It Depends
On the uniqueness of your dog.
“But I thought more protein was better…”
I had a conversation with a client this week that stopped them in their tracks.
We were working through a new feeding plan…
and the suggested protein level came in much lower than they expected.
You could see the hesitation. Even more hesitation when I suggested NOT feeding raw to their dog.
Because everywhere you look right now — for humans, for dogs — the message is loud:
More protein. More protein. More protein.
And to be fair…
for a lot of dogs, that’s not wrong.
In general, I’m right there with you.
Most healthy dogs do incredibly well with meals that are:
60–75% protein
sometimes even higher
and yes… some dogs thrive on 80/10/10 raw where protein dominates the bowl
So when I say,
“we’re going to bring protein down a bit…”
…it feels like I just broke a rule.
But here’s where things shift
This dog had Chronic Kidney Disease.
And suddenly, the “rules” change.
Now we’re thinking about:
reducing phosphorus load
easing the workload on the kidneys
sometimes lowering protein
sometimes bringing in more plant matter than you’d ever expect me to recommend
Same thing happens in certain cancer cases.
If we’re working toward a low methionine approach,
you don’t get there with a meat-heavy bowl.
You get there… by shifting.
And this is where people get stuck
Because now you’re hearing two things from me:
Dogs are carnivores
I don’t recommend vegan or vegetarian diets
Protein matters
…but also:
Sometimes we reduce protein
Sometimes we add plant protein
Sometimes the bowl looks completely different than what you expected
So which is it?
It depends.
Not the answer people want… but it’s the only honest one.
Because we are not feeding a theory.
We are feeding the dog that stands in front of us today.
And sometimes that dog:
is aging
has a diagnosis
has years of dietary history
has vaccine and medication load
has gut damage
has stress patterns you can’t see on paper
That dog is no longer “average.”
So why would we feed them like they are?
This is where things get messy online
Social media gives you rules.
“Always feed high protein”
“Never feed carbs”
“Dogs shouldn’t eat plants”
“Raw is the only way”
…and people grab onto those because they’re simple.
But real life?
It’s layered.
And sometimes I sit with a case and think:
“Alright… we’re going to have to get creative here.”
Because the goal isn’t to follow a rule.
The goal is to support the dog that stands before us today.
And sometimes this leads pet parents to have trust issues. Who’s right? Me? The Vet? The dog mom on a random group? —especially when opinions vary.
So if you take anything from this…
Let it be this:
There are solid nutrition foundations for healthy dogs
Those foundations can shift when the body shifts
What worked before may not be what works now
…and blindly applying advice you saw online?
That’s where people get into trouble.
I’ll be honest with you…
Some of these cases require real thought.
Lab work. History. Pattern recognition. Adjustments over time.
This isn’t “grab a recipe and go.” Or even a supplement.
So if you’ve ever found yourself thinking:
“Why isn’t this working for my dog?”
…it might not be that you’re doing it wrong.
You might just be following advice that wasn’t written for your dog.
If you want help sorting that out — not guessing, not piecing together 10 opinions — you know where to find me:
https://welloiledk9.com
I’ve added a lot of content lately — be sure you’re cruising around the site!