How much protein is too much?

[PrincessDiana]

Originally Posted by dwerten

that is very true highly active dogs need more protein but ones that are not need less

I don't think that's necessarily true. Like we've said, higher protein is not bad for dogs unless there is a pre-existing condition. Less active dogs don't NEED lower protein, but they may not NEED higher protein. It's all up to the owner and as long as the dogs are moderately active, they will have no problem working off the extra.

[Ava Mae]

I'm going through all of this now too. I was feeding my 3 month old pup Orijen, but she got a bout of colitis and the vet put her on a gentle wet food. I suspect that the Orijen was too tough on her system (the vet also mentioned that Orijen might be too high in protein), so I bought some wet Wellness Turkey and Sweet Potato to mix with the Orijen Puppy.

Does anyone have feedback about this?

This whole food thing is the most complicated thing about owning a pup!

[mscat]

I feed my 2 Wellness small breed, super 5mix. They are both thriving on their new diet. They been eating Welnell only a few months now amd are so much healthier and stronger then ever before.
Wellness is awesome food , and I am so happy I switched to a higher protein , higher quality diet.

[spiritwings1202]

Originally Posted by mscat

I feed my 2 Wellness small breed, super 5mix. They are both thriving on their new diet. They been eating Welnell only a few months now amd are so much healthier and stronger then ever before.
Wellness is awesome food , and I am so happy I switched to a higher protein , higher quality diet.

are the poops smelly? my both dogs are on wellness pixie is on wellness just for puppy and Daisy is on the healthy weight. Pixie's poop smells awful and she poops 6-7 times a day. She is 6 months old and I was wondering if there is too much grain in it for her.

[rachelanne820]

Originally Posted by spiritwings1202

are the poops smelly? my both dogs are on wellness pixie is on wellness just for puppy and Daisy is on the healthy weight. Pixie's poop smells awful and she poops 6-7 times a day. She is 6 months old and I was wondering if there is too much grain in it for her.

I had this problem with Innova Puppy formula. They pooped all the time and it was SO gross. I figured it was just too rich for mine. I tried Natural Balance and they ate it but didn't seem to enjoy it. From there, I want to Evanger's Pheasant and Brown Rice. That is what they eat now. No more smelly poops, no more flaky skin and much less itching.

I am not a huge fan of high-protein kibbles. I think a more balanced diet is best for my pups. I wouldn't mind feeding a grain-free food if I found the right one with a good balance. But for now, we are sticking with Evanger's.

What ever works for my pups is what I want.

[kayi078]

Sorry to bring this up but I have a question about protein level..i fed my puppy 1/4 cup Acana grain-free wild prairie which has 33 percent protein, and I gave him some Zukes mini naturals dog treat which has 10 percent protein and 2 calories per treat, so is he getting too much protein? I use the dog treat to train him to fetch, sit , down etc....so if each treat is 10 percent protein and he's getting about 5 everyday that's already 50 percent protein? adding his regular dry food from Acana,,which is another 33 percent...so he's getting more than 80 percent protein?? Thats crazy!!!....will this stress his liver and affect his health?




.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by kayi078

Sorry to bring this up but I have a question about protein level..i fed my puppy 1/4 cup Acana grain-free wild prairie which has 33 percent protein, and I gave him some Zukes mini naturals dog treat which has 10 percent protein and 2 calories per treat, so is he getting too much protein? I use the dog treat to train him to fetch, sit , down etc....so if each treat is 10 percent protein and he's getting about 5 everyday that's already 50 percent protein? adding his regular dry food from Acana,,which is another 33 percent...so he's getting more than 80 percent protein?? Thats crazy!!!....will this stress his liver and affect his health?




.

Protein from treats is different than protein from foods. He's not getting 80 percent protein every day, lol. (Even people who feed raw food strictly don't feed 80 percent protein). It's all calculated from dry matter basis, etc. Each little treat is not putting 10 percent of protein into his system. Zuke's are only 2 calories each and Acana Grasslands is around 430 kcal/cup so adding calories is most important to keep track of. I don't really know how to explain it, but you can Google it. You will notice canned foods have a seemingly low protein, usually it says between 6 percent-8 percent, but it has to be converted on a dry matter basis and will often measure out to 30+.

Jackson is 15lbs and eats 1/2 cup of Acana or Orijen kibble, mixed with a little bit of wet food each day. He also gets raw food a few times a week. We can go through a lot of Zuke's in a day, sometimes 20 or more. I also use real chicken when training so he can get a lot of that too.

As long as protein is coming from GOOD sources (i.e. meat, NOT plant-based protein) it is fine. You have to find what works best for your dog.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Protein is a very controversial subject. Taycie seems to be one of those that can NOT handle high protein/fat. When I try foods with higher protein/fat content her poop ends up being smelly and too many poops. Yes, one day I ended up with 8 poops. No one whats that. But she can handle protein it in smaller amounts just not her "main meal."

I also have to be careful where flaxseed is on the ingredient list. We tried The Honest Kitchen, which I loved, but she could not tolerate the amount of flaxseed in it. Being that it was the second ingredient, it cleaned her little system right out. Poor girl. So if flaxseed is farther down on the ingredient list, it works for her just fine.

I finally have had to find what works best for her instead of what looked best on paper. This was hard because I want to feed her the best but I also can't keep messing with her poor little tummy either.

Right now she is on Blue Buffalo Longevity line and she is doing fantastic on it. Fish is really helping her tummy issues and it has a lower fat/ protein content. And I am back to 2 poops a day.

I also add canned food to her meal and she simply loves it. This is where I add more higher/protein fat levels because the amounts are soooo much smaller. ( this also makes me feel better because I would prefer to feed a higher protein diet, lol)I add 2 tsp of either Wellness Core, Merrick's Before Grain.

I also like to add a tsp or two of Acana in with her Blue Buffalo. Call me crazy but this really works for her, if I try to put her on Acana by it self or even 1/8 cup we have blow outs.. Trust me, diaherra is not fun at 2am. So we compromised. And I can tell the difference. Her skin/coat is fantastic and her eyes are not goopy anymore!

I think you just have to find what works the best for your baby and you feel comfortable feeding. I just found for Taycie, she can handle it, all in moderation.

[RosiesMum]

I've been feeding Rosie Fromm duck and sweet potato but I just noticed it's made in China. I have real issues with feeding my dog (or anyone in my family for that matter ) products from China given their track record.

I'm considering Acana, the protein level is a bit higher but the content seems to be a better product.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by RosiesMum

I've been feeding Rosie Fromm duck and sweet potato but I just noticed it's made in China. I have real issues with feeding my dog (or anyone in my family for that matter ) products from China given their track record.

I'm considering Acana, the protein level is a bit higher but the content seems to be a better product.

Fromm is NOT made in China. Fromm has its very own production plant in the USA, Wisconsin if I am not mistaken.

A couple of years ago, Fromm briefly produced its canned food in China, but quickly moved back to the United States in response to customer complaints.

Fromm kibble has always been produced here in the US.

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by Maximo

Fromm is NOT made in China. Fromm has its very own production plant in the USA, Wisconsin if I am not mistaken.

A couple of years ago, Fromm briefly produced its canned food in China, but quickly moved back to the United States in response to customer complaints.

Fromm kibble has always been produced here in the US.

Yep, Fromm Foods is family owned and produced in Wisconsin...last I heard that was still part of the U.S.

I am very particular about what I feed my crew and we have been using Fromm Foods for a coupel of years now with no problems

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

Yep, Fromm Foods is family owned and produced in Wisconsin...last I heard that was still part of the U.S.

I am very particular about what I feed my crew and we have been using Fromm Foods for a coupel of years now with no problems

My boys are currently eating Fromm's Surf & Turf. They also did very well on the Chicken a la Veg.

[RosiesMum]

I'll have to check again but the bag I had said it was made in China.

I have thrown the bag away because I always transfer her food to a glass container that has a suction top but I remember being shocked and upset that I hadn't checked it before so she's been eating it for a long time. I took the word of the breeder. I'll check when I go to purchase her dog food next week, if I'm mistaken I'll keep her on it, if not she's moving to Acana, a home grown food since I live in Canada!

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by RosiesMum

I'll have to check again but the bag I had said it was made in China.

I have thrown the bag away because I always transfer her food to a glass container that has a suction top but I remember being shocked and upset that I hadn't checked it before so she's been eating it for a long time. I took the word of the breeder. I'll check when I go to purchase her dog food next week, if I'm mistaken I'll keep her on it, if not she's moving to Acana, a home grown food since I live in Canada!

Look at Question #6 on the Fromm website: Fromm Family Foods - General Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Manufactured in their own plant in Wisconsin.

I also checked my fresh bag of Fromm food and saw nothing about China.

Please be careful about posting information like this.

[RosiesMum]

I tried to edit but couldn't !

Sorry, I just checked their web site and it does say it's produced in the States.

I was sure I read it was produced in China but I must be wrong.

I'm happy that it is a product of North America but now questioning my sanity ! LOL