Protein — Healthy or Harmful?

It is important to provide protein for all stages of your pet’s life. Protein is essential in the early stages to sustain rapid development, and as your pet ages, protein provides regenerative support.

The labels on commercial pet foods list crude protein values, which indicate the overall protein in the package rather than the amount of usable protein. The quality and the sources of the protein in your pet’s foods are of primary importance. It should come from real meat sources, not by-products or mystery meat meal. Much of the unusable protein in commercial foods comes from grains and other difficult-to-digest foods, and can actually cause protein deficiency,  along with other health issues including digestive problems and allergies.

The kidneys are another organ that is often associated with protein intake. According to researchers, high protein levels in food DO NOT cause kidney damage in a normal, healthy dog or cat! It is very important to feed your pet a high biological value protein. This means a protein that is highly digestible,  easily absorbed by the intestinal tract, and its amino acid components  (the building blocks of proteins) include all the essential types of amino acids in their optimal proportions, leaving little for the kidneys to filter.  This is crucial for animals that have impaired kidney function as well because by-products of protein digestion are the main toxins that need to be excreted by the kidneys.

Starting your pet on a high-quality, easily digestible, utilized protein, from the beginning, will give their bodies the appropriate fuel needed to function at the highest possible level.

In recent years,  there has been a great deal of debate regarding the effects of protein on our pets. There is a misconception that protein accelerates bone development and that pets, especially large-breed dogs, can be negatively affected if they consume too much protein when they are young. It is sometimes argued that excess protein could also harm the kidneys. Unfortunately, these misconceptions have led to feeding practices that are harmful to our pets.

The truth is –  genetics determines growth rate, not the amount of protein consumed. Carnivores require a large amount of protein, which is converted and processed in several ways to support the many cellular structures in the body. Feeding high levels of protein along with the appropriate ratio of calcium and phosphorus with other necessary minerals will not cause bone problems. Bone growth problems are usually a result of excess calories or an inappropriate ratio of calcium to phosphorus, rather than excess protein. Dogs raised on commercial diets with substandard ingredients experience more musculoskeletal problems than those raised on a natural diet that includes protein from high-quality meat.

Source: Dr. Bruce  DeBaun. “The Protein Controversy”, thepetcenter.com, http://web.archive.org/web/20041116093427/ http://www.dog.com/vet/nutrition/05.html ^back to top