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Is high protein dog food bad for kidneys? What about low carb diets?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Female | spayed | 7 years and 7 months old | 17 lbs

I have a question for Melanie. I like to learn so I am very curious. Does a high protein diet in any form (raw, cooked, low carb, kibble, canned) cause stress on the kidneys or other health issues? I have been hearing this and I’ve heard it’s a myth, is that true? I do not support raw food diets but I am just trying to understand these statements. also, I’m assuming low carb diets are unhealthy or at the very least unnecessary, is that a correct assumption? Thank you!

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 17th, 2020

Too much protein isn't good for dogs, and it's recommend they have 18% of their diet be protein. Now some dogs, such as working dogs, require higher amounts of protein due to their increased caloric demands. In addition, too much protein in dogs can lead to weight gain. Now too much protein per say doesn't cause health issues, but if a dog has a pre-existing health condition like kidney or liver disease, too much protein is not good for them because it increases the workload of those organs. Low carb diets are bad, yes. Totally unnecessarily. Brands of grain free diets try to sell you their diets by claiming outrageous things like it's the diet of their ancestors, the wolves. Todays dogs are so far removed from the wolf, it's not even funny. When was the last time you saw a pack of pugs take down a deer in the wild???

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
What percentage of protein in dog food is a healthy for dogs? Is too much protein bad? Can it cause urine crystals?
The minimum amount of protein in the diet should be 18%. There is no maximum amount of protein and in a healthy dog it is not bad to feed a generous amount of protein. In some conditions like kidney failure, protein may be restricted. Urine crystals are not a known concern with a high-protein diet. Urine crystals are usually an indication of kidney or urinary bladder disease and can also be due to genetic conditions. I hope that helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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I've heard of high protein being a stressor on Kidneys if kidney disease is present. Is dry food a stressor if the disease is present? Or is that only if they don't drink enough water? my breed is prone to this so I'm just trying to understand. Thank
You are correct that high protein is a stressor in the kidneys if kidney disease is present, but there is no need to go low protein unless your animal does have kidney disease. Going low protein could be detrimental to your pet's health, especially if you have a cat. That's because they are obligate carnivores, meaning they have to have protein in order to survive. When a pet has kidney disease, the protein is lowered but it's still a high quality protein. As for dry food, it's fine to feed dry food when the disease in present as long as the animal is drinking lots of water. In cats, the wet food is recommended simply because they don't seem to drink a lot of water. The dry food is fine with dogs, and you can add extra moisture to the diet for both by soaking their food in water. I hope this helps you understand :-)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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The commonly recommended protein requirement for adult dog is 15-30%, so will those grain-free dry foods come with higher protein (usually above 30%) be too much for a dog really needs? Especially for senior dog?
I wouldn't worry too much about it having a higher level of protein as the body simply excretes what it doesnt use. In the case of a dog with liver issues I would recommend a diet low in protein but this is only a concern if your dog's liver is impaired.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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Does more protein mean a healthier pet food?
Not necessarily. While protein needs to be included in your pet's diet, excessive protein consumption is unnecessary and can actually be harmful, especially if your pet suffers from kidney or liver health issues. At the same time, the quality of the protein is also important, and too much low quality protein may eventually lead to digestive upsets. The reality is that pet food should be balanced, above all, and this balance will depend on your pet's breed, age, and activity level, among other factors. For example, puppies and kittens generally need more protein than their adult counterparts in order to be able to grow and develop properly. Instead of looking for foods that contain high levels of protein, I suggest that you find a quality food that has been specifically formulated for pets like yours, preferably by a pet food company that invests in scientific research and consults with veterinary nutritionists. Finally, since all pets are different, consulting with your veteri
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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Is it true that a 9 year old dog in good health should be put on a low protein diet? I have done a lot of research and have not found any truth to that accept it is an old mentality and can result in more harm than good. Thank you
You are correct that a senior dog doesn't need to put onto a low protein diet and it can cause more harm than good. Senior dogs need lower calories to prevent obesity because they have a slower metabolic rate.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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What's the difference in kibble with high protein and lower protein? How does it affect dogs? Is it good or bad and why the protein levels differ?
Kibble with high protein content would be correct food for a younger dog (under 2 years of age) who is still growing. Also working dogs that are out herding a lot, or getting a very large amount of exercise, should get a higher protein containing feed. Racing dogs such as greyhounds and whippets are fed a higher protein feed during training so they can make a lot of muscle. Non-working/non-racing dogs need to be fed a lower protein containing food as do dogs with kidney disease.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Is 32% protein too much for my indoor cavalier King Charles spaniel? I've fed natural balance before and that had 20% protein. Which is better and why?
Hello, neither of them are wrong or better than one another. The difference being is that the food with the higher protein is likely leaner (more energy is derived from protein) and has less carbohydrates or fat associated with it. Now, unless your dog is working dog, she may not need that much extra protein. Vice versa, the lower protein food may have a higher carbohydrate or fat percentage. Both foods however, if formulated for "maintenance" should meet the AAFCO requirements for energy of an adult dog. Meaning, you're going to be feeding the same amount of energy to Chloe, except one is going to be coming mainly from protein and the other one from fat and/or carbs. AAFCO recommends a minimum protein content of 18% in canine dog food formulations for maintenance. Therefore both of the foods you were feeding meet this minimum requirement. One of the contraindications for a high protein food is if your dog has kidney disease. With kidney disease, excess protein may worsen this di
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How much protein should a dog that weighs 37 lbs be given if he has chronic kidney failure?
HE should be on a low protein diet, preferably a prescription diet for kidneys (such as Renal from Royal Canine). you won't find an over the counter food that is suitable for this condition. homemade diet is also an option, you can find some ideas here: http://eatswritesshoots.com/2014/06/16/recipe-for-low-phosphorus-dog-food-caring-for-a-dog-with-chronic-renal-failure/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How much crude protein should my dog eat.? The food from fromm has 24%. I want to switch his food to acana. It has 29%. Is it too much protein. Acana crude fiber is 6% whole fromm is 3.5%.
Pete is a cutie! Individual pets' protein requirements will vary depending on their health status. For example, very active working dogs may need a higher-protein diet than a normal household dog. Also, pets with kidney disease or other health conditions may need a protein restricted diet. If Pete is an average healthy pet dog any dog food that is labeled for maintenance feeding will be adequate. This is a great resource from the FDA explaining pet food labeling: https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/ucm047120.htm Please remember to transition your dog slowly over five to seven days whenever changing the diet. If Pete has specific health conditions such as food allergies or kidney disease, please consult with your veterinarian before changing his diet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I have a mature Australian shepherd female who is 8 years old and has had excess protein in her urine. Her vet recommended feeding her a dog food with LOWER protein percentage which is SO HARD TO FIND! I found a Blue Buffalo senior dog food that ha
You are correct that it is very hard to find a low protein dog food. Most commercial dog foods are formulated to meet the needs of an average adult dog, so they tend to have a higher amount of protein. You can find some senior diets that have lower protein amounts, but a really low protein diet is generally only available in a prescription diet. Blue Buffalo has had some recalls, but generally tries to do a good job formulating a good food. My top senior diet recommendations are Wellness and Orijen, but Orijen is not low protein. Depending on how much protein Dot is currently eating, Wellness Senior may be a good option even though if has more protein than Blue Buffalo senior. https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/complete-health-senior-senior Good luck! I wish I had a simple answer for you, but I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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