product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the boosting effect of the peas, this looks like the profile of a dry product containing an abundance of meat.
Instinct Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Instinct through June 2025.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Instinct Raw Boost Dog Food
Instinct Raw Boost is a grain-free and grain-inclusive dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Compare Instinct Raw Boost Dog Food
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