Practice Scenario

Meet Herman, a young adult, large-breed dog with occasional hindlimb lameness and reluctance to play.

Meet HERMAN

A 15-month-old, intact male Weimaraner

  • Herman presents for hindlimb lameness. The owner reports the lameness typically occurs after long walks and games of fetch. Occasionally Herman will stop and refuse to walk or play any longer. He also seems stiff when rising from a down position and climbing in and out of the car.
  • Herman eats a mixture of dry puppy and adult food topped with a few bites of raw steak. The owner is unsure of the brand but says that the puppy and dog food are not labeled for large-breed dogs. The owner also gives Herman a calcium supplement daily.
  • Herman has a body condition score of 5-6/9, weighs 36 kg (79 pounds), and has normal muscle mass.
  • On exam, he appears to resist hip extension on both sides. However, he is very excitable and thus his reactions are somewhat difficult to interpret. He appears otherwise healthy.

Puppy

Large Breed Puppies: Excessive Calcium Is Detrimental to Healthy Bone Development

Calcium is an essential mineral critical to many functions in the puppy, and the intake of the correct amount of calcium is key. Too little calcium could lead to rickets or stress fractures, but too much calcium could result in skeletal malformations and secondary nutrient deficiencies.  

A bottle of calcium pills

Key Messages

  • Unlike adult dogs, puppies cannot adequately regulate how much dietary calcium they absorb from the intestinal tract. Sometimes they absorb and retain too much calcium, which can cause skeletal malformations.   
  • The amount of calcium needed differs in large and giant breeds when compared to small breed dogs. However, diets with about 1% calcium (dry basis) are adequate for puppies of all sizes. 
  • Excess calcium could cause a decrease in phosphorus absorption, and the recommended ratio of calcium to phosphorus in the pet’s diet should be around 1:1.  
  • Complete and balanced  growth diets provide calcium concentrations in the safe range. When such a diet is fed, calcium supplementation is unnecessary and potentially harmful.  

Related Tools and Content:

Definitions of Key Terms Regarding Commercial Pet Foods

This glossary defines the key phrases used to describe commercial pet foods and explains the roles of two important associations.​

Read Glossary Terms 1 min to 5 min

Balanced Feeding Assists Healthy Growth in Dogs by Britta Dobenecker

Feeding a balanced diet supports healthy skeletal development and a lean body condition in puppies.​

View Paper 11 min to 15 min

Additional Resource

Larsen, J. (2010). Feeding large-breed puppies. Compendium: Continuing Education for Veterinarians, 32(5), E1–E4.