What do we think of Instinct Ultimate Protein?

the3rdname

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The ingredients list is pretty impressive*, and they're doing a great job hyping it up, so I was hoping the nutrition gurus here could take a look at the ingredients/nutritional analysis and offer their critique.  Does that tapioca ("no cheap fillers" they say, but, uh, tapioca is high up there on the list) make it carby?  

Here's the page for the chicken formula: http://www.instinctpetfood.com/product/instinct-grain-free-ultimate-protein-chicken-0

*We all know Wet Is Best, but some of us need to supplement with dry, so please kindly refrain from delivering anti-dry sermons.  Thank you!
 

2cats4me

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I could be missing something but to me it does not look much different than the regular Instinct Chicken .. I do not understand why the call it " Ultimate Protein " when it only has 2% more protein .
 
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the3rdname

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I could be missing something but to me it does not look much different than the regular Instinct Chicken .. I do not understand why the call it " Ultimate Protein " when it only has 2% more protein .
I think their schtick is that 95% of the protein is sourced from meat, as opposed to other high protein cat foods that use a variety of sources and maybe don't divulge how much protein is coming from what source.  The UP is, as far as I know, the only high protein food that doesn't contain meat meal.  So that's their other major selling point.  I learned very recently that companies can claim their food is "human grade" as long as it contains *some* human grade meat, but the meal is usually 4D animals unfit for human consumption.  If that's the kind of thing that's important to you, UP has that advantage over premium drys like Orijen.  

I was wondering what the carb content would be since I never learned how to calculate protein:carbs.  
 

2cats4me

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I think their schtick is that 95% of the protein is sourced from meat, as opposed to other high protein cat foods that use a variety of sources and maybe don't divulge how much protein is coming from what source.  The UP is, as far as I know, the only high protein food that doesn't contain meat meal.  So that's their other major selling point.  I learned very recently that companies can claim their food is "human grade" as long as it contains *some* human grade meat, but the meal is usually 4D animals unfit for human consumption.  If that's the kind of thing that's important to you, UP has that advantage over premium drys like Orijen.  

I was wondering what the carb content would be since I never learned how to calculate protein:carbs.  
Well , I know that the Dry Matter Carb % for the regular Instinct Chicken is 13%  so this one may be about the same  more or less..
 

chwx

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23% carbs and uses whey for added protein. Once that chicken is cooked, the tapioca and flaxseed becomes the primary ingredients. Chicken meal is better because it's weighed AFTER the water is removed so it's more likely to be the true first ingredient. Chicken alone is roughly 60% water and means it was weighed before that water was removed. I'm willing to bet it's more expensive than regular Instinct too but it looks like a crappier food with lots of fillers and very little real meat. 95% chicken with water weight maybe, but they added that whey protein concentrate for a reason. I wouldn't buy into it.
 

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We're still working on our trial bag (got one of the $5 bags for free from a local store). So far so good.

I think there's an important distinction that needs to be made. The labeling says 95% of protein from real chicken. As a consumer, I read that to mean that of the 47% protein in the product, 95% of that is coming from chicken, 5% from something else (whey, veggies, etc). I would not think that tapioca and ground flaxseed are the primary ingredients after cooking, even considering the water weight of chicken.

It seems like it would be in the same tier as Orijen and other top dry foods.
 

ftmba

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Would also like to add that I calculated the carbs around 15% (didn't see ash listed on nutrition info, used 8% as a plugin). Very comparable to Orijen at 17%.

Our kittens are loving this stuff, one benefit for us is it only has a few proteins (mostly chicken with a small amount of freeze dried turkey). We really liked Orijen and Ziwipeak dry but Orijen especially has many different proteins/fish (chicken, herring, turkey, eggs, walleye, salmon) in it, we felt we needed to go with something simpler for their tummy/allergy issues.
 

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I hope you don't mind if I resurrect this thread but am wondering how this compares to Orijen. I am currently feeding mine Instinct grain-free kibble overnight & I've been consider switching them to Orijen because of the rave reviews on here. Just wondering if the UP is comparable because I got a $5 off coupon from their website [emoji]128570[/emoji]
 

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Oops! Should've read further posts after doing a search! Not sure how to link threads but I found the answer on another thread. Looks like the UP is similar to Orijen and less expensive-- especially if you go to their site & sign up for the $5 coupon!
 

dorimon

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Oops! Should've read further posts after doing a search! Not sure how to link threads but I found the answer on another thread. Looks like the UP is similar to Orijen and less expensive-- especially if you go to their site & sign up for the $5 coupon!
How do you get the $5 coupon? I'm only seeing one for $3.
 

Kat0121

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When I switched dry foods I considered UP and Orijen. The Orijen won because I think it's a little better and it's cheaper

Petsmart gets $33.99 for a 5 pound bag of UP- after coupon $28.99 (I imagine it's a one time coupon)

Chewy gets $29.66 

Petco gets $29.66 - after coupon $24.99

Amazon gets $32.96 but it is available for subscribe and save for as low as $28.02

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Petsmart/Petco don't carry Orijen

Chewy gets $26.99 for a 5 pound bag

Amazon's prices fluctuate:

Currently Orien is $34.99 but when I bought it last month it was $23.62 shipped. 

I personally didn't see enough difference ingredients wise to justify the price so I went with the Orijen. 

NVI Chicken

Ingredients


Chicken meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), tapioca, chicken, menhaden fish meal, tomato pomace, sun-cured alfalfa meal, natural flavor, potassium chloride, montmorillonite clay, choline chloride, dl-methionine, carrots, apples, cranberries, salt, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), taurine, minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, sodium selenite), freeze dried turkey, freeze dried chicken (including freeze dried ground chicken bone), freeze dried turkey liver, pumpkinseeds, dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product, rosemary extract, butternut squash, ground flaxseed, dried kelp, broccoli, apple cider vinegar, salmon oil, dried chicory root, blueberries

Ultimate Protein

Ingredients


Chicken, tapioca, ground flaxseed, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), natural flavor, dried tomato pomace, dried whey protein concentrate, dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, montmorillonite clay, choline chloride, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, sodium selenite), taurine, freeze dried turkey, freeze dried chicken (including freeze dried ground chicken bone), freeze dried turkey liver, pumpkinseeds, dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product, carrots, apples, rosemary extract, butternut squash, dried kelp, broccoli, apple cider vinegar, salmon oil, dried chicory root, blueberries

Orijen

Ingredients


Boneless chicken,* chicken meal, chicken liver,* whole herring,* boneless turkey,* turkey meal, turkey liver,* whole eggs,* boneless walleye,* whole salmon,* chicken heart,* chicken cartilage,* herring meal, salmon meal, chicken liver oil, chicken fat, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, kelp, pumpkin,* butternut squash,* spinach greens,* carrots,* apples,* pears,* cranberries,* mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, dandelion root, chamomile, peppermint leaf, ginger root, caraway seeds, turmeric, rose hips, freeze-dried chicken liver, freeze-dried turkey liver, freeze-dried chicken, freeze-dried turkey, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Choline Chloride, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, niacin, ribo?avin, folic acid, biotin, Vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite *delivered fresh and preservative-free

The food I had switched from was the NVI LID turkey

Ingredients


Turkey meal, peas, tapioca, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), turkey, natural flavor, montmorillonite clay, coconut oil, choline chloride, potassium chloride, salt, dl-methionine, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement), minerals (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, sodium selenite), taurine, green tea extract, rosemary extract

If only I spent this much time researching my own food 
 

ftmba

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I've fed both Orijen and NV UP and I think they're both excellent dry foods.

Our kittens preferred the taste of UP (they literally go nuts for it), it has fewer proteins (we have an IBS kitty), and seems to be more widely available.

If you're already feeding Instinct it'll probably be an easy transition.

Both foods come with trial sizes that are $5 or less (at least they are here). The UP trial bag comes with a coupon for $5 off a bigger bag.
 

Kat0121

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NV makes good food. The Pride line and NVI canned have regular spots in our rotation. 

Yes, the UP is more readily available for sure, My kids liked the dry LID turkey but they like the Orijen better. I've never seen sample sizes around here. Petco is unreliable though and Petsmart has a very small selection of NV products. They did away with the Pride line altogether. Petco has a VERY small selection. 
 

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I just started my 3 cats on this (as a supplement to their wet food),All 3 really enjoy it and their coats seem to be softer with less dander. Prior to this, their dry food supplement was Taste of The Wild which is high protein and fairly economical.
 

rickr

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I can't really say if Ultimate Protein is better or worse than regular Instinct or the Raw Boost.  However, my cats won't eat the regular or Raw Boost; yet love the Ultimate Protein.  I suppose there is something different in the formulation that attracts them.  FWIW: we switched from Blue Buffalo Wild to Orijin.  Unfortunately Orijin became increasingly difficult to source where I live.  Out of frustration we switched again to Ultimate Protein, which is much easier to find.
 

kitlit

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I find that it works well as a small supplement to a grain-free wet food diet.
 

kitlit

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I used the Chicken and also the Duck as a small supplement to their grain free wet food diet for 3 months and my cats loved it. I have since switched to Petcurean Go Fit Turkey, Chicken and Duck when I discovered that the second ingredient in Instinct is tapioca. They lead you to believe that the main ingredients are all meat, until you read the fine print.
 
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