How Do I Calculate Phosphorus in Dog Food? Important Facts to Know
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Most of us don’t have to be concerned with how much phosphorus is in our dog’s food since most dogs don’t have special phosphorus level requirements. However, dogs with kidney disease and other specific medical conditions may have difficulty processing phosphorus properly, so they must have a lower phosphorus diet.
If you’re concerned about the phosphorus in your dog’s food, your best starting point is to talk to your vet to ensure the food they are on meets appropriate phosphorus levels for your dog’s needs. If you’re interested in calculating phosphorus in your dog’s food, keep reading.
How to Calculate Phosphorus in Commercial Dog Food
The simplest answer is that you don’t need to calculate phosphorus in your dog’s commercial food. The phosphorus content is usually right on the label. This is especially true if the diet is a prescription diet made to meet low phosphorus standards.
If you’re struggling to find the phosphorus content on the dog food label, you still have options to find out the answer. Most dog food companies have detailed nutrition facts listed online, even if they aren’t on the packaging. You also have the option to contact the manufacturer or the vendor to determine the phosphorus content.
How to Calculate Phosphorus in Homemade Dog Food
It can be difficult to balance phosphorus levels in your dog’s homemade diet. It becomes even more complex when you learn that calcium and phosphorus impact each other. It’s important to have an approximately 1:1 calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, with some nutritionists recommending slightly more calcium than phosphorus.
Meats are high in phosphorus but generally low in calcium, so it can be easy to improperly balance the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in your dog’s food. For those feeding raw diets, it’s recommended to feed raw meaty bones to ensure an appropriate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. However, most vets recommend against raw diets and feeding raw or cooked bones.
If you’re feeding your dog a homemade diet, your safest option for properly balancing calcium and phosphorus levels is to consult a board-certified veterinary nutritionist through balanceit.com. This site is veterinarian-recommended and employs board-certified veterinary nutritionists to create general diets for dogs and customized diets for individual dogs. You mustn’t attempt to balance your dog’s raw or homemade diet on your own, especially if your dog has specific phosphorus needs.
Why Is Phosphorus Important?
Phosphorus is an important chemical that is essential to proper body functioning. It’s necessary for growth, maintenance, and repair of all types of cells within the body. It’s also essential for DNA and RNA production. Phosphorus helps balance the levels of other chemicals within the body like zinc, magnesium, iodine, and vitamin D.
It works to maintain a proper blood pH and helps nerves function properly. In dogs with kidney disease, the body loses its ability to process phosphorus because vitamin D levels drop properly. When phosphorus levels rise in the body, levels of parathyroid hormone rise. When this hormone increases, calcium is leached from the bones into the bloodstream, leading to bone weakness.
High blood calcium levels can also lead to dangerous nervous and metabolic conditions. Proper phosphorus management, in conjunction with a restricted phosphorus diet, is essential to keeping dogs with kidney disease healthy.
In Conclusion
Phosphorus levels are properly balanced for the average healthy dog in commercial dog food. Most vets recommend sticking to commercial foods since they are already balanced. If you are interested in feeding a raw or homemade diet to your dog, it’s best to discuss your dog’s nutritional needs with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist who can help you properly balance appropriate levels of all essential nutrients.
If your dog has kidney disease, it’s especially important to balance the calcium and phosphorus levels in your dog’s food.
Featured Image Credit: 279photo Studio, Shutterstock
