Vitammins and calcium

[Bali Luki]

Hi there!

I'm giving to Luki (Rott, aprrox 10 weeks old) tablets of multi vitamines and tablets of calcium.

Until what age should I do it?

Any risks of giving too much of calcium, causing problems?

I'm obliged to ask there questions, because here in Bali is quite hard to get some reliable informations.

Bye
Nic

[Judi W]

If you are feeding a prepared dog food, please do not supplement calcium at all. The proper balance of calcium is already supplied by the food and thowing that balance off can cause problems.

[patton_jr]

Judy- When you say prepared, you are saying purchased right? Like dry dog food from the store?

[rottnkidd]

I'm certainly not Judi ;) , but yes, she's referring to kibble. Calcium is plentiful in the commercial food, so supplementing it is not ever necessary, or healthy. Never give calcium supplements when feeding a commercial food. Here's some websites that explain that too much calcium has caused significant increases
in developmental bone diseases.
http://www.peteducation.com/article....articleid=1089

http://www.ilovemypet.com/jackart.html

Hope this helps!
kathy

[Judi W]

What Kathy said. If you are feeding dog food, the additives have been carefully balanced and changing that balance can have detrimental effects. Most general vitamin supplements are not harmful, but adding calcium certainly can be.

[patton_jr]

So, you would say no supplements period if feeding a commerical dog food? I was thinking of adding Vitamin C.

[Carina43]

Some supplements are fine (though I don't know how necessary they are with a healthy dog.) But oversupplementing with calcium is not a good idea, since puppies cannot excrete excess calcium the way adult dogs can - it can get deposited in the growing bones & cause various joint problems.

[Judi W]

Vit C is fairly innocuous unless given to excess and it can cause loose stools. If there is no reason - why are you supplementing? If it just makes you feel better, there is no harm in the C given in reasonable amounts.

[patton_jr]

Wasn't trying to get off your calcium topic, and I hope that vitamins are staying consistant with your thread topic.

Judy - I had asked this question before regarding the Vitamin C supplements. I had read in The Complete Rottweiler, that bitches have less of a chance in getting viginatis if they receive Vitamin C. I had planned on adding the vitamin C to her food, then I saw this thread, and thought maybe I didn't specifiy before that I was feeding commerical food. The supplement of vitamin C was just a preventive thing for me is all.

[Judi W]

It is one of those "can't hurt, might help" probably makes the owner feel like they are doing something. There is no empirical evidence to support this theory. I do not supplement and have never had a bitch with vaginitis. Puppy vaginitis is usually self limiting and disappears with maturity. If I had a bitch with reoccuring problems, I would certainly consider adding Vit C, but I've never had that problem. Again, if it makes you feel better it is inexpensive and does no harm.

Not everything Muriel wrote came from Mt. Sinai.

[moondog]

This discussion has made me curious.........:D Since dogs manufacture the Vitamin C they need, does anyone know if supplementing with Vitamin C, especially starting at an early age, has any effect on the liver's natural ability to manufacture Vitamin C? Does the body just ignore the fact that Vitamin C is present in the body (from supplementing) or does it say "Hey, no need to go to work today, the Vitamin C is covered!" Just makes me wonder........:)

[Carina43]

Originally posted by Judi W

Not everything Muriel wrote came from Mt. Sinai.

ROTFLMAO!
Hers was one of the first ever Rottweiler books** written, wasn't it? Seems I read it back in the mid '80s. I think some of her info is outdated; still an excellent book though.

**Muriel Freeman, author of "The Complete Rottweiler."

[Judi W]

Originally posted by moondog
does anyone know if supplementing with Vitamin C, especially starting at an early age, has any effect on the liver's natural ability to manufacture Vitamin C?

I believe that is entirely possible as the endocrine system is quite complex and has been known to follow that idea so it would be a bit simplistic to believe that it does not apply to the manufacture of C. I don't know of any research supporting the hypothosis, nor any supporting the addition of C. There have been many claims over the years for C from curing or holding off colds, HD to cancer but they have not stood up to scrutiny. If it were that simple............

[moondog]

I tend to lean that way, too. If a nutritionally complete food is fed to a healthy dog or puppy, I'd personally be hesitant to mess with success. I'm not convinced that there are no negative consequences to supplementing an already balanced diet, even with substances that are not stored but eliminated by the body if given in excess. Doing so with a puppy who is still developing doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

I'm not anti-supplement by any stretch of the imagination. If there is a bonafide need for them, they can be extremely helpful, as I've seen with Luna. But short of a real need, it concerns me that they are generally thought of as insurance against illness and harmless substances in circumstances where a need does not exist. It just doesn't ring true to me. :)

[patton_jr]

Well, I have decided that you all gave me plenty of reasons not to add suppliments.

Here are the ingredients, and Vitamin C is already there.
INGREDIENT LISTING
Chicken, Brown Rice, Duck, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols-a source of Vitamin E, Citric Acid, and Rosemary Extract), Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Canola Oil, Brewers Yeast, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Dried Kelp, Salt, Parsley Flakes, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplements, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Lysine, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Copper Proteinate, Grape Seed Oil, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Inositol, Folic Acid (Vitamin B, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), D-Activated Animal Sterol (source of Vitamin D-3), Biotin, Ethylene Diamine Dihydriodide (source of Iodine), Cobalt Sulfate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Sodium Selenite.


GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein 23.0% minimum
Crude Fat 12.0% minimum
Crude Fiber 3.0% maximum
Moisture 10.0% maximum
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 0.5% minimum
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 3.0% minimum

Thanks again all!