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Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Light Recipe with Real Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, 18-lb bag
Instinct

Raw Boost Whole Grain Light Recipe with Real Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, 18-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $5.00/lb

Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Light Recipe with Real Chicken & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food, 18-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 66/100 (B) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Reasonable protein quality. fish meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 28% ⓘ
Protein
25%
min (as fed)
Fat
7.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
7%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

56 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    fish meal

    Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile.

  2. 2
    barley

    Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.

  3. 3
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

  4. 4
    millet

    Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.

  5. 5
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

  6. 6
    oatmeal

    Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

  7. 7
    tomato pomace

    The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.

  8. 8
    beet pulp

    Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble.

  9. 9
    chicken meal

    Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken.

  10. 10
    citrus pulp
  11. 11
    freeze-dried chicken
  12. 12
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  13. 13
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  14. 14
    ground flaxseed

    Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.

  15. 15
    freeze-dried chicken liver
  16. 16
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  17. 17
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  18. 18
    pumpkin seeds
  19. 19
    salmon oil

    Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.

  20. 20
    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

  21. 21
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

  22. 22
    freeze-dried chicken heart
  23. 23
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  24. 24
    niacin supplement

    B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.

  25. 25
    thiamine mononitrate

    B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.

Showing first 25 of 56. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.