Amino Acids For Dogs

What are Amino Acids?

Many pet owners are aware of dog food protein, and take great efforts to ensure their dog gets enough.

But did you know protein isn’t even considered an essential nutrient?

Surprised?

Well, that’s because it’s the stuff protein is actually made of that’s essential — not the protein itself.

You see, amino acids make up the basic building blocks of all protein.

Think of protein as a freight train with each car of that train being an amino acid.

And it’s the kind of cars — and the order they’re arranged — that makes each protein unique.

Essential Amino Acids For Dogs

Every dog has the natural ability to manufacture every amino acid they need — except for 10 very special ones.

These 10 essential amino acids must come from the diet.

Otherwise, a dog could suffer serious health consequences — even death.

These 10 essential amino acids are:

• Arginine
• Histidine
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Phenylalanine
• Threonine
• Tryptophane
• Valine

What Happens When One Amino Acid Is Missing?

Protein chains are manufactured by a dog’s cells in a step-by-step, assembly-line fashion — and if just one amino acid is lacking, the entire process shuts down.

This missing nutrient is known as the limiting amino acid. That’s because its absence “limits” the process from using any of the other available amino acids altogether.

So, every dog food must contain all 10.

Is Phenylalanine Bad For Dogs?

One amino acid that sometimes comes in for criticism is phenylalanine. As mentioned above, it’s part of the 10 essential amino acids for healthy dogs, so why does it get bad press?

As an amino acid, it plays a key role in supporting the nervous system and neurological system, but the criticism leveled at it comes from the fact you may see it as part of a sweetener, either on its own in brands like NutraSweet, or combined with other ingredients in aspartame. 

You’ll be aware that dogs should not consume the sweetener Xylitol, so you’d be forgiven for assuming all sweeteners were toxic to your dog. This is not the case with phenylalanine — it’s not toxic to dogs and they can consume it without worry.

The Bottom Line

Trying to judge a dog food by the amount of protein alone can be misleading.

Just because a dog food boasts a high protein percentage doesn’t mean it contains the right amino acids.

So, how can you improve the odds a dog food will meet your pet’s amino acid needs?

Well, even though the right combination of vegetable proteins can be made to satisfy a dog’s amino acid needs, animal protein naturally contains a more favorable mix of essential amino acids.

So, don’t choose a dog food simply because it appears to have a lot of protein on its label.

Sure, a higher protein content can suggest you’ve come across a better dog food.

However, don’t forget to judge the source of that protein, too.