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Review: Instinct Raw Boost Bites by Nature’s Variety

By: Author Paris Permenter


Product: Instinct® Raw Boost Bites™

What it is: Freeze dried treats for dogs

Manufacturer: Nature’s Variety®, Lincoln, NE (Made in USA)

DogTipper Review: Instinct Raw Boost Bites are a new offering from Nature’s Variety, a natural pet food company in Nebraska. These are essentially a bite-sized version of Nature Variety’s Instinct Freeze Dried Raw dog food. We had enjoyed reviewing Nature’s Variety Sweet Spots, a frozen treat for dogs, so we were excited about reviewing these new treats.

Raw Boost Bites come in four different varieties: chicken, beef, venison and lamb. The treats are produced using “minimal processed raw ingredients.” Being freeze dried, the treats need not be refrigerated while still offering the same benefits as conventional raw diets. They can be stored up to a year if unopened.

We were asked to evaluate two of the four varieties, the chicken and lamb formulas. These round, crumbly cookies are about 1-1/2″ in diameter and are packaged in 4-ounce cartons.  In addition to raw meat, the treats contain raw fruits and vegetables and are gluten and grain free. The treats are about 7 grams each; they can be easily broken up for training purposes. The company points out that the treats can also be crumbled over traditional food as a way to transition a pet onto a raw diet.

Chicken Instinct Raw Boost Bites contain:

Chicken, Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Pumpkinseeds, Apples, Carrots, Ground Chicken Bone, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Salmon Oil, Olive Oil, Mixed Tocopherols with Citric Acid (a natural preservative), Rosemary, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Inulin, Sage, and Clove.

Each treat contains about 23 kcals with a nutritional analysis of:

  • Crude Protein (min): 40.0%
  • Crude Fat (min): 34.0%
  • Crude Fiber (max): 8.0%
  • Moisture (max): 4.0%.

The Lamb treats contain:

Lamb, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Pumpkinseeds, Apples, Carrots, Ground Lamb Bone, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Salmon Oil, Olive Oil, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Persimmons, Inulin, Rosemary, Sage, and Clove with 20 kcal per piece.

Nutritional analysis is similar to the chicken formula.

We offered Irie and Tiki a choice of the two treats and both seemed to initially favor the lamb formula (maybe because they don’t get to have lamb as often as chicken-based food). They were pretty gung-ho on both, however, and obviously found them tasty. We like the fact that they are made in the US from quality ingredients. A big paws up for Instinct Raw Boost Bites!

For More Information:

Disclosure: We received two cartons of Instinct Raw Boost Bites for review; we were not paid for our review and all opinions are entirely our own.

Paris Permenter
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