

Those who make homemade foods should ensure that their dog is getting a similar amount of protein – just make sure to perform your calculations using a dry-matter basis to obtain accurate results. Most high-quality commercial dog foods meet or exceed these requirements, so unless your dog is extraordinarily active, you usually don’t have to worry about the amount of protein your dog is getting if you feed him a food that is appropriate for his life stage and complies with AAFCO guidelines.
#KEYKEY HUNK OF MEAT HOW TO#
We explain how to determine the dry-matter protein content of dog foods here. Note that these percentages must be obtained on a dry-matter analysis, meaning that the water content of the food is excluded from the calculation. The AAFCO recommends that adult dogs eat foods that are at least 18% protein, while puppies and pregnant or lactating females consume foods that are at least 22.5% protein. These guidelines address a number of different aspects of your pet’s food, including vitamins, minerals, and fat content, but we’ll be focusing on protein today. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) produces a set of guidelines for pet foods at different stages of life. This will ensure that your dog doesn’t suffer from a nutritional imbalance that could cause serious health problems.įirst Things First: Let’s Talk About Your Dog’s Protein Needs It is possible to make a homemade diet using the proteins discussed here, but it is wiser to select a commercial food made with your protein of choice.

#KEYKEY HUNK OF MEAT TRIAL#
It may even require some trial and error, as dogs all exhibit varying preferences for different proteins. These proteins exhibit different nutritional profiles, tastes, and textures, so you’ll want to think carefully about your choice.Chicken, beef, and pork are likely the most common choices, but there are several other options, ranging from salmon to venison to alligator. There are a variety of meats that work well for dogsyou can feed your dog.This means you’ll want to pay particular attention to the meat you use when selecting a dog food or whipping up a homemade recipe of your own. Protein is an incredibly important - arguably the MOST important - component of your dog’s diet.Your dog doesn’t care which one pairs best with a nice merlot). (Incidentally, while fish, poultry, and meats like beef are often treated differently in culinary contexts, we’re grouping them all together here under the “meat” umbrella. We’ll even touch briefly on a few exotic and game meats that you may want to consider. We’ll talk about the different nutritional values of several common types of meat, explain any safety issues you need to consider, compare the basic differences in price, and discuss the availability of the different options. We’ll try to help you pick out the best protein for your pooch below. Meats also differ in terms of cost, availability, and safety, and they also exhibit varying tastes, smells, and textures - factors which may influence your dog’s willingness to eat them.

This is important because meats differ rather significantly, and some provide more nutritional value than others. You probably could concoct a vegetarian diet that’ll satisfy your dog’s protein needs, but this is probably too difficult a trick for the average dog owner to pull off.Īccordingly, one of the first things you want to think about when making a homemade food for your dog or picking out a commercial kibble is the protein used. Dogs may be best described as omnivores, but meat is critical for their health and well-being.
