Calcium for Dogs: Why Your Pet Needs It
Everyone understands the importance of calcium for dogs, which is why it is included in a balanced canine diet. However, there are specific calcium facts that you may not be aware of.
We frequently read about the advantages of calcium in humans, particularly in developing children and for the elderly. You’ve probably seen the commercials encouraging kids to drink milk for strong, healthy bones. Perhaps you know someone who takes a calcium pill every day to prevent osteoporosis.
What about our dogs, though? Should we be concerned about their calcium consumption as well?
Although absolute calcium deficiency in dogs is uncommon, due to the widespread use of commercial pet diets, several illnesses can result in a low calcium level in your dog. That condition may be life-threatening, so it’s crucial to recognize the warning symptoms and know how to avoid and treat them.
Table of Contents
- What Is Calcium?
- Why Do Dogs Need Calcium?
- Daily Recommended Intake
- Calcium-Rich Foods
- Can Dogs Have a Calcium Deficiency?
- Calcium Supplements for Dogs
- What Happens if I Give too Much Calcium to My Dog?
- The Takeaway
- Nutrition Strength Calcium Phosphorus for Dogs
Check out our Nutrition Strength Calcium Phosphorus for Dogs here.
What Is Calcium?
Calcium is a mineral that all creatures require to function properly. Although the bulk of calcium in dogs’ bodies is found in their bones and teeth, calcium is also present in other parts and organs.
Calcium serves a variety of roles in the canine body, ranging from digestion to cardiovascular health:
- Promotes skeletal growth;
- Aids digestion;
- Facilitates muscular activity;
- Helps keep the heart in rhythm;
- Stimulates wound healing;
- Prompts hormone release;
Through their food, dogs obtain calcium, just as it is by people. Many dog food formulas incorporate dietary components like bone meal and whey protein as calcium and other minerals.
Many commercial dog diets also include calcium carbonate supplements to ensure that your dog gets the appropriate amount of calcium each day.
If your dog doesn’t get enough calcium, the body may begin to drain calcium from the bones to compensate for the deficiency over time.
Why Do Dogs Need Calcium?
Calcium is required for all of the same processes in dogs and humans. It is a crucial component of bone formation. The calcium to phosphorous ratio in the diet is especially critical for young, developing animals.
Additional calcium vitamins for dogs are not essential unless your vet prescribes them. Store-bought dog food generally has the minimum recommended calcium intake. Calcium supplementation under veterinarian care may be required in the following conditions.
Dogs on Homemade Diet or Raw Food
Whether prepared at home or by a home company, fresh meals or raw food may be deficient in calcium. This is especially true if the dish lacks bones or uses another component to replace them.
Calcium for puppies is found in fish and some vegetables, but this may not be enough. As a result, calcium supplements for dogs are frequently prescribed to maintain a healthy calcium balance.
Significant bone loss, pathological fractures, skeletal abnormalities, and a disease known as secondary hyperparathyroidism occur in dogs given mostly meat diets.
Nursing Dogs
Because they are losing so much calcium in their milk, mother dogs who are nursing puppies will have a higher demand for calcium in their diet. Giving this supplement before birth, on the other hand, is not advised since it might raise the risk of eclampsia.
Instead of depending on high-calcium meals, you should offer her a high-quality growth or lactation diet during pregnancy. Calcium overload can lead to calcification of the fetus’s soft tissues and other birth abnormalities.
Dogs with Calcium Deficiency
Hypocalcemia is another term for this disorder. Antifreeze toxicity, pancreatic inflammation, renal failure, and parathyroid gland failure, to mention a few causes, can all lead to this condition. Hypocalcemia and seizures are possible side effects of excessive milk production in female nursing dogs.
Symptoms of calcium deficiency in dogs include muscle twitching, a lack of appetite, weakness, and listlessness. Pets may experience convulsions or seizures in extreme circumstances. Giving more calcium to puppies is a therapy dependent on the reason and other occasions.
Daily Recommended Intake
A daily calcium intake of 50 mg per kilogram of body weight is advised for healthy adult dogs. This indicates that a 10-pound dog will need about 225 milligrams of calcium each day.
Calcium requirements vary depending on a dog’s age, breed, gender, and lifestyle. Pregnant and lactating dogs, for example, require more calcium than usual to maintain their strength and encourage good bone formation in their puppies. Furthermore, a lack of calcium during pregnancy can cause eclampsia, a potentially fatal illness.
According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), dog food’s recommended quantity of calcium is 1.25 grams per 1,000 calories.
Calcium-Rich Foods
It’s helpful to know what kinds of natural foods are already high in calcium, so you don’t overfeed your dog.
Dairy Products
Although milk and cheese are abundant in calcium, they are not beneficial for dogs in excess. After weaning, dogs typically lose their capacity to digest lactose. This helps to explain why so many are lactose intolerant.
Cheese has a lower lactose content. However, it might have high salt and fat content. Low-sodium mozzarella cheese has the least amount of salt. Even cottage cheese has different amounts depending on the brand.
It’s acceptable to have a tiny amount of watered-down milk or a piece of cheese. However, if your dog’s excrement gets runny or displays other indications of intolerance, you should stop right once.
Yogurt
It is also a dairy product that includes a lot of calcium but has no salt and is less fattening than cheese. It also contains helpful bacteria that can aid in the regulation and improvement of a dog’s digestive microbiota. Just a spoonful will be enough.
Bones
Calcium is mainly used in the construction of bones; hence it is abundant in nature. These should be raw and made from just selected animal parts. Cooked bones are dangerous because they are readily splinter. Sharp splinters of bone can become trapped in the esophagus or intestines, causing perforations.
Fish
They provide omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals, in addition to calcium. Sardine, salmon, tuna, and trout are the most significant types of fish. Before feeding it to your dog, properly cook it and remove all bones.
Legume Plants
Alfalfa, clover, beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts, and tamarind are well-known legumes. They contain enough calcium, and you can easily add them to your dog’s daily diet.
Can Dogs Have a Calcium Deficiency?
Calcium deficiency in dogs is an actual probability. Low calcium in dogs can be caused by a lack of calcium in the food, calcium loss in the urine or feces, or an imbalance of calcium processes in the body.
Many dogs will show no signs of calcium deficiency when it is minor. A critically low calcium level causes tremors, hypersensitivity, convulsions, irregular pulse, and stiff stride. Also, restlessness, scratching the face, disorientation, muscle cramps, and increased urine output can follow the calcium deficiency.
A blood test can detect calcium shortage, often known as hypocalcemia. On blood test panels, a calcium level is frequently included. If your dog’s calcium level is low, your veterinarian may suggest an ionized calcium level test to determine the quantity of free calcium in his blood.
Low calcium levels in dogs can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Protein-losing enteropathy;
- Kidney failure;
- Diabetes mellitus;
- Urethral obstruction;
- Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) toxicity;
- Poor diet;
- Hypoparathyroidism;
- Sepsis;
- Severe trauma;
- Eclampsia;
- Pancreatitis.
To treat your dog’s calcium deficiency, your veterinarian will need to figure out what caused the low calcium level in the first place. Other procedures, including blood tests, diagnostic imaging, and urinalysis, may be necessary to fully assess the problem.
Calcium Supplements for Dogs
Calcium supplements aren’t necessary for most healthy dogs that consume a well-balanced diet. Too much calcium might create difficulties for your dog, so visit your veterinarian before giving him a canine calcium supplement. If you suspect your dog has a calcium deficit, you should first consult your veterinarian to determine the underlying reason.
If your dog has been diagnosed with a calcium deficiency, the therapy will include calcium supplementation and addressing the underlying cause. If your dog’s calcium level is dangerously low, your veterinarian may propose putting him in the hospital to get an I.V. calcium supplement and fluids.
Once your dog is stable, you may be given an oral calcium supplement to administer at home, generally in the form of a pill. Calcitriol, often known as vitamin D3, is given to some dogs to help them absorb calcium from their digestive tract.
Following the constant intake of calcium tablets for dogs, your veterinarian may prescribe regular rechecks and calcium level monitoring to verify that your dog is getting the right amount.
Never discontinue taking a supplement or adjust the dose without consulting your veterinarian first.
What Happens if I Give too Much Calcium to My Dog?
Excess calcium can create problems and diseases, including hip deformities and osteochondritis dissecans, a condition in which the cartilage and bone of the joints break. Giant-breed dogs, in particular, are predisposed to osteochondrosis (a joint disease) and hypertrophic osteodystrophy (a bone disorder) due to hereditary factors.
Overdosing on calcium supplements, especially those in tablet or pleasant soft-chew form, can result in vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.
Some calcium supplements for puppies contain Vitamin D3, which promotes calcium absorption and reduces the risk of toxicity. As a result, it is preferable to use calcium-only supplements devoid of vitamin D.
Depending on the dosage taken, overdosing on Vitamin D supplements can result in excessive thirst or urination, weakness, elevated blood calcium, and abrupt renal failure.
The Takeaway
As you can see, calcium is an essential element of a dog’s diet, but too much or too little can be harmful. It is ideal for feeding typical healthy dogs, whether puppies or older dogs that are not pregnant, a balanced meal with natural calcium sources chosen by an animal nutritionist.
Nutritional irregularities can be reduced by eating a high-quality diet with appropriate calcium levels and taking a decent multivitamin with minerals.
Nutrition Strength Calcium Phosphorus for Dogs
Check out our Nutrition Strength Calcium Phosphorus for Dogs here.
Nutrition Strength’s Calcium Phosphorus for Dogs Supplement, Provide Calcium for Puppies, Promote Healthy Dog Bones and Puppy Growth Rate, Dog Bone Supplement promotes optimal bone development in puppies and supports dogs with bone development problems, such as hip dysplasia, rickets, cow hocking, bandy legging, lowered pasterns and poor ligament growth.
Specially formulated to help your four-legged friend get the most out of every moment in life, our premium, delicious phosphorus and calcium supplement for dogs works by:
- Supplying the calcium and phosphorus which support healthy dog bones.
- Providing the vitamins and minerals needed to ensure optimal bone development in puppies during the fast-growth period.
- Offering the right blend of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin D3 which work to correct deficiencies.
- Furnishing calcium and phosphorus in the right ratio, together with the vitamins the organism uses to increase connective tissue and tendon strength.
- Supporting pregnant and lactating animals.
Our dog bone supplement formula supplies the ingredients the organism uses to keep a dog’s bones, tendons and ligaments healthy and functioning at their optimum.
Used daily, our phosphorus and calcium supplement for puppies and grown dogs can help promote your four-legged friend’s health.
Image source: Wikimedia / Justin Rudd.
