Golden Retriever with calcium deficiency in legs

Golden Retrievers can suffer from calcium deficiency, which affects their bones. Symptoms include wobbly walking, weak limbs, and in severe cases, shortened skeleton and rickets. Owners should promptly purchase calcium tablets or liquid calcium to supplement their dog's diet. Increasing outdoor exercise can also help dogs absorb calcium. In daily life, feed your dog calcium-rich foods, such as bone broth or calcium supplements, like ionic calcium and calcium tablets.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency in dogs:

Calcium deficiency often occurs in puppies aged one to three months, mainly characterized by lack of activity, joint swelling, pain in the wrist joint of the front limbs, sometimes presenting as double joints, cord-like swelling at the connection of the ribs and costal cartilage, pica, and enteric inflammation (green stool). Gradual weight loss occurs. Osteomalacia occurs in adult dogs, with symptoms like lying down frequently, malformed limbs in an X or O shape, abnormal walking posture, limping, difficulty standing, prone to fractures and dental caries, flattened ribs, and a narrow chest. Osteoporosis occurs in elderly animals, with porous, soft bones and a high risk of fractures without deformation. Postpartum epilepsy.

What to do if a Golden Retriever has calcium deficiency:

Owners can purchase calcium-rich foods to supplement their dog's calcium intake, such as bone broth or fish soup. They can also buy calcium tablets or liquid calcium from a pet hospital for supplementation. Regularly taking the dog outside for sun exposure promotes calcium absorption. Calcium deficiency in dogs may damage skeletal development and affect their normal life.

What foods to feed dogs with calcium deficiency:

For puppies, the best way to supplement calcium is through breast milk. If there is less breast milk or the dog has been weaned, feeding sheep's milk can also achieve calcium supplementation. Adult dogs can be given calcium tablets or liquid calcium supplements containing vitamins A, E, D, lactate calcium, calcium bone meal, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate to aid in calcium absorption. Spending more time outdoors and exposing the dog to sunlight can also effectively help the body absorb and utilize calcium.