Regardless of the life stage, food type, or protein preference you’re searching for, Instinct® has the perfect match for your pet.
Both Instinct frozen raw meals and Instinct freeze-dried raw meals are 100% real, raw nutrition.
Store raw in the freezer. Keep the bag sealed for freshness.
Bites require minimal prep and they thaw in minutes. Feed it straight from the bag to the bowl.
Pull your pet’s meal portion out of the freezer and thaw in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Place the next day’s portion in a covered container in the fridge overnight. Raw can remain in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Scoop Bites directly in the bowl. Patties can be served broken up, mashed or whole depending on your pet’s preference.
Some of our raw feeders recommend adding warm water or broth for those first meals so your pet can get used to the cooler temperature.
Serve and see your pet’s excitement! Discard any uneaten food after 30 minutes (though usually we see clean, empty bowls!).
Like with any pet food or when handling raw meats, wash hands, surfaces, and bowls that come in contact with raw with hot soapy water.
Freeze-dried raw does not need to be frozen. You can just pop it in the pantry!
Much like kibble, with freeze-dried raw you can scoop the proper portion right into the bowl without any prep.
There is no risk to your dog or cat if you leave freeze-dried raw out all day long.
You can rehydrate the food by adding water to the bowl if you’re looking to add more water to your pet’s diet. Just make sure that if you choose to do this you discard it within 2 hours!
Switching to raw food is simple. As with any new food, we recommend pets transition gradually so their systems can adjust to the change.
Check out the chart below for guidelines on how to start feeding raw.
Any amount of raw is good for your pet! If you’re not ready to make the full switch, add raw into their food rotation or on top of their current diets. Top their kibble with Mixers or feed them one raw meal a week for extra variety and nutrition.
Try out our Product Recommender to find the perfect recipe for your pet.
If you’d prefer to evaluate your raw journey on your own, first, think about if you’d like to feed a full raw diet or a partial raw diet. For an overview of all food types, visit the For Dogs or For Cats pages.
A few considerations:
Any amount of raw is good for your pet! Whether you go 100% raw or feed it some of the time, including raw nutrition in your pet’s diet is an investment in their lifelong health.
Yes! Add raw as often as you’d like. You don’t have to feed a full raw diet to reap the raw benefits. In fact, studies show that adding as little as 20% raw can reduce the risk of skin allergies.
Many pet parents rotate between raw and a kibble-based food or top their pet’s kibble with either frozen or freeze-dried raw. Just remember to be cautious of overfeeding if you are topping a pet’s existing meal with raw.
First, be sure that you gradually transition to raw over the course of one week to minimize chances of digestive upset. Follow the steps above these FAQs!
Even when transitioning properly, there is a chance that your pet may temporarily have loose stools or digestive upset. Because pets are used to eating the same food day-in and day-out, there could be an adjustment period as they change to something new. Also, since frozen raw is so different from kibble, the texture and temperature change may take a little getting used to. This is all normal and expected, but if you have any questions, feel free to check in with our Consumer Engagement team!
Raw pet food can be more costly than other forms of pet food, but it’s also an investment in your pet’s lifelong health. Feeding a nutrient-dense food made with real, whole-food ingredients could mean less vet visits, more years together, and strong overall health.
That being said – we believe raw nutrition should be accessible for every pet parent and cost shouldn’t be a barrier. That’s why we offer a variety of recipes that let pet parents add raw to their routine as often as they’d like. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing for a pet to reap the raw benefits. In fact, as little as 20% raw can impact your pet’s health.
For pet parents who aren’t able to feed full raw diets, consider adding Raw Toppers or choosing a Raw + Kibble recipe to include raw in your pet’s routine.
One of the first visible differences people see after switching to raw is better stools and overall digestion. Raw-fed pets tend to have smaller, firmer #2s. This is because raw is highly digestible and doesn’t have fillers, which allows for better nutrient absorption. With raw, your pet’s body is using/absorbing most of the food, leading to less stool output – a win for pets and for pet parents who need to clean up after their pets.
Skin & coat improvements are also one of the most cited changes after switching to raw – this may present itself as a shinier coat or even less itchiness/allergies. Speaking of allergies – did you know that raw-fed puppies experience less environmental allergies as adults than kibble-fed puppies? These raw fed puppies also have a reduced risk of developing Inflammatory Bowel Disease as they age. Research from the University of Helsinki’s DogRisk research group has shown us the importance of starting pets on raw while they’re young, as it can lead to lifelong benefits. DogRisk is doing more studies about how diet choice impacts pets’ health, and there is much more to come from this exciting research. Visit our science of raw page to learn more.
One important thing to remember is feeding raw is an investment in their lifelong health. Feeding a nutrient-dense food made with real, whole-food ingredients could mean less vet visits, more years together, and strong overall health.
Visit our testimonials page to hear stories from real pet parents.
Not sure where to start? We’ve got you. Head over to our product recommender and we’ll ask you some questions about your pet — and give you some answers about what to feed them.
Take the quiz
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