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Originally Posted by pstinard  Okay, high protein may be harmless for most dogs, but is it necessary or desirable? I'll just throw out one last thing (from The Dangers of High Protein Dog Foods | petMD), which is staffed by veterinarians and veterinarian nutritionists: Is Excessive Protein in Dog Food Bad for My Pet?
Protein is a calorie dense nutrient and many of the high protein diets are extremely high in calories and can quickly lead to weight gain. With over 50% of dogs in the U.S. considered overweight or obese, dog owners need to be aware of where those extra calories are hiding. If a dog has kidney or liver issues consuming too much protein can increase the workload on these organs and upset the balance of nutrients leading to exacerbation of disease.
Rather than look for a dog food that contains excessive levels of protein you should find one that is specifically formulated for your dog’s lifestyle, life stage, and size. A working sled dog, for example, will have significantly different nutrient and caloric requirements than the average pet dog that ventures outside for a few walks a day and spends the rest of the time lounging. These two dogs should not be fed the same diet.
Puppies, meanwhile, require more protein than adult dogs because their bodies are busy growing. Among breeds of puppies there are different requirements for nutrients as well. For instance large breed puppies like Labrador retrievers need a much different diet than a Yorkie for optimal growth. Feeding large breed puppies something that is too high in protein may make them put on weight too quickly causing abnormal joint development and making them more prone to issues like arthritis in the future.
The safest diets are those that have been developed by pet food companies that invest in scientific research, consult with veterinary nutritionists, and perform feeding trials to develop their diets. This will provide a pet food that is properly balanced without any excess nutrients that are unnecessary and in some cases harmful for your dog. |
These kinds of articles don't mean much to me bc I could go out and find basically the exact same article w/ the title "Is Excessive Carb in Dog Food Bad for my Pet?" and "Is Excessive Fat in Dog Food Bad for my Pet?" or "Is Excessive Fish Oil in Dog Food Bad for my Pet?" and so on -- it's whatever current nutrient is "in vogue" to write about, so they don't really hold weight with me (nor do vets writing about nutrition, lol
). Dog foods are generally very well balanced for, well, dogs...so unless a particular dog has an illness, dog food is unlikely to actually damage them...any more so than our usually
very unbalanced human diets do any real, measurable damage to us.
Carbs are metabolized into fat much easier and faster than longer-chain proteins. So again, like I always say -- I'd much rather have a higher protein diet for both human and pets than a higher carb diet. That's my belief and that's what I believe works for me and my dogs.