Understanding Essential Amino Acids in Your Dog’s Food
October 14, 2011 by Paris Permenter and John Bigley
Filed under Health, Tips
In “Understanding Proteins in Your Dog’s Food,” canine nutrition expert Tracie Hotchner looked at the “building blocks of life.” Today Hotchner looks at a specific portion of protein: amino acids. She examines the difference between amino acids in meat compared to those in corn proteins:
Proteins are composed of twenty amino acids, about half of which dogs (and cats and people) manufacture in their own bodies, but eight of which are called “essential” because the body requires them and cannot produce them. When looking at different kinds of protein, its quality refers to the balance of its amino acids. Both plant and animal foods contain protein but plant protein is lacking in one or more of the essential eight amino acids in a proper ratio to meet the body’s needs. When evaluating the quality of a protein, you want to see whether the proportions of essential amino acids in that protein are a good match with the amino acid needs of the animal eating it. Generally speaking, where dogs are concerned the composition of amino acids in meat proteins is closer to that of the animal eating them and therefore is considered a higher quality protein.
Animal proteins supply not just the protein itself but iron, riboflavin, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, phosphorus, zinc and iodine, only some of which are supplied by plant proteins. The most complete protein foods are meat, fish, milk, cheese and eggs.
This Canine Nutrition Tip is from Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and award-winning host of Dog Talk® on NPR station WLIU. Canine Nutrition Tips are sponsored by Proportions, the whole food custom nutrition program for your dog. Visit www.Proportions.com to get a custom 2-meal trial for your dog, or to learn more about canine nutrition from the full Canine Nutrition University classes written by Tracie.
Author photo courtesy www.traciehotchner.com; photo © Ling Li
About Paris Permenter and John Bigley
DogTipper publishers Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of full-time writers. The couple has authored over two dozen books and 2,500+ magazine articles.
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