• Post-Natal Calcium Dosing for Bitches

  • This calculator will assist you in determining a starting point in how much calcium to give your bitch after whelping if she is showing signs of aberrant behaviors. These behaviors include aberrant behaviors, such as anxiety, aggression, poor mothering, digging in the whelping box, moving puppies, growling at or biting puppies, growling at or biting you, hiding, etc. 

    TO GET STARTED, enter your bitch's weight and note whether it's in pounds or kilograms.

    PLEASE REFER TO the Calcium Report (click here) for details on using calcium during and after whelping.

    Bitches vary greatly in how much additional calcium they need to maintain stable behaviors. Learn what your bitch needs rather than use a hard and fast rule. 

    If you need to supplement your bitch, divide her daily dose throughout the day, giving it 4, 6 or even more times a day. Whatever enables your bitch to remain stable.

    There are two amounts of calcium that you need to understand. The first and most important is elemental calcium, the amount of dietary calcium available in each type of calcium supplement. The second is the calcium listed on the container. Not all of the calcium in a product is available to your bitch so we need to do a calculation to figure it out.

    If your bitch is showing no symptoms of low calcium, you do not need to supplement her with calcium.

    If your bitch continues to have symptoms 30 minutes after giving her calcium, you can give her more and exceed this dosing.

    • BASIC FORMS OF CALCIUM  
    • BASIC FORMS OF CALCIUM

      The number of milligrams required daily to give your bitch the dose above. 

    • Dicalcium phosphate contains 39% elemental calcium, best taken with food

    • Dicalcium phosphate contains 39% elemental calcium, best taken with food

    •  Calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium, best taken with food

    • Calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium, best taken with food

    • Calcium citrate is 20% elemental calcium and does not need to be taken with food

    • Calcium citrate is 20% elemental calcium and does not need to be taken with food

    • Calcium lactate is 13% elemental calcium and does not need to be taken with food

    • Calcium lactate is 13% elemental calcium and does not need to be taken with food
    • Calcium propionate is 20% elemental calcium, and is usually used as a preservative so there is no information about whether or not it needs to be taken as food

    • Calcium propionate is 20% elemental calcium, and is usually used as a preservative so there is no information about whether or not it needs to be taken as food

    • COMMON CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS

      The dose of each product required daily to give your bitch the daily calcium amount above. 

    • Calcium form: dicalcium phosphate. Ca:Ph ratio 1.29:1. Contains Vit D and magnesium.

      More about Healthy Bones by Doc Roy's - Tabs

      More about Healthy Bones by Doc Roy's - Granules

    • Calcium form: dicalcium phosphate. Ca:Ph ratio 1.29:1. Contains Vit D and magnesium.

      More about Healthy Bones by Doc Roy's - Tabs

      More about Healthy Bones by Doc Roy's - Granules

    • Calcium forms: Calcium Carbonate and calcium lactate. Contains Vit D and magnesium but no phosphorus.


      More about Oral Cal Plus By Breeder's Edge

    • Calcium forms: Calcium Carbonate and calcium lactate. Contains Vit D and magnesium but no phosphorus.

      More about Oral Cal Plus By Breeder's Edge


    • Calcium form: Calcium Chloride. No Vit D or phosphorus.

      More about Calsorb Gel by PRN Pharmacal


    • Calcium form: Calcium Chloride. No Vit D or phosphorus.

      More about Calsorb Gel by PRN Pharmacal

    • Calcium forms: Dicalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Ca:Ph ratio 1.8:1. Contains Vitamin A and D.

      More about Osteo-Form SA Powder

    • Calcium forms: Dicalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Ca:Ph ratio 1.8:1. Contains Vitamin A and D.

      More about Osteo-Form SA Powder

    • Calcium form: Calcium citrate. No Vitamin D or magnesium

      More about Calcium Citrate Powder by Bulk Supplements 

    • Calcium form: Calcium citrate. No Vitamin D or magnesium

      More about Calcium Citrate Powder by Bulk Supplements 

    • Calcium form: Calcium carbonate. No phosphorus, vitamin D or magnesium

      More about Tums Extra Strength 750

    • Calcium form: Calcium carbonate. No phosphorus, vitamin D or magnesium

      More about Tums Extra Strength 750

    • Calcium forms: Calcium Lactate, Calcium Propionate

      More about Canine Whelping Calcium Paste by Nature's Farmacy

    • Calcium forms: Calcium Lactate, Calcium Propionate

      More about Canine Whelping Calcium Paste by Nature's Farmacy

    • Egg shells are about 94% calcium carbonate.

    • Egg shells are about 94% calcium carbonate.

    • Ice cream contains 430 mg of calcium carbonate per cup

    • Ice cream contains 430 mg of calcium carbonate per cup

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