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Dietary Calcium Chloride vs. Calcium Carbonate Reduces Urinary pH and Phosphorus Concentration, Improves Bone Mineralization and Depresses Kidney Calcium Level in Cats^1,2,

F.J.H. Pastoor^*,3, R. Opitz^*, A. Th. van 't Klooster and A. C. Beynen^{*, ,}

^* Department of Laboratory Animal Science Department of Large Animal Medicine and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

The effect of dietary calcium chloride vs. calcium carbonate on mineral metabolism was studied in cats. Ovariectomized cats and female kittens were fed purified diets with a normal calcium level (9.5 mmol Ca/MJ) but containing either calcium carbonate or calcium chloride, or were fed diets with a high calcium level (17.7 mmol Ca/MJ) containing either calcium carbonate alone or equimolar amounts of both calcium carbonate and calcium chloride. A 4 x 4-wk cross-over study using adult cats and a 31-wk parallel study using kittens were conducted. Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium balances were established regularly. In the course of the experiment with the kittens, blood samples were taken and X-ray photographs of the tibiae made. At the age of 39 wk, the kittens were killed, and organs and bones were collected. In both adult cats and kittens fed the high calcium diets, urinary concentrations of magnesium and phosphorus and apparent absorption of these minerals were lower than after feeding the normal calcium diets. Urinary pH and phosphorus concentration were lower in cats and kittens fed diets with calcium chloride instead of calcium carbonate. Body weight gain and tibia growth in the kittens tended to be greater after feeding the diets with calcium chloride. Calcium chloride vs. calcium carbonate and also supplemental calcium chloride in the high calcium diet significantly stimulated femur density and reduced renal calcium concentration.

KEY WORDS: • mineral excretion • bone mineralization • calcium chloride • nephrocalcinosis • cats

¹ F.J.H. Pastoor was supported by Rodi B.V., Opmeer, 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.

Manuscript received 15 October 1993. Revision accepted 5 May 1994.