Protein Deficiency In Dogs

There are three common causes of protein deficiency in a dog's diet: Insufficient total protein in the diet; imbalanced and poor-quality dietary protein; and bulky, low-energy diets.

1. Insufficient total protein in the diet.  This cause is frequently seen in kennels of hunting dogs where their owners attempt to cut down.  Such items, considered as lacking in protein, are cornbread, biscuits, oatmeal, boiled potatoes and cheap, dry dog foods composed mostly of cereal, may make up as much as 90 percent of these dogs' diet.

2. Imbalanced, poor-quality dietary protein. Imbalanced food containing inexpensive proteins of low biological value are frequently found among the 10-cent-a-can dog foods.  The protein in such foods is usually gelatin, collagen, or those found in cereal wastes.  A typical product is an example made from rejected pinto beans from a canning plant for humans' food.

3. Bulky, low-energy diets which cause the marginal amounts of protein present to be converted to energy.  Foods, either canned or dry, containing too little fat or too much cereal wastes, tendons and similar indigestible materials are usually the cause of this type of protein deficiency.