RDA calcium

[kimpton]

Hi there.  My dog has white stool now and again.  Portions of it break apart and crumble.  I was told that too much calcium in the diet causes this.  She's had them consistently throughout the years & sometimes she is nauseous when they last for a few days to a week @ a time.  Her daily calcium intake is around 100g a day, & that's on the high side.  Maybe it's an imbalance of nutrients and not too much calcium.  I can't relate this to her diet.  Any comments or recommendations?

[Jennifer Mathis, D.V.M.]

White/pale stools may be caused by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency which can be tested by your veterinarian through sending blood samples to a specific GI lab. If this is not the cause I would see your veterinarian and have him or her talk with a veterinary nutritionist at the college or on VIN.
It is not normal for the stool to be this way, so please see a veterinarian about it.

[Dean Vicksman, D.V.M.]

Another thought.
This is not an uncommon type of stool you see in a dog that eats bones.  Does your dog eat bones?
Dr Vicksman

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

You mention that you can't relate this to her diet?  What are you feeding her?

[kimpton]

Hi there.  No.  She doesn't eat bones. That's why I'm a little concerned.  It crossed my mind that she might actually be depleting her calcium.  Why would eating bones cause this?   From what I can tell it has nothing to do with food.  She's not jaundiced or underweight so the vets are scratching their heads.  & the stool isn't like clay, rather it's really dry.  She does eat her poo though.  I think she's really hungry.  I'll check her weight again this week.  

I'm making her food right now because of allergies. The following is the result of 3 yrs of food trials.  She eats Buffalo, Dehydrated Buffalo Liver, Spinach, Celery, Kelp, whole Egg, Vit C, & Flax Seed Oil.  

thanks.  k

[Linda P Case, B.S., M.S.]

Greetings,

Are you cooking the egg before it is added to your dog's diet?  The reason that I ask is that uncooked egg white contains a protein that is a trypsin-inhibitor. This protein effectively decreases the ability to digest and absorb protein.  (Most people think avididn, which inhibits biotin utililzation as the major problem with raw eggs, when in effect, the trypsin-inhibitor can cause more serious problems if enough raw eggs are fed).

If the egg is not cooked, I would advise that you start to completely cook the eggs before adding to the food; this destroys the action of the trypsin inhibitor protein.

The only other thing that comes to mind is to ask if you are adding any type of inorganic calcium supplement to your dog's food, such as calcium carbonate or dicalcium phosphate. These forms of calcium are poorly absorbed (like bone, as Dr. Vicksman mentioned), and so the powdered form might cause the stools to look chalky and white.

Linda Case
AutumnGold Consulting
www.autumngoldconsulting.com

[kimpton]

Hi.  Thanks for the info.  I'm not giving her calcium supplements, but that was the cause a few years ago.  &, Yes, I cook the eggs because of Salmonella.  But, the trypsin-inhibitor is good to know.  A lot of people feed their dogs raw eggs.  I'll take her to the vet to see about malabsorption, but I think I might have to file this under strange for now until there are more recognizable symptoms.  I'll post back if there's anything significant to report.  thank you.  k