The Role Of Protein In Your Dog’s Health

It’s Rick, back again and today I want to tell you about the
protein in your dog’s diet.

How does protein work in a dog’s body? Picture a string of beads
and each string is needed to produce a complete picture or an
artwork. The job of protein in your dog can be compared to this
strings of beads.

Each protein is similar to individual strings
of beads. Just as these strings are put together in the right
order to create a picture, different types of proteins have to
go together to be able to produce a dog.

Each string is made up of different numbers of colored beads that
are lined up in an exact pattern to produce certain body parts
such as the hair, the nose, or the ear of the picture. The
colored beads can be compared to amino acids, or substances
that are connected to the strings to produce different proteins.

There are 23 amino acids that are the molecular building blocks
of protein. A dog can produce 13 amino acids inside his body
while the other 10 amino acids must come from an outside source
and has to be consumed.

A puppy will not grow unless he is supplied with the remaining
10 essential amino acids. Without them he will become sick
and will eventually die. Similarly, if an adult dog is not
getting the proper amount of these 10 amino acids, he will
become weak and suffer nutritional
deficiencies.

These 10 essential amino acids can be acquired from meat and
plants, which offer the best sources because they contain the
largest number of essential amino acids.

Not all proteins are the same, as some are better for your dog
than others. The amount of protein a dog needs depends on how
much of the essential amino acids are supplied by that protein.
The protein’s ability to provide the dog’s Minimum Daily
Requirement (MDR) of the 10 essential amino acids is referred
to as its “biological value”.

Here are a few additional facts about the importance of protein
for your dog’s health:

1. Proteins are the building blocks of your dog’s body.

2. Proteins are necessary for all aspects of growth and
development and are very important in structural makeup and
the immune system. In addition, they are burned as calories
and can be converted to and stored as fat if needed.

3. They are required for healthy nails, skin, and coat.

4. They are necessary for the production of hormones in the
bloodstream.

5. They provide a healthy immune system.

Rick