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Calcium Phosphorus ration question and Nature's Domain question.

NeoBull

NeoBull

Well-Known Member
About the cal/phos ratio... I know you want it close to 1:1.2 but which way would it have to be off in to result in faster growth or slower growth? Is 1:0.8 too far off and if so in which direction (faster/slower)?

Also, I use the grain free all life stages foods from costco (we mix the 2 to get 2 protein sources) I read before that the ratio's in it are OK for giant breeds but I don't know what they are, does anyone here know?
 
Smart_Family

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
I can't seem to find the levels either. I'm going to keep looking and I'll let you know. I'm not quite sure what is too low and what is too high. I know on the high level I like to keep it below 1:1.4. Actually in general I like it as close to the ideal as possible because I rarely feed off of the bag. If the levels are too high then I run the risk of them getting too much calcium and phosphorus. On the low end I would think there would be a lower rate of growth and while you do want slow and steady growth I would assume there is such a thing as too slow growth.
 
NeoBull

NeoBull

Well-Known Member
Thanks, I appreciate it!

I was kind of wondering if it's too low and is slowing her growth too much since she's so much smaller than the litter mates, when I got her there were 2 sisters left they were both slightly taller than her (maybe 1/2") at 11.5wks old but she weighed about a half lb more, she was a little stockier than they were. If I've slowed it too much I'd like to fix it ASAP... if it's been too low all this time I wonder if she would even be able to catch up at this point? If it's too low and I just kept her on it would she eventually reach her genetic potential height?

---------- Post added at 10:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 AM ----------

OK, I called the company and got the rates, I guess I should have done that months ago instead of just taking someone's word for it in another forum that the ranges were ok...

Nature's Domain
Salmon Calcium Phosphorus 1.2:0.8
Turkey Calcium Phosphorus 1.4:0.9

Kirkland Adult
Chicken Calcium Phosphorus 1.2:0.9
Lamb Calcium Phosphorus 1.7:1.2


To make sure we were getting a variety of protein sources I would usually mix one grainfree (nature's domain) with the Kirkland (usually chicken occasionally lamb) adult... some times I would just mix the two grainfrees...

So based on these ratios, how much have I been screwing up? Could it have slowed her growth too much? If so can it be fixed? What should I put her on to fix it?
 
NeoBull

NeoBull

Well-Known Member
OK, I called the company and got the rates, I guess I should have done that months ago instead of just taking someone's word for it in another forum that the ranges were ok...

Nature's Domain
Salmon Calcium Phosphorus 1.2:0.8
Turkey Calcium Phosphorus 1.4:0.9

Kirkland Adult
Chicken Calcium Phosphorus 1.2:0.9
Lamb Calcium Phosphorus 1.7:1.2


To make sure we were getting a variety of protein sources I would usually mix one grainfree (nature's domain) with the Kirkland (usually chicken occasionally lamb) adult... some times I would just mix the two grainfrees...

So based on these ratios, how much have I been screwing up? Could it have slowed her growth too much? If so can it be fixed? What should I put her on to fix it?

---------- Post added at 10:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:43 AM ----------

Since I mix the Salmon and the Chicken formula's most often I would say that she's been getting 1.2:0.85 most often.
 
NeoBull

NeoBull

Well-Known Member
Since I mix the Salmon and the Chicken formula's most often I would say that she's been getting 1.2:0.85 most often.

I guess if I was going to mess it up, under growing, or growing her too slow is better than too fast...

---------- Post added at 11:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:45 AM ----------

OK... I'm seeing that 1.5:1 is appropriate.... so the 1.4:0.9 of the Turkey might be ok...
 
Last edited:
NeoBull

NeoBull

Well-Known Member
OK... I'm seeing that 1.5:1 is appropriate.... so the 1.4:0.9 of the Turkey might be ok...

---------- Post added at 11:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 AM ----------

It's like the more I try to reseach the more confused I get! HELP! lol
 
Smart_Family

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
What do you have as far as places to buy food and do you have a certain budget? I'm not very good at math but if it were me I'd probably change to a food that wasn't quite as confusing haha. Are those levels the ratios already calculated or the percentages? Like does the kirkland lamb have 1.7% calcium and 1.2% phosphorus or is the ratio 1.7:1.2?
 
NeoBull

NeoBull

Well-Known Member
Those are the percentages and the ratio, just not the simplified ratio... if I was better at math or felt like thinking I would simplify them. Maybe I can later if I get my crazy kids to take a nap!
 
Smart_Family

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
Give me a couple minutes and I might be able to give you some answers or at the very least do my best to give you some answers.

---------- Post added at 04:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:22 PM ----------

Okay so the ideal ratio is 1.2:1 (calcium to phosphorus). Here's the ratios for the foods you mentioned:
Nature's Domain
Salmon Calcium Phosphorus 1.2:0.8 = a ratio of 1.5:1
Turkey Calcium Phosphorus 1.4:0.9 = a ratio of 1.5 :1

Kirkland Adult
Chicken Calcium Phosphorus 1.2:0.9 = 1.3: 1
Lamb Calcium Phosphorus 1.7:1.2 = 1.4 : 1

So your closest to the ideal would be the Kirkland Chicken. Now outside of ratios if you wanted to know what the recommended amounts of calcium are for giant breed pups then the max amount of calcium a giant breed pup should be getting is 1.4% to 1.6% at absolute most. So going off that that eliminates the Kirkland Lamb and puts the Nature's Domain Turkey in the high end area. Personally of these the only ones I would feed would be the Kirkland Chicken and I prefer grain free and chicken free for my mastiff at least. Does that make sense? It's hard for me to explain it to other people sometimes because I know it but have trouble getting it out in a way that isn't rambling and makes sense haha.
 
Smart_Family

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
Okay so the ideal ratio is 1.2:1 (calcium to phosphorus). Here's the ratios for the foods you mentioned:
Nature's Domain
Salmon Calcium Phosphorus 1.2:0.8 = a ratio of 1.5:1
Turkey Calcium Phosphorus 1.4:0.9 = a ratio of 1.5 :1

Kirkland Adult
Chicken Calcium Phosphorus 1.2:0.9 = 1.3: 1
Lamb Calcium Phosphorus 1.7:1.2 = 1.4 : 1

So your closest to the ideal would be the Kirkland Chicken. Now outside of ratios if you wanted to know what the recommended amounts of calcium are for giant breed pups then the max amount of calcium a giant breed pup should be getting is 1.4% to 1.6% at absolute most. So going off that that eliminates the Kirkland Lamb and puts the Nature's Domain Turkey in the high end area. Personally of these the only ones I would feed would be the Kirkland Chicken and I prefer grain free and chicken free for my mastiff at least. Does that make sense? It's hard for me to explain it to other people sometimes because I know it but have trouble getting it out in a way that isn't rambling and makes sense haha.
 
Smart_Family

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
I think (but don't hold me to it) that the levels are more on the high side than the low side. I wouldn't think you were stunting her growth. The higher the ratio the more calcium and phosphorus she's getting which means faster growth. I think if you were going to stay with these foods, I wouldn't mix them and I would follow the bag exactly.

---------- Post added at 05:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 PM ----------

I was just reading something else that said the highest ratio you should really have is 1.4:1 so if you went by that it would obviously eliminate the Nature's Domain and the calcium level on the Kirkland Lamb would be too high.
 
Smart_Family

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
I was just reading something else that said the highest ratio you should really have is 1.4:1 so if you went by that it would obviously eliminate the Nature's Domain and the calcium level on the Kirkland Lamb would be too high.
 
NeoBull

NeoBull

Well-Known Member
I'm not too worried about her growing too fast... even when she was growing her fastest she never put on more that 2.5 maybe 3lbs (once or twice) in a week. And now she's probably at a pound to a pound and a half a week, and she's not that tall... about 24.5-24.75" at almost 9.5 months.
 
Smart_Family

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
In that case you might be alright. In general too fast growth is the biggest concern with giant breed dogs because it can affect their bones and joints. It seems like you keep a close eye on her though :)
 
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