Momma and babies are eating well. I still worry though..

What do you all recommend with calcuim? I have Pet Tabs calcuim and I have the Oral calcuim plus or will she get enough just with food? I usually give pet tabs but I was thinking the Oral may absorb better.

Oral Cal Plus is only to be given in emergency.

Pet Cal has the correct ratio of Vitmamin D to absorb the Calcium


Keeping eclampsia at bay, so it never comes at all… forget everything about giving tums, cottage cheese, cheese, ice cream.. etc. It’s useless. The body needs the calcium to be delivered with the correct ratio of Vit D and Phosphorus or it doesn’t absorb it, it’s useless. Pet Cal has this correct ratio. Another thing that has it is, believe it or not.. a scrambled whole egg! Of course everyone knows not to start calcium until the litter is whelped.. no giving it to PG bitches… I do give some calsorb during whelping If things slow down on a larger litter, but never before whelping. Make it a general practice to scramble your bitch an egg every day, and depending on weight, give ½ to a whole pet tab per day. I gave it to a 8 lb bitch ½ in the morning ½ at night…this is the “daily dose” for about a 20 lb dog who was NOT nursing a litter…so just fine for ½ the size, but nursing a litter. I would grind up the pet tab in the food processor and put the powder in the egg when I scrambled it.

Also, check your dog food for Soybeans, soy protein, or anything related to soy in any way. For SOME reason that is not completely understood by me (many menopause supplements contain soy, or are soy based, so this seems to be a contradiction).. soy protein can interfere with the absorption of calcium in dogs. If your food has soy of any sort, change to a food that does not for the duration of the weaning of the litter.

And plenty of sunshine. You don't have to eleminate giving her cottage cheese, whelping pudding, cheese, etc. They all help.

Thanks!!

Mary, I have noticed that Pet Tabs Calcium has soy flour in it. Do you think that could effect their efficiency? I have had a few incidences of eclampsia years ago when I was using the Pet Tabs Calcium but since switching to the Doc Roy's Healthy Bones I have not had any problems.

I also agree that proper diet is essential for preventing eclampsia. It is essential that the nursing mom eats at least fur good meals a day. It is important that they eat a good meal with their calcium supplement at bedtime because the mom nursing the pups all night puts a huge strain on her system. I give 1/2 calcium tablet in the morning and 1/2 at bedtime.

I can only tell you what my Repro vet has asked me to administer and I do nothing without running it past him....because of the correct ration of Vitamin D for the Calcium to absorb properly...I questioned him about the Soy Flour and he stated that it's content was trace throughout the product and had no affect. The problem would be the amounts of Soy within foods, milk, treats, etc.

I only administer to females that have more than 2 pups......and according to their weight..........one girl is 6 pounds, she gets a 1/4 in the morning and a quarter in the evening..........

Eclampsia is so tricky as to when it will come on.....it can happen prior to the pups being born.....as it happened to Dee, when the milk just came into fast....The books say it can occur during the first 3 weeks of lactation, but it can occur up to six weeks after deliver. I have a girlfriend whose girl had an episode at 10 weeks after whelp........You just have to be vigilant.

Forgot to add and we are talking about Soy Protien.

You are so right. You always have to be vigilant when you have nursing mommas. That is one reason I never leave my nursing mommas alone more than a couple of hours. If I have to go somewhere I make sure my husband it there to keep an eye on them. Several years ago I had one female get eclampsia when her pups were 5 weeks old. The Cal-sorb saved her. She had refused breakfast that morning and that was all it took. After that happened I now make absolutely sure the moms eat something, whether they want it or not.

That same exact thing happened to me on the last litter. She passed the placenta on a potty break about 12 hours after the last pup and too my horror tried to eat the thing after it had landed in the dirt. Nasty.

My vet is not a fan of supplements. I have my girls calc levels tested and have never supplemented because of my vet's beliefs. Thank goodness I have never had a problem. This makes me rethink though. Would supplementing when the dog didn't need it hurt the dog in anyway? (Of course after whelping, never before). Maybe I should just supplement with every litter to avoid any problems. Is that what most of you do?

My vet isn't a fan of supplements either....believing if you are feeding a good quality food it's not necessary.....However, being the repro vet that he is.....his concern is always for the female, because in taking care of her you are safeguarding the pups. So any litter that has more than 2 and because eclampsia hits hard and fast, he believes in calcium tabs....however, after pups are weaned.....no more.....and no it doesn't hurt the female........I don't supplement every litter......One of the last litters I had there were 4, I began the calcium tabs......I lost 2 pups, but didn't stop the calcium tabs because I'd already started the process and stopping could cause more of a problem.

All the vet I have ever used always recommended supplementing with calcium.

Yeah I think I am going to switch over to your guys' side and supplement like Mary does, anything more than 2 pups. I would much rather avoid the problem than catch it with a blood test, you know? I won't be having a litter for a long while, probably not until next summer, but when I do I will ask you to refresh my memory on that brand and dosage. Shhh don't tell my vet. I don't wanna argue with him for a year lol.

I won't tell your vet, if you promise never to tell my vet in Dallas that I stop all heartworm just before breeding and don't reinstate until the pups are 2 weeks of age........

:D It's a deal!

Sometimes we don't tell our vets everything......but, my vet & I go round and round about heartworm meds on breeding females.....He says no problem, I say I don't want to take a chance.