How to judge whether dogs have excessive calcium supplementation?

To judge whether dogs have excessive calcium supplementation, it is currently mainly based on whether there is blind calcium supplementation, repeated calcium supplementation and excessive use of vitamin D preparations in the feeding history. This is the diagnosis. A prerequisite for excess calcium. Secondly, it is combined with bone X-ray to check whether there is advanced bone age, abnormal tissue calcification and whether the urine calcium level is too high.

Dangers of excessive calcium supplementation in dogs

1. Causes long-term hypercalciuria, increasing the chance of stone formation in the urinary system;
2. Causes premature calcification of cartilage, anterior fontanelle Premature closure results in microcephaly, which restricts the dog's brain development;
3. Premature calcification of bones, premature epiphyseal closure, affecting the development of long bones, and limiting terminal height;
4. Too much calcium in the bones will make the bones brittle and prone to fractures;
5. Affect the dog’s appetite, thereby affecting the intestinal absorption of other nutrients;
6. Too much calcium in the intestines The calcium will inhibit the absorption of divalent ions such as iron and zinc, causing secondary zinc and iron deficiency, and leading to reduced immunity, anorexia, slow growth, anemia, fatigue and other corresponding symptoms in dogs;
7. If the blood calcium concentration is too high, calcium will be deposited in the internal organs or tissues. If it is deposited around the cornea, it will affect vision. If it is deposited on the heart valve, it will affect the heart function. If it is deposited on the blood vessel wall, it will aggravate vascular sclerosis.

How to correct excessive calcium

Once excessive calcium is found, calcium supplementation should be stopped or the dosage of calcium supplementation should be adjusted in time. Usually, as long as the dosage of calcium supplement and vitamin D is appropriately adjusted, the symptoms of excessive calcium will disappear quickly. However, once bone calcification forms, there is often no good way to eliminate it. Avoiding excessive calcium and vitamin D preparations may be the best way to delay further calcification.

Precautions for calcium supplementation in dogs

1. Calcium absorption is the most important

Calcium absorption is not entirely according to people’s wishes: as much as you supplement, you will absorb as much; The more you get, the more you absorb. The amount of calcium absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract mainly depends on the dog's calcium nutritional status at that time, which is regulated by activated vitamin D hormone, parathyroid hormone and other substances in the baby's body. Vitamin D can promote intestinal absorption of calcium. When vitamin D is deficient, no matter how much calcium is supplemented, it cannot be absorbed well. Vitamin D can also inhibit the excretion of calcium by the kidneys and promote the decalcification of old bones.

2. Food calcium supplement is the safest

Generally speaking, food calcium supplement is safer than drug calcium supplement. Eating normal food will not cause excessive calcium. With a reasonable diet, proper exposure to the sun, and reasonable calcium supplements, your dog can live a healthy life!

2. Important misunderstandings

Because everyone admires chicken racks, hereI have to emphasize that chicken racks can indeed cause calcium loss, because there is too much phosphorus in chicken and duck bones. The high phosphorus content affects calcium absorption. In severe cases, you will get rickets, and the metabolism of minerals in the body, especially calcium and phosphorus, will be affected. If it is damaged, it will cause abnormal growth of bone tissue and form a nutritional disease. It is okay to feed chicken racks in small amounts, but it is not recommended to eat them regularly for a long time.