Strong teeth. Strong bones. Calcium isn’t just good for humans — it can be good for our four-legged friends, too.
If you’re making your own dog food, you should be concerned about calcium. Dogs with a calcium deficiency may show signs of lameness or have an increased risk of fractures. And yes, dogs can develop osteoporosis!
So how do you make sure your dog gets enough calcium in his or her diet?
- Raw (uncooked) meaty bones contain lots of calcium. Not feeding raw? That’s okay — try ground/powdered bone meal. You can also cook bones until they’re soft enough to blend or grind into safe bits. Just be prepared to be patient — our Thanksgiving turkey carcass took several days in the crock pot before it could be ground down into liquid slurry for the dogs. Please don’t give your dog bones or bone pieces that can splinter, like chicken or turkey bones — they can be a choking hazard or cause internal damage.
- Ground eggshells are a great natural source of calcium. Not sure how good they taste, though!
- Dairy products are full of calcium, but many dogs don’t do well with dairy. (My dog Moose loves dairy but dairy doesn’t love him!)
- A calcium supplement can provide necessary minerals but it’s easy to go overboard and accidentally overdose your pet.
How much is too much calcium? The National Research Council suggests the maximum amount of calcium is 1800 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. That’s a lot of calcium! Too much calcium in the diet can increase the risk of orthopedic disorders like hip dysplasia and growth problems.
If you are preparing your own dog food, it’s hard to use too much calcium — but it can be done. Bone meal, for example, is a good source of calcium that makes it easy to go overboard. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how much powdered bone meal to use; in this case, too much of a good thing can be bad. Also, look for bone meal without added phosphorus — meat already has enough phosphorus for your canine pal.