Just a quick question:
I have heard that feeding your dog a grain-free/high protein diet will cause him to drink more water?
Is there any truth to this?
Any thoughts?
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Just a quick question:
I have heard that feeding your dog a grain-free/high protein diet will cause him to drink more water?
Is there any truth to this?
Any thoughts?
From what I remember reading high protein diets can overwork the kidneys in some dogs and make them work harder, excessive thirst can happen if the kidneys are stressed.
I rotate to GF foods but do not feed high protein foods so I haven't noticed any difference in water intake. I personally do not think any dog needs higher than 30% protein from kibble. I add fresh meats to give them added protein. Its more natural source and the body utilizes it much better
I feed Hemi Grain Free, not super high protein, but grain free. Always have, I don't think he drinks more water than any other lab, actually sometimes i think he drinks less.
If you notice your dog is drinking more water than usual it's prudent to do a blood check. Better safe than sorry.
Mammals drink water when mineral content, think electrolytes, rises in their blood. This can be due to several factors. In this case is probably due to the mineral content of the food or simply more activity and warmer weather.
Many high protein foods like TOTW, Natures Variety, Merrick, Earthborn Primitive and Natures Logic have very levels of ash (ie mineral content) and yes that would cause a dog to drink more. Look at the calcium & phosphorus levels and the total ash to see what they are in the food you are feeding.
One sign of a medical problem would be drinking during the night. If you are consistently seeing an empty water bowl when you get up in the morning, a trip to the vet may be in order.
The legal limit for calcium and phosphorus in the diet of an adult dog is 2.5% and 1.6%. Many foods are above this level. Some foods have ash levels well above 10% and this tells you the food is junk. With high protein foods, the good ones are 7% - 8%.
The National Research Council believes the limit for calcium should be 1.8% for all dogs, so look for foods at or below that level.
It's more common than you think..
What is high protein? What's the number? Is the new food higher than the old food? When I rotated foods for Oban I kept protein at about 26% and one food was grain free. I didn't notice any change in thirst that I could attribute to food.