Purina One True Instinct Canned DOG FOOD Review

With a score of 7.5/10, Purina One True Instinct wet dog food is Purina’s highest scoring dog food. It’s considered a moderate risk dog food based on our criteria. These 2 recipes average 41% protein, with average carbohydrates of 9% as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is a level we expect to see in a wet dog food. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of lower food quality as it can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. 

There are excessive added vitamins and minerals in these recipes to meet nutrient requirements. This usually indicates poor quality or overly processed ingredients. They are listed as undefined which is concerning because it’s assumed they are a standard premix, and it’s difficult to know the sources. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from added vitamin premixes, so it’s preferable that most or all vitamins and minerals come from real foods. These recipes lack fruits and vegetables, which are whole food ingredients that would provide many essential nutrients including vitamins and minerals. 

On the ingredient safety side, these foods are highly processed. Canned foods are heated before and during canning, which will cause significant losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species. 

Carrageenan is used in these recipes. It’s a highly processed derivative of seaweed used as a thickener or texturizer and may be linked to intestinal inflammation and other negative health effects.  

These recipes don’t specify whether the fish is farmed or wild caught, which is more nutritious and has a  healthier fatty acid balance. Purina One doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.