[KimandAutumn]

I am currently rethinking my ideas about raw being a low protein diet because of water. I don't have a real firm stand on it just yet but I'm thinking that if you take the water out of a raw diet, it is very high protein. I'm not saying that is bad. Carnivores were meant to eat a very high protein diet. Even the fast growing giant breed dogs. One swaying factor I have thought about is the question are you lowering the percentage of protein in kibble if you feed it soaked in water? If so, very high protein kibble wouldn't matter if you fed it very wet. Is that the case? I don't know. I know it is something to think about.

Another important point is the quantity of protein, not percentage but grams/ounces. Perhaps percentage is not important. Perhaps it's the weight of the protein that matters.

Two things are be very important in my thinking. One is the difference in quality of protein from animals and plants. Animal protein is a very high quality and plant protein is very low quality even in a human diet. In kibble, how much of the protein is derived from animals and how much from plants and how does that affect what the percentages mean? Don't bother looking it up anywhere because no one knows but it sure throws a loop in the thinking about the meaning of percentages of protein in kibble. I doubt the kibble companies have any idea how much plant vs. animal protein is in kibble. I think it is important.

Do proteins act differently in the body if no carbs are present? How do animal proteins work differently than plant proteins in the body? I know they do but I don't know how. How much bioavalibility do plant proteins have?

If you take the water out of the equation, a raw diet is probably close to 80% protein. I have known many other Dane puppies to be raised on a raw diet without having any of the fast growth bone/joint problems. I have never known a raw fed Dane puppy to have confirmed Pano or HOD. I know someone will jump in and say they know one and there may be some. All I am saying is that I have never heard of one first hand.

Maybe the 22-24% protein warning for the giant breeds is way off base and shouldn't be considered. Maybe protein has no effect on bone growth. I have read studies that say it is excess calcium that causes the problems.

As you can see its a complicated process and you can also see by my rambling that I haven't made up my mind yet. What do you all think?