Calcium-excess causes subclinical changes of bone growth in Beagles but not in Foxhound-crossbred dogs, as measured in X-rays

Numerous investigations and reports have covered the potential negative effects of an excess of calcium (Ca) in the skeletal development of young dogs. However, it still remains unclear why not all puppies, particularly of larger breeds, develop clinical signs of skeletal disorders after an overexposure to Ca. This trial with the small Beagle breed and a larger Foxhound-crossbred dog (with an adult weight of around 35 kg) investigated the effects of Ca-excess on parameters of bone growth. The employed small breed is known for its chondrodystrophic predispositions, no such data are reported for the slender hound-type Foxhound-crossbred dogs. The Ca-supply had no influence on weight development and general health of the dogs. The measurements of bone lengths and widths in X-rays of the forearm of Beagles and Foxhound-crossbred dogs at 6 weeks of age, and again after a period of overexposure to Ca at about 27 weeks of age, revealed a growth-reducing influence only in Beagles, without influence on clinical parameters of skeletal health.