Dog owners are often faced with the question of what to feed their pets to give them the nutrition for optimal health. Should the food provided to dogs be mostly protein? Is there a point when a dog is eating too much protein? What is too little protein? When reviewing the information on nutrition labels for dog food, the amount of protein content varies a great deal from brand to brand. Popular brands of dog food vary from 18 percent to 22 to 30 percent protein. How much protein is enough for your dog?

Like other components of food such as carbohydrates or fat, protein is source of energy that amounts to about four calories of energy per gram. Like people, dogs need protein to maintain organs, connective tissue, muscles, and bones. Protein is also an essential building block for enzymes, antibodies, skin, fur, and blood cells. The national association that oversees the sale and distribution of animal feeds, otherwise known as the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), requires that the minimum protein content of dog food be no less than 18% and no less than 22% for puppies. Again these are the minimums. But how much daily protein is ideal for dogs?

The amount of protein needed to ensure optimal health varies quite a bit among dogs, depending on their size, activity level, age and fitness. Dogs that are very active everyday will require more protein in their diet in order to perform well throughout the day. Imagine how much energy is required of a police dog that works hard everyday. Herding, hunting or sled dogs require enormous amounts of energy to fulfill their duties. Dogs that require extremely high amounts of energy throughout the day will need at least 25% more protein for tissue repair and muscle maintenance. Additional protein is also needed by puppies as they continue to develop into adults.

Many dog owners worry that they are feeding their pets too much protein and that this may result in kidney damage. For super active dogs as previously described, the additional protein is usually beneficial to good health, where the activity level is very high. These types of dogs metabolize the protein they consume due to the hard work they do for long periods of time.

But let’s address the more common situation for a dog which is low activity. Where a dog is not very active, the diet needs to be modified in order to prevent the dog from gaining weight from body fat. Excess protein for a sedentary dog will certainly result in unwanted weight gain. Under these circumstances, the protein content of the dog’s diet is perfectly fine at 18 percent. Examine your dogs torso and see if you can feel its rib cage. If there is too much padding to feel the ribs and bones, then it may be time to adjust the protein and diet downward in terms of calories.

Common sense dictates that several factors should be taken into account when deciding what to feed your dog. Consider whether your dog has health problems, whether your dog is active, whether the dog is advanced in age, or whether the dog has any health problems. Regarding the age issue, for example, some extra protein is a good idea for an older dog that is healthy. An increase in protein will help an older dog to maintain muscle that naturally diminishes with age. If the older dog suffers from kidney problems, however, the protein levels should be decreased. Otherwise too much protein will likely exacerbate the kidney illness.

While dog owners should consider many factors in determining the appropriate protein content for their dogs, it remains true that all dogs do need protein for optimal nutrition. If you still aren’t sure about your dog’s protein needs, consult with your veterinarian for more information.