What are the four key rules for giving dogs calcium supplements?
In recent years, many people have begun to pay attention to their own calcium supplementation, and various types of calcium supplement products have entered everyone's life. Since people need to supplement calcium in time to meet the body's calcium needs, do our puppies need calcium supplementation? The answer is yes, and because dogs cannot express for themselves some of the physical discomfort brought on by calcium deficiency, scientifically supplementing calcium for dogs is even more important.
Which dogs need calcium supplementation
Dogs of different breeds and body sizes at different ages have different methods of calcium supplementation. But no matter what body size the dog is, during the nursing period no calcium supplementation is needed, because they can obtain large amounts of calcium from their mother's milk.
After puppies are weaned, miniature dogs and small dogs fed puppy food also do not need calcium supplementation, because puppy food contains an appropriate amount of calcium.
But medium and large dogs should pay attention to appropriate calcium supplementation at this time. Because the larger the dog's body size, the faster the growth rate, and the greater the demand for calcium, the calcium contained in ordinary puppy food can hardly meet their growth needs. If what you feed your dog is homemade food, then you should pay even more attention to supplementing calcium for them in time.
In addition, if your dog has long been eating animal liver or has meat as its staple food, then it should also be given an appropriate amount of calcium supplementation. Because this type of food not only has a very low calcium content, but also contains high concentrations of vitamin A, and long-term intake of high concentrations of vitamin A by dogs can inhibit calcium absorption. So you should immediately stop the habit of long-term liver feeding and supplement calcium for it in time.
What harm does calcium deficiency do to dogs
If puppies do not get enough calcium supplementation, rib eversion may appear, and the carpal joints and elbow joints of the front limbs may become deformed. Small dogs easily develop "O"-shaped legs, and medium and large dogs will develop severe deformation of the front limbs. If it is not discovered in time and treated improperly, it may also cause permanent splayed paws or lameness.
In addition, 2 to 3 months of age is an important period for the formation of the intervertebral discs in puppies. If there is calcium deficiency at this time, some breeds prone to intervertebral disc disease (such as: Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Pug, Poodle, etc.) will have outbreaks after adulthood, causing lifelong suffering.
When puppies grow to 4-6 months of age, the deciduous teeth in the mouth begin to fall out and the permanent teeth begin to grow. If there is calcium deficiency at this time, it will cause the deciduous teeth not to fall out, slow growth of the permanent teeth, a thin enamel layer, and a weak structure, making double rows of teeth or uneven permanent teeth prone to occur. These dogs are prone to bad breath, gingivitis and other diseases after adulthood, directly affecting their lifespan.
After dogs enter adulthood, dogs fed dog food do not need separate calcium supplementation. Because during this period the growth and development of the dog's bones and other organs have basically stopped, and the demand for calcium is very small. If it is a stud dog or a female dog during pregnancy and nursing, it still needs to supplement a large amount of calcium, because semen, fetuses and milk will all cause a large amount of calcium to be lost from the body. If it cannot be replenished in time, the calcium in the body's calcium bank will be drawn upon, causing osteoporosis.
Female dogs during the postpartum nursing period will experience acute postpartum calcium deficiency due to excessively low blood calcium concentration. Its symptoms are convulsions of the limbs, rigidity of the whole body, body temperature can rise above 40°C, and it may even cause coma and death.
When large dogs reach 8 years of age, they enter old age. Because of endocrine and other reasons, elderly dogs have reduced calcium intake and increased calcium loss. At this time small dogs should be fed senior dog food, otherwise calcium should be supplemented for them artificially, while maintaining a certain amount of exercise. Otherwise it will cause osteoporosis and increase the incidence of bone spurs and fractures.
How to supplement calcium for dogs
The methods of calcium supplementation for dogs are not obviously different from those for people. Generally speaking, calcium supplement products for people are equally suitable for dogs. In addition, drinking more milk daily or eating some dairy products and cartilage and other foods, and reducing the intake of foods with high vitamin A content such as liver, is also helpful for calcium supplementation.
If your dog has already shown symptoms of calcium deficiency, then drug treatment should be adopted.
It is recommended that you choose relatively inexpensive calcium carbonate and calcium lactate while injecting vitamin D3, and orally taking vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 pills.
Of course, if conditions permit, you can also choose some imported-brand pet calcium, because these products are still more professional by comparison.
How much calcium should be given to dogs
The specific amount of calcium supplementation should depend on the dog's breed, body size, age and calcium deficiency situation, and it is best to go to an animal hospital and listen to the advice of a professional veterinarian.