Page 77 - K9 News Digital - Issue 11 May2020

Unfortunately, supplementing calcium, by adding multitude of skeletal abnormalities, including
bone meal to the diet, is still common practice and enlargement of the costochondral junctions and the
the internet is awash with photos of the resultant epiphyseal-metaphyseal regions of the long bones,
nutritional growth deformities. Ideal recommended hyperextension of the carpus and sinking of the
levels are shown in the table and it should be stressed forelimbs, all of which resulted in pain and lameness.
that dietary calcium and phosphorus supplements In later studies, excess energy, and the resultant
should never be added to a complete balanced diet rapid growth, was found to contribute to Hip
for dogs (Case et al, 2011) because - due to the Dysplasia (CHD) (Case et al, 2011) and feeding a
immaturity of the intestinal wall in young animals - reduced energy diet which slowed down growth
calcium absorption is passive during this phase and showed a positive influence on joint formation and
therefore unregulated (Case et al, 2011). the incidence of subsequent CHD and osteoarthritis
was reduced (Kealy et al, 1992).
Canine Adult Growth Early growth Late growth
(<14 weeks) (>14 weeks) Finally, maintaining an ideal body weight right from
Ca 1.25 2.50 2.00 the start is vitally important for long term health.
P 1.00 2.25 1.75 With obesity on the rise and being characterised
by an expansion of white adipose tissue mass,
Calcium and Phosphorus minimum requirements for growth
vs adult maintenance in grams per 100kcals ME understanding the way that adipocytes (cells which
store fat) react to excess energy is important; in
Finally, copper and zinc, two minerals which work in puppies, they increase in number and never go
synergy, are both important considerations during away. In adult dogs they expand in size as a result
growth (Booles et al, 1991) with copper being vital for of excess energy, therefore overweight puppies with
bone formation during skeletal growth and to absorb higher numbers of adipocytes are much more prone
and transport iron, amongst other things (Case et al, to weight gain and much harder to manage in the
2011). Zinc is important for protein synthesis. long term (Smith et al, 2006).
Protein requirements are higher in growth than in To summarise, growth dramatically affects the
adulthood because of muscle-building in addition to nutritional requirements of puppies. If the adult
normal maintenance needs. animals are to be of optimal size, form and health, it
IN SUMMARY is imperative that close attention is paid to nutrition.
The growth periods are fast and dynamic with certain
Inappropriate feeding during growth can lead to
specific nutrients essential for the correct formation
catastrophic skeletal abnormalities, particularly for
of musculature, organs, the skeleton and various
large and giant breed dogs.
functions, including vision and brain development.
Firstly, feeding a diet too high in energy can Inadequate or over-nutrition during growth can have
cause accelerated growth. The Hedhammer catastrophic consequences.
(1974) study showed that giant breed puppies
fed ad libitum a high energy food displayed a

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