Would Calci Plus Benefit Pup

[Country Joe 1,411]

Picking up my 9wk pup in a fortnight, doing my usual feeding regime.

Raw Mince, Lamb ribs, and chicken wings, and oily fish once a week plus the usual veg,

Will feed two meals raw meat, and two meals Gain puppy,

A Greyhound trainer has told me to give extra calcium eg Calci Plus.

I do know that pups have a quick growth, and they do need Calcium, but would the Gains and lamb and chicken wing bones be enough, or would it do no harm to give more Calcium, or would it upset the balance?

[Bootsha 1,306]

mate, far be it for me to disagree with a proffessional in the dog world such are greyhound men, but given the meat, ribs bones etc you already have in your planned diet for it then i would think nothing else is needed. However, unless the lamb ribs and chicken wings are minced thoroughly, i cant see how a 9 wk old pup could ingest them and get any calcium out of them, so in that case, some of that supplement may be handy at the start ??. I feed pups, (apart from good quality mixer), minced whole carcass chicken, there is all the calcium, proteins and oils you need in that to make any pup grow fat and healthy.

 

Also to add, sometimes in young pups, if you feed to much bone / calcium content, an oily product ( such as your going to get with your sardines etc) will assist in passing of stools, as these can get quite hard on a calcium rich diet. Hope the above is of some help to you.

[LaraCroft 863]

^ agree

 

The diet sounds like it is going to be fine in calcium levels - adding extra is more likely to cause problems, than be of benefit.

If they are just eating mince, rather than having bone/wings/ribs/dried food as well, then that is where the calcium levels would need a boost.

[low plains drifter 10,659]

Another alternative could be milk,I used a high protein milk powder with some added honey and glucose for my pups and they loved it,all the best with your new pup anyway

[skycat 6,173]

Adding extra calcium to a diet already rich in calcium could cause all sorts of bone problems. I know someone who rears and feeds his lurchers on nothing but horse meat and restaurant leftovers: not what I would feed but his dogs are fit and strong and work very hard. I guess they are getting a fairly well balanced diet with all the left overs, (veg, carbs etc) and the protein from the horse meat plus bones.

 

I've never given extra calcium to pups, whether they were fed on a raw diet or complete, and they all grow up strong and never had any bone problems.

[BORDERSCOT 3,816]

I've never given extra calcium to any of mine...if you are feeding as stated above the pup won't need it...

[low plains drifter 10,659]

The amount of supplements that are available these days is unbelievable,protein,creatine,calcium,amino acids to name but a few,is it any wonder that we consider using these either for animals or for ourselves at times,all the fancy labels and bold claims,if you are nursing a broken jaw and eating through a straw they may be some help,but all that synthetic powder form nutrition surely cannot be too healthy after a while

[Sirius 1,391]

I would say the same, a diet supplying natural calcium is best, bones, goats milk etc.

If you are worried and you are feeding plenty of food types which contain Calcium use something with a good Vitamin D content such as Cod Liver Oil as Vitamin D aids Calcium absorption.

I often use this with pups till they have finished growing for exactly that reason rather than adding a calcium supplement.

 

Good luck and don't panic

Edited April 29, 2013 by Sirius

[Country Joe 1,411]

Thanks all I wont panic, I will just keep to my regime, but may soak the Gain puppy with Goats milk for a couple of months.

[Saluki246 1,053]

Thanks all I wont panic, I will just keep to my regime, but may soak the Gain puppy with Goats milk for a couple of months.

 

That is the best thing you can do..

Goats milk is a1 for pups..

[low plains drifter 10,659]

Why is goats milk so good for pups ?

[paulus 26]

a good ballanced diet requires nothing more adding unless there is some underlying medical condition.Skycat i tried horse meat once, pressure washing black shite with the adhesive properties of superglue is not good

[skycat 6,173]

a good ballanced diet requires nothing more adding unless there is some underlying medical condition.Skycat i tried horse meat once, pressure washing black shite with the adhesive properties of superglue is not good

Yes, it does have that effect if you feed too much when the dog isn't used to it! I got mine used to it little by little: used to go down to a horse abattoir that supplied zoos etc. Bought it in 5kg blocks of pure muscle meat, but made sure never to feed it alone: needs other stuff to tone it down a bit.

[paulus 26]

 

a good ballanced diet requires nothing more adding unless there is some underlying medical condition.Skycat i tried horse meat once, pressure washing black shite with the adhesive properties of superglue is not good

Yes, it does have that effect if you feed too much when the dog isn't used to it! I got mine used to it little by little: used to go down to a horse abattoir that supplied zoos etc. Bought it in 5kg blocks of pure muscle meat, but made sure never to feed it alone: needs other stuff to tone it down a bit.

 

lime springs to mind :laugh: i get the same with certain venison aswell :laugh:

[Sirius 1,391]

Why is goats milk so good for pups ?

 

As far as I understand it the fat globules are smaller and far easier for dogs to tolerate as it has a lower lactose content.