Brand comparison
Natural Instinct vs Paleo Ridge
A side-by-side of Natural Instinct and Paleo Ridge on the factors we score. Figures come from our current catalogue data, and each brand’s full review is linked below. We don’t show prices here.
Quick verdict
Two of the strongest raw ranges we've reviewed. Both brands sit in our Outstanding band, with Paleo Ridge a shade ahead of Natural Instinct. Natural Instinct builds its complete raw around fruit and vegetables (butternut squash, apple, carrot, spinach) as much as meat, and adds a working-dog range. Paleo Ridge goes the other way: offal-rich recipes finished with a berry-and-greens mix, across a wider line-up with more special-diet tiers. Close reads, different plates.
Choose Natural Instinct if…
- You like the look of veg-forward raw, with squash, apple, carrot and spinach through the recipes
- Your dog works or trains hard and you want a range built for that
- You want protein and processing and nutritional balance reading Outstanding on every recipe
Choose Paleo Ridge if…
- You want the range that reads a shade ahead of Natural Instinct with us
- You'd sooner build meals around organ meat, with a berry-and-greens mix alongside
- You want more recipes to pick from, with special-diet tiers (Classic, Paleo Plus, Essentials)
Key differences
- Band: both are Outstanding with us, and Paleo Ridge sits a shade ahead
- Plants and offal: Natural Instinct is fruit- and veg-forward; Paleo Ridge is offal-rich with a berry-and-greens mix
- Range: Paleo Ridge is broader, at seven products and 36 recipes with special-diet tiers; Natural Instinct has five products and 20 recipes plus a working-dog range
- Pillars: every Paleo Ridge recipe reads Outstanding on all four. Natural Instinct matches it for protein and processing and for nutritional balance, and reads Good on transparency
- Format: both are raw only, all life stages, every breed size, so both ask for cold storage and careful handling
Side by side
- Feeding complete raw
- Fruit- and veg-forward recipes
- A specialist in raw
- Every life stage
- Feeding complete raw
- Offal-rich recipes
- A specialist in raw
- Every life stage
- Fruit- and veg-forward complete raw recipes
- Outstanding protein and processing and nutritional balance throughout
- A working-dog range of its own
- Outstanding on every pillar, on every recipe
- Offal-rich recipes with a greens-and-berries mix
- Complete raw for every life stage
- Raw only, with no other format
- Transparency reads Good on every recipe
- Raw feeding needs cold storage and handling
- Raw only, with no dry, wet or cold-pressed
- A short range of seven products
- Raw feeding needs freezer space and handling
Ingredients & nutrition
On ingredients the two diverge by design. Natural Instinct puts chicken first among its meats, with beef, turkey and tripe behind, and is notably plant-forward for raw food, with butternut squash, apple, carrot and spinach alongside sea kelp, salmon oil and wheatgrass. Paleo Ridge leads with beef, lamb and turkey and pushes organ meats to the front (liver, kidney, heart), finished with a 'berry good' greens-and-berries mix, seasonal veg and olive oil. Both are complete raw with plenty of moisture, so as-fed protein reads low against a kibble: Natural Instinct sits around 13 to 21% at roughly 98 to 207 kcal per 100g. Paleo Ridge spans a wider 12 to 29% as fed, at roughly 88 to 236 kcal per 100g, so its top recipes are the richer, higher-protein ones.
Suitability & trade-offs
Both are complete raw across every life stage and size of dog, toy through giant, with puppy, senior and weaning options. Neither rules a dog out on age or size. Either way you pay the same practical cost: freezer space and thawing, plus safe raw handling. They separate on range shape. Natural Instinct's working-dog range makes it the plainer pick for a hard-working or very active dog. Paleo Ridge's wider as-fed protein span and special-diet tiers give you more room to fine-tune a recipe. If recipe variety matters, Paleo Ridge has plenty more of it. If you want the veg-forward bowl, Natural Instinct is the one.
Our recommendation
Paleo Ridge is the one to start with. It reads Outstanding on all four pillars, with organ-rich recipes, the broader line-up and its special-diet tiers, and the higher-protein end of the raw spectrum. Feed Natural Instinct if your dog does well on a veg-forward bowl, or works hard enough to suit the working-dog range. It matches Paleo Ridge for protein and processing, and for nutritional balance too. The gap comes down to a Good transparency read and a slightly lower place with us, set against a different recipe philosophy. Both are strong foods.
Common questions
Which scores higher, Natural Instinct or Paleo Ridge?
Paleo Ridge sits a shade ahead, though both brands land in our Outstanding band. Paleo Ridge reads Outstanding on all four pillars. Natural Instinct is level with it for protein and processing, and level for nutritional balance, with a Good read on transparency.
What's the main difference between them?
Recipe philosophy. Natural Instinct is fruit- and veg-forward, with butternut squash, apple, carrot and spinach. Paleo Ridge is offal-rich, with liver, kidney and heart, plus a berry-and-greens mix.
Which has more recipes to choose from?
Paleo Ridge has seven products across 36 recipes, taking in Classic, Paleo Plus, Essentials and special-diet lines. Natural Instinct has five products across 20 recipes, plus a working-dog range.
Are both suitable for puppies and senior dogs?
Yes. Both are complete raw, feeding puppy, adult and senior dogs of every size, toy dogs to giants included. Each one includes weaning options.
Do I need a freezer for both?
Yes. Both are raw, so both need freezer space, thawing and careful raw-food handling. That practical cost is the same whichever you feed.