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Those unable to move around for a long time may also be at risk of having high calcium levels. When the bones are inactive for a long time, they can weaken and release more calcium into the bloodstream. Although eclampsia can strike any nursing dog, it is most common in small-breed females or mothers of large litters. Calcium supplements come in many different forms, including powders, tablets, and chewables. In addition to calcium, most brands contain a blend of supplements like glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega fatty acids for a full-spectrum approach to pet health. Calcium supplements can come from many different sources, but eggshells and seaweed are the most common.
Keep in mind that healthy dogs who eat a balanced diet may not benefit much from a calcium supplement unless they have an underlying illness that requires calcium supplementation. Most healthy dogs that are eating a complete and balanced diet do not need a calcium supplement. Too much calcium can also cause problems for your dog, so you should never give your dog a calcium supplement without first consulting your veterinarian. If you are concerned that your dog may have a calcium deficiency, it is important to first see your veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause.
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If you’re feeding your dog a home cooked or home prepared raw diet, you’ll need to add calcium to his meals. Let’s look at the different sources of calcium and how much to give your dog. Eclampsia is a life-threatening drop in blood levels of calcium that strikes some nursing dogs, usually when the puppies are one to four weeks of age. Also called puerperal tetany, milk fever, or hypocalcemia, eclampsia can cause agitation, muscle tremors, seizures, and even death if not treated right away. If your dog has lower than normal levels of calcium in its blood, it is suffering from the medical condition known as hypocalcemia. Therefore, calcium deficiency is a serious condition that requires immediate treatment.
Get practical pet health tips, articles, and insights from our veterinary community delivered weekly to your inbox. Whatever the situation, only a veterinarian can help you determine if your dog needs supplementation or treatment. A calcium-deficient dog on a long-term medication therapy may be able to discontinue the medication and supplements in a tapered way under the guidance of the vet. However, if your dog is pregnant, especially with a large litter, she may need more calcium than usual to maintain overall health.
Addressing Underlying Health Issues
However, total calcium can appear falsely decreased due to low levels of albumin , as well as delayed testing (i.e., sample left standing on the counter for too long before testing). If preliminary testing reveals hypocalcemia, then measuring ionized calcium is often recommended to confirm the finding. In case of infection or inflammation , the number of white blood cells may have found to be abnormally high. In some dogs with pancreatitis, amylase and lipase enzymes are also found to be elevated. In dogs with low levels of albumin , the biochemistry profile will show levels of albumin and disturbances in calcium levels. Meanwhile, if alkalosis is a cause of hypocalcemia, the blood gas analysis will reveal abnormally high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood of your dog.
Hypoparathyroidism is a metabolic disorder characterized by hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia and either transient or permanent PTH insufficiency. The spontaneous disorder is uncommon in dogs and rarely reported in cats. Iatrogenic injury or removal of the parathyroid glands during thyroidectomy for treatment of hyperthyroidism is the most common cause in cats.
Hypocalcemia in Dogs
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Your pet will be carefully monitored as calcium levels can climb to the upper range which is not desired either. With low blood calcium, the blood test is the best way to verify if your pet’s symptoms are caused by this disorder. The parathyroid glands, which are found near the thyroid glands, control calcium by monitoring the blood level of this mineral. Improperly working parathyroid glands can contribute to hypocalcemia. Symptoms resulting from low blood calcium indicate issues in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Feed 3/4 teaspoon per pound of food that’s no more than 10% fat. Any food that contains more than 10% fat will cause a phosphorus deficiency. While many home made diets use egg shells as a source of calcium, they’re deficient in other minerals. The amount to feed is about 1 teaspoon per pound of food, which is about 5 grams.
The vast majority of the calcium in our bodies is located in our bones and teeth, but calcium plays a role in other areas of the body as well. Abdullah Iqbal is a DVM from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pakistan. Being an animal lover, he always wanted to do something for the animal-loving community.
Renal failure, pancreatitis, diabetic ketoacidosis, milk fever, trauma, and inflammatory bowel diseases are several other possible causes of low blood calcium levels in dogs. If a dog has undergone a thyroid surgery, there are chances of the parathyroid gland getting damaged. This gland plays a key role in producing and regulating hormones that control blood calcium levels. If your dog’s food doesn’t have enough calcium, the parathyroid hormone will pull calcium out of his bones to keep circulating levels of calcium up.
We don’t recommend feeding a diet that’s over 20% fat … this would contain twice as much fat as protein and is not recommended for long-term health. Fat is relatively devoid of vitamins and minerals, so it’s important to feed no more than 20% fat without veterinary guidance. This is especially important for puppies and pregnant dogs because they will not be able to get enough nutrition from their food unless they eat too many calories. Remember, much of your dog’s meal is water weight, so a food that’s 20% fat will only contain about 10% protein.
This is easy to resolve by adding some of the foods listed above. GI and hepatic infections result in the reduced absorption and utilization of minerals and vitamins in the body. If your dog has recently recovered from a serious gastrointestinal infection and you have found out that your dog is anemic, you shouldn’t worry. Anemia is a serious situation that often requires veterinary care. Some more serious conditions may need treatment by your holistic or conventional vet. Canine hypercalcaemia is often a secondary condition alongside a serious disease.
Once calcium levels return to normal, the dog will be sent home with oral calcium and vitamin D supplements. It is generally best for the puppies to stop nursing for about hours. They should be given a canine milk replacement formula until it is safe for the mother to nurse again. However, the puppies should be weaned off their mother's milk as soon as possible.
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