Calcium - good or bad

[Boxer_21]

I don't suppliment anything in Riley's diet. Come to think of it, I've never supplimented anything in any of my pets diets. Perhaps I should start doing more research on nutrional needs?!

 

[doyle9732]

I want to answer the survey....but I want to answer correctly!

Our 2 are on the BARF diet. They get veggie mush (close to 1/2 cup) every night (variety of veggies), one day a week a can of fish, with bones (sardines, salmon), 3 times a week their mush includes yogourt. Plus all the RMBs in their daily diet (necks, back and carcass).

So.....I must ask.....am I supplementing?:rolleyes:

 

[Marimat]

doyle9732 - no. Supplementation in the sense I am talking of really means using commercial calcium preparations.

 

[debbie knowles]

HI Matt,
I supplemented Jack with Calcium during the "ear cropping" phase at the advice of his breeder who actually supplied me with the tablet. But once that was over and his ears were standing, we stopped. I did enter this on your poll. Thanks Deb K

 

[Scorpio]

I have to answer no.

 

[Marisa]

I feed barf so I dont use calcium as a supplement. I've read that calcium which comes from a natural source will be absorbed till necessary then the excess flushed out.......... whereas if you add calcium with supplements it locks onto other vitamins and prevents them from absorbtion. Also pups grow too rapidly, causes hip dysplasia etc...... I can go on and on. So I believe it causes more harm then good.....
People feeding there dogs " a complete and balanced diet" shouldn't have to use extra supplementation......... right?

Please let us know what you find out Matt

 

[buddy'smom]

I do not supplement with calcium either. Kailee is on a holistic kibble, and I am confident that she is getting what she needs within her diet. I do give her raw bones a couple times a week, and yogurt but I am a firm believer that supplementing unnecessarily is not a good thing to do, with canines or humans. I am interested to see where this survey is heading though.

Jean

 

[boxer4]

Our 4 dogs are currently on a partial Barf diet they get raw chopped up beef with a Small amount of Solid Gold Holistique Blendz dry food. It's protein source is fish, the ingredients do not lead me to believe that it has added calcium of any kind. Caesar does not do well on raw chicken or any poultry :( so he has to have beef. Since I get their meat from the supermarket they get human grade roasts, steaks , ground beef depending on the sale. They also get eggs with the shell and yogurt. Once a week they all get large raw beef bones but since the only bones my grinder can handle are chicken, that leave me with using ground beef bone meal as a supplement, is this wrong? The ingredients say Ground Steamed Bovine Bone no other additives. They get a teaspon per day per dog. What other options would I have if I can't use poultry bones?:confused: They do need some calcium right?

Peg

 

[SuzanneC]

I do not supplement. I feed foods that have been tested through feeding trials (not merely nutritional calculation). It is dangerous, especially in growing animals, to skew the normal calcium:phosphorus ratio. Excess calcium can also predispose to urinary calculi.

I don't know if this is also true in dogs, but in cattle, if calcium is supplemented in the days immediately before giving birth, it increases the chances of the animal developing hypocalcemia (eclampsia).

 

[mygirlmollie]

I voted no because I use RMB's, chicken necks and cheese for calcium.