{"topic_id":"FEDIAF_2025_dog_protein_quality","category":"fediaf","context":"---\ntopic_id: \"FEDIAF_2025_dog_protein_quality\"\ncategory: \"fediaf\"\ntitle: \"FEDIAF 2025 dog protein quality\"\nlang: en\nsource_document: \"FEDIAF Statutes / Nutritional Guidelines\"\ncitation:\n  authority: \"fediaf\"\n  title: \"FEDIAF 2025 dog protein quality\"\n  url: \"\"\n  retrieved: \"\"\n  ref: \"\"\n  doc_type: \"official source\"\n  needs_review: true\nauthority_tier: T1\nauthority_tier_basis: \"T1:std-body\"\nauthority_tier_date: 2026-08-04\n---\nFEDIAF 2025 frames protein requirements around amino acid adequacy and digestibility rather than around quality scores — the guidelines contain no PDCAAS, Biological Value, or Net Protein Utilization thresholds. The operative quality adjustment is digestibility: FEDIAF protein levels are based on NRC (2006) recommendations adjusted for (i) an apparent crude protein digestibility of 80%, (ii) lower energy intakes, and (iii) requirements of older dogs; and if a protein digestibility of ≥80% cannot be guaranteed, the guidelines recommend increasing essential amino acid levels by a minimum of 10%. When formulating below the recommended total-protein minimum, it is particularly important to ensure the amino acid profile still meets FEDIAF guidelines for adult maintenance. Amino acid minima (dog, Table III-3a, g/100 g DM; adult 95/110 MER columns, early growth, late growth): Lysine 0.46/0.42, 0.88, 0.70 (nutritional maximum for growth 2.80 N — excess lysine depresses puppy weight gain, with the no-effect level at 2.91% DM); Methionine 0.46/0.40, 0.35, 0.26; Methionine + cystine 0.88/0.76, 0.70, 0.53; Arginine 0.60/0.52, 0.82, 0.74 (requirement rises with protein content: +0.01 g arginine per extra gram of crude protein above the stated values); Tryptophan 0.20/0.17, 0.23, 0.21; Threonine 0.60/0.52, 0.81, 0.64. For practical cereal-and-animal-byproduct foods, the crude protein level needed for maximum nitrogen retention is about 25% DM for newly weaned puppies and 20% DM for puppies over 14 weeks (NRC 2006d).\n","sources":["fediaf — FEDIAF 2025 dog protein quality"],"source":{"authority":"fediaf","title":"FEDIAF 2025 dog protein quality","url":"https://europeanpetfood.org/nutrition/","retrieved":"","ref":"","doc_type":"official source","source_document":"FEDIAF Statutes / Nutritional Guidelines","verification_file":""},"source_document":"FEDIAF Statutes / Nutritional Guidelines","source_file":"","trust":{"authority_tier":"T1","fidelity":"verbatim","license":null,"display_grade":"A"},"tokens_estimated":150,"generated_at":"2026-07-16","tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}