Bundle: Instinct Frozen Raw Bites Real Beef Recipe Food + Freeze-Dried Raw Meals Real Beef Recipe Dog Food
Graded by The Sniff System
Instinct Frozen Raw Bites + Freeze-Dried Raw Meals Real Beef Recipe is a freeze-dried food with beef as its primary protein.
This food offers good protein quality, with freeze-dried beef providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, and its fat sources are good, featuring named fats and marine oil for EPA and DHA.
There are no flagged ingredients or negative drivers. However, the product lacks a complete guaranteed analysis, AAFCO statement, and calorie information, which makes it harder to fully assess.
Good fit for owners looking for a freeze-dried raw food with quality protein, carbs, and fats. Less ideal if you prefer full nutritional transparency.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Freeze dried- beef anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus beef liver at position 2 (a natural taurine precursor). In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 69/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. freeze dried- beef delivers solid amino acid coverage. Also adding to the lift: carbohydrate quality (+15). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 6-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (18.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. freeze dried- beef delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 10% for carb quality in grain-free freeze-dried foods (15/16)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in grain-free freeze-dried foods (69/100)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Stella & Chewy's Remarkable Red Meat Recipe Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food, 14-oz bag
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Primal Kibble in the Raw Recipe Non-GMO Freeze-Dried Puppy Food, 24-oz bag
Chicken instead of beef, 2 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1freeze dried- beef
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalbeef liver
Organ meat. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients available, rich in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A.
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3protein animalbeef kidney
Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and trace minerals. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4beef spleen
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5pumpkin seeds
- 6vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 8vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9vegetablevegetable
Unnamed vegetable. No way to know what species. Named vegetables are far more transparent.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10montmorillonite clay
Natural clay used as a binder and anti-caking agent. Functional, not nutritional.
- 11fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12ground miscanthus grass
Same as miscanthus grass. A plant fiber source, mostly there for stool quality.
- 13lactic acid
Natural acid used as a mild preservative and pH adjuster. Found in fermented foods too. Safe at typical inclusion.
- 14fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 14. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 15vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 16vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 17vitaminvitamin d3 supplement
The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.
- 18mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 19mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 20mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 21mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 22mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 23mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 24mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 25preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
Showing first 25 of 52. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.