by G D Williams

Recent research has suggested that higher levels of protein in your dogs diet could result in kidney failure. Do you know if what you are giving your dog is safe? Are you harming the health of your furry friend by giving too much protein in your dogs diet?

These studies that established a link to high protein levels and kidney failure that started the fears about protein levels in a dogs diets was not researched properly. The research was performed on rats, not dogs. Rats in the main eat plants as their normal diet. Consequently a rats biological constitution would mean it would have problems digesting a diet containing high levels of protein. Rats have trouble excreting protein due to their natural dietary requirements, not because the high protein diet causes kidney failure.

Thus, where do we stand on protein in your dogs diet? Dogs are naturally omnivorous. In the wild, dogs would hunt or scavenge for food. Your dogs diet would normally be of both animals and plants. Naturally dogs are meat eaters too. Because of this, a dog can easily manage with a diet consisting of 30% protein or more.

When the protein consumption is lowered in a dogs diet, renal function does not improve. Renal lesions are not less likely to form when a dog is being fed a low-protein diet. It is not until a blood urea nitrogen, or BUN, test indicates a level of 75, then a reduction in protein consumption should be considered.

If you have concerns about the amount of protein in your dogs diet, schedule an appointment to speak with a professional on the subject. Your trusted veterinary can advise you on the specifics in regards to your dogs diet.

It is not correct that dogs can not ordinarily digest high levels of protein. Kidney problems do not result from having high levels of protein in your dogs diet. Large amounts of protein are digested safely in your dogs diet, specially when they mainly come from animal origins.

10 amino acids should be given in your dogs diet through protein. Only twelve of 22 amino acids can be made in your dogs liver. Because of this meat such as heart, spleen, and meat by-products should all be in your dogs diet.

If you buy high-quality dog food it should contain meat as the main ingredient. This will supply the right amount of protein in your dogs diet. If you think about a dog in its natural environment, would you see a wild dog grazing in a cornfield at mealtime?

Senior dogs should not be put on lower protein diets just because of age. As a matter of fact, some aging pets need a dogs diet that is higher in protein than when they were at a younger adult stage. Unless your veterinary advises not to, you should always provide your pet the advantage of quality protein in your dogs diet.

Feeding your dog protein should not cause you concern. You want what is best for your dog and nature tells you that protein will help your dog to thrive. If you have questions about the myth of protein and kidney failure in your pet, speak to your veterinarian about your dogs diet.

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