Calcium is one of the primary nutrients in canine nutrition. It is essential for proper bone development in puppies and maintaining bone density in adult dogs.
Calcium is present in some food materials, like eggshells and oysters. As a result, you might see some of them as ingredients in dog food packs. If you feed your dog with homemade dog food, you should ensure you have some constituents that supply calcium adequately.
Calcium requirements for dogs are usually based on how many calories your dog needs to consume per day. The rate is at 1.25mg of calcium per kcal of diet.
Depending on the kind of food you feed your dog, you often need to supplement its diet with calcium to ensure it gets a complete meal. One of the easiest ways to do that is by adding calcium supplements directly to daily meals. Some of the popular brands of calcium supplements include:
UPCO Bone meal
UPCO Bone meal is a powdered supplement convenient to add to your dog’s diet. The powder is from a steam-boiled porcine bone, which gives your dog the calcium boost it needs.
A teaspoon of the bone meal supplies 750mg of calcium. It also contains phosphorus, which aids calcium absorption and maintains bone density. While some calcium supplements taste bland, UPCO’s bone meal doesn’t have the characteristic chalky taste. This further ensures that your dog eats it.
However, you shouldn’t give your dog this supplement if it is sensitive to pork. It could lead to hypersensitivity reactions.
Nutrition Strength Calcium-Phosphorus supplement
This calcium supplement brand differs from many other products in that it gives excellent results for dogs of all ages. The presentation is in tablet form, ensuring that your dog gets all the nutrients. It also makes administration more convenient than powdered or liquid supplements.
The tablets comprise various nutrients like calcium salts, brewer’s dried yeast, whey protein, and chicken flavor. The composition is appealing to most dogs. As a result, they don’t tend to refuse it. Each tablet supplies 350mg of calcium and about 250mg of phosphorus, which help bone development and maintenance.
The supplement meets the standard of various regulatory bodies, like the NSF and FDA. It also doesn’t have any preservatives or artificial colors and flavor; hence, it is nontoxic to your dog.
A demerit could be that the brewer’s dried yeast is an allergen to some dogs. You have to confirm your dog doesn’t have such allergies before using it.
Revival Health Animal Breeder’s Edge Cal Plus
The Breeder’s Edge Cal Plus from Revival Health is a highly recommended calcium supplement for pregnant dogs. The composition ensures that your dog gets the necessary vitamin and calcium boost essential for ante-natal and post-natal care.
The supplement comes in liquid form, discharged into a syringe. There are clear markings on the syringe indicating the dosages for your dog per time. The fluid contains a milk-calcium complex with calcium carbonate and magnesium to supply enough calcium for your dog during and after pregnancy. It also contains magnesium, vitamin D, and antioxidants, which aid calcium absorption and reduce stress in pregnancy.
You can give a dose before labor and another after every two puppies delivered. The constitution is easy to administer, and most dogs love the flavor.
In conclusion, calcium deficiency hinders proper bone formation in puppies and causes bone-related conditions like brittle bones in adult dogs. Hence, it is essential to provide sufficient calcium in your dog’s meal to prevent complications.