P Is For Protein - Why Dogs NEED It, Why Perhaps I DON'T . . . . . . . . #chewyinfluencer

 BLOG #2 for My Thirty Day Challenge - 

Rachel Ray's Nutrish Peak Grain Free

I'll eat virtually ANYTHING. It is true. This PUG does NOT have a discriminating PALATE. So just because I will eat a food, does not mean the food is GOOD or good FOR ME. That determination comes much later when the RESULTS of eating a certain food becomes known. That is why I loves loves loves the Chewy.com Thirty Day Challenges. They really give me a chance to savor a product AND for the benefits to come shining through.

I have tried various Rachel Ray dog food products - pretty much for as long as there have been Rachel Ray dog food products. They are, for the most part, fine foods. Lately, though, they have become a bit FINER in the choice of ingredients and in the attention to particular problems with certain ingredients. Like chicken, for example. I loves it but my FURiend Tiffy is allergic to it. Or wheat products. I have no issues from eating wheat or soy in my food but my FURiend Pablo cannot handle it at all. So I like that Rachel Ray and especially her Nutrish line of food is paying more attention to these kinds of problems.

This is the food I am eating EXCLUSIVELY for 30 days: Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Grain-free Chicken, Duck and Pheasant dog food.

Since I cannot read, Mommy pores over the ingredient list and reads the customer reviews, etc. She takes care of me. Something that she KNOWS is very very important is how much PROTEIN I need. According to a quick perusal of GOOGLE, a dog needs about 2 grams of high quality animal protein per kilogram of body weight per day. It helps keep the dog in great shape by providing energy and by fortifying the immune system. It also creates hormones and enzymes which are necessary to keep a body, such as a PUG body, functioning properly. The Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Grain-free contains about 30% crude protein, which is pretty decent. Because it is also grain-free, it is an easily digestible food.

Here are the Rachel Ray Nutrish Peak Grain-free ingredients - this is the Chicken, Duck & Pheasant Dry Dog Food. I bolded the proteins, underlined the chelated minerals, and italicized the animal proteins

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Dried Peas, Pea Flour, Pea Protein, Whole Dried Potatoes, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Whole Flaxseed, Cranberries, Duck, Pheasant, Pork Flavor, Menhaden Fish Meal, Natural Flavor, Salt, Tapioca, Sweet Potatoes, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

The Peak Grain-free has basically three kinds of protein

Animal PROTEIN - Pork, Pheasant, Phish (I'm playing with you - I needed another P) 
These are proteins dogs, due to their innate need to hunt and eat their prey, automatically gravitate toward. As a rule, these kinds of proteins are easily used by the canine body

PROTEINATE - This is a dietary nutritional source of trace elements. In LayPUG words, this is a handy way to combine minerals to key amino acids and make them (the minerals) more digestible. The amino acids are from the proteins which are combined with IRON, CALCIUM, and ZINC, for example

PEA PROTEIN - a vegetable source for protein. It is easily digestible (more on this below) and high in fiber, amino acids and enzymes. This is the latest source for NON-SOY, NON-WHEAT, and NON-DAIRY vegetarian proteins. It is everywhere these days. WHY? Pea protein is a complete protein. It is especially good for building muscle and for keeping your pet satisfied.

For this little PUG, though, pea protein seems to be a problem. Mommy has called and talked to many food manufacturers about this and they all disagree with her. But she has noticed an increase in my. . . a-hem. . . STINKY BELCHES when I eat foods that rely heavily on PEA PROTEIN, as more and more of them do. So For ME - this is a bit of a negative. I cannot PROVE IT. I cannot SWEAR to it. But I AM observing this to be true. 

That said, the Rachel Ray Nutrish PEAK Grain-free food is not making me BELCH more and MIGHT even be making me belch a little less. Mommy said by 20 days I should know.