Too much protein??
 

After all the talks on here about the benefits & risks of high protein foods, I'm wondering how you can tell if you're feeding too much protein? Are there any signs or symptoms? Or do you just have to wait and hope for good bloodwork at the regular checkups?

I feed mine NV Raw Medallions for breakfast, and free feed NV's Instinct kibble (grainless) throughout the day. They all seem to be doing great on it, and they love their food, but am I feeding too much protein????

You'll have to check the ingrediants list on each of those foods for protein content to determine the amount they are eating per day.

Long time studies conclude high protein diets can lead to kidney issues...especially in small breed dogs.

If your dog is healthy and shows no problems from his diet I wouldn't be overly concerned

So, someone explain to me.... at Petco yesterday, there was a sign up that said something along the lines of "Small dogs need more protein!!" or something. I'm so confused. Do larger dogs require more protein or smaller?

It's actually just the opposite. While some larger breeds with high activity levels may need extra protein, most toy breed dogs need less.

Please check with your vet before starting a high protein diet as it is not appropriate for many dogs with health issues. Dogs with liver disease especially cannot tolerate high protein diets.

Also read labels carefully and watch the fat content on those high protein foods. Some Yorkies and Maltese have had a problem with high triglycerides while on high protein diets.

Thanks for the info. I've been doing a lot of research on nutrition and I began
feeding Jackson Before Grain, made by Merrick. I learned from this site that
the protein levels may be a bit high so I got nervous and went out and
bought Wellness Super5mix chicken flavor. I've been mixing them both for 2
weeks now because Jackson honestly likes them both. He has no health
problems and is only 6 months old, but weighs 13lbs.

The BG was 32% protein while the Wellness is 22%. Wellness is also less fat.

What is a healthy fat %?

Here is what AAFCO says
Dog Food Standards by the AAFCO

I don't know if I'll be able to explain myself right...but I'm wondering if they're trying to get at the fact that canine RDAs (etc) are NOT linear...so smaller breeds who eat, for example, a "normal" kibble may not truly be getting they *should* be getting according to the guaranteed analysis on the bag.

Some companies are now designing kibbles that have, for lack of better description, a denser amount of "nutrition" in a smaller "package" (ie, smaller kibble) -- so that smaller breeds can eat the smaller volume, but still get the necessary requirements. So they may have been trying to get at the fact that perhaps smaller dogs have *not* been getting the guar. analysis and ingredient level of what is on the bag.

It's hard to explain...and I probably didn't do a good job of it...

Dogs are carnivores so their diet should consist of a good deal of protein. I like the higher protein diets for dogs, personally. But, higher protein diets are a concern for a dog who has liver, pancreas, or kidney disease. For a healthy dog though, a higher protein diet is carnivorous. At the end of the day though, you have to find your comfort level for you and your dog. :)

Ann, I was hoping you'd see this thread so I could get your opinion! Your interpretation made perfect sense to me. I'd never thought about it that way.

I've been feeding this diet for several months now and they all still seem to be doing great. I've seen no signs of anything that would alarm me in the least. And, like I said earlier, they love their food. Plus, I'm a lifetime member of the Small Poo Fan Club lol! So I think I'll continue on as I have been. I'm still concerned though, if a problem does develop due to the high protein, I have no idea what I should be looking out for? I guess I shouldn't look for trouble before it gets here, huh?

Thanks for the input guys!

The other thing is, if you're not comfortable - you could always mix 2 kibbles together (one higher protein, one lesser), if that would help. Or feed raw in the a.m. - a mid-range kibble in the evening? Lots of options. I hear you though, I do like the smaller poopies. :p

If your dog develops a health problem (I don't mean from the protein) - that isn't conducive to a high protein diet, you would see symptoms of some kind eventually. But, I wouldn't necessarily worry about the kibble itself too terribly (as a cause). It's sort of like "oh no, maybe I should never feed a higher-carb kibble bc what if my dog develops diabetes?!" - do you know what I mean? In that case, the dog was predisposed to that disease -- but it wouldn't be the fault of the higher-carb kibble. I don't know if that makes sense, but that's kind of how I think of it.

There are good kibbles/foods that are low protein, mid protein, and high protein -- and just as many opinions too :p! I just do really like higher protein, in general. :)

Ann, once again you've made a great point with the high carb/diabetes issue. Thank you!!

That's what I've been doing the past 2 weeks and think I'm going to continue. I've had Jackson on Before Grain but he had also tried Wellness and liked it. So, I've just been mixing the two and he seems to love it and be fine on it. Wellness is 22% protein and BG is 32%.

Thanks for the explanation! Makes sense to me!