Thoughts on this please ?

[kateincornwall]

I read an article this morning , which stated that large breed pups should not be given a high protein kibble/diet . The author recommended that the protein content of puppy food of any kind should not be higher than 22% , which surprised me somewhat , as I thought they needed a higher % for bone/muscle growth but maybe I am wrong ? Reuben has Skinners Duck and Rice Puppy food , which is 27% . I would welcome thoughts , not on the brand of food but protein content given to a puppy. x

 

[Jen]

Stanleys on Canagan and has been since he was a pup - about 16 weeks. That’s 33% protein and he seems to be ok

 

[Ashley]

I've seen things here and there regarding protein in puppy diets, but I'm not sure the answer. The food we fed had 26% protein and was a large breed puppy food.

 

[kateincornwall]

Thanks both , I tend to think that pups do need this protein , its not called The Building Block for nothing ! x

 

[Boogie]

Spencer is on Royal Canin Maxi - it has 30% protein.

 

[Jacqui-S]

I remember this discussion on TLF but can't really remember the consensus/conclusion. Possibly there wasn't one.
I'm afraid I'm not going back over to look either.

Lilly wasn't on the best food as a puppy - combination of a supermarket kibble and ProPlan - averaged out at about 28/29% protein if the current allaboutdogfood site still reflects 8 years ago products.
My understanding was too much protein causes too much growth which means more potential strain on the joints (I may have made that up).
Lilly is fairly tall I think, but not as tall as Bramble or Sam was.
She was also spayed at 6 months which I suspect has a bigger impact on growth than the protein content of her food.

It's all a bit of a minefield.
Stick with the good quality that you can afford approach.
I bit my tongue every time I see the empty Baker's bag in our plastic recycling bin.......

 

[Emily]

Ella had Royal Canin Labrador Retriever Junior and that had 33% protein. She's now on the adult version and that has 30% protein....

 

[Joy]

I think I remember reading that the idea of high protein causing problems for puppies has been discredited.
I've just googled the Skeptvet and this is what he says:
'Many breeders and pet owners, as well as some veterinarians believe too much protein can contribute to developmental skeletal disorders in large breed puppies, but this is incorrect. An early study [5] observed orthopedic problems in dogs fed diets high in calories, protein, and calcium, but subsequent studies clarified that protein is not a risk factor for any of these problems.[13]'
Nutrition in Large Breed Puppies | The SkeptVet

 

[Aitch]

Wouldn't a wild dog's diet consist of mostly protein?
I have cut protein down in Bear's diet but this is because he is now old and too much could hurt his kidneys.

 

[alschwahn]

Aspen has been eating 28% protein kibbles since he was a small pup, its what the breeder had him on. I think it probably has different effects based on different circumstances of different puppies - when they are neutered, how quickly or slowly they grow, etc. It didn't seem to be too much for Aspen, and when he seemed to become too fat, we cut back how much he was given. I switched him to Fromms not knowing it was such a protein cut and he became way too skinny. I think I would only be worried about a puppy being too fat or too skinny because of too much or too little food rather than too much protein because you can determine how much food they get each day. But then again I am not an animal nutritionist

 

[Beanwood]

Puppies need good quality protein to sustain growth, as well as high levels of good fats. High levels of minerals can negatively affect skeletal growth especially in large breed dogs, these are calcium and phosphorus. Calcium increases bone turnover, leading to the laying down of new bone. If new bone is laid down too quickly, combined with excess calories, this can lead to early joint remodelling. What we do want is slow steady growth, and large breed puppies kept on the slim side of normal. This is why large breed puppy food is really the best option (IMO) for labrador puppies or checking the ratio for Calcium: Phosphorus is within an acceptable range.

 

[Pepper]

Pepper’s kibble in 28% protein and we keep him on the slim side. It seems to suit him well, and is supposedly for large breed working dogs. Wasn’t aware of the importance of levels of calcium and phosphorus, so will check that out.