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Vegetable protein extracts in dog food

Particularly low grade, highly contentious or excessively vague ingredient we usually recommend avoiding

Vegetable protein extract (or isolate) is another term that doesn't shed any real light on what is in the food. It gives no indication of which vegetables are used, nor does it say how the protein is extracted, although the most common methods involve chemical reactions that are far from what most people would regard as 'natural'.

For dogs, vegetable proteins are nutritionally inferior to those found in meat. Common sources of vegetable protein include soya, maize and wheat which have all been linked to dietary intolerance and, in our opinion, should be avoided with sensitive dogs.

Some nutritionists have also speculated that vegetable protein extracts might also be a pseudonym for MSG (monosodium glutamate), the controversial food additive that some believe to be mildly addictive.

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Comments
Elizabeth •7 years ago

Can I give my dogs protein isolates of potato, brown rice, etc? I wouldnt go for pea protein (a common ingredient in vegan dog foods) due to low bioavailability. My dogs are vegetarian. I also wanted to know how much of each of the amino acids are required daily by dogs? Thanks!

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