Large breed puppy: About the Calcium content and switching to adult food

Question
I have siberian husky puppy of 3 months and she is on Innova Evo no grain diet and so far she is doing good.  I read previous answer regarding "large breed puppy nutrition" and your answer also solves my problem.  Many people simply disagree with others feeding large breed puppy high protein diet without proper basis of knowledge and standard sources.  until there are new studies completed, it should be left to us owners to decide to feed puppy junks or ancestral diet.

So, the question is about the Calcium content. You mentioned in that previous answer that it is the calcium that matters with puppy's problematic growth.  How do I know how much calcium is too much?  Please provide me how to calculate the appropriate calcium percentage proportion to % of protein and fat.

Also, my puppy will be going through spaying before her first heat cycle.  I do not quite understand what you answer shortly previously and would like to hear more about when to switch to adult food for my puppy.

Thank you.

Answer
Good morning, Felisha.

I'll try to keep this from getting too long :-)

I don't personally believe that high protein diets cause a problem for large breed pups as long as other nutritional requirements are met.

First, the problem with feeding puppies a diet too high in calcium is that puppies cannot regulate how much calcium their body absorbs.  This can lead to rapid growth, increased risk of joint problems, etc.  I can provide some links to such information if you'd like.

It is believed, through various studies, that most puppies do develop the ability to regulate calcium absorption around sexual maturity, but there is nothing certain about this as it does appear to vary from dog to dog.  My general rule of thumb is if your pup has reached sexual maturity AND has reached at least 80% of the expected adult height, you are OK to feed without as much concern for high calcium content.

In general, a puppy should be fed around 3 grams of calcium per 1,000 Kcals consumed.  This will provide calcium levels that meet a growing pup's calcium needs.

Email me if you'd like at GVigneault@newfoundnaturals.com and I'll let you know how to calculate how  much calcium, etc. is in any particular kibble.  It is rather lengthy to explain.

In regards to spaying before the first heat cycle, quite often, when a dog is altered prior to full development, the growth plates stay open longer.  This allows the dog to grow taller, therefore, increases how long the pup will grow.  Because of this, I am more comfortable keeping a large breed pup on a diet appropriate for large breed pups longer than those that are not altered prior to reaching full development.

I hope this has been helpful.

Gail