Is 25 protein too much for a dog
Protein requirement for dogs is one of the most important aspects of nutrition, but how much protein does a dog need?
Although protein makes an essential part of a dogs diet, it is also often one of the most misunderstood aspects of dog nutrition. Every dog owner I know talks about nutrition in their pets as one of the real concerns, and there is usually a misunderstanding about protein in a dogs diet.
Like a responsible dog owner, you only need to give your dogs the best nutritional value as possible, and understanding the importance of protein in your dogs diet is as good a start as any.
Why Is Protein Important in Dog Nutrition?
It is important to keep a well-balanced diet so dogs will stay healthy and happy, and that includes giving them protein-rich foods.
Protein, which is made of amino acids, plays a huge role in overall health for dogs. It helps maintain muscle mass, skin, nails, and fur. Protein is also an essential component for maintaining a strong immune system for dogs and in forming enzymes that can help turn chemical reactions in their cells. Protein is also an essential source of energy for dogs.
Without enough protein in their diet, it forces their body to break down muscles to fill the gap of their needed amino acids, which ultimately leads to immune dysfunction, muscle wasting, and overall health issues.
So, if you want a healthier, more active, and happier dog, give them enough protein in their daily diet.
How Much Protein Does a Dog Need?
The amount of protein required in a dogs diet depends on several factors, such as your dogs age, current health status, reproductive status, and the dogs activity level. But there are several ways and guides to help you make sure that you give enough protein to your dogs.
As a rough approximation, the protein required for a dog will depend on its ideal body weight. So, a 30-lb dog at its ideal body weight will most likely need 30 grams of protein daily. An overweight dog, like a 38-lb dog that should be just around 30-lbs, the protein requirement should be 30 grams per day.
The AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) has also set minimum standards for necessary nutrients for pets. The most basic guide from AAFCO in terms of protein for dogs is 22.5% (on dry dog food) for dog growth and reproduction and 18% for adult maintenance. But, if you can find dog foods that meet the standard of AAFCO, that will ensure that your dog gets the minimum nutrients needed.
The FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry) has also released a more detailed version of the AAFCO pet nutrient standard. For dogs in early growth and reproduction (less than 14 weeks old) requires 25 grams of protein or 100 grams of dry matter. Dogs in late growth (over 14 weeks old) require 20 grams of protein or 100 grams of dry matter.
Adult dogs that eat more because of high energy levels will need 18 grams of protein or 100 grams of dry matter. For adult dogs that eat less because of low energy levels, it requires more protein, about 21 grams of protein or 100 grams of dry matter.
How Much is Too Much Protein in Dogs
Although protein is necessary for dog nutrition, like everything else, too much is never good. It means that too much protein in your dogs diet might not be good too.
Dogs will only be able to digest and absorb the protein that their body needs for maintaining their muscle mass and other tissues. Any excess protein in their diet can either be disposed of through urine or stored in their body as fat.
If your pets are putting on weight, it might be ideal for checking the amount of protein you are giving them. Also, if there are yellow spots in your backyard where your dog is usually doing its business, that might also be because of too much protein in its diet.
3 Best Raw Dog Food Options Rich in Protein
There are a lot of protein sources for dogs. Good-quality dog foods provide your pet with their needed nutrition, and that includes protein. But if you want to give them fresh protein-rich foods, here are some great and wholesome options that could level up the amount of protein in your dogs diet.
Raw Meat
Raw meat is usually one of the common and best sources for protein in dogs. You can choose from a large variety of animal-related protein-rich sources for your pet. Your options include beef, pork, chicken, turkey, duck, fish, and even rabbit meat.
Muscle Meat
Meats than comes from muscles and other by-products are also great protein sources for dogs. We also consider animal organs a large part of the canine diet in the wild. That includes kidneys, livers, lungs, and hearts from animal sources.
Grains and Oil Seeds
Another wholesome source of protein for dogs, and also the simplest to add in their diets are grains and oilseeds. There are many types of grains you can give your pet, such as corn and wheat, which are excellent protein sources. For oilseeds, you can give dogs soybeans.
If your dog doesnt have any specific sensitivity to protein, its ideal to combine different protein-rich food sources like chicken, fish, and eggs as well to give your dog other healthy nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids for their overall health.
Conclusion
Protein is an essential part of a dogs diet. To ensure they have optimum health, give your dogs a balanced diet and their minimum protein requirement. But too much protein also wouldnt be good for your pets health.
Ultimately, there isnt one best protein source for dogs. It will largely depend on your personal preferences, budget, and your dogs specific needs and health requirement.
Related Topic: 4 Effective Ways on How to Calm a Dogs Stomach
References:
- https://www.petfoodindustry.com/blogs/7-adventures-in-pet-food/post/7231-pet-food-protein-how-much-is-too-much
- https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/too-much-protein-in-dog-food
- https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/nutrition/best-protein-for-dogs
- https://www.thespec.com/shopping-story/6943326-raw-protein-sources-for-dogs-which-is-best-/
https://petcentral.chewy.com/best-sources-protein-pets/
- https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/too-much-protein-in-dog-food
- https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_dg_focusing_on_protein_in_the_diet
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Protein for Dogs: How Much is Too Much? Facts & FAQ
There are tons of different dog foods on the market. Each has its own breakdown of macronutrients fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. It can be difficult to figure out exactly how much of each nutrient your dog needs. Protein is extremely important for dogs. It contains the amino acids they need for their muscles, brain, and other organs. Without it, dogs can develop all sorts of problems.
However, too much of a good thing isnt always best. If dogs eat too much protein, they risk not consuming enough of the other nutrients they need. For this reason, they should consume a balanced amount of protein. In this article, well help you figure out how much protein that may be for your pooch.
Because dogs come in so many shapes and sizes, there isnt a one-size-fits-all answer to the amount of protein they need. Instead, youll need to consider things like your dogs activity level and size.
How Much Protein Should a Dog Have?
Most dogs need a minimum of 18% to 29% protein in their diet. However, more is typically not frowned upon. Puppies need more protein, as they are growing. Too much protein can cause kidney problems, though. In fact, dogs with kidney problems may benefit from a low-protein diet.
With that said, feeding your dog too much protein is hard to do with a commercial diet. You should generally just ensure that your dog is also consuming enough carbohydrates and fats. If they are, then they are likely not consuming too much protein.
Why Is Protein Important?
Dogs technically dont need the protein itself. Instead, they need the amino acids that are in the protein. While dogs can make many of the amino acids they need, there are quite a few that they cannot make. Therefore, they have to consume them in their diet. Furthermore, during certain life stages, they cant always create enough of the unessential amino acids, making them momentarily necessary.
There are 22 amino acids that make up protein. Dogs can make 12 of these from other nutrients. However, 10 of them cannot be produced. Quite a few of the 12 that your dog can make can only be created in limited amounts, which may not be enough for your dog at all times. Pregnant dogs in particular often require more amino acids than they can make themselves.
Protein is essential for many bodily functions. While your dog does need protein to build and maintain muscles, it is also required for the immune system, brain, and many other body parts. Without protein, your dog simply cant function.
There are different kinds of protein sources as well. The best protein sources are complete, which means that they contain all the essential amino acids. However, that doesnt necessarily mean that they contain all of the nonessential amino acids.
When it comes to keeping any dog or puppy fit and healthy, diet and high-quality protein sources are key. Spot & Tango uses excellent ingredients to provide your fur baby with the best possible nutrition.
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Different Sources of Protein
Just because a food has a certain amount of protein in it doesnt mean that your dog will digest and absorb all of the protein that is necessary. The biological value (BV) of food describes how digestible and absorbable it is. A food with a low BV doesnt digest easily and isnt easily used by the dog, so they likely wont actually get all of the protein in it. On the other hand, a high BV represents food that can easily be digested and used.
Technically, corn is quite high in protein. However, dogs arent very good at utilizing these proteins. Generally, meat-based proteins like chicken and beef are far more digestible and usable by your dog. Furthermore, corn also doesnt have all the amino acids your dog needs, so you will need to pair it with other ingredients to meet your dogs protein needs.
For this reason, it is important to consider the type of protein as well as the amount. If you just purchase the food with the most protein, your dog might not actually be absorbing more. Whole foods like meat, fish, and other animal products are typically your best bet. They provide the most useable protein by calorie.
Check out the ingredients in your dogs food to determine where the protein is coming from. Look for things like pea protein, which is just concentrated veggie protein. Even if it isnt the first ingredient, this is extremely concentrated and contains a lot of lower-quality protein, which can drive up the overall content.
What About Meat Meal and Meat By-Products?
Of course, not all meat products are made equal. Many people also question the quality of meat meal and meat by-products, which are often used as protein sources in many different foods.
Meat meal may sound low-quality, but it is actually concentrated meat. To make meat meal, whole meat is cooked down and dehydrated into a powder. This makes it more nutritious than whole meat per ounce, as it doesnt have as much water content. Plus, meat must be dehydrated to be used in wet food. If it is listed as meal on an ingredient list, this is likely a more accurate ingredient listing than whole meat would be.
However, it is important that the source of the meal is named. You dont want to purchase something with meat meal, as the meat could literally mean anything. If your dog is allergic to an ingredient, meat meal is a certain no-go. Things like chicken meal and beef meal are perfectly fine.
By-products are a bit more complicated, as they can be a lot of different things. By-products can include nutritious ingredients that just arent eaten by humans in the western world like organs and cartilage. However, by-products can also include things that contain hardly any nutrients at all, like feathers.
While dogs would naturally eat feathers in the wild, they shouldnt be eating only feathers. When the ingredients are only listed as by-products, it is impossible to know what your dog is eating. For this reason, by-products are usually considered lower-quality.
Conclusion
A dogs protein needs will vary, but it is hard to give them too much if you are feeding them a commercial diet. However, it is more important to make sure that the diet you are feeding your dog contains high-quality protein sources. This means that the meat should be named, and while meal is okay, avoid foods that just say meat meal or meat by-products. Essentially, a high quality commercial dog food should meet all of your dogs nutritional needs.
Featured Image: demanescale, Shutterstock
