The Role of Calcium in Your Dog's Diet

It is important for your dog's diet to contain all of the essential vitamins to ensure excellent health.  One of the important nutrients in your dog's diet is calcium.  When we think of calcium, strong teeth and bones come to mind.  Your dog's diet should be rich in calcium to support healthy teeth and bones, but a delicate balance exist in relationship to calcium and your dog's diet.  

It is possible to have too much or too little calcium in your dog's diet.  When a dog's diet contains too little calcium, your dog may develop a condition called rickets.  This condition creates soft bones that bend under the weight of your dog.      

In contrast, too much calcium can create bone abnormalities, as well.  Large breed dogs, for example, who are given too much calcium as puppies in their diet, will develop large bones that are low in density.  Strength is a problem with such bones due to the large amount of calcium supplements.  

When your dog's diet contains appropriate levels of calcium, such bone abnormalities occur infrequently.  This is just one more reason to carefully select an appropriate diet for your dog.  Always consult with your veterinarian to determine the best amount of calcium in your dog's diet.  

Calcium plays an important role in your dog's diet, but other vitamins and nutrients work hand in hand with calcium.  Some minerals are interdependent.  Calcium happens to be one of such mineral nutrients.  

Calcium works together with phosphorus.  A balance of the two nutrients calcium and phosphorus must exist in a healthy ratio to ensure a dog diet that will maximize the potential advantages for your pet.  Studies involving animal nutrition show that a ratio of 1.0 to 2.0 parts calcium should be coupled with 1.0 part phosphorus.  When calcium and phosphorus ratios vary greatly from this range, bone troubles result.  

Dog diets consisting exclusively of meats, will not provide the proper amount of calcium and phosphorus to create healthy bones.  Such a diet results in a ratio of about 1.0 part calcium to 18 parts phosphorus.  The range of absorption is where the trouble begins.

Vitamin D is another nutrient that influences the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.  If a dog's diet lacks the appropriate amount of vitamin D, the other nutrients will not provide all the benefits to your pet.  Excessive amounts of vitamin D can have toxic effects on your dog.  It is imperative to maintain appropriate levels of vitamin D in your dog's diet.  Again, feeding your dog food from a reputable company will allow you confidence in knowing that your dog's diet is healthy.   

During pregnancy or when your dog is nursing, higher levels of calcium are important in your dog's diet.  At this time, feed your pet extra amounts of a balanced dog food.  You should not have to supplement your pet at this time.  

Milk fever, or eclampsia, cannot be avoided with calcium supplements.  Eclampsia is not a nutritional deficiency, but a metabolic condition that affects the dog after the pups have been born and begin nursing.  

Avoid supplementing your dog's diet with calcium or other nutrients without specific discussion with your vet.  When calcium, for example, is out of balance, health can truly be effected negatively.  Feeding your dog a balanced diet is essential.  Reputable dog food companies have researched animal nutrition to ensure the best possible health for your dog.  Providing your dog's diet in a healthy, balanced formula may be the best way to take care of your pet.  

Benefits of Fiber in Your Dog's Diet

We know the benefits of fiber in our own diet, but is their any benefits of fiber in a dog's diet?  Fiber was consider filler and bulk in year's past, but today, the nutritional value of fiber in the dog's diet is finally realized. 

What exactly is fiber?  It is a part of carbohydrates.  Fiber is not highly digestible by the body.  Your dog's diet can benefit from fiber in appropriate amounts.  Just like humans, too much fiber in a diet can have negative effects on the digestive system.  It is always important to monitor your dog's diet to maintain a healthy level of fiber to suit your pet's needs.  Talk to your veterinarian about the benefits of fiber in your dog's diet. 

Obedience is prevalent in both humans and pets.  Too often, pet's become overweight.  Fiber in your dog's diet is a terrific way to help your pet lose excess weight.  Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to the longevity and quality of your dog's life.  We know that fiber cannot accomplish weight loss on its own, but it can truly make a difference.  Fiber helps to keep your dog feeling full and content without large amounts of calories. 

The pets who achieve the desired weight goal may need a little extra fiber in the dog's diet to maintain the desired weight.  Combining fiber with strict portion control, you will be able to create a dog diet that is healthy and satisfying for your pet. 

Again, similar to humans, constipation does occur in pets.  Your dog's diet should contain fiber to  help prevent this medical condition from occurring.  As your dog ages, his or her diet should contain elevated levels of fiber.  Senior dogs tend to deal with issues of constipation more frequently than their younger counterparts.  For this reason, you will note higher fiber content in senior dog diets. 

How does fiber help keep things moving?  Fiber absorbs water.  With the absorption of water in the fiber, the contents in the intestine have more bulk.  This is what causes the movement along the intestinal tract.  The passage time through the bowel becomes more normalized and regular. 

Healthy amounts of fiber in your dog's diet will contribute to fecal consistency.  You will know when your pet is getting the proper amount of fiber when your dog relieves himself regularly.  Too much fiber in your dog's diet will result in loose and messy stools. 

Some studies indicate that a slight increase in fiber can assist in the management of diabetes mellitus.  The fiber helps to control blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar from the intestine.   

Take note that excessive amounts of fiber can have negative affects on your dog's health.  For this reason, it is important to buy high-quality dog food from reputable companies to ensure a healthy diet for your dog.  Watch for these sources of fiber in your dog's diet.  Beet pulp, soybean hulls, rice bran, apple and tomato pomace, and peanut hulls.  Grain such as oats and rice are also examples of indigestible fiber. 

Fiber does have benefits in your dog's diet when used in moderation.  Talk to your vet about the best amount of fiber for your pet. 


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