Is high protein grain-free food too much for my adult or senior dog?

Too much protein isn't good for dogs, and it's recommend they have 18% of their diet be protein. Now some dogs, such as working dogs, require higher amounts of protein due to their increased caloric demands. In addition, too much protein in dogs can lead to weight gain. Now too much protein per say doesn't cause health issues, but if a dog has a pre-existing health condition like kidney or liver disease, too much protein is not good for them because it increases the workload of those organs. Low carb diets are bad, yes. Totally unnecessarily. Brands of grain free diets try to sell you their diets by claiming outrageous things like it's the diet of their ancestors, the wolves. Todays dogs are so far removed from the wolf, it's not even funny. When was the last time you saw a pack of pugs take down a deer in the wild???

My understanding with senior diets is that there are no general guidelines that all follow. This can lead to a wide variation in the protein and mineral content of these senior diets. In general, if a senior dog is healthy and doing well on their current adult diet, I do not recommend switching diets, nor do most veterinary nutritionists. As always, talk to Tova's vet to see if their recommendation differs, but given her sensitive stomach concerns, I would hesitate to change anything.

You are correct that a senior dog doesn't need to put onto a low protein diet and it can cause more harm than good. Senior dogs need lower calories to prevent obesity because they have a slower metabolic rate.

That is quite a high protein content for food, the recommended percent of protein in an adult dog's diet is 18-25%. It may be the switch in food to this higher protein could be the cause of his diarrhea. Since you have seen the vet and everything has come back normal, you might want to consider putting him on a diet with less protein. Sometimes certain brands of food do not agree with a dog's system, so you can look into a different brand. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I personally do not recommend grain free diets unless the dog has a diagnosed grain allergy, which is actually very rare. In dogs who suffer from allergies, only 10% have food allergies, and the majority of those are protein related. Grains really are beneficial to dogs, providing a lasting source of energy and fiber. In addition, recent studies have show that diets who use lentils instead of grains negatively affects the dog's absorption of taurine. This has lead to taurine deficient dilated cardiomyopathy later in life. If you really want to stay with grain free food, maybe try one with a different source of protein because chicken is the most common protein allergy. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Not necessarily. While protein needs to be included in your pet's diet, excessive protein consumption is unnecessary and can actually be harmful, especially if your pet suffers from kidney or liver health issues. At the same time, the quality of the protein is also important, and too much low quality protein may eventually lead to digestive upsets. The reality is that pet food should be balanced, above all, and this balance will depend on your pet's breed, age, and activity level, among other factors. For example, puppies and kittens generally need more protein than their adult counterparts in order to be able to grow and develop properly. Instead of looking for foods that contain high levels of protein, I suggest that you find a quality food that has been specifically formulated for pets like yours, preferably by a pet food company that invests in scientific research and consults with veterinary nutritionists. Finally, since all pets are different, consulting with your veterinarian to make sure you're feeding your pet the right food is always a good idea.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diet can be used to manage kidney disease and urinary crystals/stones. If Bug has either of these conditions, the diets can be prescribed by her veterinarian. If you are referring to issues with urinating, such as accidents or difficulty emptying her bladder, these conditions are not managed with diet and may require medication. Both Purina and Hill's Science Diet have excellent grain free options for dogs. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Hello. Most dog food companies do a very good job balancing nutrients, and as long as your pet has a happy, healthy digestive system, this food should be fine for him. Most veterinarians encourage people to stick with the bigger well known companies, such as Hill's, Royal Canin & Purina, but I do not know of any issues with the Origen brand. So, do not worry about the protein levels in the food at this time. Concern yourself more with keeping Remy at a healthy weight as he continues to age. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.