The Importance of Protein in Your Pet’s Diet

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 12:57:57 GMT

Your choice of dog food is key to keeping your dog healthy and happy. Here are some reasons to choose high protein.

Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN™ pet food diets refer, in part, to high protein and high animal inclusion diets. But why is that something you should be excited about for your pet?

Our pets are ancestral carnivores, and high protein and high animal inclusion diets mimic what they would have eaten in the wild. The animal ingredients in Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN™ pet food diets are high quality and made with fresh or raw ingredients to provide the nourishment pets need, helping them thrive throughout their lives. Our included fresh ingredients use refrigeration as the sole method of preservation and our included raw ingredients are frozen at their peak freshness.

When switching to a new kind of diet — like a high protein diet — some Pet Lovers may have questions. To help, we’ll answer a few common questions here:

Will high protein diets be a good fit for my senior cat or dog?

Those considering feeding their senior pet a high protein diet might wonder if this will pose any issues for their pet. This question could arise due to a misunderstanding that protein is damaging to the kidneys for a senior pet. However, protein does not cause kidney damage in healthy pets, and low protein diets are only recommended when a disease such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) is present (Laflamme, 2008). In fact, healthy senior dogs and cats require more protein than younger pets. As dogs and cats age, they become less efficient at utilizing protein, and this can compromise their muscle tissue (Laflamme, 2008). Therefore, supplying your aging pet with quality protein will help support healthy aging. Our Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN™ senior pet foods are high in protein and animal ingredients, which supports maintenance of lean muscle mass and peak health as pets age.

Are high protein diets too rich for my pet?

People may believe that high protein pet foods like ORIJENTM pet food diets are “too rich” for their animals, but that largely depends on the amount of kibble you feed them. If you feed your pet too much high protein food, it is possible for a pet to get an upset stomach or diarrhea. In other words, too much of a good thing is still too much! The best way to go is to follow feeding guidelines on any pet food you use. You might be surprised how much less food you need with ORIJENTM pet food, since it is so protein rich.

If you’re transitioning from a different food to a high protein diet, like an ORIJENTM pet food diet, taking your time will make things easier for your animal’s stomach. We recommend making the switch over five to seven days, slowly increasing the amounts of the ORIJENTM pet food until they’re fine eating it alone.

Does switching to a high protein diet mean my pet will gain weight?

Several factors can lead to weight gain in cats and dogs, including lack of exercise, medical conditions and/or excessive calorie intake. Lack of exercise and excessive calorie intake means the cat or dog may be taking in more energy than what they are expending. This excess energy leads to fat storage and will cause weight gain. Energy comes from the calories in protein, fat and carbohydrates. Fat contains more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, but excess calories can come from any of these three nutrients and can cause weight gain. Therefore, high protein diets alone may not cause weight gain, excess energy from food could. In fact, high protein diets are often recommended for overweight pets to support their muscle mass during periods of calorie (energy) restriction. ORIJEN™ Fit and Trim Cat food and ORIJEN™ Fit and Trim Dog food have been validated in weight loss trials, showing a healthy controlled weight loss over six months. The cats and dogs [in the trials] successfully lost weight while increasing their percentage of lean body tissue [muscle] and reducing body fat percentage (Opetz et al 2023; Oba et al., 2023).

To help get an idea of whether your pet is a healthy weight, check out our “How to Know if Your Pet is Obese” blog post, which includes comparative charts.

Science has shown benefits of high protein diets for cats and dogs, and new research continues to back up these findings. High protein is beneficial for healthy, ageing pets and can aid in a successful weight loss program. By better matching the natural diets with the anatomical physiology of cats and dogs, higher-protein foods can help support excellent health and nourish your pet so they can thrive.

"Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and

nurture and care for all life."

– James Cromwell

Dog Care on a Budget

websites@zenbusiness.com (ZenBusiness Admin) — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 11:51:42 GMT

Living on a budget doesn't need to mean comprising on your pet's quality of life. There are many ways to keep your pet healthy without breaking the bank.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Jessica Brown

co-owner

“Dogs are my best friends, my confidants, my inspiration. I can't imagine starting my day with a snuggle from my dog Charlie."

"What could be more rewarding than the love of a dog. In my experience, it's the most wonderful feeling in the world."

Top tips for travelling with your dog

websites@zenbusiness.com (ZenBusiness Admin) — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 11:51:42 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication
Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO
Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

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