On February 1stof this year, I received a phone call from Toni Ligouri of Katy's Promise Rottweiler Rescue. She had heard on the news of a cruelty seizure in Coryell County, Texas where the Sheriff's Department took in more than 200 Rottweilers. This seizure also included 46 horses, 2 Bengal, 2 mountain lions, 18 domestic … Read more
There is a lot of misconceptions concerning protein and dogs. So let’s start with the basics and learn exactly what protein is and what foods contain the necessary proteins for a healthy dog’s diet.
A common concern for dog owners is trying to figure out how much to feed their dog, especially when switching to a raw or home cooked diet.
How much food to feed your dog can vary and the total daily diet consumption depends on the dog’s age, weight, metabolism, and size.
Protein is found in most foods, including carbohydrates. But dogs are carnivores and the best source of protein for them is found in animal products. This would include meat (pork, beef, poultry, lamb, rabbit, fish, dairy and eggs, just to mention a few). Animal based proteins contain a complete amino acid profile needed by carnivores. Plant based proteins are missing important amino acids, including taurine and carnitine. Both of these are important for heart and organ health.
The anatomy and digestive process of dogs are designed to most easily digest animal fat and protein. Dogs perform best on animal based products. Studies have shown you cannot feed a dog too much protein.
Feeding Puppies and Seniors By Lew Olson • June 2006 Newsletter Since we have covered nutrition and diets for dogs in the last ten newsletters, it is time to address the needs of puppies, growing dogs and senior dogs. Although the basic nutrition needs are the same, there are a couple of important things that … Read more
Proteins, Kidneys and Senior Dogs By Lew Olson • April 2003 Newsletter There seems to be a lot of confusion on the topic of protein amounts for dogs and the effects it has on kidney function. Several years ago, the common rule of thumb was to reduce the amount of protein in senior dogs and … Read more
Senior Dogs By Lew Olson • May 2002 Newsletter The average age for a dog to enter the senior years is age seven, with smaller dogs aging slower and giant breeds showing signs of aging as early as age five. Dogs can show physical and mental symptoms of aging, just like their caregivers. The most … Read more
