Home » Low Protein Dog Food - Solve Your Dog's Special Dietary Needs

A healthy dog should consume a high protein diet.  But if your dog has ailments such as kidney or liver disorders, a low protein dog food is a must.  However, a low protein dog food doesn't mean low quality protein dog food. 

 

There are other ingredients that must be in your dog's food for optimal health.  Here are some tips on what to look for in a low protein dog food diet.  These tips will cater to your dog's special dietary needs.  They'll also save you money on your vet bills.

What Kinds of Protein Should You Look For in Dog Food

Since dogs are natural meat eaters, it makes sense that their diet should consist of high protein.  But if your dog is suffering from kidney or liver disease, he should be eating low protein dog food.  What kinds of ingredients should you look for in a low protein dog food?  You should find a premium dog food which contain quality protein other than beef.  Why? 

Although beef is an excellent dog protein, it is too high in protein for a dog that has kidney or liver problems.  Just like with humans, if you have high cholesterol, you wouldn't pick beef as one of your main sources of protein, would you? 

 

Understanding what to look for in dog food is crucial.  But it is even more important to understand the dog food label  when looking for a low protein dog food for your ailing dog.

Learn How to Read a Dog Label

The first four ingredients of any product are what count most.  For starters, you should get dog food that contain proteins like turkey, salmon, duck and cottage cheese.  These proteins are lower in protein than beef.  Strive for protein content at less than 20%.  Avoid carbohydrates in your dog's diet. The only kind of carbs your dog should eat are fruit and vegetables.

 

The Right Kind of Carbohydrates and Fats

 

A low protein dog food should contain good sources of omega fatty acid.  Some examples are canola oil and flaxseed oil.  It should also contain lots of vitamin and mineral rich carbohydrates which can be found in certain vegetables. 

 

Great vegetables to incorporate in a low protein dog food diet are carrots, lentils, broccoli, spinach.  Great sources of fruit to add in your dog's low protein dog food are pumpkin, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, papaya and pineapple.