Every responsible dog owner has the best intentions of feeding their pet a high quality diet. But when you ask dog owners what constitutes the healthiest canine diet, no two answers are the same.

Much confusion on this issue stems from the ambiguous and often incorrect information regarding “protein”.

Most of us are familiar with the myth: “High protein dog food cause kidney damage in dogs.” But the fact is: The early research which identified protein as being the cause for kidney failure in dogs – was never tested on dogs! These tests were performed on rats. Rats are essentially plant eaters, not meat eaters. They naturally have difficulty excreting excess proteins in their diets. As a result, when fed diets high in protein, their inherent inability to process proteins led to improper kidney function.

Unfortunately, when these early studies were performed, the distinction between the natural diet of rats and dogs was never taken into acccount. Thus the false assumption was made that the research data obtained on rats must also apply to dogs. The false assumption was made that “too much protein in a dog’s diet causes kidney damage”. And that rumor/fallacy is still circulating today.

Only in recent years, have researchers reversed that line of thinking. Kirk’s Veterinary Therapy XIII, Small Animal Practice, by Finco, Brown, Barsanti, and Bartges directly addresses the lack of data indicating that reduced levels of protein in dog’s food provides protects the kidneys.

Recent studies have shown, dogs are perfectly capable of tolerating diets with protein levels higher than 30% on a dry weight basis. Dog’s are technically classified as omnivores. They can survive on a diet of plants or animal origin if it is balanced and diverse. But in order for a dog to thrive (not just survive), a dog’s diet must contain a source of animal protein.

Studies have shown that inadequate diets – diets high in grain based products and low in animal origin tissues (foods commondly found in grocery stores and big box pet stores) are the leading cause of dog’s most common ailments:

· Weight gain
· Itchy, flaky skin
· Coarse, brittle coats
· Poor energy levels
· Poor resistance to infections

A thriving dog’s metabolism contains 22 types of Amino Acids. While 12 of these amino acids may be manufactured internally in a dog’s liver, 10 of the additional required amino acids may only be supplied by diet. These must be supplied through high quality protein sources such as meat, muscle tissue, and organ tissues. Protein sources of animal origin are rich in amino acids and are easily digestible for dogs.

Studies regarding optimum protein levels may vary significantly. But most research shows that dogs have a high capacity for digesting and utilizing diets containing more than 30% protein on a dry weight basis. The healthiest canine diet is one rich in high quality meat proteins and low in grain based products. One quick and easy way to glance at a label and determine the quality of dog food, would be to look at the first three ingredients listed. Are they clearly identifiable sources of animal protein? If so, the dog food may warrant consideration.

We are fortunate to have several great sources of quality protein formulas on the dog food market today - Orijen, Eagle Pack Holistic Select, Nature’s Variety, Evo, Canidae, California Natural, - just to name a few. Take the time to check them out and don’t be misled by previous misconceptions. Lean high quality protein is your dog’s key to thriving – great health!

This entry was posted on Friday, February 8th, 2008 at 6:07 pm and is filed under K9 Health, K9 Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.