This is one of the most common queries I receive: “Doctor, I want to give a calcium supplement to my dog.”; “Doctor, I want to give my puppy calcium so that he has strong bones”; “Doctor, I am going to give my dog calcium to perk his ears up! It’s the worst thing you can do for your dog.
Such measures denote a complete ignorance about dog nutrition. Imagine, you start giving him calcium since you don’t know any better; it is extremely likely that you give him too much, then everything begins to spirals out of control; a series of imbalances in the rest of the minerals in the body begin to occur, which the body does everything it can to fix, and then all you do is hurt him. Very soon your dog will begin to develop not only orthopedic problems but also skin problems, growth imbalances, followed by dreaded hormonal problems.
However, this does not only occur in puppies, but also in adult dogs with skeletal problems such as osteoarthritis and dysplasias. Many people believe that calcium is a panacea, which is a big mistake. The first thing we recommend is a consultation with an orthopedic specialist and the second is QUALITY NUTRITION, and this is not possible with just kibble.
For canines and carnivores in general there is no better source of calcium than bones; it’s as simple as that.
Our dogs can begin to have serious orthopedic problems when they are very young. This is very a serious condition, and we see dogs between five and eight years old with serious orthopedic problems, especially osteoarthritis, and leaving aside the genetic factor, this is without a doubt is due to poor nutrition. Let’s not forget that more than 95% of our dogs are fed kibble. And remember that no matter how good the kibble is, the quality of its nutrients is much lower than that of natural foods. PURE LOGIC!
Where does a dog get the calcium it needs?
I want you to use a little common sense. Imagine any wild canine or carnivore such as wolves, foxes, coyotes, lions, etc. Do they use calcium pills? Of course not! They obtain their calcium mainly from the BONES of the prey that they occasionally eat. They find a dead bird, and they eat it all! Do you think they remove the bones? They hunt a hare, it goes inside! Do you think they remove the bones? Do you think that these animals have deficiencies? Not at all. Another thing is what the industry wants you to believe.
Bones are, without a doubt, the best source of calcium
It is a shame how the industry has “educated” our veterinarians and has made them believe that bones are the worst thing a dog can eat, when we have already seen that this is the NATURAL way a canine obtains calcium and other minerals necessary for its maintenance and development.
Green leafy vegetables, dairy products, eggshells, etc. are also a natural source of calcium.
While it is true that YOU MUST LEARN HOW TO PREPARE BONES in order to avoid any accidents, but from that to saying that dogs should NOT eat bones, it is a total and utter lie.
Bones are not the only source of calcium
We always maintain that a dog should eat bones as part of an adequate nutritional diet, but this is not the only source of calcium, and that’s why it’s important to feed a dog with a variety of foods and not just with kibble twice a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. There is nothing more unkind and cruel than your best friend.
If you feed them leafy green foods such as spinach, occasionally eggshells, and some whole grains, then you will also be providing calcium.
So please don’t ask me how to supplement your dog with calcium. Give him a rich, varied diet, with FRESH NUTRIENTS, offer him some bones (first learn how to prepare them, please) and your dog will NEVER need to take supplements. PLEASE do it for them!
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Best regards!
