Skip to content
Dog food
All dog foodBy typeDryWet & freshRawTreats & toppersBy life stagePuppyAdultSeniorBy needGrain-freeHypoallergenicSensitive stomachsHigh-energyNaturalVegetarianInsect-proteinVeterinary
Best dog food
All best-of listsBest dry dog foodBest wet dog foodBest puppy foodBest senior dog foodBest raw dog foodBest natural dog foodBest grain-free dog foodBest hypoallergenic dog foodBest dog food for sensitive stomachsBest budget dog foodBest dog food for fussy eatersBest dog food for allergiesBest dog food for joints and mobilityBest dog food for weight managementBest dog food for skin and coatBest cold-pressed dog foodBest fresh dog foodBest air-dried dog foodBest dog food for digestion
BrandsCan dogs eat...?IngredientsCompareGuidesHow we rateSearchSign in
Natural Instinct · raw

Natural Instinct Puppy review

RawPuppyGrain freeNaturalFussy eatersSkin and coatHigh energy
Exceptional

About as good as raw food gets. 55% declared meat content leads the label, and the label tells you exactly what is inside. Feeding it costs about £1.88 a day for a typical adult dog - the breakdown below shows exactly what that buys.

Our community ratingNo owner reviews yet - be the first.
Write a review
Share

Label last checked

Image © Natural Instinct

+ Add to compare
Top 4%scores higher than 97% of rated foodsacross all 3530 foods we've scored
Exceptionalscore bandthe dot marks where it sits among every food we've rated
£1.88 approx.per day for a 15 kg dogcheaper than 82% of raw foods
55%declared meat content

Where the points went

The full breakdown, exactly as the algorithm scored it. How our rating works

Ingredient quality
Weighted ingredient quality 89/100 across 11 ingredients (declared percentages used for 5, position estimates for the rest).
35.5 / 40
Label clarity
Every ingredient individually named (+5); percentages cover 85% of the recipe (+5.1); meat sources named (+2); recipe reads as a fixed formula (+2).
14.1 / 15
Additives
No artificial colours, flavours, controversial preservatives or added sugars found.
10 / 10
Red flags
No red-flag ingredients.
0 / 0
Meat content
Declared meat content 85% (added up from every named meat on the label).
15 / 15
Nutritional balance
Estimated carbohydrate 5% dry matter (low); fat 46.0% DM is high (obesity/pancreatitis watch) (-2.0); fibre 1.3% DM (+1.6); ash 7.4% DM - sensible mineral load (+2); functional extras: omega-3 source, named botanicals (+2).
7.6 / 10
Processing
Raw - minimal processing, but no heat kill step, so store and handle it with normal raw-meat hygiene.
8 / 10
ODF Score
Algorithm v1.4.0 · scored July 28, 2026 · full methodology public
90 / 100

Our analysis

Breaking the 90 down: the biggest single loss is ingredient quality, where it takes 35.5 of a possible 40. Its strongest showing is declared meat content at 15 of 15.

The label declares 55% meat, which is unusually specific - most brands never print a figure at all, and the ingredient list names things individually rather than hiding them in catch-all categories.

At about £1.88 a day to feed a 15kg dog, the question is not whether it is cheap but whether the label justifies the price - and on our scoring, it broadly does.

Ingredients

Straight from the label, grouped by role - every ingredient is coloured by our published classification and links to its full page.

Meat & fish

Chicken 55%Beef Green Tripe 15%Beef Heart 5%Beef Liver 5%Chicken Heart 5%

Fruit & veg

AppleButternut SquashCarrotKelp

Oils & fats

Salmon Oil

Supplements & extras

Wheatgrass
Good qualityAcceptable / watch the amountRed flagGeneric / neutralOutlined = first five on the label

Feeding & cost

What a bag actually costs to feed - worked out per dog, not per pack.

Pack sizeRRPPer kg
1 kg£4.43£4.43

How heavy is your dog?

A typical 15 kg adult dog needs about 423 g a day = £1.87 / day, £56.85 / month.

How we work this out
  1. Energy: an adult dog at rest needs about 95 × weight0.75 kcal a day (the FEDIAF maintenance formula - a 15 kg dog works out near 725 kcal).
  2. Portion: divide that by this food's energy density, 171 kcal/100g, to get the grams above - a denser food needs fewer grams.
  3. Cost: multiply the grams by this food's price, £4.43 / kg, for the daily cost, then by 30.4 days for the month.

Estimates scale to your dog's weight and the food's calorie density - a denser food needs fewer grams. A rough guide; always follow the pack. This is a puppy food, but the figures above are for an adult dog at maintenance - the same reference we use on every food so costs stay comparable. A growing puppy needs roughly twice the energy for its weight, so feed to the pack, not to this. Try the full feeding calculator

Nutrition

Declared analysis converted to a dry-matter basis, so wet and dry foods compare fairly.

Protein

40.5 % DM
Directory average: 52

Fat

46 % DM
Directory average: 36.9

Est. carbs

4.8 % DM
Directory average: 5.5

Fibre

1.3 % DM
Directory average: 3.4

Ash

7.4 % DM
Directory average: 8.7

Carbohydrates are estimated: 100% minus protein, fat, fibre, ash and moisture.

Similar foods that score higher

Same type and life stage, better ODF Score, comparable price per day.

Write a review of Natural Instinct Puppy
Optional - tap a star to rate, or leave blank to just comment.

Your email stays private - we only use it to confirm genuine reviews. Reviews are checked before they appear.

Related guides

How to switch your dog’s food without upsetting their stomachHow to switch your dog’s food without upsetting their stomachRead the guideIs raw feeding safe? What the evidence actually saysIs raw feeding safe? What the evidence actually saysRead the guidePuppy feeding guide: how much, how often, and when to switchPuppy feeding guide: how much, how often, and when to switchRead the guide

This is label analysis, not veterinary advice - if your dog has a health condition, talk to your vet before switching foods.

Better bowls, straight to your inbox

New ratings, recall alerts and genuinely useful feeding guides. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.

What would you like to hear about?