Dogs and cats, like humans,
need the natural mineral calcium to support healthy bones for an active
lifestyle. But calcium is not made by your pet’s body, so it must come from his
diet. Wild dogs and cats get calcium by consuming their entire prey, including
the bones. But domesticated animals rely on commercial pet foods we feed them,
and some sources of calcium are safer for your pets than others.
Calcium in Real Food Differs from Supplements
Most commercial pet foods
contain the necessary nutrients your pet needs. However, nearly all pet foods,
even so-called “natural” ones, contain dozens of synthetic vitamins and
minerals, including calcium. Most of these man-made nutrients are produced in
Chinese chemical plants (1). In addition to potential toxicities from unwanted
ingredients synthetic nutrients contain, researchers are also finding they
behave differently in the body.
A recent study published in
the medical journal Heart, found that
people who obtained their calcium exclusively from supplements were 2.7 times
more likely than non-supplement-users to experience a heart attack. Previous
research has also linked calcium supplements to kidney stones and abdominal
symptoms. The authors say, "It is now becoming clear that taking
this micronutrient in one or two daily [doses] is not natural, in that it does
not reproduce the same metabolic effects as calcium in food (2)."
Calcium
and Vitamin D work together to support bone health. Vitamin D is required in
order for the body to absorb the calcium it gets from food (3). Cholecalciferol, a synthetic form of Vitamin D, is one of 20-26
added chemically-synthesized vitamins and minerals typically added to
commercial pet foods. Like synthetic calcium, man-made Vitamin D is also not
the same as the nutrient pets would get from whole food sources and sunshine.
Cholecalciferol
is the active
ingredients used in many rat poisons, causing death from hypercalcemia
Hypercalcemia, or increased calcium levels, occurs when animals absorb too much
calcium from their food. This can damage blood vessels, kidneys, the stomach wall and lungs, leading further to heart problems, bleeding,
and possibly kidney failure (5). Excess synthetic Vitamin D added to pet foods has
led to serious recalls, including the 2006 Royal Canin recall and the 2010 Blue
Buffalo recall. However, getting Vitamin D
naturally from sunlight or a good healthy diet has never caused hypercalcemia.
Safe Amounts of Calcium in Pet Food
How
much calcium your pet should consume depends upon a few variables. In general,
commercial pet foods formulate their products to meet the nutrient profiles
recommended by The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). For
calcium, AAFCO recommends pet foods contain from 0.6% - 2.5% calcium,
calculated on a dry matter basis, depending upon whether the food is for
growing puppies and kittens or for adult maintenance (6). To see where your
pet’s food falls, you can check the nutrient analysis on the food’s label (7).
However,
also consider the source of the calcium. Dogs or cats in the wild can consume
large amounts of calcium in the bone of their prey, more than AAFCO guidelines,
with no adverse effects. Calcium guidelines on commercial pet food are more
likely due to the fact that added synthetic calcium in pet food is mixed with
man-made vitamin D, or cholecalciferol. As stated earlier, too much synthetic
Vitamin D can cause the body to absorb too much calcium, leading to
hypercalcemia. This is not a problem when vitamins and minerals are obtained
from food, not chemically-synthesized supplements. Whole foods naturally supply
pets with nutrients in the most proper and safe amounts.
Natural Food Sources
of Calcium & Vitamin D
Fortunately,
calcium and vitamin D are readily available in foods like fish, liver, eggs,
alfalfa, apricots, apples, broccoli, and spinach, all found in Nature’s Logic foods.
They are among the long list of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that
naturally supply all essential vitamins and minerals dogs and cats need to
thrive. While Nature's Logic formulas are on the higher end of the AAFCO
recommended range for calcium than many other pet foods, the calcium in our
food comes from real food, not synthetics with chemical additives that might
cause adverse reaction.
Nature’s
Logic® is the only full-line of raw, canned, and frozen commercial pet food
with NO chemically-synthesized nutrients and NO ingredients from China. All of
the vitamins and minerals in our formulas are derived from food. This is the
safest way to supply nutrients to pets. For more information, visit www.natureslogic.com .
6.
Official Publication Association of American
Feed Control Officials, 2008, p. 131.
You probably should not only give consideration to your pet’s health and wellness, but, it is the best duty to ensure what you happen to be feeding the dog.
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