If asked the most common mistake people make when feeding their dogs a homemade diet, I’d have to say that it’s not adding calcium. This error is not only common, it’s also dangerous, especially for puppies, but for adult dogs as well when too little calcium is given long term. Giving an inappropriate amount of calcium (either too much or too little) can cause orthopedic problems in growing puppies, especially large-breed puppies during the first six months when they are growing the fastest. But giving too little calcium can lead to bone disease and more in adult dogs, too.
It’s not surprising to me that many people do not realize the importance of adding calcium when feeding a homemade diet. Most of the homemade diet recipes I’ve seen online make no mention of added calcium. I reviewed more than 30 books on homemade diets for WDJ some years ago.1 Of the 24 books I reviewed that were not exclusively about feeding a raw diet that includes bones, only 10 included adequate calcium guidelines!
Why Calcium is Important in Dog Nutrition
I’m aware that some people who feed home-prepared diets rely on annual blood tests to indicate whether their dogs are receiving enough calcium; they think that if their dogs’ blood calcium levels are normal, the dogs must be getting the right amount of calcium in their diet. Unfortunately, this is not true.
For both dogs and humans, the body must keep calcium levels in the blood within a specific range to prevent serious health issues, including loss of muscle control, seizures, and even death. Adult dogs are able to control their blood calcium levels by absorbing a greater or lesser percentage of dietary calcium, depending on the amount fed, though this can be impacted by the amount of vitamin D in the diet as well, as vitamin D promotes calcium absorption. Note that puppies do not have the ability to control their absorption of calcium before puberty, and thus can suffer the negative effects of too little or too much calcium and vitamin D very quickly.
Dogs (and humans) also control their blood calcium levels by storing calcium in bones, then drawing it back out when needed – when they aren’t getting enough calcium in their diet. When adult dogs are given too little calcium for long periods (like months), they develop a condition called nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. In this situation, the body produces excess parathyroid hormone to draw needed calcium from their bones, which can also result in elevated levels of phosphorus in the blood.
Parathyroid hormone is completely different from thyroid hormones; the name is given because the parathyroid glands are located adjacent to the thyroid glands. Parathyroid hormones are responsible for regulating calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood. Hyperparathyroidism (too much parathyroid hormone) can also be caused by a tumor on one of the parathyroid glands (primary hyperparathyroidism) or by advanced kidney disease (renal secondary hyperparathyroidism). Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism is usually linked to a deficiency of calcium, sometimes combined with too little vitamin D.
When the body produces too much parathyroid hormone, it causes demineralization of the bones, which may result in lameness, bone pain, swelling, stiffness or limping, not wanting to move, and even spontaneous fractures. Adult dogs may develop spinal deformities, loose teeth, or neurological signs. Puppies are more likely to develop deformities in their legs and joints that may leave them unable to walk normally. If the condition is not corrected quickly, it could lead to long-term orthopedic disorders.
Now that I have scared the pants off you about providing the right amount of calcium in your dog’s homemade diet – at least, I hope I did! – what kind of calcium should you add, and how much is the right amount?
When You DON’T Need to Add Calcium to Your Dog’s Food
Never add calcium to commercial diets that are “complete and balanced” – these already contain the right amount of calcium! Adding calcium to a “complete and balanced” diet would be particularly dangerous for large-breed puppies.
However, most homemade diets require added calcium with a few notable exceptions. DO NOT add calcium to a home-prepared diet if:
- You feed a raw diet that includes raw meaty bones (RMBs) — parts such as chicken and turkey necks where the bone is fully consumed. Bones are high in calcium and phosphorus; there’s no need to add calcium to a diet that includes at least 25 to 30 percent RMBs.
- You use a supplement that is especially designed to complete and balance a homemade diet, such as those made by Balance IT and Just Food For Dogs.
- You use a dog food “base mix,” such as those made by The Honest Kitchen and Sojo’s, that you combine with your own added protein source according to the product directions.
When using supplements or base mixes that promise to complete a homemade diet, make certain that the product includes a complete nutritional analysis showing appropriate amounts of calcium. Don’t accept the verbal assurances of the company’s owners or representatives, or those of pet food store employees; if they can’t or won’t provide you with complete nutritional analyses of their products, we would not rely on those products for anything more than an occasional meal.
Following Calcium Guidelines
With very few exceptions (see “When You Don’t Need to Add Calcium,” above), you need to add calcium to your dog’s homemade diet.
Calcium guidelines can be determined in several different ways, including the body weight of the dog, the dry matter percentage of the food, and the calories that the dog needs. Each has its own complications:
- Small dogs eat more and have higher nutritional needs for their weight than large dogs do, so you can’t use linear guidelines such as “give x amount per 10 pounds of body weight.” Any time you see linear feeding instructions, it’s a red flag that whoever is giving the instructions does not understand nutrition.
- The amount of moisture (water) in food can vary from about 10 percent or less in dry foods (kibble, dehydrated, freeze-dried) to 80 per percent or more in wet foods (canned, fresh, frozen, raw, cooked). You must convert the “as fed” food weight to dry matter (DM) in order to give guidelines based on how much food is fed. Dry matter percentages won’t change much when you convert from “as fed” for dry foods, but are usually three to five times as much as the “as fed” percentage for wet foods. Also, because we feed dogs less of high-fat, calorie-dense foods, adjustments need to be made for foods with more than 4,000 kcal/kg DM.
- Calculating nutritional requirements based on the number of calories your dog needs is the simplest method, but comes with some warnings as well. Caloric needs will vary based on your dog’s activity level, metabolism, and more. The right amount to feed will also be affected by how many calories your dog gets from treats, chews, leftovers, and other sources. In particular, inactive dogs who eat less food for their weight than would be expected should get most of their calories from a balanced diet in order to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
The National Research Council (NRC) issued updated nutritional guidelines for dogs in 2006. They recommend feeding adult dogs at least 1 mg of calcium per Calorie (kcal), which is the same as 1 gram (1,000 mg) per 1,000 kcal (Mcal).
The nutritional guidelines published by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which were finally modified in 2016 to reflect the latest NRC recommendations, increased this to 1.25 mg calcium/kcal (1.25 grams/Mcal).
On a dry matter basis, that’s 4 to 5 grams of calcium per kilogram of food on a dry matter basis, or 0.4 to 0.5 percent DM.
One other factor affects how much calcium your dog needs: phosphorus. There should always be at least as much calcium as phosphorus in the diet, up to twice as much for healthy dogs (or three times as much for dogs with kidney disease).
Most homemade diets that I’ve looked at have between 0.5 and 1.25 mg phosphorus per kcal, so giving 1.25 mg calcium per kcal will provide most dogs with an appropriate amount of calcium and a proper calcium:phosphorus ratio.
You will need to know how many calories your dog is likely to need, based on his ideal weight – not his actual weight. See Table I on the next page for the approximate amounts of calcium to add to homemade diets for dogs of various sizes and various activity levels in order to provide 1.25 mg of calcium per kcal. While nutrient needs don’t vary by activity level, dogs who eat more food need more calcium in order to balance out the amount of phosphorus in the diet.
At minimum, give the lowest amount of calcium shown for your dog’s ideal weight, even if you find that you need to feed fewer calories than shown to keep your dog at a proper, lean weight. If you must feed a lot less to help your dog lose weight or prevent your dog from gaining unwanted weight, it’s time to cut back on the number of calories your dog gets from other sources.
The amount of calcium you give does not need to be exact. It’s fine to give a little less or a little more calcium than shown. Most commercial diets for adult dogs that I’ve looked at have between 2 and 3 mg of calcium per kcal (diets designed for puppies or for “all life stages” will have even more). These diets also have an equivalently higher amount of phosphorus.
If you feed a diet that is part commercial, part homemade, adjust the calcium amounts shown in Table I appropriately. For example, if you feed half homemade, give half the amount of calcium shown.
Calcium for Puppies is Trickier
All of these guidelines are for adult dogs only. Puppies are trickier. NRC and AAFCO agree that puppies need at least 3 mg of calcium per Calorie (three times the amount of calcium that adult dogs need on a caloric basis).
The maximum amount of calcium that puppies should get is 4.5 mg per kcal (4.5 g/Mcal). It’s especially important not to give too much calcium to large-breed puppies during their first six months, as they are the group most likely to develop bone and joint abnormalities when given the wrong amount of calcium and phosphorus.
Puppies also need more phosphorus than adult dogs do. Never add plain calcium to a puppy’s homemade diet. Puppies need bone meal or some other type of supplement that provides both calcium and phosphorus, in order to provide the correct amount and ratio of calcium to phosphorus.
What Form of Calcium Should You Give Your Dog?
There are many forms of calcium that can be added to your home-prepared diet to meet your dog’s requirements. Any form of plain calcium, without other ingredients such as vitamin D, is fine. Dogs do need vitamin D, but since dogs need more calcium but not more vitamin D than people do, the amount of vitamin D that you would end up giving when using a combination product would be too high.
Calcium carbonate is usually the cheapest and the easiest to give, as it has more elemental calcium than most other calcium compounds, so you will need to add less powder to the food.
One easy way to provide calcium is to use eggshells that have been washed, dried, and ground to powder in a clean coffee grinder or blender. One large eggshell will make about one level teaspoon of eggshell powder weighing 5.5 grams; this will provide approximately 2,000 mg calcium:
1/8 teaspoon eggshell powder provides about 250 mg calcium
1/4 tsp = 500 mg
3⁄8 tsp = 750 mg
1/2 tsp = 1,000 mg
5/8 tsp = 1,250 mg
3/4 tsp = 1,500 mg
7⁄8 tsp = 1,750 mg
1 tsp = 2,000 mg
Some people like to give their dogs whole eggs with the shell, but I don’t think that’s a good way to ensure that your dog gets the right amount of calcium. The calcium in eggshells that have not been ground to powder may not be absorbed, particularly if you notice any bits of shell in your dog’s stool. If it is absorbed, you may end up giving too much calcium, especially to smaller dogs.
It’s okay to give a dog a whole egg, including the shell, as a treat on occasion, but when using eggshells to provide dietary calcium needed to balance out a homemade diet, it’s safest to grind the shells to a powder.
If you use a calcium supplement that also includes phosphorus, such as bone meal powder or dicalcium phosphate, you will have to give more calcium than if you use a plain calcium supplement in order to keep the calcium:phosphorus ratio in the proper range. To determine how much to give, you must first subtract the amount of phosphorus from the amount of calcium, then use the remaining amount of “extra” calcium to calculate how much to give based on Table I.
For example, if the bone meal supplement you’re using has 800 mg calcium and 300 mg phosphorus per teaspoon, there’s 500 mg “extra” calcium to use to calculate how much to give. If your dog needs 1,000 mg calcium added to his diet based on Table I, you would need to give two teaspoons of bone meal powder (500 mg extra calcium per teaspoon) in order to provide an appropriate amount of calcium while ensuring that the calcium:phosphorus ratio remains in the proper range.
Note that bone meal products designed for humans may not tell you the actual amount of calcium and phosphorus they provide, but will instead give you percentages of daily recommended values for adults.
For example, NOW Foods Bone Meal Powder says that 1 level teaspoon provides 80 percent of the recommended daily amount (RDA) for calcium, and 30 percent of the RDA for phosphorus. The RDA for both calcium and phosphorus for humans has been 1,000 mg (1 gram), so 80 percent would be 800 mg and 30 percent would be 300 mg.
This calculation will soon become more complicated, however, as the FDA recently increased these recommended amounts to 1,300 mg calcium and 1,250 mg phosphorus. New labels must reflect this change by July 2020. If NOW Foods does not change their formulation, the same product would now show that it provides 62 percent RDA for calcium and 24 percent RDA for phosphorus.
Many bone meal products provide about twice as much calcium as phosphorus. In this case, you can just double the calcium recommendations shown in Table I to determine how much to give.
If you use bone meal powder to provide calcium, look for brands that have been tested to show that they contain low levels of lead. Never use bone meal products intended for fertilizer.
Dolomite is another type of calcium supplement that may contain unacceptably high levels of lead.
Plant-based calcium supplements show considerable variety in the amount of lead they may contain; contact the company to ask for test results before using one of these supplements on a daily basis.
Again, these guidelines are only for dogs who are fed a homemade diet that lacks an adequate source of calcium, such as raw meaty bones or a supplement designed to balance a homemade diet. There’s a lot more to feeding a homemade diet that we’ll try to address in future articles, but getting the calcium right is a big step in the right direction of feeding a complete and balanced diet.
Mary Straus is the owner of DogAware.com. She and her mixed-breed, Willow, live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Now my head is spinning! Very timely as I have recently began making a home prepared meal in the evenings. My 13# active 9-yo spayed female gets about 5 oz. food (2 oz. pureed veg, 3 oz. meat ), so I’ve been giving. 1/4 tsp. sterilized ground organic eggshell. Hope someone will jump in if this calculation is inadequate!
1/4 tsp eggshell powder provides approximately 500 mg calcium. That amount is adequate to meet NRC guidelines for a 13# dog and enough to balance out calcium and phosphorus for the amount of food fed, so you should be fine. Remember that the best homemade diets include red meat, poultry, fish, liver, eggs, dairy, vegetables and fruits, with grains and legumes optional, so if you’re missing any of those foods, you will need to give other supplements as well. You can read more in my article entitled Dishing on Diets in the September 2013 issue, also available on this site.
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/dishing-on-diets/
Oky maine aa skta hu 😍
For the proper development of pup’s bones and teeth , calcium is an essential mineral in food for puppies. Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium. Can possibly include yogurt and milk with banana shake in puppy diet it will also helps to gain weight if you want to keep your dog vegan.
Coral, you could not feed enough yogurt (or other milk products) to even begin to provide all the calcium a puppy needs, and milk will make many dogs sick due to lactose intolerance. (And since when are milk and yogurt vegan??) Puppies in particular can be harmed by not getting appropriate amounts of calcium.
I have fed my dogs a cooked diet going back 15 years. I have read a lot, had sessions with a vet who specialized In dog nutrition, and read Lew Olsen’s books and monthly articles on canine nutrition, as well as any article I find in Whole Dog Journal. . I have not really figured out how to take wet weight and make it a dry weight to calculate. I have always added cleaned, dried, then pulverized egg shell as a calcium supplement along with Berte’s Natural’s Daily Blend for the rest of the vitamins and minerals. I have read using 1/2 tsp per pound of prepared food, split over two meals a day is a good average for adding calcium. So obviously with small dogs one might even be adding 1/8tsp per meal. This is in addition to having good variety of muscle meat, organ meat, dairy as part of the meal. Does that fit more or less with the DM amounts you recommend? This is only for adult dogs. My puppies start off with a prepared food, even a recommended puppy kibble, to make sure the everything is nutritious and I don’t know enough about puppy nutrition.
Rebecca, it sounds like you’re doing a good job. Adult dogs are much more resilient than puppies, so you can get away with broad guidelines such as what you suggest for calcium. Puppies are much more likely to be affected by incorrect amounts of calcium (either too little or too much) and also need added phosphorus rather than plain calcium, so it’s more important for them to be sure that you’re giving the right amounts. You may want to check out some other books, as Lew Olson only has experience with raw diets that include bones.
http://dogaware.com/diet/bookreviews.html
It should not be necessary to calculate dry matter amounts unless you’re trying to compare one type of food with another (especially when comparing dry foods to wet foods). I mention it above because it’s one of the ways that AAFCO states their calcium guidelines, but it’s easier to estimate calcium needs based on calories instead. When needed, you can see instructions here:
http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjseniordiets.html#percentages
How much calcium do I give for a 12 yr old 30lb and a Chihuahua 7lbs
Janice, per the chart included with my article, a 30-lb older dog needs around 775-1,000 mg calcium daily, so 1/2 tsp eggshell powder would be fine. An adult dog weighing 7 lbs would need around 300 mg calcium, or a bit more if your dog is quite active — give a little more than 1/8 tsp eggshell powder (or just give 1/4 tsp, which will be fine).
I have an 8 week female Shorky. How much ground egg shell should she receive daily?
Sylvia, there is so much more to feeding a puppy than just the right amount of calcium. In fact, you shouldn’t use eggshell to provide calcium to puppies. Instead, they should be getting bone meal or another calcium source that also includes phosphorus, in order to meet their higher phosphorus needs as well. If you want to feed a homemade diet to a puppy, I recommend that you get one of the following books and follow their recipes for puppies:
Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats, by Beth Taylor and Karen Becker
Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet, by Steve Brown
Note that I do not recommend following recipes in any other books or online for puppies, as I have not found any others that are reliable.
Hi, my 47 lb smooth hair border collie eats a homemade diet and takes a vitamin supplement. The info on the supplement states guaranteed analysis per tab 3 grams. Calcium 2.8%, calcium (max)3.8%, phosphorus 2.5%. per instructions for supplemental nutrition support he takes 2 per day. Is this correct for him.
Virginia, unless a supplement is designed to balance out an incomplete homemade diet, I can guarantee that it will not do so. Most supplements made for dogs assume you are feeding a complete commercial diet. Think of it this way — if the supplement you have provided enough calcium for a dog on a homemade diet, that would be far too much for most dogs, who are already getting their calcium needs met through commercial diets.
BTW, I would also never use a supplement that provides nutritional information in this way, so that you have to do conversions to figure out how much you’re giving. In this case, 2.8%-3.8% of 3 grams is 0.084-0.114 grams, or 84-114 mg. If you’re giving two tablets per day, that comes to 168-228 mg daily. Your 47-lb dog needs at least 1,300 mg calcium daily, so this supplement is providing less than 20% of the amount needed. The same would be true for other nutrients likely to be missing in a homemade diet.
I have information on supplements and base mixes designed to balance a homemade diet, including Balance IT, here: http://dogaware.com/diet/dogfoodmixes.html
If you are cooking meat with bones (chicken) until the bones are soft and crumbly – does that affect how much calcium you need to supplement?
Jackie, if you are feeding bones then they do affect the amount of calcium that you need to supplement (if the bones are removed, then the amount of calcium needed does not change). It’s not easy to figure out how much calcium you’re giving with the bones — chicken breasts are mostly cartilage, while the larger bones in legs and thighs generally do not get soft enough to feed, so your dogs won’t be getting as much calcium from bones as they would if you fed a raw meaty bone diet. In general, I would say that any meal with a substantial amount of bone needs no additional calcium; if there’s some bone but not that much, maybe cut the calcium in half for that meal.
I have a 8wk staffie and cooking all his food I’ve done fresh minced turkey breast and fresh minced chicken with carrots sweet potatoes spinach asparagus green beans garden peas oats eggs and minced beef with the same veg mix do i need calcium i have ground egg shells and have a container full but i have not added any yet i also give him tin sardines mixed with rice and sweet potatoes once a week
Lynda, it is so hard for me to keep seeing comments like this, as my whole article is about answering your question. Yes, your pup needs calcium, but he also needs phosphorus — you must use a supplement that provides both calcium and phosphorus for puppies, such as bone meal, rather than eggshells, which provide only calcium. You also must get the amounts right or risk doing damage to your pup’s bones and joints. The younger your dog is, the faster he is growing, and so the more quickly any deficiencies or excesses will cause harm. Please put your puppy on a complete commercial diet approved for puppies or for all life stages until you have the time to design a proper diet for him. At 8 weeks, the harm you are doing by not supplementing proper amounts of calcium and phosphorus could be devastating to your dog’s health. See my book reviews for the only homemade diet books I recommend for use with puppies: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/a-review-of-the-best-books-on-home-prepared-dog-food-diets-on-the-market/
Mary, it is so hard for me to keep seeing comments like THIS from you! Your blog was helpful, but very long and very confusing for first-timers. We are here because we want the best for our dogs, many of us have sick dogs that we are trying our best for. If you write a blog and maintain a site like this, you have to be prepared for comments and questions. I don’t think it’s necessary for you to get such a bad and hostile attitude towards people just desperate for clarification. I was very thankful for your article but as I scrolled down in the comments, I noticed your hostility and the way you talk down to people for asking questions – not to mention you almost scold people for doing the wrong thing! If you don’t like answering questions, either just IGNORE them, turn off commenting, or don’t maintain a website like this. You need to work on your empathy a bit, we all get crabby but taking it out on innocent concerned pet owners is just the wrong way to go about it. Take a hard look at how you talk to people. It really put me off exploring the rest of your site.
Chris, Mary is trying to save your dog puppy from developing brittle bones from the proper amount of calcium phosphate. Simply giving your pup calcium is a serious mistake. If Mary is passionate, it’s because this error in your puppy’s diet will prove to be catastrophic for your pet. Also, you need thicker skin if you thought Mary’s response was insensitive. You should feel fortunate that she cares enough to try to impress you to reread the article so you can fix your grave error.
I meant IMPROPER amount of calcium phosphate.
I continue to be surprised that so many commenters, without any shame at all, expect to have personalized recommendations deliver to them on a silver platter by someone who has already gone to the time and trouble to offer an informative and helpful article, which anyone here could benefit from by actually reading the words and doing the math. This person has provided a service already. She does not owe any of us anything. Stop being lazy and read the article. If you don’t understand, read it again. Tack it up on the front of your refrigerator and read it every day if you need to. Do the calculations yourself, they are basic and not rocket science. Be an adult. How is that for condescending? My thanks to Mary for an eye-opening presentation, and I will certainly take a closer look at what I’m doing with my own dog. And I will do it with my own brain, which works.
There is a whole lot of math going on here!
It’s not a quick read. Get out your pen and paper…calculator..
put on yer thinking cap (My age is showing)
You can figure this….just not as easily as you can open a bag of dry kibble.
My 14yo 7lb poodle has kidney disease. Don’t I need to make sure the calcium supplement has no phosphorous in it?
Monica, yest, you need to use a calcium supplement that does not include phosphorus if you’re feeding a homemade diet to a dog with kidney disease. Eggshell powder does not have phosphorus. You can also get veterinary recipes from Balance IT using their newer Canine-K Plus supplement (not their original Canine-K, which includes phosphorus) with your vet’s approval.
I have two Jack Russells – a 12 year old and. 6 year old. The 6 year old was diagnosed with a mast cell tumour and since then I have been feeding both of my pups home cooked food comprising of chicken breast, liver, vegetables with little or no carbs. I make either bone broth or chicken soup which I add to their food. Could you please help me with the amount of calcium in either grams or tsps that I should add to their food. The tablets are calcium citrate 600 mg per tablet. The 12 year old male dog weighs 25 lbs and the 6 year old female weighs approx 15 lbs. I have bought a bottle of calcium citrate tablets which I will grind up in my coffee grinder (dedicated for their meds). Thank you in advance.
Zenobia, I thought my article pretty much covered your question about calcium. According to the chart I provided, the dog weighing 25 lbs would get between 675 and 1,000 mg calcium (probably toward the lower end as an older dog is likely not that active) and the dog weighing 15 lbs would get between 450 and 650 mg. You could give them both 600 mg, though the older dog would be a little short. There’s no need to use calcium citrate; calcium carbonate is usually easier to work with (comes in powder form).
The diet you are feeding is not complete and is missing many nutrients. It would be better to get a recipe from Balance IT and use one of their supplements (which will also include calcium).
To the best of my knowledge, diet doesn’t affect mast cell tumors the same way it can affect other types of tumors. Mast cell tumors should be removed if possible, as removal is often curative. If the tumor cannot be removed or has already spread, than a low histamine diet might be helpful.
I have a 63 lb 20month old female Golden Retriever, I’m not certain about how much calcium I should give her daily. I bought calcium citrate for her but can’t do the math for how much I should give her daily? I just started preparing a homemade diet for her, so I’m new to this. I don’t know how much a mg is? I know teaspoons etc. I couldn’t figure out how to weigh a mg?
Alayne, you can’t weight a milligram (mg). The label should tell you how much calcium is in the supplement you bought, but if it’s a human supplement, it may show the amount of calcium as a percentage of the human adult daily requirement, rather than an amount in mg per teaspoon, requiring a conversion.
For example, NOW Foods Calcium Citrate shows that it provides 600 mg calcium per 1.5 level teaspoons of powder (3 grams), so no conversion needed: https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/calcium-citrate-pure-powder
However, their Bone Meal product shows that 1 level teaspoon (2.8 grams) provides 80% of the Daily Value for Calcium. For that, you need to know the Daily Value used for calcium, which is 1,000 mg, so 80% would be 800 mg calcium per teaspoon.
https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/bone-meal
Note that there is more calcium in calcium carbonate, meaning you would need to give less powder when using calcium carbonate than you do when using calcium citrate. NOW Foods Calcium Carbonate powder provides 600 mg calcium per 1/2 level teaspoon (1.7 grams): https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/calcium-carbonate-powder
Hello Mary. Many thanks for this informative and detailed article. I have one question if you have the time please. I recently started my 7 month old puppy on a raw food diet, including a mix of muscle meat (beef and chicken), RMBs (mainly chicken necks and feet, occasionally pig feet), liver, fish, eggs and mixed veggies. I’m giving her about 40-50% raw meaty bones per meal (based on research of correct percentages of bones to add for calcium requirements for adult dogs). However, having read in your article that puppies need up to 3 times the amount of calcium as an adult dog, and as she is still growing, do I need to increase that percentage of meaty bones? As per your advice in previous comment replies, I am now avoiding giving her the eggshell, and I have just ordered Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats but it may take some time to arrive (I live very remotely in Panama). Many thanks for your time.
Joanna, it’s always hard to know exactly how much calcium there is in bones, but I never recommend feeding more than 50% RMBs unless they are very meaty. Chicken necks don’t have that much meat, and chicken feet even less, so you definitely should not feed more than that. Chicken necks can also be very high in fat in skin is included. Make sure your pup is staying lean as she grows; you should probably remove some or all of the skin from the necks to help her get more nutrition (less pure fat)., especially since the rest of her diet is also pretty high in fat. If you feed too much fat to a puppy, not only do you encourage fast growth, but you also reduce the amount of nutrients that she gets since she can’t have as much other food (not fat) because of the number of calories she’s getting from fat. I consider chicken feet more of a chew than food for a meal, since they’re mostly cartilage (not much nutrition).
You don’t say what breed your puppy is or how much growing she likely has yet to do. A small-breed dog would already be close to full grown, so the amount of calcium and phosphorus wouldn’t matter as much. A large-breed dog would still have some growing to do, and a giant breed even more, but even then, she’s reached an age where she should be able to start controlling her uptake of calcium, which should help her regulate the amount she absorbs.
You don’t mention any supplements. All diets need added vitamin E, and your dog may need added vitamin D (or cod liver oil that includes vitamin D) as well. Vitamin D also increases the uptake of calcium.
Sorry I find all of this a bit complicated. I have a cocker, spayed, six years old – she gets between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of high quality kibble in the morning. In the evenings, she gets home cooked food containing as a rule lean ground turkey, green beans, carrots, organic coconut, celery – sometimes other vegetable or different meats are in the mix. She gets an egg occasionally, loves plain yogurt & cottage cheese. In addition, she gets 5 small organic dog cookies per day. How much calcium should be added to her evening meal? Her ideal weight is from 25 – 28 lbs. and she is in that range. I used the powdered egg shells for my labs, but don’t know how much to give this dog.
Liz, ideally you would calculate the number of calories that your dog is getting from the kibble in the morning in order to determine what percentage of her calories are coming from kibble, and what percentage from the homemade portion of her diet.
A dog that should weigh between 25 and 28 lbs is likely eating between 500 calories (25-lb inactive dog) and 750 calories (28-lb active pet dog) daily. I think most kibble has around 350-400 calories per cup, though this can vary considerably depending on the food’s fat and the size and shape of the kibble pieces, and whether you’re using an actual measuring cup or not.
Your dog needs at least 900 mg calcium daily. Assuming half her calories (and calcium) are coming from kibble, I would give her 500 mg calcium with her dinner. You could use 1/4 teaspoon eggshell powder, or any other form of plain calcium.
Can I usw human calcium supplements instead og egg shells ?
You can use any form of plain calcium, without other ingredients. Calcium powder made for humans is fine. Most calcium tablets or capsules made for people also contain vitamin D, and the dosage of vitamin D would be too high when giving the amount of calcium needed to balance a homemade diet, so those would not be appropriate.
My 2 yr old 16lb pup has IBS and is on a bland diet of home cooked pork and sweet potatoes how much eggshells should I give? Everything sends him into a flare so I have to add one thing at a time.
Stephanie, see the chart in my article for how much calcium to give. It will likely be around 500-600 mg, or a little more than 1/4 teaspoon eggshell powder. You can start with less to see how your dog responds. If he can’t handle eggshells, there are other forms of calcium you can try.
Hello Mary,
My understanding is that 5 month old German Shepherd puppy would need three times the amount of calcium as an adult dog. Based on your chart above am I using the projected adult weight ( like in their raw diet) or am I using the actual puppy weight they are now (I have two one girl one boy)? Also although my adult Aussies eat bones / meat percentages, my husband doesn’t feel comfortable feeding the puppies the bones so I’ve been baking them and grinding them into powder. How do I calculate out how much powder has the correct milligrams of calcium? I’ve been giving them the vitamin D in the vitamin E as well as glucosamine but have just been guesstimating on the correct calcium amount and I see that it’s extremely important to get that correct.
Rebecca, according to the NRC, puppies need three times as much calcium as adult dogs do on a caloric basis, not a body weight basis. The chart I provided is for adult dogs only and will not work for puppies.
AAFCO guidelines specify a minimum of 1.25 grams of calcium per 1,000 kcal for adult dogs. For puppies, they specify a minimum of 3 grams of calcium and a maximum of 4.5 grams of calcium per 1,000 kcal, so that’s 2.4 – 3.6 times as much calcium per calorie for puppies as for adult dogs.
You pup is probably eating about as much now as he will as an adult dog, so if you multiply the amount of calcium shown in my chart for an active adult dog of his anticipated adult body weight by 2.4, that should be in the right neighborhood.
Calculating the amount of ground bone to give in order to provide that much calcium is far more difficult, however. You would need to determine the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the bone, which will vary depending on factors such as fat and moisture. There is no way to do so accurately. Bone meal products provide you with the amounts of calcium and phosphorus on the label, but they have almost all fat and moisture removed, so your ground bone supplement would be different. I don’t know how to estimate how much calcium and phosphorus it would contain.
Mary
I am at a loss. I have 16 year old female about 17/18 pounds. They just diagnosed her with pancreatitis. And enlarged heart. after reading your articles I understand that I am not feeding her correctly along with the other three dogs. I give her about 6.6 oz in the morning and the same in the evening I’m with her being diagnosed I have been doing for meals per day since I’ve been home to the coronavirus.. I was doing 2.0 rice 2.0 chicken and the rest making up in vegetables could you please help me.. also have a 13 year old male with bladder cancer he is getting chemo he just had surgery on his bladder and last year he broke his back jumping off the sofa he didn’t use the steps and he doesn’t walk very well do to that surgery trying to keep them as healthy as we can I have very little knowledge how to prepare ratios him I give 6.7 Oz morning and night. Very confused reading different articles different sites and then I stumbled on you I would appreciate any advice you can give as we’ve been through a lot with the two seniors thank you Carol
Carol, please see my articles on pancreatitis and low-fat diets, then contact me via my website if you need additional help.
http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjpancreatitis.html
http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjlowfatdiets.html
When giving your dog eggshell calcium do you count what is already in the food your are giving them and then add the rest? Are do you just not count what is already in there food. I make homemade food for her. I’m just trying to figure out the calcium thing.
Karena, in general I don’t worry about the amount of calcium in the food itself. Most foods have very little calcium. The few foods that includes significant calcium, such as canned fish with bones and some dairy products, also contain significant amounts of phosphorus, which would increase the amount of calcium needed in order to provide the proper calcium:phosphorus ratio. Net result is that you would still add the same amount of calcium to the diet. The only exception would be if you are feeding significant amounts of raw meaty bones.
Thank you! It is very useful. I need to consider carefully my dog’s diet again.
I have a 4month old german shepherd. She is 25 pounds. She takes 2tabs of nutririch per day. How much calcium does she need per day?
Ruby, that’s not an easy question to answer. To start with, I have no idea what kind of diet you’re feeding. Next, I found Nutri-Rich supplements, but there are many different kinds and I have no idea which one you’re giving, nor what it contains (the website does not provide either an ingredient list or a nutritional analysis of their products), but I can guarantee that none are designed to meet the needs of a large-breed puppy being fed an incomplete homemade diet. Third, puppies need phosphorus as well as calcium, so you need to be using a supplement such as bone meal or dicalcium phosphate, not just calcium if you’re feeding a homemade diet that does not include raw meaty bones.
Honestly, if you don’t already know the answer to your own question, you should not be feeding a large-breed puppy a homemade diet. The odds of causing orthopedic problems that may become permanent are quite high. Other nutritional deficiencies (or excesses) can also harm a growing puppy. You could follow the recipes in one of the two books I recommend, or get a recipe from a veterinary nutritionist (Balance IT doesn’t offer recipes for pups); otherwise, you should put your pup back on a complete commercial diet approved for large-breed puppies.
http://dogaware.com/diet/bookreviews.html#best
I’m no longer comfortable answering questions in this format. If you want to ask me a question, please contact me via email from my website (see bottom of page at http://www.dogaware.com). That allows me to provide more details and ask questions when needed. Apparently my answers don’t come across the way that I intend them to here. Please note this is not my website nor do I have any control over it. As I state on my website, I don’t have a lot of time for responding to questions, so it may be a couple of weeks, occasionally longer, before you hear back from me, but I do respond to everyone who emails me with questions about their dogs.
I’m considering using this Dicalcium phosphate supplement to my home cooked dog food recipes. It says it has 466mg Calcium to 360mg phosphate mixture which seems on the mark by all the suggested calcium/phosphate mix ratio recommendations. I like the price and the fact that’s it’s available on Amazon. Anyone see any red flags?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ENPADPA/?coliid=I3RT8Q71KV6EQJ&colid=3FSFSIINEAM26&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1
I make a mix using bone broth (I slow cook the bones first thing), veges such as carrots and broccoli, blueberries or apples. I cook chicken legs in the slow cooker, then cook the bones some more. I add rice or oatmeal to the liquid remaining from the chicken, then add in the chicken legs (and hearts/gizzards, cooked and chopped). I add more oats as needed to make it a thick mash, then freeze it in 1/2 cup balls. One ball is added to a good kibble twice daily and my 12-15 lb dogs get 1/2 cup twice daily. Before I added the chicken mix, they might or might not eat the kibble, but all except my 16 yr old finish every piece now. He sometimes doesn’t eat, but will eat later. Should I be adding eggshells? I plan to add some eggs in next time.
Pat, it’s impossible to know how much calcium is in the bone broth that you are making. It’s less important in your case because it sounds like your dogs are adults and are getting the majority of their calories from a complete commercial diet that is providing calcium. You could try adding some apple cider vinegar when you make the bone broth, as that will increase the amount of calcium that is leached from the bones, but as long as what you are adding is not a substantial portion of the diet, and you’re not feeding it to puppies, you should be okay without adding eggshells. If your 1/2 cup balls weigh about four ounces; you could add about 250 mg calcium (1/8 teaspoon eggshell powder) per ball. Another option might be to add fish oil that includes vitamin D, which can help with the uptake of calcium, and fish oil is good for many other things as well.
http://dogaware.com/articles/suppsoils.html#fishoil
My 5 year old 6.5kg jack Russell had anal gland issues. lot of Pain when they need to be emptied. I had been raw feeding DAF completes. However the vet has told me to feed boneless as bones will aggravate her issues.
Would I be right in thinking 500mg of crushed egg shell daily would compensate for the lack of RMBs that she now doesn’t get?
Paula, I don’t know anyone who measures eggshell powder by weight rather than by volume, but based on my article, here’s what your 500 mg would provide:
One large eggshell will make about one level teaspoon of eggshell powder weighing 5.5 grams; this will provide approximately 2,000 mg calcium:
If 5.5 grams of eggshell powder provides 2,000 mg calcium, than 500 mg (0.5 grams) would provide about 181 mg calcium.
Your 6.5-kg (14.3-lb) dog needs at least 550 mg calcium daily, or about 1.5 grams (1500 mg), or three times what you propose.
Note that eggshells should be ground to powder in a clean coffee grinder or blender rather than just crushed in order to ensure that the calcium can be absorbed.
Because raw diets are generally extremely high in fat and low in fiber, you might want to try feeding a completely different type of diet to see if that helps with your dog’s anal gland issues. If so, you’ll know that it’s diet related (whereas just removing bone from the diet won’t necessarily tell you the opposite if your dog does not improve). Once you know that a different type of diet helps your dog’s anal glands, you can work on figuring out whether the issue is related to bone, too much fat, lack of fiber, or issues with specific ingredients.
Mary , I have been cooking for my baby boy for 5 years now , and according to what I had found out I have to feed 500 mg calcium to my 26 lb Bichon/shiz tzu mix, because he gets 250 gr of homemade food.I was under the impression that I had to give him 1000- to1500 mg per pound of food . Now, looking at the table you have kindly included in this article , I realized I have been giving him less than needed . Would you please help me figure this out ? He is a 10 year young dog , with moderate activity .
Best regards,
Nazli
Nazli, it’s not clear if you’re feeding 100% homemade, but I will assume that’s the case.
A dog that weighs 26 lbs should get 830 mg calcium daily, according to NRC. If your dog eats less than most dogs his size, then he might need less calcium, but I wouldn’t go as low as 500 mg in any case.
You can’t really go by the weight of the food, since this can vary significantly depending on what is in the diet, particularly how much fat and how much moisture it contains. But if you did follow the guidelines that you names, 250 grams is 0.55 pounds, so you would give 550-825 mg calcium based on 1000-1500 mg per pound of food. If you’re also feeding some commercial food that includes calcium, then the lower amount might be correct, but otherwise I’d try to give around 800 mg daily.
Mary ,
I really appreciate that you took the time to read , and answer my question . I have a very good boy (aren’t them all ? ) , and I try to provide him with the best care possible . You assumed right , he is fed 100% home made . I increased the amount of calcium in his diet as soon as I read your article .I hope I didn’t cause him any harm by feeding less calcium than needed ( I used to add 500 mg ) in previous years 🙁
Thank you for providing us with the valuable information to keep our fur babies healthy !
Best regards,
Nazli
Nazli, I’m sure your dog is okay. Adult dogs have some ability to regulate their uptake of calcium, absorbing more when there is less in the diet. While you may not have been giving the optimal amount of calcium, at least you were adding it in significant amounts, enough to prevent a deficiency. Adult dogs can handle a wider variation than puppies can.
Hello, I am a dog. It might be hard to believe, but I assure you it is true. I would prefer not to take the time right now to explain my communication abilities, but instead use this space to express my gratitude. Mary Straus, on behalf of my species and all breeds within, we can’t thank you enough for raising awareness to the importance of properly balancing our diets. Most of us can’t speak for ourselves and the ones of us that can don’t know what’s best anyway.
Hi I Had a question I have two Chow chows and have now read two articles stating that chows need more carbohydrates and less protein. That seems strange to me do you have any opinions on that?
Hi Melanie,
I don’t believe there is any evidence to support the idea that Chows need more carbs and less protein than other breeds. Since most dog foods have less protein and more carbs than I think is ideal for any dog, deliberately choosing a food that is high in carbs and low in protein would make the situation even worse. BTW, I owned Chinese Shar-Pei for 25 years, a breed that is closely related to Chows, and they did extremely well on a very high-protein, low-carb homemade diet.
I am trying to do the calculations over and over to understand if I am wrong! My 7 mo Great Pyrenees weights 31 kg and based on nutritional requirements she should get 2,600 kcal per day that means 7,800 mg of calcium per day…..the bone meal I use has 720 mg per tsp so, that means I have to give my puppy 11 tsp of bone meal Per day. It seems crazy to me but I have been doing the calculations from different sources and it all comes the same. Can someone help me to understand if it’s correct or not, please?
Gabriella, I think your calculations may be a little high. A puppy that weighs 31 kg (68 lbs) should probably get around 2,000-2,300 kcal/day, though it partly depends on how much she is expected to weigh as an adult dog. If you’ve been feeding 2,600 kcal/day and your pup is staying lean, then that would be the right amount to feed, but if she is at all pudgy, I would reduce the amount that you’re feeding so that she stays lean, which is much healthier for her growing joints.
If you pup eats 2,600 kcal daily, then you are correct that she should get 7,800 mg calcium. If 2,000-2,300 kcal/day, she should get 6,000-6,900 mg calcium. Your calculations as to teaspoons are correct.
You may want to consider a different brand of bone meal. Upco bone meal does not state that it has been tested for lead. Other brands may also have more calcium per teaspoon.
NOW Bone Meal Powder has 840 mg calcium per level tsp (2.8 grams) and “is tested for heavy metals such as lead and aluminum to assure the lowest levels possible (though it doesn’t show the actual amount found).
https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/bone-meal-powder
KAL Bone Meal Powder has 1300 mg calcium per rounded tsp (6 grams), but also makes no mention of testing for lead. You could contact the company to ask if it has been tested, but don’t accept verbal assurances, ask to see the report.
https://www.kalvitamins.com/collections/calcium/products/bone-meal-powder
You might also consider dicalcium phosphate powder, which doesn’t have the risk of lead contamination. Just be sure the ratio of calcium:phosphorus in the overall product is no higher than 2:1 (so your pup also gets the phosphorus she needs). I found one product that provides 1414 mg per tsp (5.4 grams):
https://freedahealth.com/products/calcium-phosphate-powder-16-ounces
Thank you for this in depth explanation. I started feeding my two dogs (12lb dachshund and 13lb shipoo) a cooked diet mixed with their dry food (royal canin GI low fat).
After much research and much confusion, I landed on giving:
1/4 cup dry food + a small handful of freeze dried chicken for breakfast
1/8 cup dry food + 1 oz cooked protein (ground turkey, ground chicken, ground sirloin) + 1oz vegetables for lunch
And then repeat that for dinner.
(for veggies I use a mix of cooked zucchini, green beans, carrots, sometimes a little bit of sweet potato)
I was giving 1/8 teaspoon of eggshell powder with lunch and 1/16the with dinner but I’m not sure that is the best dosage so I kept the dry food on board hoping it would supplement the calcium/phosphorous requirement and stopped with the eggshell powder (they didn’t seem to like the powder). In this scenario can I just add a multivitamin to their diet?
Any recommendations you have would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you.
Ariel, do you know how many calories your dogs are each getting from their commercial food? The Royal Canin website says that their GI Low Fat diet contains about 250 kcal/cup:
https://www.royalcanin.com/us/dogs/products/vet-products/canine-gastrointestinal-low-fat-dry-dog
If you’re using a measuring cup, it appears that each dog is getting 3/8 cup dry food twice a day, or 3/4 cup a day, which would provide a little less than 200 kcal/day. Depending on age and activity level, your dogs likely need at least 300-350 kcal daily, so they may be getting anywhere from 1/2 to 2/3 of their diet from the commercial food.
Assuming they’re both adult dogs, you could probably get away without adding calcium, but it would be safest to add maybe 1/8 tsp (250 mg calcium) eggshell powder daily, split between meals. They likely won’t notice the powder if it’s combined with something wet (have you tried yogurt?).
You could use a multivitamin, but it can be difficult to get the right dosage for small dogs. Supplements made for pets assume you are feeding a complete commercial diet and so will not provide what is missing in a limited homemade diet. And most multis have very little calcium.
Is there a reason you’re using such an extremely low-fat prescription diet? It’s really only appropriate for dogs with severe fat intolerance, usually leading to bouts of pancreatitis. If it’s just for weight loss, see my article for better ideas:
http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjweightloss.html
Dear Mary,
I need to reread your article in detail but at the moment I am freaked out that I am not feeding my 12 week old Australian Shepherd puppy correctly re calcium. I am feeding raw with a variety of proteins and some chicken necks, wings (mostly snacks here) and occasional lamb neck and beef rib as meal replacement. For the proteins without bones I was adding calcium from egg shells (pulverized) to the tune of 1500 mg per 1 lb meat (muscle + organs). I also add about 10% steamed veggies.
I am feeding quantity based on current weight * 8% (avg of 6-10% recommended by raw retailer‘s website). I anticipate his adult weight will be about 50-55 lbs. Today, at twelve weeks he weighed in at 14.6 lbs, which means I am feeding him ~ 530 gr or 1.15 lbs. I thought calcium to phosphorous ratio was to be 1:1…and I thought I was adding calcium, which counterbalanced the phosphorous content of the proteins without bone. This is why I am now very confused…as you say I should not use eggshell but bone meal. I would so appreciate understanding what I am missing here. Many thanks for any additional information you are able to supply.
Ylva, this is a difficult question for me to answer, because there are many problems with the diet that you’re feeding, not just the amount of calcium (and phosphorus). The nutritional deficiencies, excesses and imbalances can definitely harm a young puppy, still growing rapidly, though the danger is not as great as it is for larger-breed dogs. You are also likely feeding too much food, from the sounds of it, though it’s always hard to know for sure how many calories you’re giving, but the advice on the raw retailer’s website is not valid. Please see this article for more about the problems with commercial raw diets, especially for puppies:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/the-state-of-the-commercial-raw-diet-industry/
And this article that talks about problems with recipes and such found on the web:
http://dogaware.com/articles/newsdiet.html#recipestudy
For puppies, I suggest following recipes from either Steve Brown’s or Karen Becker’s books, as described in my book reviews here:
http://dogaware.com/diet/bookreviews.html
A little more about amounts to feed puppies:
http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjhomemade3.html#puppies
Hi Mary,
Thank you for the informative article! I feed my 1year and 8 months old minigoldendoodle a raw premade diet from Carnivora.ca. It’s not as expensive like other raw premades in my area. Each 0.5 lb patty as per company description should contain 7% bone. The nutritional label shows each patty has 0.45% calcium and 0.35% phosphorus. Should I add extra calcium ? Sometimes I give him rmb (turkey necks or pork ribs) but I’m concerned that he’s not chewing them properly and I’m not comfortable . Often pieces of bone come out un digested…thank you for your help.
Magdalena, Carnivora does not make complete diets, so what you’re feeding is undoubtedly unbalanced and deficient in many nutrients. The percentage of calcium shown is likely “as fed” and would have to be converted to dry matter in order to determine if it’s appropriate or not, but you should not add calcium, as diets that include bone are more likely to be high in calcium than low. I would not give RMBs if they are not chewed properly and not fully digested, as bone shards in the digestive tract can be dangerous (and turkey necks appear to cause the most problems from choking of any RMB for large dogs).
You can read more about the issues with commercial raw diets in this article, but note that Carnivora doesn’t even claim to meet AAFCO guidelines and so would have more issues than those talked about here:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/the-state-of-the-commercial-raw-diet-industry/
Also see this section for more info on what is missing in these types of incomplete blends:
http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html#incomplete
Thanks for your response. I guess I won’t be adding any other calcium source if you think that Carnivora has enough bone in the grind I feed. I’m aware that they are not meeting Aafco but their patties are good quality and my dog likes them. I do add sardines or herring alternating at least twice a week. I add seal oil on rest of the days and sometimes tripe. He does get egg and yogurt, pumpkin, sweet potato and green veggies in small quantities because he is an yeasty prone dog. So by adding those I’m aiming to give him other stuff that Carnivora patty is not including.
Nice article. I believe there are resources out there that give information on the amount of bone per different raw meaty bones. That’s also helpful. We have switched our dogs from a commercial raw to home prepared. We have also consulted a vet nutritionist that specializes in raw diets.
My concern with bone meal is the processing. I’ve read very nasty things about it, so hesitate.
Our dog ages are 2.5 years; 2.5 years; 1 year and 1 year. All American Field labs.
One thing people often forget is that variety is important, and liver is not the only organ the dogs should be fed. (my criticism of Primal is only liver, no other organs). Dogs need sweet bread, liver, kidney, etc. etc. for a good solid diet. Also, a variety of different muscle meats is important in my humble opinion.
Still worried about the calcium amounts. I know a calcium phosphorus ration of 1.2:1 is about the level you should go for in a large breed puppy especially. Many commercial diets/raw diets are way too high in the calcium (meaning they probably have too much bone). Nobody should ever feed a large breed puppy puppy food. Slow and steady growth is the key.
Thanks for the information and concern about our canine loves.
I’m also very curious about the assertion that feeding amounts should not be based upon the weight (ideal weight) of the dog. I’ve never heard or read this before, and every single food bases feeding amounts on the weight of the dog. I’d love to read more, do you have any sources you can provide for more information and details?
Thanks!
Sharon, feeding amounts are based on the weight of the dog, but it’s a complicated formula, not as simple as feeding a dog twice as much if it weighs twice as much (linear). See item 6 in this article for a more detailed explanation:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/the-state-of-the-commercial-raw-diet-industry/
Also see this site for more info:
https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/basic-calorie-calculator
Thanks for all the great info and your attention to detail in the comments. I have a question: Is there a correlation between calcium intake and formation of calcium oxalate crystals in urine? Also, what foods are reliable sources of phosphorus? Thanks.
Becky, you can read about calcium oxalate stones here: http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjcalciumoxalates.html
Your question on phosphorus is too broad for me to answer — why are you asking? You can see the amount of phosphorus in some foods in this table on my website: http://dogaware.com/health/kidneytable.html
Thanks for the articles. I am monitoring my 6 year old Westie’s calcium closely because during her annual checkup, they detected calcium oxalate crystals in her urine sample. (This was before I started feeding fresh.) However, when I asked them to repeat the test, it came up negative for crystals. Twice. So we are assuming that the first sample sat too long before being checked. Nonetheless, I am trying to be precise on the calcium matter and the balance with phosphorus. I have read that, with humans, taking too much calcium can lead to kidney stones. So, trying to learn what I can and be smart about this. She is 17.5 pounds and I supplement with 1/4 tsp eggshell daily as she currently gets 2 ounces of commercial kibble with her fresh food. Thanks for your feedback.
Becky, the amount of calcium to add would depend on what percentage of calories your dog is getting from homemade food versus commercial food that is already complete and balanced. Assuming 4,000 kcal/kg for the kibble, 2 ounces would provide around 225 calories. A typical pet dog that is at an appropriate weight at 17.5 lbs might eat anywhere from about 400-500 kcal/day and need at least 600 mg calcium daily, so if you figure half her calories come from homemade food, you’d add around 300 mg calcium daily. 1/4 tsp eggshell powder provides about 500 mg calcium, which is in the right range.
What about using powdered cuttlebone for a dogs calcium? It’s pure calcium isn’t it?
Cuttlebone (cuttlefish bone) is crystalized calcium carbonite, so it would provide calcium, but it would likely be far more expensive than just buying calcium carbonate powder or using eggshells ground to powder (95% calcium carbonite). You’d also have to grind it to powder, since dogs wouldn’t just eat chunks of it. It’s best used for animals like birds and reptiles that will nibble from the bone as needed.
This information has literally been. a life saver! I started giving my dog a raw diet and it cleared up his chronic reverse cough type allergy (no vet had answers regarding what it was or what is was all about). Anyway, I made the mistake of not supplimenting calcium for months, thinking it was in the meat grind he ate but only organs were no bone. I believe it has welcomed vision problems/ cataracts for my fur baby. He does have digestive issues but raw goat milk kefir & enzymes has made him regular. What calcium supplement is recommended? I made one using eggshells & ACV but I rather be more calculated about it, realizing how badly he needs it right now. He is 15 pounds and 13 years old 🙂
Thank you so much for reading
Monica, I would give your dog 1,000 mg calcium daily — that’s higher than the minimum, but will help make up for what has been missing, and your dog may need higher than the minimum if you’re feeding a high-meat (high-phosphorus) diet. You can use any form of plain calcium, as described in my article. No ACV is needed, and should not be used to replace grinding eggshells to powder, if that’s what you choose to use (1/2 tsp eggshell powder provides approximately 1,000 mg calcium). You can reduce the amount of calcium down to 500-600 mg/day after a few months.
Hi Mary, my dogs are a 6 y/o Daschund who weighs about 15 pounds, and my other dog is a 7 y/o Daschund rat terrier mix. I make homemade dog food for them and give them half a cup each twice a day. I have them on NaturVet all in one supplement powder, the calcium analysis in this supplement is 68mg per 2tsps. I give them 1/2 tsp of this supplement at each meal. Just want to know if this is an adequate amount of calcium for them. I have eggshell powder and was planning on using that to supplement. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Robin, you should be able to answer this question from the information in my article.
According to the table above, a 15-lb dog should get between 450 and 650 mg calcium daily.
According to the information you provided, you are giving 34 mg calcium daily via the NaturVet supplement.
So the answer is no, this is not an adequate amount of calcium!
No supplement made for dogs will have enough calcium to balance a homemade diet unless it’s made expressly for that purpose. Otherwise, the supplement would not be appropriate to give to dogs who eat a commercial diet that already has the right amount of calcium.
Added to last comment. My mix is 17lbs, and vet says she should lose a few pounds. Also the daily feeding directions of the supplement according to weight is 1tsp daily up to 30lbs.
GREAT info thanks!! If I use bone broth for dogs ….now I was going to use a bone broth for dogs that comes in a powder form the liquid in my dog food …is this adding enough needed calcium / minerals?
Den, unless the product you’re using specifies how much calcium it contains, you cannot use it to provide calcium to balance a homemade diet. Bone broth will not be enough to meet your dog’s nutritional needs.
https://nourishedkitchen.com/bone-broth-minerals/
Hello Mary,
Thank you for the wonderful, thoughtful, intelligent, informed, all-around excellent and helpful article. I have a question and please forgive me if you find it stupid: prior to your article, the only information on calcium supplementation in homemade diets for dogs with calcium oxalate stones (and possible kidney issues) I was able to find, the calculations as to how much calcium to add were based on the phosphorus content of the diet being fed, which was determined from information in the nutritiondata.com calculator. The advice was to balance the phosphorus with a 1-1.2 ration of calcium, ideally in the form of calcium citrate. Would you say your recommendations for calcium supplementation, based on the weight (& ‘category’) of the dog, correspond with the recommendations based on phosphorus content? Or would you recommend to ignore phosphorus content calculations and rely solely on weight, etc., of your pup? Many thanks for any insight you might provide!
I have an article on calcium oxalate stones. Basically, it recommends using calcium citrate as your calcium source, and avoiding high-oxalate foods, among other things.
http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjcalciumoxalates.html
The ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the diet should always fall within the AAFCO guidelines, which range between 1:1 and 2:1 (dogs with advanced kidney disease need reduced phosphorus, which can lead to a ratio of up to 3:1). I would probably stick to the lower end of the range for a dog prone to forming calcium oxalate stones, unless creatinine goes above 2.0, in which case reducing phosphorus might lead to a higher ratio without actually increasing the amount of calcium.
Calcium recommendations based on the weight of the dog use amounts suggested by NRC and/or AAFCO, but should not ignore the calcium:phosphorus ratio. Guidelines based on the dog’s weight assume you have an active, healthy dog. If the weight guidelines for calcium lead to a high calcium:phosphorus ratio, it might be because the diet contains too little phosphorus, or because you have an older dog who doesn’t eat as much. In the first case, I would probably increase the amount of phosphorus in the diet (as long as your dog doesn’t have elevated blood creatinine), since too little phosphorus would probably point to other deficiencies as well. In the latter case, I wouldn’t worry about it, as it’s comparable to a dog eating less of a commercial diet.
Great article, Mary. My puppy is 5 months old mini poodle, refuses to eat kibble and has digestive problems from the majority of canned food. I buy him steam cooked and frozen food from local dog kitchen, every 2 weeks :), he eats it with appetite and has no digestive problems. It contains 60-70% beef/pork/turkey meat and organs, 10% veggies( green beans/broccoli, carrots etc), eggs, brown rice, omega 3, kelp and olive oil. No added Ca and Phos. Now, he is eating 400g daily which contains 800kcal, protein 9%, fat 6%, fibre max2%( per the label) I want and have time to cook the same and I need of advice how much bone meal should I add to the daily amount of food. I can cook a big amount and to split it into packages for 1 week. Now he is 5kg, very active, at least 1 hour walks daily. I am concerned that the food I buy does not contain any Ca/P added also I am not sure if it is good for a growing puppy. Thank you in advance!
Kristina, does this food have a brand name? If you’re talking about products from JustFoodForDogs, then it already has the right amount of calcium, but I can’t tell you if it’s appropriate for a puppy without knowing which varieties you’re feeding. If it’s another brand, look for an AAFCO statement that says it meets guidelines for puppies/growth or for all life stages. If there is no AAFCO statement, then it does not meet their guidelines, and may be deficient in other areas in addition to calcium and phosphorus. Can you switch to a brand that meets AAFCO guidelines? That would be the safest option. I list many of the cooked diet companies I know about on my website here:
http://dogaware.com/diet/cannedfood.html#cooked
Sometimes, mainly due to pandemic induced lock downs I run out of bones or my supplier lack it.
So how much calcium should I add in his diet when I dont have any bones to give him?
I have calcium carbonate in tablet form. Each containing 600mg of calcium carbonate.(Without D3 ofcourse)
Some are suggesting 2(1200mg) and some says 1.5 (around 1000mg).
I Am not sure about this, so anybody knows range or weight to calcium ratio or anything that would give me idea how much should I give him would be helpful.
Dog is German shepherd – 1 year old
His weight is around – 60 pounds (28 kgs) and gaining more weight.
Nick, you shouldn’t use human calcium products that also contain other ingredients such as vitamin D. Dogs need more calcium than people do, and the amount of vitamin D that you’d be giving might not be a good idea. You can use plain calcium products, such as calcium carbonate powder, or eggshell powder (1 tsp = 2,000 mg), I would give around 2,000 mg of plain calcium (no vitamin D) daily to your young dog.
Your homemade diet may well be lacking in other nutrients. Please see this article for more about the problems with commercial raw diets, especially for puppies:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/the-state-of-the-commercial-raw-diet-industry/
And this article that talks about problems with recipes and such found on the web:
http://dogaware.com/articles/newsdiet.html#recipestudy
Hey thanks for replying, but I alredy mentioned I’m using the calcium carbonate which is having NO D3 in it.
So is 1500mg to 2000mg of plane calcium will be good if I’m not adding any bones?
Nick, I apologize for misreading what you wrote — my fault, I was in a hurry, saw D3 and just didn’t pay close attention.
Yes, 1500-2,000 mg plain calcium should be good if you’re not adding any bones. That would be three of the tablets you currently have daily, preferably split between meals (2 at one meal and 1 at the other would be fine).
Thanks for your response, if you don’t mind i would like to clear one small doubt.
I researched little bit and found that D3 is required for calcium to be utilized or to be able to use.
So for a 66lbs(30kg) dog I’m adding calcium in the range of 1500-2000.
What should be range of D3??
I found on some website 250 IU to 1500 IU according to my dog’s weight.
I have D3 supplement with 400 IU. Should add to be on safe side or it is higher than my dog requires as he is getting from his diet as well???
Thank you…I really appreciate your work.
Nick, the easy answer is that NRC recommends that a 66-lb dog get around 250 mg vitamin D daily. AAFCO guidelines require a minimum of 125 mg vitamin D per 1,000 kcal.
I say that’s the easy answer, because there are a lot of other vitamins and minerals to be concerned about in a homemade diet.
Darn it, I said mg, when I meant IU — 250 IU (NRC) and 125 IU/1,000 kcal (AAFCO). Definitely not mg.
Just wanted to add that giving 400 IU daily is safe.
We just started our 13 year old 11 lb dog on a homemade diet after raw frozen Stella & Chewy for years because he was diagnosed with early Stage One kidney disease. So far he’s been eating raw green tripe, with eggs whites, Omega-3 oil, steamed vegetables and muscle meat. I added ground eggshells for a few days to balance the phosphorus (all calculated on an excellent spreadsheet my sister made for us) after I read Mary Strauss’s website. Then I stopped because I started reading elsewhere that calcium citrate is better, about the dangers of calcium deposits and more. I was afraid I would cause more harm than good. It also seemed like the added calcium made him sick but maybe it was too much spinach b/c of the oxalates. I’m really stressed and confused about what to do. Our dog’s blood calcium is in range but on the high side. Help!
Kaylord, I can’t really give you guidance without seeing test results, but if you don’t already know how to create a complete and balanced homemade diet, your best bet would be to use recipes and supplements from Balance IT. That way, you won’t have to worry about trying to sort out misinformation (such as needing to use calcium citrate). There’s so much more to it than just balancing the calcium and phosphorus! Egg whites are not appropriate at this stage. Calcium won’t make a dog sick, and you cannot learn anything about dietary calcium from a dog’s blood calcium levels.
If your dog’s creatinine is normal, you can use regular recipes and supplements.
https://secure.balanceit.com/recipegenerator_ver4/index.php?rotator=EZ
If creatinine reaches 2.0, you can switch to veterinary recipes that use their Heatable Canine K Plus supplement. These recipes require your vet’s approval, but they make that easy to get. Choose Kidney Disease, then select “Early Kidney – Lower Phosphorus Using Heatable Canine K Plus (Dogs Only)” (only use their Canine K Plus, never their original Canine K, which includes phosphorus):
https://secure.balanceit.com/tools/ez2/
Also see the newer sections added to my website for more info on early-stage kidney disease:
http://dogaware.com/health/kidney.html
Question. We feed Titan RAW (AAFCO) approved to a Lab puppy (4 months). Vet said to add calcium. I know Titan is balanced but I don’t think the bone content is 25-30%. Should he be getting a supplement?
Erin, I found the Titan raw foods website:, but there’s no information about their products:
http://www.titandogfood.com/site/
This site has a bit more info, but no nutritional analysis:
https://rahraw.com/product/titan-red-pack-60lbs/
There are very few companies that offer commercial raw diets that are approved for puppies, and even an AAFCO statement doesn’t guarantee that they are really appropriate. More info about problems with commercial raw diets, particularly for puppies, in these articles:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/the-state-of-the-commercial-raw-diet-industry/
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/why-all-dog-diets-should-meet-aafco-nutrient-guidelines/
It is dangerous to give too much calcium to a large-breed puppy (can lead to bone and joint abnormalities). Please do not add calcium if the diet you are feeding includes bone. If the company whose products you’re using cannot provide you with a complete nutritional analysis showing the amount of calcium, then assume the food is not appropriate and possibly dangerous for your pup.
The only commercial raw product that I know meets AAFCO guidelines for puppies is made by Raw Bistro.
Hi, I have been feeding my puppy a barf mix that contains 70% Protein, 10% Bone, 10% Veg, 5% Liver 5% Offal… does she still need more calcium ? I keep getting mixed opinions from different people… she’s a Labrador x labradoodle and is currently just over 5 months old and is 16kg
Thanks in advance!!!
Chantelle, I would need to know the brand and variety of food you’re feeding in order to look into it, but I can pretty much guarantee that this diet does not meet AAFCO guidelines and may be dangerous for a puppy. Note that too much calcium can be more dangerous than too little, especially for large-breed puppies. If the company that makes the food you’re feeding can’t provide you with a nutritional analysis that shows the amount of calcium, and doesn’t have an AAFCO statement that says specifically that this food meets the guidelines for puppies expected to weigh 70 lbs or more as an adult, then you are not feeding an appropriate diet.
More info about problems with commercial raw diets, especially for puppies:
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/the-state-of-the-commercial-raw-diet-industry/
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/why-all-dog-diets-should-meet-aafco-nutrient-guidelines/
Thanks for replying! It’s made by a local pet food supplier, he doesn’t have the specific info as I don’t think it’s a legal requirement in Australia for pet food, I know it doesn’t have any preservatives or fillers just the raw ingredients… he told me he has fed all his dogs the same thing and never had an issue but I have bought a supplement powder anyway that my vet recommended, it’s called vets all natural health booster. It has a bunch of vitamins and minerals as well as 12,400mg of calcium. Do you think this will suffice?
No, I don’t think this will suffice, and it could make the situation worse. It’s more likely that the food you’re feeding has too much calcium than too little. Adding more calcium will make that worse.
Too much calcium? My vet seems to think she’s lacking because she broke her leg when she did an awkward jump ( I thought she just landed wrong and the ground was uneven ) but now because of that I’m worried she is lacking… I think I might jut have to get a blood test done and switch to a high quality kibble for now to take the guess work out 🙁 thanks so much for your help thus far though I really appreciate it
Chantelle, a blood test can’t tell you whether you’re giving adequate calcium or not, as the body has to keep blood calcium levels steady and does so by taking calcium from bones if needed. An x-ray of your dog’s leg should have told your vet if the bone showed adequate mineralization or not, though I don’t know how much detail is revealed.
I agree that your best bet would be to feed your puppy a food that you know is complete and balanced until she is full grown. If you feel you have to feed raw (not something I agree with), then feed a Raw Bistro product that is designed to meet puppy requirements (they’re the only raw company that I know actually meets AAFCO guidelines for puppies). Note there are other options than just kibble, including dehydrated foods (not freeze-dried raw, which has all the same problems as frozen raw). Canned and cooked foods would likely be too expensive to feed a large dog. Make sure that whatever you feed follows AAFCO guidelines for puppies expected to weigh 70 lbs or more as an adult (the AAFCO statement on the label should state this).
It says to give 10grams per 250grams of wet food
Hi Mary. I have a question about the amount of Ca/P in bone meal. On the label of Grau Knochenmehl (bonmeal) 400mg -the only available in my country, it says crude protein 0.6 %, fats-0.3%, moisture 20.9%, ash- 72.8%, fibre 0.3%, Ca 22.6%, Phos 17.7%, Na-0.03%. Then it says to give appx. 0.5g/day for puppies up to 10kg ; young dogs and dogs up to 25kg – max 2.0 g/day.
I read carefully your article and realized there is no the amount of Ca (milligrams) in 1 teaspoon. Are these feeding recommendations accurate, can we rely on them? Is it possible to calculate the amount of Ca in a tablespoon based on these percentages? I believe this is on DM? I want to calculate the amount of Ca I need to add per daily calories intake.
I would really appreciate your help. Thank you!
Kristina, I’m having trouble telling what the 400 mg means — if it is the serving size, such as the amount per teaspoon, then you can calculate the amount of calcium based on the percentage. However, I would expect a teaspoon to weigh more than 400 mg.
If this product is 22.6% Calcium and 17.7% Phosphorus, then a 400-mg serving would have 90 mg calcium and 71 mg phosphorus.
The directions on the product are unreliable, especially for puppies. I found a website that sells this product but no mention of 400 mg. They say that the product includes a 0.5g measuring spoon — 0.5g (500 mg) would provide 113 mg calcium and 88 mg phosphorus.
It is not possible to calculate the amount per tablespoon, unless you measure how many 0.5g spoonfuls make up one tablespoon and then multiply the amounts per 0.5g by the number of spoonfuls per tablespoon, or you weigh how much one tablespoon of the product weighs, then calculate how much calcium and phosphorus that equates to by multiplying the weight in grams by the percentages of calcium and phosphorus.
Hi Mary,thanks a lot for the detailed answer! Much appreciated. It is my mistake, I meant that the product’s weight is 400g, not mg. So in the 0.5g spoon provided in the box, based on these percentages there is 113mg Ca and 88mg Phos. And based on puppies article, I have to add appx 1000mg Ca per pound of food (around 9-10 spoons of 0.5g).Am I correct? Could you please clarify if this 1 pound is the full meal (meat, veggies, etc) or it only corresponds to the meat in the meal?
Kristina, I’m very uncomfortable trying to offer guidelines for feeding puppies, since there is so much to doing it right and puppies are easily harmed by an improper diet (especially large-breed puppies, and especially in the first six months of life).
The general guideline of 1,000 mg calcium per pound of food is for adult dogs. Puppies may need up to three times as much. Guidelines based on weight of food can vary widely depending on what you feed, so it’s not a reliable way to determine how much calcium your pup needs. That’s why I offer guidelines based on calories instead.
AAFCO guidelines say that puppies need 3 grams of calcium per 1,000 kcal, up to a maximum of 4.5g/1,000 kcal for large-breed puppies. That compares to 1.25 grams/1,000 kcal for adult dogs.
Hi Mary,
I was in touch with you last year about my dog, Leroy, who’d been diagnosed with idiopathic vestibular disease in September, followed by early stage kidney disease and then pancreatitis within a month of those. You were wonderfully helpful with going over his blood work for me. His original vet recommended euthanasia in October but I ignored that advice and he’s still with me.
I’ve been home cooking and worried about adding too much calcium as he had borderline high calcium the last time it was tested. I know he could still have a deficit though. I’m planning on getting his ionized calcium checked next month.
I learned something about calcium carbonate the other day, it reduces/neutralizes stomach acid which is needed for digestion. I’m trying to optimize Leroy’s digestion. Now I’m wondering if I should use calcium citrate or if all that I do to help Leroy digest his food better will overcome the gastric acid reducing effect of calcium carbonate?
Thanks,
Jodie
Jodie, there’s no concern about calcium carbonate interfering with digestion. It’s commonly used in dog food products. I doubt that using a different form of calcium would make any difference.
You cannot use blood calcium measurements to determine whether you’re giving the right amount of dietary calcium or not. The body keeps blood calcium in stasis by adding it to or removing it from bones. High blood calcium is often linked to high blood albumin (there is something called “corrected calcium” that takes this into account). Very high blood calcium can be linked to endocrine disorders, or to cancer.
In general, I advise using Balance IT recipes and supplements if you want to feed a homemade diet — that way you’ll know you’re giving the right amount. You can get low-fat recipes afrom Balance IT. Their Nutrient Profile shows “Amount per Mcal” for various nutrients — look at the row titled “[204] Total lipid (fat).” This value is the same as what I called GFK (grams of fat per thousand calories) in my article on low-fat diets (http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjlowfatdiets.html). You can adjust the amount of fat in the recipes downward, within reason. If necessary, you can request an even lower fat veterinary diet with your vet’s approval (which they make easy to get).
https://secure.balanceit.com/recipegenerator_ver4/index.php?rotator=EZ
I’m grinding whole chickens, removing all the skin, and adding heart, liver, and gizzards. Is the calcium level to high?
Tom, it’s unlikely that feeding whole chickens would provide too much calcium, but whole chickens alone are far from providing a complete diet.
The best homemade diets include red meat, poultry, fish, liver, eggs, dairy, vegetables, and fruits, with grains and legumes optional. The simpler the diet, the more supplements will be needed. All homemade diets require added calcium (unless the diet includes raw meaty bones that are fully consumed) and vitamin E. Other supplements may be needed if any of these food groups are left out of the diet. See this article for some information about the nutrients provided by these foods:
http://dogaware.com/articles/newsdiet.html#recipestudy
Hello I’m giving my 12 week collie mix puppy (weighs 20 pounds) a homemade cooked diet.
It’s from a vet dietician and it’s balances with meat, leafy greens, veggies and a starch.
We give a ten in one multi-vitamin from pet honesty, per feeding instructions. We also add a calcium supplement and omega 3 for dogs into their food.
The calcium supplement I give her is Animal Essentials Seaweed calcium. It has calcium min at 33% and max at 38%. The phosphorus is min .5%. I’m afraid I’m not giving her enough…. the portion says 3 grams per pound food.
Rachel, as stated in my article, puppies need calcium AND phosphorus. Plain calcium will leave them deficient in phosphorus. Both are needed by growing puppies for proper bone formation.
If a vet dietician gave you a specific recipe, they should also be able to provide you with a nutritional analysis that would enable them to determine that this recipe meets all of a puppy’s needs as defined by AAFCO and/or NRC. If they can’t provide you with a nutritional analysis, then I would question their qualifications, and consider getting recipes through Balance IT instead (you have to go to their Vet Recipes section to get recipes that are appropriate for puppies, and those require your vet’s approval, but they make that easy to get).
https://secure.balanceit.com/tools/ez2/#
Thank you!!!!!
Hi Mary. On homecooked meal. Do you figure out and add calcium after the batch is cooked.
Also is there a multi vitamin we can add to with calcium. ? Thank you
Maddie
Maddie, I usually add calcium at the time I feed, based on my dog’s requirements. There are no multivitamin supplements that will provide the calcium needed to balance a homemade diet unless that is what they are designed to do, such as those from Balance IT — I now recommend that those who want to feed a homemade diet use recipes and supplements from Balance IT, since they provide a wide variety of recipes and allow you to choose your ingredients. You can see more about Balance IT and other such options on my website:
http://dogaware.com/diet/dogfoodmixes.html#vitaminmix
Thank you so much for this info. I just want to be sure that I understand the calculation per kcal. If I have a 10 pound cooked batch of food that consists of 6 pounds extra lean meat (cooked weight), with 1/2 lb liver, and the rest made up of fruit, veggies, rice, and sardines that is 5000 calories, does that mean I need to add 6250 mg of calcium for an adult dog? 3-4 egg shells? Or should I add the calcium per pound of food?
If you know that the batch of food you prepared provides about 5,000 kcal, then you should add at least 6,250 mg of calcium. More is okay, within reason. I would probably add 4 eggshells (approx. 8,000 mg calcium) rather than three (6,000 mg, which is slightly short), though either is likely fine.
Adding calcium by weight of food is much less precise, as the weight of the food will vary considerably based on its moisture level. In addition, the amount of fat in the diet will affect how much of it you feed, and therefore the amount of calcium needed. When you add low-fat, high-moisture ingredients such as fruit and veggies, those increase the weight substantially while having little effect on the amount of calcium needed.
My dog has kidney disease and a blood test show she has elevated calcium 12.1. This is not iodized calcium just straight calcium. Should I still add the recommended amount of calcium? She also gets only about .08 grams of phosphorous per day. Please can you tell me how much calcium I should provide?
Glenetta, I’m sorry to hear that your dog is having problems. It’s almost impossible for me to try to offer input based on so little information. To start with, you need to know your dog’s albumin level in order to calculate “corrected calcium” — higher albumin will cause higher calcium readings. The amount of phosphorus you’re giving is meaningless without knowing your dog’s weight as well as her creatinine and blood phosphorus levels. And I can’t tell you how much calcium to add without knowing what you’re feeding (as well as your dog’s weight and test results). Best to contact me via email from my website with additional information.
In general, I do think dietary calcium is needed even if blood calcium levels are elevated. The reason is that if dietary calcium is not provided, the body will pull calcium from the bones in order to meet it needs. If you were feeding a prescription diet, you would continue to feed that diet, without reducing the amount of dietary calcium. However, if your dog is expected to live for quite awhile (young dog, kidney values not end stage), you may need to investigate parathyroid hormone (PTH, no relation to thyroid hormone) levels if calcium levels keep rising. It’s also possible that other factors could contribute to high calcium levels, particularly one form of cancer. Your dog’s calcium value is not very high, but if it continues to climb, it’s possible that there might be an underlying treatable cause.
Where should I send the email to you? I have tried DogAware.com and it won’t send.
Thank you
Any email sent to dogaware.com should reach me. Or you can use the Contact Me page at http://dogaware.com/contact.html or either or the email addresses listed at the bottom of every page on my site.
Hi there, what is your stance on calcium carbonate been only 40% calcium, where dog foods and other websites reference calcium in dog food and home cooked diets, is it referring to pure calcium, which in theory would mean if you are giving a supplement you have to give more calcium than what you would think as you not reaching the pure calcium content?
Tracy, whenever an amount of calcium is listed anywhere, it’s always the amount of elemental calcium that is listed. There is no need to do any calculations to determine the amount you need to give. For example, if your dog needs 1,000 mg calcium daily, and you’re using a supplement that says it has 500 mg calcium per teaspoon, then you would need to use 2 teaspoons to get the appropriate amount of calcium. It doesn’t matter what form of calcium you use; the amount listed on the label is the amount of elemental calcium, which is the only number you need.
cooked meal for IBD for 9 yrs. cleaned his gut. stopped “colitis attacks
so only “few a yr” now.
He is mixed yorkie poo 13 pound senior. “issues’ heart, trembling
back leg on exercise, some panting ( from heart) murmur
I normally feed “cheese” chunks, sometimes yogart.
, I am a animal intutive healer, had a “hunch” presented the calcium capsuLE
I use, and its plain, without any “extra” D vitamin.
I opened up calcium liquid capsule, to rub in his “teeth” for quicker absorption
and he ATE it like it was steak, I mean “lapped it”
well, 5 mins after ingesting, he is resting, and stopped shaking
that hind leg. he is not pacing or looking so lost in those eyes..
btw..I used to have KCAL. but its not very effective .
its hard to “load into ” meat? its bitter.
please use my tips with your vet approval.
Bone, bones, bones.
When I was a girl dogs were FED on raw bones (free from the butcher) and left overs from the human table/kitchen (we aren’t and weren’t so into adding sugar to EVERYTHING as in the USA).
The bones MUST be spongey bones (I e knuckle bones, vertebrae, etc,
I now buy meat for the dogs and feed raw with cooked pulse/grain mix and other veggies. Each day they get a large Kangaroo tail bone. in tke past I feed pigs trotters, lamb necks and if I could get them chicken feet 🙂
“Bone Time” is their favourite time of day 🙂
Raw Goat milk works great and dogs and puppies love it.
How do you find out the DM for a home prepared raw diet?
And in balancing nutrients in a homemade raw diet, how do you know how much to add when they are based on the DM of the diet?
Is this even an appropriate way to add nutrients to a homemade food diet?
I’ve been trying to find the answer to these questions without much luck.
Thanks!
Elita, there is no easy way to calculate DM amounts without using some sort of nutritional analysis that includes the amount of moisture in each ingredient. In general, moisture levels for fresh foods tend to be in the 67-75% range (2/3 to 3/4 moisture), but individual foods can vary considerably.
I’m not sure what you mean by adding amounts based on DM. If you’re talking about AAFCO guidelines, it may be better to use amounts per 1,000 calories, but either way you would need a nutritional analysis. You can also do calculations based on your dog’s (ideal) weight, but again, without knowing what nutrients the diet itself is contributing, there’s no way to know how much of what you need to add.
These days, I recommend that people use Balance IT recipes and supplements as the easiest way to ensure that they’re feeding a complete homemade diet, but Balance IT doesn’t support diets that include raw meaty bones.
https://secure.balanceit.com/ez/index.php
Hello i have a ten year old rottie I have a in home scale, avg wt 92lbs feed twice daily, 1\2 to 3\4 cups high protein kibble, everything else he gets in his meal is fresh, chicken livers chicken gizzards beef livers,eggs carrotts brocolli , brown rice green beans, also these fresh items are cooked not raw. how much calcium from egg shells should I be giving him.
A dog that weighs 92 lbs likely needs around 1,800 calories daily (range about 1400 kcal/day for an older, inactive dog, up to about 2,100 kcal/day for an active adult dog). Calculate the number of calories he’s getting from the kibble you give him every day (best to measure by weight; if you use cups, be sure they are 8-ounce measuring cups). Then calculate the remaining calories that come from fresh food. For example, if your dog is getting 1,000 kcal from kibble, then he’s probably getting around 800 kcal from the fresh foods. Interestingly, daily calories and daily mg of calcium are roughly equal, so you’d want to add about 800 mg calcium to balance out fresh food that provides 800 calories. It doesn’t have to be so precise — adding half a teaspoon of eggshell powder, which provides about 1,000 mg calcium, would be fine.