First What Are Proteins
Because, crude protein, at the heart of it, is just protein. Of course, theres more to crude protein than this but we move from the known to the unknown.
Proteins, known as the building blocks of life, contain smaller useful nutrients known as amino acids. These amino acids are 22 in number and ten of them are considered essential while the other 12 are considered non-essential.
So, whats the difference between the essential amino acids and the non-essential ones?
Essential amino acids are not produced naturally by the body. Hence, man and animals must consume it from the food they eat to grow healthy.
On the other hand, there are the non-essential amino acids which are naturally synthesized in the body.
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When Is A High
Sometimes it is recommended for dogs with specific health issues or situations to decrease their fat intake or increase it.
Other than when a dog is providing milk for its litter, a high-fat diet typically does not sit well with most dogs. In a study completed with a panel of dog foods, high-fat content typically leads to issues such as inflammation of the pancreas, high blood pressure, and abnormal heart function.
On top of that, obesity was observed in the dogs, which can lead to a higher risk of your dog developing pancreatitis or hypertension. Although, your veterinarian may recommend a high-fat diet if your dog needs to participate in a lower amount of protein or carbohydrates for a specific health issue.
Low-fat diets may be beneficial when your veterinarian notices that your dog has a history of pancreatitis or high levels of fat in their blood. If your pet has a serious health issue, your vet can provide them with a Therapeutic Diet, which is made specifically to help treat diseases your pet may have.
It is always recommended to consult a veterinarian before you change the amount of fat in your dogs diet as it could greatly impact their health.
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Protein In Dogs Diets
There are many kinds of proteins, which are made of complex, organic compounds. Each type of protein consists of a varying mix of amino acids attached to each other with peptide bonds. Dogs can manufacture some of the 22 amino acids found in their bodies, but need a dietary source for others. Amino acids build body proteins, which in turn function as components of enzymes, hormones, a variety of body secretions, and structural and protective tissues.
Proteins are in a constant state of flux, always undergoing degradation and synthesis. Some constituent amino acids get recycled, some are excreted, and some are used for energy. In the case of growing or gestating animals, new tissue is created from protein, among other things.
Protein is a good energy source, providing 3.5 kilocalories of energy per gram of weight. However, not all proteins contain the complete array of amino acids needed by dogs. For this reason, it is important to balance out these deficiencies and/or excesses of amino acids when selecting ingredients for use in pet food diets. Neither corn nor soybean meal is an ideal protein, for example, but, fed in combination, soybean meal and corn complement each other perfectly, because the amino acids which are deficient in one are present in the other.
The requirements for different amino acids also change as the dog grows and ages. For example, a dog needs only a quarter as much arginine for adult maintenance as he needs when he is a growing puppy.
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Dry Matter Basis Explained
So, when comparing the nutrient content of different products, its important to first remove 100 percent of the moisture content from every dog food being evaluated.
This moisture-free approach to stating the true nutrient content of any food is known as dry matter basis.
Lets say you have a can of dog food listing a Guaranteed Analysis protein figure of 10%. This is the protein content just as its fed from the can what the industry refers to as as fed basis.
Doesnt sound like much protein, does it?
However, what if that same label revealed the product contained 75% moisture? And what if you were to completely remove all that water from the can?
Youd be left with just 25% dry matter.
To determine the amount of protein on a dry matter basis, simply divide the reported amount of protein by the total amount of dry matter in the can.
Then, multiply the result by 100.
Dry Matter Protein Content = x 100 = 40%
That gives you a dry matter protein content of 40% a lot more than the labels reported protein content of 10%. Thats four times the amount of protein as indicated by the Guaranteed Analysis.
By the way, this same method for computing dry matter basis works for any other nutrient, too.
Is 22% Protein Good For Dogs
According to the Association of American Feed Controls who determine the minimum requirements for nutritional adequacy when it comes to formulating canine nutrition, the adult maintenance minimum that dogs need to survive is just 18% Crude Protein and 22.5% Crude Protein for dogs that are growing or reproducing
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What Is Crude Fat In Dog Food
Crude fat in dog food is the total amount of fat that is extracted by ether solvent. The ether used in this process will ensure only true fat is extracted. This fat is soluble with multiple important vitamins and elements .
There are several types of fat in your dogs food. Each type plays a vital role in your dogs overall nutrition. In dog food, fats are often highly digestible and are an important source of energy. But what are fats made of? All fats are made up of fatty acids. These are the building blocks of fats and can be long-chain, medium-chain, or short-chain. They can also be saturated, unsaturated, or polyunsaturated depending on how many bonds there are between the carbon atoms in the chain. Lastly, your dog needs at least 5.5% of their calories from fat.
But just how do pet food manufacturers find out how much fat is in their product?
Whats Crude Protein In Dog Food
Instead, crude protein is actually a chemical analysis of the food whereby the amount of nitrogen present is used to estimate the amount of protein in the food. While nitrogen does come from animal protein, it also comes from non-animal proteins like grains, as well as other non-protein nitrogen sources.
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Importance Of Protein And Fat In Dog Food
Make a difference TODAY in your Dogs life. What is the daily recommended protein and fat for Dogs?
How? Just read this article and understand the daily recommended protein and fat for your Dog.
Like every human being on earth, your canine also needs nutrients to survive better in this world.
Protein and fat are the two necessaries for a Dog to stay healthy and strong.
Did you know? Dogs cannot survive without protein in their diets. Yes, you heard me right
Isnt this shocking!!! Protein has to be supplied in daily value through foods to your Dogs.
Now you better take care of his food.
The reality is each Dog requires protein in a different nutritional value depending on the age, breed, size of the Dog. Every Dog needs a lot of protein now thats TRUE!!!
Gestating Dogs and growing puppies require more protein comparable to adult or senior Dogs.
Dog Nutrition: Crude Protein In Dry Dog Food
Crude protein is one of those measurements that can be especially slippery for us to figure out when choosing a dog food. I feel as though crude protein should have a yellow caution flag next to it because this pair of words on dog food labels is so misleading. Protein is the most expensive ingredient in any pet food. Its also true of human nutrition that protein, especially good quality protein, is the most costly part of a meal. Therefore, savvy pet owners have learned to seek out high protein pet foods, in the belief that those foods are best. But there is a huge difference in where that protein comes from!
Often, pet owners concerned with dog nutrition believe that the words crude protein and the number with a % sign next to it refers to how much animal protein there is in the food. Instead, crude protein is actually a chemical analysis of the food whereby the amount of nitrogen present is used to estimate the amount of protein in the food. While nitrogen does come from animal protein, it also comes from non-animal proteins like grains, as well as other non-protein nitrogen sources. This obviously creates a gap between what you think you are buying and feeding your dog and what has actually been used to determine that number.
Since pet food can include a variety of questionable ingredients, and crude protein measurements will always include non-animal protein, I have included some tips on finding a high quality protein dog food:
Tracie Hotchner
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Is Crude Protein Good
Yes and no. If the ingredients put together to make it are purely animal and plant sources, it is relatively good. If the ingredients are purely animal source, it is even better. Allow us to explain.
Protein is one of the most important nutrients for dogs. It is made up of amino acids, which are essential for maintaining a dogs muscles and repairing its body tissues.
A dog can only create half of the essential amino acids needed so the other half must come from its diet. Plant sources have protein but this type of protein is less digestible than animal protein. It also has lower levels of essential amino acids.
Although certain essential amino acids can be obtained from plant sources, some are only found in animal sources. That is why protein from animals is the best.
Crude protein becomes bad for a dogs health when it contains Nitrogen from purely chemical sources. This is what gives crude protein a negative reputation.
How Much Is Too Much Protein In Dogs
Although protein is necessary for dog nutrition, like everything else, too much is never good. It means that too much protein in your dogs diet might not be good too.
Dogs will only be able to digest and absorb the protein that their body needs for maintaining their muscle mass and other tissues. Any excess protein in their diet can either be disposed of through urine or stored in their body as fat.
If your pets are putting on weight, it might be ideal for checking the amount of protein you are giving them. Also, if there are yellow spots in your backyard where your dog is usually doing its business, that might also be because of too much protein in its diet.
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Alternative Protein Sources In Dog Food
Fortunately, the recent uptick in dog food manufacturers offering high-quality protein alternatives to ground meat and chicken has led to a broadening of dog food offerings, which means that dog owners can use a wider range of products and the quality of those options has significantly improved.
Dog foods are now commercially available in grain free form, cold pressed, hypo-allergenic and formulas designed specifically for sensitive stomachs.
Such alternatives include products of pigs and sheep products derived from bovines, camels, and goats poultry products like gourmet duck, salmon, and rotisserie chickens and even hemp seed-based versions that make for a much healthier option.
Note:
All these products offer the appropriate number of essential amino acids, but they must be supplemented with energy and carbohydrates to provide the energetic level that dogs need.
Many dogs who require this type of diet also require mineral and vitamin supplements, although in an ideal world these would be free of dietary cholesterol and would be made from vegetable sources.
Is The Crude Protein Method Still Relevant Today
Well, this is a critical question considering that this method was developed over a hundred years ago. Advancements in nutrition and science generally have literally exploded since then.
There are far better, more modern, and more sophisticated ways to understand the nutritional requirements of pets and other animals these days.
Plus, the archaic assumption that protein is 16% nitrogen makes this method even more faulty. The nitrogen content in protein isnt constant. Instead, it varies by the amount of amino acids it contains per time.
A better way to determine nitrogen content, therefore, is to analyze the protein source individually for their amino acid profile. For instance, meat and fish have different amino acid profiles, and, therefore, contain different percentages of nitrogen.
Another reason this crude protein method is unreliable is that proteins can also contain nitrogen from non-protein sources. The crude protein method does not account for this but science has discovered that this non-protein nitrogen can account for up to 10% of the total nitrogen content in foods. This percentage may vary across foods, though.
So, putting this in mind, it would mean that whatever is presented as the protein content from crude protein analysis should actually be 10% less than the value presented.
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Feeding Directions For Optimal Dog Nutrition
Pay careful attention to the feeding directions, which tell you how much food should be given to your pet to maintain a healthy weight. Dog nutrition needs vary by breed, age and activity level, so use the feeding guidelines as a starting point for determining the proper serving size for your pet. Cut back or add food accordingly to maintain proper weight and growth.
Caitlin Boyle is a writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. Her hobbies including trail running and planning fantasy vacations. She has two dogs, Maggie and James, and a cat that believes hes a dog, Ferguson.
Crude Protein And Lean Meat
When you do some calculations, remember that it is difficult to count the nitrogen content of a meat product that is not lean. In fact, there is not a high enough value for that nitrogen content to put on a label on an uncooked bone.
Most dogs in the modern world are fed a high-quality commercial grade, ground meat, complete with pre-digested proteins and essential amino acids , while those that have no active interest in their own welfare are given higher-quality poultry and ground meats. These commercial grade proteins are fortified with minerals, vitamins, and nutrients and make for easy digestion.
Although the latter makes sense for many older or mentally or physically disabled dogs, it can be misleading when looking at the total picture, especially when comparing to the diets of smaller animals.
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Complete And Balanced Dog Food Should Follow Aafco Guidelines
AFFCO is a private, nonprofit organization that defines the ingredients used in animal feed and pet food.
AAFCO helps ensure that animal feed and pet food products have undergone the appropriate analyses and have the necessary, required nutrients. A nutritional adequacy statement by the Association of American Feed Control Officials helps pet parents identify products that meet their dogs daily nutrient requirements.
AAFCO Label Requirements
Every pet diet and supplemental diet should include a statement from AAFCO and proper labeling to help consumers understand how much of each nutrient is needed daily and for what life stages. Keep in mind that pet food labels are different than human food product labels, which makes comparing food products difficult.
There are eight things that should be included on the bag or can:
Brand and product name
-
Medical and behavioral conditions
A large portion of energy in the diet comes from fats and proteins, followed by carbohydrates. The energy content of a diet determines the quality of the food and how much food should be consumed on a daily basis. The diet should meet the daily energy requirements of your dogs individual needs.
For example, dogs eating a diet that is high in energy will eat a smaller amount. It is important in this case to ensure that the percentage of other essential nutrients is high enough to meet the smaller volume consumed.
What Should I Look For In A Dog Food Analysis
Quick Tip: Look at the basic four: protein, fat, fiber, and water. Many states have regulations requiring the minimum amount of nutrients a pet food must contain, as well as the maximum amount of moisture and crude fiber. Dog food labels must display the percentage of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and water.
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A General Guideline For Preparing Homemade Dog Food
My DIY dog food recipe is more of a general guideline, rather than an exact meal plan that I follow each week. My dogs diet changes the same way ours does, depending on what we do and what we buy or grow.
However, we almost always stay with this basic formula:
- 50 percent cooked protein
- 25 percent cooked complex carbohydrates
- Fats and supplements
Protein is always meat and usually chicken, though weve also used turkey, pork, and beef. We feed any and all parts of the animals, but most commonly, we saute chicken breasts or chicken thighs in coconut oil and ground turmeric.
Coconut oil has a host of health benefits for dogs, such as improving the skin and coat, increasing energy, aiding digestion, reducing allergic reactions, promoting wound healing, preventing yeast and fungal infections, and supporting arthritis or ligament problems.
Turmeric has long been studied for its powerful medicinal properties, including its use as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
We add it to the coconut oil since it is fat-soluble, and use it to support our pugs joint health.
Speaking of dark meat, we feed thighs and breasts interchangeably. While well remove the skin from poultry and trim off excessive fat from red meat, we dont worry about buying the leanest meat possible for our dogs.
A little fat is necessary for a well-rounded diet.
They tend to be the leftovers in our produce bin, so we never have to buy, say, a whole head of cauliflower just for the dogs.