Protein content???

[eternalstudent]

Ok so we are getting becka out of kennels today (been away for a long weekend) and we are going to be starting the pray model diet.

I think most of my worries have been abated but one point that comes up time and again is protein content.

I have been warned by large and giant dog breeders to make sure I don't over feed protein in there diet. Otherwise this could lead to over development of muscles and lead to joint problems later on. (apparently the muscles grow unevenly and put strain on the joints. I have not been able to find a lot of corroborating evidence for this but will continue to look).

We currently feed about 90 g protein per day from the kibble. If I switch to the pray model feeding 2 % adult weight to start with (she is now 30 lb so 10 % is greater than the adult ideal 2 - 3 %) then I will be feeding 152 g protein based on chicken.

Is this likely to be a problem? or a needles worry?

[RawFedDogs]

Is this likely to be a problem? or a needles worry?

Pretty much needless worry. This high protein thing for large and giant breed puppies has been discredited. I have raised a Great Dane puppy on a PMR diet from the age of 12 weeks with no problems at all. I know of MANY giant breed pups raised on this diet with no problems. Actually, puppies raised on a natural diet (PMR) seem to have fewer growth problems. They grow more slowly and with no growth spurts like kibble fed pups have. Eventhough they grower slower, they eventually reach their pre-programmed size eventually.

ETA: PMR is not a hight protein diet. It has a little lower protein than most of the kibbles. Somewhere around 20%.

[DaneMama]

Here is a post with a link to a nutrient database where you can look up virtually anything they have in there. Just search for "raw beef" or "raw chicken" etc. Most of the meats I've looked at are somewhere between 20-25% protein. PMR is actually lower protein compared to most kibbles!

Nutrient Database!

[Jester's King]

That is very surprising to me. Are those numbers for meat only, or bone in?

[Jester's King]

Natalie, I don't see the link...?

[eternalstudent]

I am assuming they are for the products de-boned as that is the way us two legged strange folk eat our food :-).

But it is more the quantity that I am noticing is different. The guide-lines for kibble for my pup is basically 1 lb.

She ways 30 lb with an expected weight of 100 lb (based on the size of her blood lines)

meaning we would be feeding 2 - 3 lb of raw meat of which 160 g would be protein.

but as this is day one I will see what happens!!

[DestaRR]

I'm going to echo what most others have said here.. PMR diets are generally lower in protein percentage than cooked kibble. My younger RR (he just turned 2) was on kibble from his breeder and a short time after I brought him home. I was WAY overly concerned about growth and all that jazz and questioned myself even though I'd been feeding my older RR raw for at least THREE years already!

And I tell you, the weird growth spurts I was seeing were so ridiculous, and I had him on a very good quality kibble. Well.. I ended up giving the rest of the kibble away after a couple of weeks and changing him to raw cold turkey. Within 2 weeks he stopped the sudden ups and outs, went to proportion and grew into adulthood staying within correct proportions. And 'miraculously' the high rear he was evaluated with at 8 weeks old disappeared =P

He also already had fantastic muscle tone at 5 - 6 months old that no kibble fed puppy his age could rival! People just constantly marveled at it and I was always asked how I already had him in such great shape.

[DestaRR]

Oh.. and the pup also stopped coprophagy the moment I changed him to raw ;)

[DaneMama]

Natalie, I don't see the link...?

You're right! Sorry! It's been added!

[eternalstudent]

Unfortunately I think I am a natural born worrier

I have made the switch cold turkey (well ok it was chicken) so I will see what happens and try and relax into the whole thing.