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Nutrition: Understanding Protein in Pet Food.
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Many
people make the mistake
of judging the quality of a pet food
simply by looking at the
percentage of protein shown on the label.
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Let's take a closer look…
Not all protein is created equal
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What would you rather feed
your pet - four ounces of real chicken
meat or four ounces of ground chicken feathers
and corn? All three ingredients contain protein, but they are definitely not equal. Ounce for ounce, the real chicken provides more protein, and the protein is highly digestible and usable, allowing pets to eat smaller quantities to receive the optimal level of protein. In contrast, the ground feathers contain protein, but in a nondigestible form. Digestibility is key to evaluating a protein's nutritional value. |
Real meat offers highly digestible protein - protein that is easily broken down by your pet's body. Your pet cannot digest and cannot live on the protein contained in feathers. It simply passes through the digestive system unused.
| Utilization
is another key to evaluating protein
sources. Corn
has digestible protein that is absorbed, but it is not as
usable by the body as the protein from meat or eggs. Corn must be combined with another grain to supply the range of essential amino acids that meat or eggs supply by themselves. Pets will need to eat larger quantities of corn and other grains to obtain the same amount of usable protein that is in chicken. When comparing pet foods, be sure to consider the type and quality of protein used - not just the quantity. Look for foods with highly digestible, usable protein. |
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Real meat, fish, and eggs, for example, provide your pet with the highest levels of usable protein, while allowing you to feed lesser quantities of food.
Different pets have different protein needs
Many people wrongly assume that a pet food with a high protein level is automatically better for their pet. This is incorrect for two reasons. First, as described above, the quality of the protein is a critical factor - it doesn't matter if a food has a high percentage of protein if the protein comes from a less-digestible or less-usable source.
| Secondly, optimal protein
levels for different life stages and
activity levels vary. Senior pets generally require less protein than
active adult pets; and active adult pets need less protein than puppies
and kittens. Look for a food that provides the optimum level of protein for your pet's particular life stage and activity. Otherwise, you'll feed your pet excess protein that will simply be converted into fat. A diet must be balanced Protein is important, but so are the many other essential nutrients in food. Pets cannot live on protein alone. |
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Calories, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals must all be present in the proper levels and ratios for your pet to have a balanced diet and properly use the protein in the food.
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Choose your proteins with care Be
a
critical thinker when it comes to evaluating the protein in
your pet's food - first determine whether the protein is derived from a
high-quality source that will give your pet the maximum amount of
usable, digestible protein. |
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