# Which protein source is easiest to digest?



## oakleysmommy

i have heard some dogs dont do well with chicken based kibble? what is the easiest to digest? Fish, Lamb, Chicken?? i have also read Lamb is not good long term, too much Taurine?? any thoughts


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## Stretchdrive

I know chicken, and lamb are common allergens, but I think it really depends on the specific dog. Out of the 3 choices for me the best one to use is fish, but that is just my 3 dogs. You will find good and bad stories on all proteins.


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## MyBentley

oakleysmommy said:


> i have heard some dogs dont do well with chicken based kibble? what is the easiest to digest? Fish, Lamb, Chicken?? i have also read Lamb is not good long term, too much Taurine?? any thoughts


I think you have to distinguish "easiest to digest" from the discussion of "which proteins have the most bioavailability to the system".

Egg is known as having the most complete amino acid profile of all proteins and its the source to which other proteins are compared. 

As far as the meats: lamb and duck tend to be richer and fattier than chicken; but a given dog may or may not have a problem with it. Chicken is often given in combination with rice for a dog recovering from stomach upset; so it's typically thought of as easy to digest.

It's hard to separate out how well your dog digests a specific protein unless your feeding it home-cooked or raw and not as part of a kibble which may have lots of other ingredients skewing the results. Although I guess if a dog did poorly with 3 or 4 different lamb-based kibbles, you could make the assumption he doesn't tolerate lamb well.

Guess I didn't really answer your question; but there are just so many variables.


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## oakleysmommy

thats fine..i was just curious as to what kibble is easiest on the tummy? i have heard golden retrievers dont sometimes do well with a chicken based kibble.


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## Swampcollie

I believe chicken is the easiest for most normal healthy dogs to digest. (That's why most kibble mfgrs produce chicken based kibble.)


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## sifuyono

for me, chicken...


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## tippykayak

MyBentley said:


> Egg is known as having the most complete amino acid profile of all proteins and its the source to which other proteins are compared.


The amino acid profiles in question usually refer to the WHO's ratings (PDCAAS), which are based on the protein and amino acid needs needs of human children. They don't always apply to dogs. For example, milk also gets a perfect score on that system, and obviously it's not the best protein source for dogs.

If you're referring to a canine-specific rating system, I would love to look at it, because I haven't yet seen one.


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## Willow52

I think it depends on the dog. Hank eats the chicken based Innova (he tends to get loose stools on the beef) and has done great on it. My Maggie (RIP) ate a lamb based food most of her life due to allergies.


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## Ranger

From a raw diet perspective (where you can easily trace loose stools back to the meal that caused it), I'll say chicken, turkey, lamb, herring, mackerel, and sardines are the easiest to digest. Beef, llama, alpaca, duck and veal fall into the middle of the group - some dogs get looser stools. Pork is by far the hardest to digest for a dog which is why it should be introduced ONLY after the dog has been raw fed for a month or so and has had a chance to adapt to his new diet. In fact, when starting off on a raw diet it's recommended that you start with chicken only for the first week or so because of it's easier digestibility. 

I can feed 2-3 days of any meat protein (different cuts) and not have a reaction from Ranger except pork. I fed him pork (muscle meat cuts, too) once for 2-3 days from necessity and he had the runs for the next 2 days. Ranger doesn't get the runs from ANYTHING. Also I can usually hear his belly rumbling like mad after he eats pork and I don't hear that with any other protein source.


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## MyBentley

tippykayak said:


> The amino acid profiles in question usually refer to the WHO's ratings (PDCAAS), which are based on the protein and amino acid needs needs of human children. They don't always apply to dogs. For example, milk also gets a perfect score on that system, and obviously it's not the best protein source for dogs.
> 
> If you're referring to a canine-specific rating system, I would love to look at it, because I haven't yet seen one.


My comment was not referencing or citing any one specific source. Information on the bioavailability and digestibility of eggs and meats can be found in a multitude of sources. I'm not aware of a specific chart applicable only to canines.

An egg is an egg, is an egg. It's inherent properties do not change. Now whether a specific person or animal has an intolerance or allergy to eggs is a different issue. Many humans are lactose intolerant and like dogs also don't do well with dairy.

One can find multiple statements by vets, dog owners, pet food manufacturers, etc that recommend some cooked egg in a dog's diet. I have never come across any information through any print or verbal source suggesting that the average canine can't benefit from cooked eggs. Have you?


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