Is all protein the same?

Question
My daughter has recently adopted a Shelter puppy, and has been buying the $18-for-15-lbs kind of dog food from an up-scale pet store in order to get "protein-from-meat" instead of protein-from-grain-blends dog food.

I was raised to believe that "protein was protein", and that a $12 bag of 26% grain-source protein was an obviously better value over an $18 bag of 27% meat-source ("lamb meal", de-boned chicken, etc.) protein.

So my question is: Are the sources of the protein relatively unimportant compared to the significance of the protein-percentages, or is there really enough of a difference between equal percentages of protein from meat compared to grain-sourced to warrant paying twice the price for equal-weight bags?

As one previous Expert (Decks) I know how much time can be chewed up answering questions, so let me thank you in advance for sharing your expertise with a large audience.

Answer
Hello Mac,

First of all, I enjoy helping people when it comes to feeding their pets.

All proteins are not the same.  Protein supplies the amino acids necessary for healing and restoring the body. Muscle is built and maintained through ingestion of protein so to have a complete balance of nutritionals we need to balance protein with the correct amount of complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Dogs need meat.  The first ingredient in a food should be meat.  When you see chicken meal, the chicken breast meat has had the water (moisture) removed so there is a better concentrate of protein.

For a better explanation of protein sources and there values, I want you to see this website.  http://www.pipschoice.com each ingredient that contains proteins are explained and tells how they help the body.
Hope this helps.

Susan Potts
www.spottsgrooming.com