Het gebruik van diverse soorten puppymelkpoeder bij de Duitse Herdershond en de eventuele gevolgen daarvan op latere leeftijd. (Overfeeding puppymilk replacers in German Sheperd puppies and the possible development of skeletal diseases) .

Abstract

Overfeeding puppymilk replacers in German Sheperd puppies and the possible development of skeletal diseases.

The nursing period is a critical period in puppies and should not always considered without any problems. Sometimes is it not possible for puppies to receive natural mother milk, which is supposed to be the golden standard and is of high quality and constant in composition. As a result, breeders must decide to raise their puppies on puppy milk replacers, which contain a different amount of nutrients including calcium. Several other researchers have published that a high calcium content in food can cause skeleton disturbances and enostosis, especially in young growing large breed dogs.

The aim of this research is to analyse 10 different puppy milk replacers and get an overview, by interviewing German Shepherd breeders, of the quantity they give to their puppies them during the nursing period. With this data we figure out how much calories, nutrients and minerals such as calcium, phosphor and vitamin D puppies take up when feeding these powders.

This research was carried out among 57 German Shepherd breeders and the results show that during the first 3 weeks of life puppies can take in 3.5 as much calcium and up to 4 times as much phosphorus if fed on energy basis in comparison with Adkins research of the natural composition of bitch milk. But with the actually amount of given puppymilk replacers, the puppies calcium excess can be much more. In some casus breeders fed much more puppymilk replaces than necessary, if fed in a high amount, pups have the possibility of a 7.8 fold calcium excess on day 1.

Certainly is that all of the analysed puppy milk replaces exhibited on energy basis, have a higher concentration of calcium and phosphor if equate with bitch milk. However the quantities that puppies can consume differ in time and between the diverse puppy milk replacers. As well the owner plays an important role in giving too much of a puppy milk replacer in combination with bitch milk and dry food. So precaution must be taken if used for a longer period, because young dogs have an inefficient calcium regulation which allows them to take up the high calcium content. If a 3 fold excess of calcium is fed, pups can eventually develop enostosis or other skeletal bone diseases.