I often hear many owners say that puppies or adult dogs need calcium supplements. But did you know? Don’t give calcium supplements to dogs blindly. Otherwise, instead of getting stronger, the dog will sometimes get sick.

1. Dogs are often prone to excessive calcium

It is very common for dogs to overdose on calcium. Feeding finished dog food to dogs while adding mineral feed containing a lot of calcium can easily cause this situation. Complete feed (only applicable to adult dogs) or puppy feed contains enough calcium. If you feed your dog such feed normally and there is not too much other meat, etc., then there is no need to add additional mineral feed and similar products. .

For example: a 3-month-old puppy, say about 10 kilograms, will grow to more than 30 kilograms in the future, so the current daily calcium intake required is about 8-10 grams. Then this puppy needs about 400 grams of feed every day (this refers to pure meat products, additional mixed feed is not included). Generally speaking, about 0.35% calcium per 100 grams is enough and can fully meet the needs of dogs.

If the dog owner adds two spoons of calcium powder in addition to this, the intake is already 16 grams. Then the calcium is much more than the dog needs, and the phosphorus intake is not proportional. growth, thus causing an imbalance in the calcium-phosphorus ratio.

Especially in large and medium-sized dogs, doing so can cause many skeletal problems. For example, large dogs such as golden retrievers are more likely to suffer from hip joint disease if they receive excessive calcium supplements.

2. Calcium deficiency

Generally, if you make your own dog food, calcium deficiency often occurs. Most homemade dog foods don’t contain enough calcium, especially for medium to large breeds.

We often think that just like people, a few milligrams of calcium in a mouthful of milk or a calcium tablet is already very useful. But this view is actually very wrong. It takes about 10 years for a baby to reach 60 kilograms, and less than a year for a really large dog. Therefore, if you want to supplement calcium in this way, of course, calcium deficiency will easily occur.

3. What kind of dogs need calcium supplements

1. If a nursing dog mother is weak after giving birth, she can take appropriate calcium supplements 10 days after giving birth. If the situation is serious, you can go to the animal hospital for intravenous calcium supplementation to try to alleviate the symptoms of calcium deficiency in the mother dog.

2. Osteoporosis, fractures, and bone spurs are very likely to occur in elderly dogs. In addition to spending more time in the sun, it is very important to supplement easily absorbed calcium.

IV. Symptoms of calcium deficiency in dogs

1. The limbs are deformed and the legs are X-shapedOr type O;

2. The toes are separated and the legs fall to the ground unstable;

3. There are signs of deformation at the joints;

4. There is drooling;

5. Don’t like sports and are not active in running;

6. Calcium deficiency during the tooth replacement period results in slow growth of permanent teeth, thin enamel layer, double rows of teeth or poor tooth bite;

5. Misunderstandings about calcium supplementation

1. Milk calcium supplement: The lactose in milk can cause gastrointestinal discomfort in dogs and may cause diarrhea.

2. Calcium supplementation for humans: The bodies of humans and dogs are very different, not to mention the differences in gastrointestinal absorption. Therefore, never use human calcium supplements to supplement calcium for dogs. In order to avoid calcium supplementation is not enough, it will cause harm to the dog.

6. Summary

In fact, most dogs don’t need supplements. Although calcium deficiency is extremely detrimental to the health of dogs, as long as they eat dog food normally, there is generally no calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency occurs only due to partial eclipse and disease. Dog food has been researched and developed for decades. It can be said that the technology and formula are very mature and can fully meet the dog's calcium absorption requirements.

Therefore, if your dog can eat dog food normally, there is no need to supplement the dog with extra calcium.