Can food be too high in protein?

[roxybaby22]

I read many articles saying protein content can be too high if over a certain percentage and, on the contrary, many that say a high protein diet is a natural diet, so I was just wondering what you guys think.

Have any of you tried a high protein/low carb diet (Orijen, EVO, Wellness, Instinct etc.), and if so, did you have good or bad results?

I am wondering because I am looking into feeding Roxy grain free foods because the guy at the pet supply shop said that small dogs can handle about any level of protein and large dogs should wait until they are about 18 months old.

My personal thoughts on this topic is that it depends on the breed of dog and that certain dog, however in general, I think Malts can handle high protein diets.

Thanks

[jmm]

Most high protein diets are high in fat. High fat diets are not well tolerated by many dogs and can lead to overweight dogs. High protein/high fat no grain diets, IMO, are appropriate for high activity dogs (ie border collies, hunting dogs).

On another note, I know Quincy had fat deposits in his eyes after being on Evo. I have heard a few other veterinarians reporting the same findings.

Dogs are omnivores...and most of our house pets are not nearly as active as their wild ancestors AND they have not eaten the same diet as their wild ancestors so do not have identical digestive systems. They're not wolves.

[Ladysmom]

QUOTE (roxybaby22 @ Apr 22 2009, 03:48 PM)

I read many articles saying protein content can be too high if over a certain percentage and, on the contrary, many that say a high protein diet is a natural diet, so I was just wondering what you guys think.

Have any of you tried a high protein/low carb diet (Orijen, EVO, Wellness, Instinct etc.), and if so, did you have good or bad results?

I am wondering because I am looking into feeding Roxy grain free foods because the guy at the pet supply shop said that small dogs can handle about any level of protein and large dogs should wait until they are about 18 months old.

My personal thoughts on this topic is that it depends on the breed of dog and that certain dog, however in general, I think Malts can handle high protein diets.

Thanks [/B]

We have an ongoing dialog about this on another forum I belong to. You are going to get some passionate answers!

From what I have read, high protein diets may not be appropriate for toy breed dogs who have a quieter lifestyle than working dogs.

Maltese are one of the breeds prone to liver shunts and MVD, so too much protein may not be appropriate for that reason.

I have also heard of a few cases of Maltese and Yorkies developing high lipids/cholesterol from some of the grain free diets because they are so high in fat.

[drclee]

I put Jack & Jill on Nature's Variety Instinct about 7-8 months ago, when they were around 7 months old. But soon after, I got nervous about the high protein, so now I mix a little Prairie in with the Instinct. I hear from most people that high protein is not bad, but I still think that's why J & J got to be so big (not that I care - I love them just the way they are)! Also, I like mixing the two so they get some flavor variety.

[LittleDogLVR]

My Lizzie is on Instinc Rabbit right now, before this she was also on grain free but was having poop issues.
Vet thought she was developing IBD and suggested we switch to a Rabbit protein source.
We are well into our second bag with no more issues, her poop is perfect ! And Codie likes it as well.

It is more protein than what she was on,I think its around 35%.....
They are both eating less, just slightly over a 1/4 cup a day. I put in 1/4 in each bowl in the morning and then
add 1/4 more in one in the evening and the may or may not finish it.

[roxybaby22]

QUOTE (JMM @ Apr 22 2009, 03:01 PM)

Most high protein diets are high in fat. High fat diets are not well tolerated by many dogs and can lead to overweight dogs. High protein/high fat no grain diets, IMO, are appropriate for high activity dogs (ie border collies, hunting dogs).

On another note, I know Quincy had fat deposits in his eyes after being on Evo. I have heard a few other veterinarians reporting the same findings.

Dogs are omnivores...and most of our house pets are not nearly as active as their wild ancestors AND they have not eaten the same diet as their wild ancestors so do not have identical digestive systems. They're not wolves.[/B]

Very good point! I know dogs are not wolves, that is why I refuse to feed the raw diet because of all the risks, however the high protein diets do contain vegetables because they do recognize that dogs are omnivores but they also recognize the roots of domesticated dogs.

You are very helpful and informative. Can I ask you what protein range you think Malts in particular should eat?

[jmm]

Depends on the dog. My super-active agility dog would probably be just fine on 42% protein. Soda, who tends to get chunky, I keep around 20-22% and relatively low fat. In general, I look for foods under 26% for most of my dogs. Remember, lower protein usually coincides with lower fat content. You also have to consider the fiber content and the portion of the diet that is grain. Each dog is different and protein % alone is not an answer to the right food.

The other thing to consider is you feed much less of most high protein/fat diets than you do of lower protein. Soda gets just under 1/2 cup per day...cut it back further and he'd be starving. So a food that says he should only eat 1/4 cup per day is probably not going to satisfy him.

[vjw]

There's some good articles on nutritional requirements at peteducation.com. Here's a link to an article on protein:

Protein Requirements for Good Nutrition






Joy

[roxybaby22]

QUOTE (vjw @ Apr 24 2009, 08:32 PM)

There's some good articles on nutritional requirements at peteducation.com. Here's a link to an article on protein:

Protein Requirements for Good Nutrition






Joy[/B]

Wow! Thanks, that is excellent information! Roxy doesn't have kidney problems, so no need to worry, however, I might stick with a mid-range protein level (if I chicken out on buying Orijen). :P

[Desiree]

I did a lot of research before deciding what I wanted to feed Eros, and finally ended up going with Orijen 6 fresh fish as his main kibble. The vet thought it would be too high protein, but they also don't think twice to recommend Science Diet ick! He also had never heard of Orijen before. I think the high protein diet actually works well for Eros because he only really likes to eat his food once a day and even then it's only 1/2 a cup. He's been on Orijen for a little over a year and loves it. He's very healthy and has not gained weight from it (he's 5 lbs). He may not be a working dog, but he does tend to wear himself out running around the house and trying to get us to play "tag" with him. So I think in his case at least it's working out very well, and I see no need to change his food. Sometimes I give him Innova- Evo red meat small bites to change things up a bit, and Merrick's Before Grain canned food. He likes all three, but Orijen is his favorite. Every dog is different, so I think the best thing to do is try it and observe the changes in your dog.

<div align='center'>Desiree & Eros