DEBUNKING THE MYTHS OF HIGH-PROTEIN PETFOODS.

Champion Petfoods’ Response to “Ask the Expert – Nutritionist” in Pets Magazine July/August issue”

Dr Ly’s anecdotal response to the question of high-protein foods (“Ask the Expert – Nutritionist,” Pets Magazine July/August 2009) runs the risk of adding to the confusion pet owners currently experience when making an educated food choice for their dogs and cats. For this reason, Champion would like to present a science-based perspective on the subject of higher-protein foods for dogs and cats.

As the maker of ORIJEN and ACANA pet foods, Champion is a well regarded Canadian pet food maker with a tradition of quality spanning more than a quarter century. As makers of Biologically Appropriate pet foods (ACANA and ORIJEN brands), Champion is a strong advocate of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets.

Although Dr. Ly states that high protein diets negatively effect the liver or kidneys, modern science debunked this ‘myth’ years ago. Our ORIJEN WHITEPAPER (www.orijen.com) lists the studies that unanimously conclude high protein foods have no negative effect on the kidney or liver. In fact, studies show that even dogs suffering preexisting kidney problems (or dogs with only one kidney), suffered no health effects what-so-ever from the long-term feeding of high protein diets (40% +).

In disparaging high-protein foods, Dr. Ly also seems to ignore the relationship between protein and carbohydrates in dry pet foods - that is, when protein increases, carbohydrate decreases.

Consider that the sum of all nutrients in dry dog and cat food kibble equals 100% (for example, protein + fat + water + fiber + vitamins & minerals + carbohydrates = 100% of the kibble). This simple equation illustrates that if one nutrient increases, another must decrease (and vice versa). In other words, increasing protein results in fewer carbohydrates, a key health benefit of high-protein foods.

The conventional (low-protein) pet foods supported by Dr. Ly are very high in carbohydrates (typically due to their low meat content and high grain content); with carbohydrates accounting for up to ½ of many conventional dry dog foods. Yet dogs and cats evolved as carnivores, and carbohydrates are neither present in their natural diets, nor are they essential at any level to their health or well-being.

High-carbohydrate (low-protein) foods elevate blood sugars in dogs and cats leading to a hyper glycemic effect which leads to obesity, insulin resistance and type II diabetes - increasingly common health problems among today’s companion dogs and cats.

Dr. Ly’s claim that domestic cats have evolved to metabolize low-protein, grain-based foods is also factually incorrect. All domestic cats are equipped with a digestive anatomy virtually identical to their wild cousins, and unchanged over the past thousand years or so. A rudimentary review of the physiology of our companion cats reveals their sharp teeth, claws and jaws, a rasping tongue, and a short highly acidic digestive system - all are adaptations to meat-based diets that are high in protein and fat – not carbohydrates and grains.

In closing, today’s conventional’ low-protein, grain-based’ foods are certainly not ‘natural’ for dogs and cats, who seldom if ever eat grain in nature, and thrive on a diet rich in animal proteins and fats.

We would like to thank Dr Ly for giving us the opportunity to dismiss a few of the common misconceptions regarding high protein diets.

Please visit Champion Petfoods @ www.championpetfoods.com for ORIJEN WhitePaper and all listing of scientific studies.

http://www.nature.com/ki/journal/v29/n2/abs/ki198629a.html - Kidney International

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=0+1770&aid=1104 - Dr Foster and Smith

http://web.archive.org/web/20070331231427/http:/www.purina.ca/images/articles/pdf/NutritionAndRenalFunction.pdf - Purina Research Report

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/iamssym1.html#KIdney - Iams nutrition symposium