How much protein should my senior dog eat for optimal health?

Question

What is the protein requirement for senior dogs 7+? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 9 years and 7 months old | 60 lbs

Dr. Rachel · Accepted Answer

According to the National Research Council (NRC) on Nutrient Requirements for Dogs and Cats, the daily protein requirement for an adult dog is 23 g of crude protein. This can be confusing because most pet food labels list protein as a % basis. You can calculate whether your dog is receiving at least 23 g of crude protein per day based on how much food you feed him. Here is a helpful link that contains instructions on how to do the calculation: http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/miscellaneous/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf. The NRC does not list a protein requirement specifically for senior dogs, so you can feed the amount recommended for adult dogs. However, senior dogs do require fewer calories overall. That information is listed in the above link.

How much protein should my senior dog eat for optimal health?

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