protein=kidney failure??

[BetsyB]

Okay, let me give you a little background. Someone in my rescue group says a dog that just had pups should be fed a puppy food because they have more protein then regular formulas which I know is not true. They go on to recommend Purina with canned Pedigree mixed in and call it a good choice. So, I say, if a higher protein food is what you're looking for, here are some good choices, giving them 5 and 6 star foods. Here is the director's reply:


"Betsy... thank you for your informative post. Actually 28% protein is a good amount when you are talking about adult dogs.
Purina One is an average quality food with some by products. Not a huge amount.
I to have researched foods for years and that is why I suggested the Purina One because it is an average but decent food that is not way expensive.
I feed my own dogs Canidae and Solid Gold Holistic. I would not feed a dog a food that has protein higher than 30% because they would bounce off the wall and end up with kidney failure unless they are a performance dog or a field trial dog that would burn that much protein. I personally would feed a higher quality food but when you have many and not alot of money to pour into a dog then Purina One is a good middle of the road food
Also I would not recommend alot of can food becuase of the moisture contain which would cause diarrhea especially to a nursing mother which is prone to diarrhea."

Now, out of respect for my director and group, I'm going to just let it go even though I know that Purina is one of the worst products out there!! I gave them all the dog food analysis website, and I guess if they want to use it they will, BUT...
I feed Innova EVO which is very high protein, and now I'm freaking out that there may be some truth to the protein leads to kidney failure idea. I mean, when a dog is eating RAW, don't they eat a HUGE amount of protein??
Please give me some reassurances here! Am I killing my dog??

 

[gmacleod]

That is absolute nonsense. It's a myth - a very old one at that - that seems to have sprung up because people with kidney disease used to be put on low protein diets. So some non-medical einstein had the thought that higher amounts of protein must cause the kidneys to fail. Brilliant, huh? But completely inaccurate.

Protein has nothing to do with kidney failure. What IS true is that kidneys that are damaged, diseased or otherwise not functioning properly have trouble processing nitrogen. And nitrogen is a by-product of the digestion of poor quality proteins, such as those from plants. Ergo, kidney patients should avoid consumption of such low quality protein and consume only high quality proteins that do not produce high amounts of nitrogen in digestion instead. This applies to both humans and dogs, of course. And what you'd note in all that is that this applies to those WITH kidney problems. Nitrogen does not cause kidney disease, but diseased kidneys cannot cope with nitrogen. Make some sense?

Some veterinary links for you that should put this myth firmly in the trash where it belongs:

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Opera/2167/bovee_protein_RD.pdf
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/protein.html
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&articleid=1104
http://www.dogaware.com/kidney.html#protein
http://b-naturals.com/May2004.php

 

[BetsyB]

Thanks so much! I feel like I should forward the links to my group, but like I said, I guess I should just let it go. It's so nice to know that no matter what the question is, BW always has an answer for me. I have a couple more questions that pertain to this subject, as it was recommended that a nursing female be fed Purina with Missing Link added to replenish her nutrients and protein.

How exactly do the nutritional needs of a nursing female dog differ from those of the everyday average canine? And what is Missing Link? I have never had a dog who had a litter of pups, so I have no idea about their needs, but surely there is something better then Purina One? Is there one food above the others in this instance?

 

[TossBranAbi]

I don't know a whole lot about litters of puppies either but I do know that the puppies pull down the mother and are very demanding on her body. She needs the extra nutrients to help her body produce enough for her pups as well as herself.
Missing Link is just a supplement. It is supposedly the "missing link" between kibble and RAW. It is easy to use as it is just a powder and the pups like it. They have a regular formula and a formula with glucosamine and chondroitin in it for seniors. I have used it in the past and have nothing against it, I am just using SG seameal for now. Next will probably be Missing Link. If you do a search, you will find it. It is in a goldish colored pouch.

As far as Purina One, like you said, yuk! I think just a regular high quality food would work. I don't think there is a specific reason to use Purina One other than because that is what you director is saying and that is her choice.