From:
"jbmccaughey"
Date: 2011-02-24 21:03:02 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Urine pH
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
> make sure to supplement the calcium levels. It would be good to have > an idea of how much.
I make and use Egg Shell Powder as a calcium source to balance phosphorus in meat, a heavy pinch (about 1/20th of a teaspoon) for each 2.5oz jar of Beech Nut turkey baby food.
It's difficult to be exact because the amount of calcium in a teaspoon will vary depending on how fine the grind. Sources also vary in how much is in each eggshell as the eggs themselves will vary depending on the diet of the bird. I use free range organic eggs for the shells in the hopes they have an appropriate diet and balance of minerals. I suppose you could purchase a jar of preground ESP, and the calcium would then be more precise.
Using the jar of Beech Nut turkey as an example, it has only about 16mg calcium for about 90mg phosphorus. A ratio of about 1:5.5.
https://mylifestages.org/healthcenter/ListAll.page?R=sw76-03015-4
Ideal calcium:phos ratio is about 1.2:1. I prepare and grind the egg shells in a grinder and refer to the approximate 2,000mg elemental calcium/tsp here:
http://www.holisticat.com/esp.html
Since the jar of turkey has about 90mg phos it requires about 108mg calcium, so 92mg additional, about .05/teaspoon or 1/20th teaspoon of ESP.
Here is another guide to Phos and Calcium in various meats.
http://www.nwkidney.org/nutrition/phosphoruscalciummeat.htm
The turkey in this chart likely has more phos per ounce because the jar of baby food has added water. And the ratio is even a little different, more like 1:8, maybe a bird or light/dark meat variation.
Though eggshells contain other minerals this doesnt suggest they create a balanced diet, many vitamins, minerals, amino acids are missing or insufficient so this is only short-term and more calcium focused.
There are balancing premixes and vitamin/mineral mixes for more complete and appropriate levels in a home made diet but they do also have to be checked that they are balancing the calcium for the meat being added and not just calcium to the phos in the vitamin mixture. Meaning some vitamin/mineral supplement mixtures are already at a calcium:phos ratio of 1.2:1 and are not meant to balance meat so they don't take into account that the C:P ratio of the meat itself being added can be as high as 1:10. Usually a real home-made premix will have adequate calcium and instructions as to how much muscle meat and organ should be added.
But I hope this helps for a rough guideline on how to easily add a little calcium to the diet.
Jaime
[When there are kidney problems the balance will
need to be different, too:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG15335
This was interesting:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL1731
-- moderator]
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