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12-22-2007, 06:48 PM | #1 |
I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA
Posts: 7,149
| Orijen & high-protein diets.....definitely not for us..... A month ago I switched Hootie and Hobbs to Orijen 6 Fresh Fish. I was really excited about it and the yorkies RAVED over it! Some of you might even remember my post about Hobbs stuffing himself so much that I was worried about him!!! Upon the switch I was prepared for them to drink more water due to their bodies adjusting to the higher protein but I was expecting the increased water consumption to subside once they got used to it. Well, a month later, they were STILL consuming TONS of water. They were waking me up in the middle of the night for water and potty breaks. I know that Orijen and other research claims that increased protein is not bad for the kidneys but I have a hard time believing this. Obviously my little babies' kidneys were having a hard time processing this increased protein hence the enormous water consumption. I hated seeing them need so much water and I absolutely hated waking up in the middle of the night with them for water and potty breaks. Just 2 days ago I switched them back to Natural Balance and almost immediately their water consumption is back to normal and they are sleeping through the night again. Maybe the increased protein is good for performance dogs, but I find it completely unnecessary for my 3-lbs couch-potato yorkies. Sorry. Also, the fact that there is absolutely NO research regarding the long-term effects of an increased-protein diet worries me..........And I'm not talking about raw (which is a diet totally different than what I'm talking about), I'm talking about COOKED increased-protein diets. |
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12-22-2007, 06:53 PM | #2 | |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Quote:
Great post. I have the same concerns and would not change to a diet that high in protein. It is even hard for me to recommend the food.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 | |
12-22-2007, 09:49 PM | #3 |
Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 11,003
| I don't like high protein DRY foods (well, I don't like dry food period). If I wasn't feeding raw & didn't want to homecook, I would feed a high protein, grain-free WET food. I think they need moisture in the food they are eating. Kibble is the last thing I would feed my dogs & cats...I don't think such dry foods are healthy for them. They need water in their diet
__________________ ~Magnifique Yorkies~ Purchasing from backyard breeders, pet shops, and puppymills perpetuates the suffering of other dogs. Educate yourself and buy from reputable breeders or rescue. |
12-23-2007, 06:59 AM | #4 |
Piper & Sebastian Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: florida
Posts: 14,495
| I don't think the high protein food is really that good for them. Maybe it would be good that are into agility to give them that extra energy, but mine are all couch potatos.
__________________ Susan, Piper ,Harley & Suiki |
12-23-2007, 07:19 AM | #5 |
Loves Hannah & Gracie Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: washington
Posts: 1,752
| High protien also is hard on their liver... |
12-23-2007, 01:52 PM | #6 |
Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 11,003
| Dogs are carnivores so they were made to eat high-protein diets. The problem with high-protein kibble is that dogs are being fed a high-protein diet in an unnatural state...overprocessed, overcooked, and totally void of any moisture.
__________________ ~Magnifique Yorkies~ Purchasing from backyard breeders, pet shops, and puppymills perpetuates the suffering of other dogs. Educate yourself and buy from reputable breeders or rescue. |
12-24-2007, 08:17 AM | #7 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston
Posts: 38
| This is true, some grian free foods have a bio coating meaning that after the food is cooked theres a coat of ingredients/supplements that are poured over the food to dry. The cooking kills some of the nutrients. When i opened my first bad of Natures Variety Raw Instinct i was suprised at how moist the food was but at the same time it was dry. The dogs love it. |
12-24-2007, 08:23 AM | #8 | |
T&T-DYNOMITE! Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 2,111
| Quote:
__________________ TBone Tina & Lauren | |
12-24-2007, 09:06 AM | #9 | |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston
Posts: 38
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12-24-2007, 10:55 AM | #10 | |
Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 11,003
| Quote:
__________________ ~Magnifique Yorkies~ Purchasing from backyard breeders, pet shops, and puppymills perpetuates the suffering of other dogs. Educate yourself and buy from reputable breeders or rescue. | |
12-24-2007, 11:45 AM | #11 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| Lady can't eat raw because of her diabetes and weakened immune system so I feed her Natures Variety Prairie kibble. She's been eating it for about a year and a half and I haven't noticed any problem with her drinking too much water. Maybe it's the brand of high protein food? I've heard the same complaint about Innova's Evo. FYI, Lady's specialist said exactly what MyFairLacy said about high protein diets being more natural. He said that diabetes in pets was practically unheard of years ago before commercial kibble hit the market, but it's almost an epidemic in pets today. He explained that dogs and cats are carnivores and aren't able to process carbohydrates the way humans are. Carbohydrates are converted to sugar and dogs can't metabolize them properly. He said they are are seeing cases of diabetes being caused solely by diets of commercial kibble in dogs and especially cats. He did say that Prairie was "excellent" and one of the few commercial dog foods he would recommend. The bottomline is really that meat is much more expensive than rice, potato, etc. which is why the companies who make commercial dog food would much rather load their food up with that than produce a high protein kibble. The cheaper dog foods are a perfect example as they are full of corn. |
12-25-2007, 05:34 AM | #12 | |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Quote:
Hopefully, we can all agree that dogs are carnivores. If we can, then WHY would a diet containing 24% (% protein in most kibbles) of a carnivorous diet be best? It's not. It'd be like forcing an herbivore to eat 75% meat! Hullo! Cows, goats, and horses are herbivores - we would never give them a diet of 75% meat and 25% plant-based-foraging and expect their health to flourish, right? High protein is best for carnivores. But, I do agree w/ the comments above regarding needs for hydration and how to mitigate it and/or properly feed higher protein with the necessary moisture. Interesting thread!
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° | |
12-25-2007, 08:39 PM | #14 | |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston
Posts: 38
| Quote:
It takes a while to find the perfect food for your dog, whats good for one dog isnt always good for another. Some of us humans are lactose intollerant, some have certain food allergies. And it takes a couple months of being on a certain food befor any changes like allergies really occur. | |
12-25-2007, 08:48 PM | #15 | |
Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 11,003
| Quote:
__________________ ~Magnifique Yorkies~ Purchasing from backyard breeders, pet shops, and puppymills perpetuates the suffering of other dogs. Educate yourself and buy from reputable breeders or rescue. | |
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