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⁴⁵Ca Kinetics in Growing Miniature Poodles Challenged by Four Different Dietary Levels of Calcium^{1, 2,}

Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

In 21 miniature poodles the ⁴⁵Ca metabolism was studied at 13, 19 and 25 wk of age. The animals were divided in four groups and fed dry dog food differing only in Ca concentration, i.e., 0.05 (LLC), 0.33 (LC), 1.1 (NC) or 3.3 g/100 g (HC) of Ca on a dry matter basis. The percentage of Ca absorption was significantly higher in the LLC and LC groups (70–96%) than in the NC group (28–53%). True Ca absorption was low and retention almost zero in the LLC dogs, whereas in the HC dogs absorption and retention were more than three times greater than in the NC dogs. The higher retention in the HC group compared with the NC group was primarily the result of a low level of bone removal, the deposition levels being similar in the two groups. We conclude that 1) the 0.33 g/100 g of Ca diet did not meet the minimal requirements for growth in small breed dogs, 2) both low and high dietary Ca caused effects on Ca metabolism similar to those previously observed in giant breed dogs, and 3) small and giant breed dogs require different minimal Ca:energy ratios in the diet during growth.

KEY WORDS: • dogs • dietary calcium requirements • skeletal mineralization • ⁴⁵Ca kinetics

¹ Part of the histomorphometrical analysis was funded by Trouw Nederland BV, Putten, The Netherlands.

² The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80.154, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Manuscript received 14 December 1992. Revision accepted 10 June 1993.