# High Protein Food



## munchkn8835 (May 23, 2010)

What is considered "too high" a protein percentage in our little dog's food? And, what will too much protein cause?


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Good question! I'd like to hear some expert Malt owner opinions


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

I'm not sure there is a simple answer here. High protein which is high-quality protein is not "bad" . Excess protein is excreted in the urine. The problem is most of the high protein foods are also high in fat. However, IMHO, a domestic dog is not the same as a "wolf." They are omnivores needing a balance of protein/fat/and carbs. Because our fluffs are lap dogs, with dry food, I would look for crude protein amounts not over 30%. Some foods like the popular "ancestral" diets, have protein amounts of 42% and even higher and almost no carbs. Buying food is so confusing. I prefer more moderate protein 25% with a 12-15% fat content and some good high-quality carbs for my girls.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

From what I understand, it is as April said, a matter of quality of protein...like for instance corn has some protein, but is considered low quality, because it is hard to digest. The other consideration is the amount of water either in the food or consumed by the dog. The problem is that without enough water it puts a strain on the liver to digest or rid the body of low quality protein. This is a problem for our Malts, because they are prone to liver problems. It is really harder than ever to choose a diet for our fluffs; what is accepted today may likely be condemned tomorrow...as we have seen with humans as well as dogs in the past...remember when advertisers made claims that margarine was healthful? I say that if your fluff is doing well, healthy, active and has good muscle tone, stick to what works. I do stay away from all these trendy foods that use words like "ancestral" if we want to go that far lets just let them out to hunt rabbits....no. MiMi is no more a wolf than I am a gorilla. (No disrespect meant to either wolves, gorillas or humans.)


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## munchkn8835 (May 23, 2010)

Would one of you Guru's look at Life's Abundance and let me know what you think. Ollie doesn't want his Acana and for two days like LA. Now he doesn't want to eat yet again. I do want to keep him on a No Grains food. Is he just being stubborn and I just need to wait it out. I put his food down for 20 min. and if he doesn't eat it, take it up and place it in a plastic bag until dinner time and go through the same process.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

Donna, Life's Abundance looks like a good quality food to me. Just give it a try and see how he does. Go to http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com This site is very helpful for looking and evaluating the different foods. Fromms is another one in the moderate range if you want to check that one out. Good luck!:wub:http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/www,dogfoodadvisor.com


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

High protein (35%+) food is also high in fat. IMO it is appropriate for extremely active dogs (say a working border collie, a dog that hunts regularly). The fat content is just not appropriate for most house dogs.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

I give up. I've been reading about dog food and just came upon an article that said it is a myth that high protein diets cause kidney problems. It said that the idea got started because dogs who had kidney disease (in the past) were put on low protein diets, not because of the protein but because of phosphorus that creates nitrogen. For a healthy dog it doesn't put undo strain on the kidneys.

I'm so baffled. Everything I read about dog food conflicts with something else...sometimes common sense. So I quit. I give up. Don't listen to anything I have ever said in this regard. At this point I just want a high quality food that comes in small chunks. For a while now, I have been feeding 2 different brands. Fortunately, no dog I have ever mothered was a picky eater.


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

IMO moderate protein is the best way to go which is between 24 - 28% .


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