Low protein dog food?

Tinkerbee

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Does anyone have any suggestions for low protein dog foods? Ted has been having intermittent but frequent digestive issues, and on latest vet visit they asked what he was being fed (Simpsons Premium and then fresh chicken, my partners father is butcher so there's always some spare...!) and it was decided this was probably the issue, due to too much protein. This does make sense in hindsight, the other dogs are on a cheaper wheat based mixer (not my choice!) so the additional chicken makes sense for them, but adding pure meat to a meat heavy mixer is a bit pointless.

Ive cut out the chicken altogether, but I'm hunting for a lower protein mixer as well, I've had a search of the last few threads but everything recommended is around the same protein as current food (26%).

Does anyone have any tips? I'm reluctant to feed a mixer with lots of wheat etc filler but finding a balance is tricky.

I've had a peruse on the all about dog food website and narrowed it to lily's kitchen (expensive!) and a Barking heads one (not heard much about this either way)

Any ideas much appreciated, for context he's a one year old border terrier cross, v active (when not feeling ropey!)
 
Chiffy

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I feed Barking Heads, it’s a good food. The chicken one is 26% and the Salmon is 22%,. My dogs thrive on either. I have retrievers but my daughters lurcher and mini dachshund are also on it.
 
Clodagh

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CorvusCorax said:
Anything for older dogs has about 19/20% protein. I fed a previous dog on an own brand food for older dogs that was 19%

It's not actually the fresh chicken that is high protein if you look at this raw mince...it'll be coming from the dry food.
https://www.naturalinstinct.com/raw-chicken-dog-food
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And I think I am right in saying that anytihng with cereals will show as a high protein, but as dogs can't digest it it is irrelevant.
 
splashgirl45

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i had a lurcher with a very sensitive digestion and she did well on james wellbeloved turkey and rice kibble....also why not try chappie, some dog owners on here have found it works with dodgy digestion and my vet says it is good for some dogs who cant manage anything else...
 
Tinkerbee

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I have attempted multi quote but the technology is clearly beyond me!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone I will look into these, good to hear people like Barking Heads. Will check out the MWH, I assumed they would all be pretty high protein!
 
Clodagh

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Tinkerbee, I am doing a little sideways hijack here...sorry!
What are the benefits/downsides of high protein (lets assume meat here). More energy? More stamina?
When people train for a marathon they eat carbs and so on I think, and then protein closer to the event (I am no athlete!), so what are we trying to give our dogs when we choose their protein levels?
My own pet theory, which is backed up by no scientific research whatsoever, is that a dog in low work (nearly all of them) is fine on low protein, and in fact mine put more weight on. In hard work I always up the protein as I feel it helps their concentration. I have never put this to the test but when I am looking for the last runner of the day, in the gloaming, after seven or eight drives, I want my dog to be looking just as hard as she was for the first one. You see so many dogs going through the motions but really they are past it for that day. That may be just because they are not very fit physically either.
 
Clodagh

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Levrier said:
Not so nowadays! Hoover did really well on it bless him, he certainly didn’t stink and neither did the house..... much to my amazement because I always thought that too :)
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My MIL's dogs are fed chappie and terrier meal. They are border terriers, who can have a distinctive smell anyway but they smell awful. THe utility room stinks too. Although she does leave the empty tins and spoon in there for days on end, which may not help.
 
kimberleigh

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Would you be sure it was the protein level in the food and not some of the crappier ingredients (rice/maize/oats)?

Id try something grain free, and see how he gets on - esp as you said he really doesnt get on with the food the other dogs are on which is high in fillers.

I swear by Akela and have fed a huge variety of dogs (breed/type/age etc) on it without a single issue
 
kimberleigh

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Clodagh said:
Tinkerbee, I am doing a little sideways hijack here...sorry!
What are the benefits/downsides of high protein (lets assume meat here). More energy? More stamina?
When people train for a marathon they eat carbs and so on I think, and then protein closer to the event (I am no athlete!), so what are we trying to give our dogs when we choose their protein levels?
My own pet theory, which is backed up by no scientific research whatsoever, is that a dog in low work (nearly all of them) is fine on low protein, and in fact mine put more weight on. In hard work I always up the protein as I feel it helps their concentration. I have never put this to the test but when I am looking for the last runner of the day, in the gloaming, after seven or eight drives, I want my dog to be looking just as hard as she was for the first one. You see so many dogs going through the motions but really they are past it for that day. That may be just because they are not very fit physically either.
Click to expand...

Feeding raw meat itself is actually lower protein wise than feeding most kibbles.

Energy wise (if we are talking dogs who compete at a serious level) I've found that raw simply doesnt cut it, the dogs look great - and are a million times better off than on a crappy kibble - but perform better when on a very high quality kibble and this always comes with a high protein level.

So yes you would feed protein for energy, along with muscle repair and building. Too much protein in a dog that does absolutely nothing could, in theory, cause some problems but that would be solved be reducing the amount of food rather than swapping altogether. Id expect those problems to be based more on weight gain/hyperactivity than anything else too.
 
Clodagh

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kimberleigh said:
Feeding raw meat itself is actually lower protein wise than feeding most kibbles.

Energy wise (if we are talking dogs who compete at a serious level) I've found that raw simply doesnt cut it, the dogs look great - and are a million times better off than on a crappy kibble - but perform better when on a very high quality kibble and this always comes with a high protein level.

So yes you would feed protein for energy, along with muscle repair and building. Too much protein in a dog that does absolutely nothing could, in theory, cause some problems but that would be solved be reducing the amount of food rather than swapping altogether. Id expect those problems to be based more on weight gain/hyperactivity than anything else too.
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Thank you Kimberleigh, that is interesting.
I believe if you feed excess protein it is excreted by the kidneys, so yellow lawns, but again I am not sure if that is rumour or fact.
 
Tinkerbee

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kimberleigh said:
Would you be sure it was the protein level in the food and not some of the crappier ingredients (rice/maize/oats)?

Id try something grain free, and see how he gets on - esp as you said he really doesnt get on with the food the other dogs are on which is high in fillers.

I swear by Akela and have fed a huge variety of dogs (breed/type/age etc) on it without a single issue
Click to expand...

It could well be the maize, he was on the Simpsons adult sensitive for a while, which I believe is grain free and I think he was okay on that (slightly hazing on the timings of the feed switch over/tummy issues). I'll aim for a grain free one as well and see how he gets on.
 
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Clodagh said:
My MIL's dogs are fed chappie and terrier meal. They are border terriers, who can have a distinctive smell anyway but they smell awful. THe utility room stinks too. Although she does leave the empty tins and spoon in there for days on end, which may not help.
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Errrrm yes I think that is way more pertinent than the product she uses, any dog food would stink in those circumstances!
 
Clodagh

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Levrier said:
Errrrm yes I think that is way more pertinent than the product she uses, any dog food would stink in those circumstances!
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But the dogs do smell too, and have awful breath and coats. I agree the empties are gross, but chappie to me is as vile smelling as cat food, which makes me gag. Not saying it doesn't have a place in a diet when needed, I just think it stinks!
 
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Clodagh said:
But the dogs do smell too, and have awful breath and coats. I agree the empties are gross, but chappie to me is as vile smelling as cat food, which makes me gag. Not saying it doesn't have a place in a diet when needed, I just think it stinks!
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Everyone is different, it didn’t bother me at all! but then feeding raw tripe doesn’t bother me either..... 😄

I’d check if the dogs need their teeth doing, neither Hoover’s coat nor breath smelled when he was on it so I wonder if it is those particular dogs?
 
Clodagh

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Levrier said:
Everyone is different, it didn’t bother me at all! but then feeding raw tripe doesn’t bother me either..... 😄

I’d check if the dogs need their teeth doing, neither Hoover’s coat nor breath smelled when he was on it so I wonder if it is those particular dogs?
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The older one has few teeth left, younger one no idea. They seem to have lost their teeth on the chappie diet. I am not saying no one should feed it, I am just saying I think it is gross.
Raw tripe is smelly, but it is normal smelly!
 
Bellasophia

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We feed monge ,which is 26%but no extra meat..when the poodle had extras added his stool would be erratic( mucous to soft)....nowadays stool is cosistently firm.No treats either..just his monge.
schnauzer has an iron constitution..never seen a loose stool( or an empty bowl lol)
 
druid

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Excess protein is just excreted via the kidneys. But to be excreted it has to be broken down into smaller units so it makes sense it could upset a sensitive digestive system in excess.
 
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