Protein Diets for Dogs

All dogs need protein in their diets; without protein and its amino acids, no puppy would survive past weaning. There has been debate over both the amount and the type of protein necessary. Wood cellulose (sawdust), chicken feathers and corn gluten contain protein, but of a very poor quality. While these products are found in many commercial dog foods, few experts would recommend them as sole ingredients.

  1. Types

    • There are more types of commercial dog food on the market than ever before. In 2007, melamine was added to corn gluten, a common dog-food ingredient, in order to spike the protein level. Melamine is a harmful chemical and sickened and killed hundreds of pets who ate the tainted food. Since then, interest in home cooking and raw dog-food diets has increased. Additionally, many commercial dog-food manufacturers have added grain-free kibble to their product lines.

    Significance

    • Essential amino acids are a component of protein and are responsible for growth and all bodily functions. Dogs need amino acids derived from meat and animal protein; vegetarian diets for dogs must have these amino acids added as supplements.

      Simply because a food is high in protein does not mean it contains all the essential amino acids required by a dog. Whole eggs are considered a very complete protein. Fish, beef and bone meal, soybeans and wheat are also rich sources of protein. However, each has a different amino-acid profile, which is why dogs need a variety of proteins for complete nutrition.

    Protein Levels for Puppies

    • Generally speaking, growing puppies need higher-protein diets to fuel growth, although this has been disputed. Most dry dog foods formulated for puppies contain between 25 and 30 percent protein. However, this depends on the type of protein contained in the food; some grain-free kibbles are considered too high in protein for puppies. A large, fast-growing breed may actually grow too quickly on a very-high-protein diet, causing skeletal and joint problems.

    Protein Requirements for Adult Dogs

    • Most dry dog foods are formulated with about 20 percent protein for sedentary and moderately active dogs. Very active and working dogs should have higher levels--up to 45 percent for sledding and herding dogs.

    Protein Levels and Kidney Health

    • There is some disagreement on the optimum protein levels required for senior dogs. For decades, veterinarians and dog-food companies have recommended that senior dogs receive a lower-protein diet to maintain kidney health. However, most experts now agree this theory was based on faulty research.

      Gregory Reinhart, Ph.D., a researcher for the Iams dog food company, maintains that low-protein diets may be harmful to older dogs, and that they need even higher levels of good-quality protein than puppies to maintain organ health and functioning.