# How Much Calcium for my pup



## Kona's Dad (Sep 4, 2011)

Hi I have a 7 1/2 month old puppy. He is about 70lbs and about 21 inchs tall. So it looks like he's going to get pretty big. I am really confused about how much calcium he should be getting. I read that pitbulls should be feed large breed food and the calcium should not be more that 1.5%. But I have also read that they are not considered large breed dogs. I would hate for him to have bone trouble later.

I am feeding him Nature's Variety Instinct Salmon now which has 2.49% calcium. Is that to much for him? I saw that NVI Rabbit has 1.12% and NVI Duck has 1.92% calcium. I was looking at these because if I switch it says that they are "Specially formulated for rotation feeding" so I though it would make the switch easier on him. Also because since being on the NVI Salmon he has had solid poops for the first time in months. 
But I was also looking at Acana Pacifica which has 1.4% calcium.
Which one would be best or should I just keep him on the food he is on?
Thanks


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Based on the size of your dog he is not a pit bull and at 7.5 months and that big I would consider him a large breed dog. You can feed a large breed puppy food or at that age and that big you might want to switch to an adult food.

A normal size pit bull would not be over 70lbs full grown more like 40-55. AT 7 months they are about 30 or so and that is why they are not a large breed.

I would not worry about calcium but finding a good food for a larger dog.


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## angelbaby (Feb 4, 2010)

Loki was huge , well he is huge but at that age he was pretty large for the breed even and the vet had us change to the adult food and take him off the puppy food { around 6 months i think we had to switch} Id go with an adult food at this point , and I agree with the above post as well.


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## Kona's Dad (Sep 4, 2011)

angelbaby said:


> Loki was huge , well he is huge but at that age he was pretty large for the breed even and the vet had us change to the adult food and take him off the puppy food { around 6 months i think we had to switch} Id go with an adult food at this point , and I agree with the above post as well.


Well Nature's Variety is an All Life Stages food should I just keep him on this?
Also according to his papers he is a pit bull. Are they wrong?
Thanks


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## angelbaby (Feb 4, 2010)

ya you can leave him on a all life stage food. My papers all say mine are apbt too but they arent they are Am bullys, really depends on the dogs on the ped as to what you have anything Razors edge , gotti , ect are am bully lines. You can post the ped and we can tell you what you have. It is confusing though having the papers say one thing but mean another alot of people think they have 1 thing come to find out they are wrong happens all the time.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

:goodpost: This is a whole can of worms that they have papers that say APBT but they are not. 21" and 70lbs at 7 months is not an APBT and most likely an American Bully.


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## Kona's Dad (Sep 4, 2011)

angelbaby said:


> ya you can leave him on a all life stage food. My papers all say mine are apbt too but they arent they are Am bullys, really depends on the dogs on the ped as to what you have anything Razors edge , gotti , ect are am bully lines. You can post the ped and we can tell you what you have. It is confusing though having the papers say one thing but mean another alot of people think they have 1 thing come to find out they are wrong happens all the time.


Ok thanks I'll leave him on the All Stage food. But as for the calcium being so high it won't make is bones grow to fast and cause him problems later. Just curious because of everything I read about large breed and high calcium in food.

Also I'll post up the papers later. I have to order the larger family tree. 
Thanks


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

You have to worry more about higher protein than calcium. higher protein can cause issues like knuckling and for them to grow too fast. One reason to feed and adult food vs puppy food at that age and considering how big he is.


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## pitbullmamanatl (Jun 1, 2010)

performanceknls said:


> Based on the size of your dog he is not a pit bull and at 7.5 months and that big I would consider him a large breed dog. You can feed a large breed puppy food or at that age and that big you might want to switch to an adult food.
> 
> A normal size pit bull would not be over 70lbs full grown more like 40-55. AT 7 months they are about 30 or so and that is why they are not a large breed.
> 
> I would not worry about calcium but finding a good food for a larger dog.


:goodpost:
Calcium excess is routed primarily to bone through the influence of the calciotropic hormones on target organs. Chronic, high intake of calcium in large breeds has been associated with hypercalcemia, concomitant hypophosphatemia, rise in serum alkaline phosphatase, retarded bone maturation, higher percentage of total bone volume, retarded bone remodeling, decrease in osteoclasts, and retarded maturation of cartilage. These changes cause disturbances in endochondral ossification

DO NOT SUPPLEMENT CALCIUM IN OTHER WORDS!

When high calcium intake (calcium excess) is coupled with relatively little absorption from bone, severe pathologic changes occur in the young, growing skeleton that is unable to respond by normal remodeling and endochondral ossification. The clinical diseases associated with these changes are osteochondrosis, retained cartilage cones, radius curvus syndrome, and hip dysplasia; therefore, excess calcium is a major contributor in the development of skeletal disease.


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## Kona's Dad (Sep 4, 2011)

pitbullmamanatl said:


> :goodpost:
> Calcium excess is routed primarily to bone through the influence of the calciotropic hormones on target organs. Chronic, high intake of calcium in large breeds has been associated with hypercalcemia, concomitant hypophosphatemia, rise in serum alkaline phosphatase, retarded bone maturation, higher percentage of total bone volume, retarded bone remodeling, decrease in osteoclasts, and retarded maturation of cartilage. These changes cause disturbances in endochondral ossification
> 
> DO NOT SUPPLEMENT CALCIUM IN OTHER WORDS!
> ...


Ok thanks so as long as he is on a good food even if it has 2.5% and I don't and any more calcium he should be fine.
Thanks


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## JimSG74 (Dec 29, 2010)

delete post


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