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One question that concerns pet caregivers is the amount of protein their favorite four-legged friend gets from a dry food. But does the percentage on the package represent the actual amount they take in?

For example, the protein content of the ORIJEN Six Fish recipe is 38%, while that of a corresponding conventional food is 26%. However, the amount of protein that eventually reaches our dog’s bowl depends on the amount he consumes.

The daily dosage of ORIJEN Six Fish provides 200gr, so our dog receives 76gr of quality animal protein per meal. On the contrary, if we feed him with this conventional food, the daily dosage reaches 336gr and the grams of protein – which in fact comes from plant sources that burden the body of the sarcophagus – rise to 87.3 per meal. This raises the issue of protein quality. The body of carnivorous animals is not designed to metabolize plant protein so in trying to assimilate it, their organs over-function. Once we are sure of the origin of the protein (animal or vegetable) we should consider whether it comes from fresh meat or meat meal. Fresh meat provides the nutrients in their most natural form, while the greater the amount in the food, the less the need for synthetic additives. The percentage of protein listed in the guaranteed analysis of each food is not the criterion for choosing a food but the quality of the amount of protein intake for your dog or cat.

* The calculation is made for a dog 25kg of normal daily activity.

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