How much protein does my dog need?

How much protein does my dog need?

Protein is a very important component of your canine friend’s diet. It helps to build and repair cells, develops the bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. Proteins are made up of a chain of amino acids some of which are synthesized by the body while the others need to be consumed through food sources.

Amino acids

Your pet needs about 22 amino acids, out of which 12 can be formulated by their body. The rest need to be consumed through food. The ones that cannot be synthesized by their body are termed as essential amino acids. They comprise of arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Any deficiency of these amino acids can cause a host of health problems to your pet.

Protein quality

Each protein source has different levels of amino acids and differs in its ability to break down to amino acids. So not all sources of protein are equal and some are better suited to pets than humans. Apparently egg has the highest biological value in terms of its consumption and breaking up of the amino acids. It has a biological value of 100 as compared to fish and milk which come closer with a value of 92. Soybean meal has a value of 67, meat and bone meal and wheat have a value of 50 and the least being corn that has biological value of 45. To sum it all, not all protein sources are created equal.

Protein requirement for dogs

Protein requirements for dogs vary in terms of their breed, type, their life stage, and in older animals that have decreased kidney function. The table below will help you understand the protein requirements for dogs depending on their life stage and performance.

You can feed puppy food to pregnant and lactating dogs to ensure they get the right amount of protein. Sick animals require a special protein diet to rebuild their body cells. Animals that suffer from renal disease need to be on a restricted protein diet that needs to be especially high on biological value to lessen the effect of the kidney disease.

Is it okay to feed my dog too much protein?

There is nothing wrong in feeding more protein to your pet if they like it. In healthy animals the excess protein will be flushed out through urine and the remaining is used up as calories or is converted to fat which does not cause much harm.

While buying a readymade pet food you need to buy a high quality meal and should be aware of the ingredients that go into its making. Most companies use quantities that are recommended in each stage of growth. If you are still undecided then your vet will be able to help you find the right one.