The diet of Dalmatians often raises the question of the purine content of the food, a topic that is of particular interest to many owners of this unique dog. Today we would like to broaden our perspective on this topic, clarify some facts and raise awareness for a holistic view, because a low-purine diet alone is often not enough to protect the Dalmatian from long-term health damage that can arise from its special metabolic characteristics.

What are Purines?

Purines play a central role in the complex system of nucleic acids – the fundamental building blocks that carry genetic information in all organisms, including DNA and RNA.

What is fascinating is that the dog's body produces purines independently and stores them in the cells without necessarily having to rely on external supply via food. However, dogs consume additional purines through protein-rich foods, particularly through consumption of animal products such as fish and meat (especially skin and offal).

The digestive tract plays a crucial role: proteins are broken down into their components and metabolized. The purines contained in food are converted into allantoin in the liver using the enzyme uricase, which is water-soluble and can therefore be easily excreted via the kidneys. A highly regulated process that ensures homeostasis in the body.

In summary: Purines act as key players in our dogs' bodies. While a large part comes from endogenous production, additional intake comes from a protein-rich diet. The precise coordination mechanism of the digestive tract and kidneys ensures sophisticated regulation of this important biochemical process.

The peculiarity of the Dalmatian

The Dalmatian presents itself as a unique dog breed with a special metabolism that is characterized by various genetic causes . As a result, the conversion of uric acid to allantoin is challenging in this breed. This leads to increased uric acid levels in the blood and urine, which makes the kidneys particularly sensitive. Another challenge is that uric acid in the urine tends to form urinary crystals, which in turn increases the susceptibility to kidney and bladder stones. In Dalmatians, these stones usually manifest themselves as urate stones, while other dog breeds usually have to struggle more with struvite and calcium oxalate stones. The outstanding metabolic characteristics of the Dalmatian therefore justify the far-reaching focus on a low-purine diet.

Find out more about urinary crystals →

Adequate purine content

It is important to consider the purine content. However, reducing purine content is complicated because meat and high-quality proteins naturally have a high purine content. Foods that are very high in purine include:

Innards such as heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and rumen

• Skin and slaughter products rich in connective tissue
• Horse meat
• tuna
• Peas and other legumes such as white beans
• soy

But reducing it too much can cause problems. A balanced recipe with high-quality, species-appropriate protein sources and a moderate total purine content is crucial.

Purine content is also an important factor in the diet of dogs with leishmaniasis .

Find out more about leishmaniasis in dogs →

Optimal feeding for four-legged friends: the right mixture makes all the difference

One-sided considerations should be avoided. Individual ingredients should not be rejected too quickly, as the quantity and overall composition of the feed ration are crucial. A multi-faceted diet, adapted to the Dalmatian's metabolic characteristics, is possible.

Recommendations for feeding a Dalmatian

• Moderate crude protein content: We recommend a protein content of less than 16-23% for dry food and less than 5-8% for wet or BARF feeding (in the fresh substance) , depending on activity and weight.
• Low phosphorus content approx. 0.6% in dry food & 0.2% in wet food
• Low calcium content approx. 1% in dry food & 0.3% in wet food
• Calcium-phosphorus ratio from 1.2:1 to 1.8:1
• A control of sodium content in food can help regulate blood pressure and minimize fluid retention
• Omega-3 fatty acids can have an anti-inflammatory effect and support kidney health

Holistic approach

A diet low in purines alone is not enough. A holistic view of feeding, care and medical care is crucial. The use of chemical preparations and medications should also be kept in mind.

Finding the right balance for a healthy future

Dalmatians' diet requires a balance. A low-purine, kidney-friendly diet , combined with a holistic approach, creates the best conditions for the health of this unique dog.

We combine these points in some products. In contrast to conventional "pet food meat", soldier fly larvae, for example, contain very little purine. Unfortunately, the term “low in purines” is not regulated by law. The 100mg per 100g brand is often mentioned, although it is not always clear whether this refers to the pure purine content or the uric acid equivalents .

We as BugBell have decided that we speak of low purine when the total uric acid content (not just the purine content!) is below 80mg/100g product. You can find the purine content of our products under the Composition tab.

Wet food terrine with insects →

This is wet food that you can mix yourself. There are a total of 3 varieties, all of which have a uric acid content of approximately 40 mg/100g of product after mixing.

Wet food vegan yellow & red →

For our vegan doses we are at 63.5 mg/100g for Happy Hack and only 21.1 mg/100g for Jackules.