Appropriate Calcium levels for puppies - Page 1

Good morning everyone.

I have a new pup coming on Tuesday and i would like to keep her on the same food as my other 2 gsd's. They are on Acana Pacifica which was just recently switched from Orijen fish.

Calcium is at 1.4%

Is that enough,not enough or to much for a growing puppy?

Thanks in advance

 Hi,
You need to also check the Phosphorus percentage. The correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus needs to be: 1.2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus

Here is what I found for appropriate levels of calcium and phosphorus for large breed dogs.
Peak growth - 1.0 to 1.8% calcium & .08 to 1.6% phosphorus
Half Grown - .8 to 1.5% calcium to .6 to 1.2% phosphorus
Grown - .5 to .9% calcium & .4 to .8% phosphorus


Hope that helps.

C

Thanks:)

So the phosphorus is at 1.1%
So if i am reading your formula right she should be okay until she is full grown and then drop it.
So ideally my adults should be on something else as its to high for them?

Who would have thunk that feeding your dogs could be so complicated:)

I like the Wellness Ocean and Orijen 6 fish brands too, based on ingredients.  However my GSD was allergic to both and I had to downgrade to Natural Balance fish & sweet potato limited ingredients (LID).  As I stated on another thread this is the only dog kibble I have found to be truly  hypoallergenic.  The meat content in this food is low, so I supplement her diet with real meat and vegatables.

yeh im been feeding my puppy since 8 weeks, orijen puppy formula. and  just switched him to oreijen fish at 6 months, hes 6 1/2 months now, and stools are great.
i saw a article sayin when feeding better food, you can feed less, just becuase the dogs getting better vitiams from the food..

he doesnt have any problems with health.

i think its great food, and never have a problem with it. my little yorkie eats the same thing, just the small breed one.

no problems with it.
recommanded it to all.

thanks

Most good quality commercial kibbles designed for puppies are 'balanced' for growing youngsters, - the calcium fraction needs to be balanced with phosporous, magnesium and vitamin D et al, and most reputable feed producers take the guesswork out of this.

In my humble opinion, mistakes are made by overfeeding - better, (again IMO) to keep your pup lean, well wormed, sensibly exercised and don't be tempted to feed any supplements.  Feeding of even a 'balanced' calcium/mineral & vitamin mix as a supplement can actually cause harm to developing skeletons. Swamping with a balanced supplement won't 'even out' an unbalanced ration, either.

I don't think you should go too far wrong with the quality of food you are planning to provide your pup with, (if you don't want to feed a raw or prey model diet) as long as you aren't tempted to spoil your pup with overfeeding - the daily guidelines on the kibble bags often recommend far too much and I know of owners who worry if their pups aren't eating the upper end of the range, giving them far too much kibble, not to mention 'treats' and ending up with pups gaining as much as 1.5 - 2kg a week, and suffering frequent stomach upsets, sloppy stools and diarrhoea.

We all naturally want to do the best for our pups, but often, less is more!
Maggie

relax , this is basic , 8 weeks pups should be weened, mine 4 weeks, by the time you have the pup just leave the pup to the direction of your other 2 other gsd they dont need extra calcium I would say dont look for trouble  they are hardy, strong and active and truly can fend for them self's. Unless you feed raw and want to go into all that, which is a job in its self, I would say if your other dogs are health go with the flow , If you still feel uncertain add puppy food to diet no harm no foul, everyone is happy