Our verdict
Is Natural Instinct Natural Senior a good dog food?
We score it 87/100 (Good). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Complete raw food for senior dogs, with chicken, apples and butternut squash as the main ingredients.
25% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for senior dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon oil
- You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
- You are limiting fat: 37.9% on a dry-matter basis is in the high band
These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Find foods that fit your dog.
Nutrition and feedingProtein 14.20% · Fat 11.80%
Typical analysis (as fed)
| Nutrient | As fed |
|---|---|
| Protein | 14.20% |
| Fat | 11.80% |
| Fibre | 0.50% |
| Ash | 3.20% |
| Moisture | 68.90% |
| Calcium | 0.90% |
| Phosphorus | 0.70% |
| Sodium | 0.10% |
Additives & feeding info
Feeding and storage
Storage
Store in the freezer.
Feeding guide
Food calculator guidance is provided; adult dogs are given grams per day based on body weight. Guideline only, as lifestyle, appetite and temperament can affect weight.
No additives recorded yet.
Ingredients (10)25% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- meat 75.0%
- veg 14.9%
- supplement 7.7%
- oil 2.4%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | chicken 75% | Chicken | meat · medium | 75 | 75.0 |
| 2 | apple | Apples | veg · good | - | 3.6 |
| 3 | butternut squash | Butternut Squash | veg · good | - | 3.4 |
| 4 | carrot | Carrots | veg · good | - | 3.2 |
| 5 | chondroitin sulphate | Chondroitin | supplement · good | - | 3.0 |
| 6 | glucosamine hydochloride | Glucosamine | supplement · good | - | 2.8 |
| 7 | kelp | Kelp | veg · good | - | 2.6 |
| 8 | salmon oil | Salmon Oil | oil · good | - | 2.4 |
| 9 | spinach | Spinach | veg · good | - | 2.2 |
| 10 | vitamin c | Vitamin C | supplement · good | - | 2.0 |
- 1. chicken 75%75% declared75.0% estimated
- 2. apple3.6% estimated
- 3. butternut squash3.4% estimated
- 4. carrot3.2% estimated
- 5. chondroitin sulphate3.0% estimated
- 6. glucosamine hydochloride2.8% estimated
- 7. kelp2.6% estimated
- 8. salmon oil2.4% estimated
- 9. spinach2.2% estimated
- 10. vitamin c2.0% estimated
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-14
Brand and contact: Natural Instinct
- Website
- https://naturalinstinct.com/
- Contact page
- www.naturalinstinct.co.uk
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-14
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- naturalinstinct.com
Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.
Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.
Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Why this score?
This recipe achieves an overall score of 87 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +6.4 points, and the meat content added +5.8 points. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -2.6, and the oil and fat content made an adjustment of -0.6.
Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.41 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 60.6% | 0.096 | +5.82 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 6.8% | -0.092 | -0.63 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 12.0% | -0.005 | -0.06 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 20.5% | -0.012 | -0.25 |
| Undeclared quantities | 25.0% | -0.106 | -2.64 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Fresh × high meat | 1.0 | 11.084 | +11.08 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.12 | 33.786 | +37.84 |
| Processing: Raw | yes | -0.054 | -0.05 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.41 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 60.6% | 0.096 | +5.82 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.115 | +0.00 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 6.8% | -0.092 | -0.63 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 12.0% | -0.005 | -0.06 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 20.5% | -0.012 | -0.25 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.375 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 0.0% | -0.065 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.876 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.060 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 25.0% | -0.106 | -2.64 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | no | 2.294 | +0.00 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | no | -3.158 | +0.00 |
| High carb and low meat | no | -1.180 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 1.0 | 11.084 | +11.08 |
| Additive penalty | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.12 | 33.786 | +37.84 |
| Processing: Raw | yes | -0.054 | -0.05 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 6.629 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 6.331 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.174 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.146 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -1.74
- Subtotal
- 87.4
- Final score
- 87/100
Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.
Score history across model versions
The score shown above is always computed with the latest published model. Earlier scores are kept for the record and are never edited or deleted; a scoring change ships as a new model version with a public write-up on the methodology page.
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges
How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14.2 | 45.7 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 11.8 | 37.9 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 0.5 | 1.6 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 84.8 |
| Calcium | 0.9 | 2.9 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 84.2 |
| Phosphorus | 0.7 | 2.3 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 59.3 |
| Sodium | 0.1 | 0.3 (band 0.1+%) | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.3 | 1.3 (band 1 to 2%) | 87.1 |
Scored over 7 declared nutrients (combined weight 85); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
No nutritional additives section declared on the label.
Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was estimated from the food type.
This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.
Transparency: what the label discloses
How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Ingredient list on the label (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Printed percentages on the label (75% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 15/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file | 0/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Additives declared, Batch and date labelling).
Safety: recall history
Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.
No recalls recorded in our database.
See all current recalls we track.
Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it
The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.
100/100 · moderate — 2 checkable claims: 2 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "complete and balanced raw dog food" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
- "Grain-free" — supported by the declared grain-free data.
5 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suitable for senior dogs (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| additional supplements to aid with joint issues (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Full of Health Benefits (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| No artificial colours, additives or preservatives (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| complete and balanced raw dog food (on page) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% recyclable packaging (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Grain-free (on page) | Free-from | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
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