The great protein debate, so I have gathered together just a few articles and forum posts that I would like everyone to read about how much protein we should be feeding our dogs…
Can Pet Food Have Too Much Protein? The Dog Food Project - Is too much protein harmful? Are Dogs Carnivores - or Omnivores? Myths About Raw: Are dogs omnivores?
So after reading these articles I think that the main points of controversy are
• Potential organ damage- kidneys and liver
• Ash and other by-products derived from protein
• Whether dogs are omnivores or carnivores
• Too much protein
• Filler vs protein
I think I believe that the problems that people have from feeding too much protein are real, you can feed too much protein literally. I believe that you should feed less of the food and give more water, without fillers and other products the high protein foods are similar to a concentrate you only need a little. Many problems that I think would arise, like too much ash or protein, come from feeding too much of the food itself. So the question becomes do you feed just a little or do you feed a food with less protein and more “filler”. What is the filer though; some say anything that’s not meet because dogs are carnivores. Are they though? Dogs were carnivores and are far better equipped to eat meat however they can and will consume plant matters. So dogs get more nutrition from meat directly but if you feed larger quantities of the filler food you can get the same nutritional values. Dogs do get nutritional benefit from vegetables and fruits, but you do need to feed more and there is a lot in plant matters that dogs simply cannot digest easily and that are removed from the system. Does that place a larger strain on the dogs than simply processing proteins? As long as the protein is high quality I believe it is healthier for the dog to digest and process. There is also the problem of compromised livers and kidneys though and then what is the best choice.
So what do you think, are high protein diets bad, are grains, vegetables, or fruits nutritionally relevant, and are dogs carnivores or omnivores????