Abstract
We previously demonstrated that a purified diet containing 3.125 μg of cholecalciferol/kg was adequate to maintain plasma concentrations of 25- hydroxyvitamin D in growing kittens. With the use of this concentration of cholecalciferol, the response of growing kittens to varying levels of calcium in purified diets was measured. Five groups (treatments 1-5), each comprised of seven weaned kittens, were given diets containing 3.8, 5.0, 6.0, 7.2 or 8.1 g calcium/kg diet (Ca:P ratio of 1:1.25) from 9 to 18 wk of age. Two further groups of kittens (treatments 6 and 7) received similar diets containing 6.0 g Ca/kg diet, with Ca:P ratios of 1:1.55 and 1:2.61, respectively. No clinical signs of calcium deficiency were observed, i.e., growth rate, energy intake- and plasma total calcium were not affected by the treatments. However, ionized calcium was significantly lower in kittens in treatment 7. Plasma phosphorus was lower in kittens in treatment 7 than in kittens in treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, and there was a negative relationship between dietary and plasma phosphorus concentrations. Kittens in treatment 7 had a significantly higher alkaline phosphatase concentration in plasma than kittens in treatments 1, 2, 3 and 5. Kittens in treatment 1 had a lower percentage of bone minerals measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry than kittens in treatments 2-6. These results indicate that the calcium requirement of growing kittens is not >6.0 g/kg diet, (calculated metabolizable energy ~20 kJ/g) and that kittens are not very sensitive to inverse Ca:P ratios up to 1:1.55.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1698-1704 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Nutrition |
| Volume | 129 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| State | Published - Sep 6 1999 |
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Keywords
- Calcium
- Cats
- Osteocalcin
- Parathyroid hormone
- Phosphorus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Nutrition and Dietetics
Cite this
Growing kittens require less dietary calcium than current allowances. / Morris, James; Earle, Kay E.
In: Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 129, No. 9, 06.09.1999, p. 1698-1704.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Growing kittens require less dietary calcium than current allowances
AU - Morris, James
AU - Earle, Kay E.
PY - 1999/9/6
Y1 - 1999/9/6
N2 - We previously demonstrated that a purified diet containing 3.125 μg of cholecalciferol/kg was adequate to maintain plasma concentrations of 25- hydroxyvitamin D in growing kittens. With the use of this concentration of cholecalciferol, the response of growing kittens to varying levels of calcium in purified diets was measured. Five groups (treatments 1-5), each comprised of seven weaned kittens, were given diets containing 3.8, 5.0, 6.0, 7.2 or 8.1 g calcium/kg diet (Ca:P ratio of 1:1.25) from 9 to 18 wk of age. Two further groups of kittens (treatments 6 and 7) received similar diets containing 6.0 g Ca/kg diet, with Ca:P ratios of 1:1.55 and 1:2.61, respectively. No clinical signs of calcium deficiency were observed, i.e., growth rate, energy intake- and plasma total calcium were not affected by the treatments. However, ionized calcium was significantly lower in kittens in treatment 7. Plasma phosphorus was lower in kittens in treatment 7 than in kittens in treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, and there was a negative relationship between dietary and plasma phosphorus concentrations. Kittens in treatment 7 had a significantly higher alkaline phosphatase concentration in plasma than kittens in treatments 1, 2, 3 and 5. Kittens in treatment 1 had a lower percentage of bone minerals measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry than kittens in treatments 2-6. These results indicate that the calcium requirement of growing kittens is not >6.0 g/kg diet, (calculated metabolizable energy ~20 kJ/g) and that kittens are not very sensitive to inverse Ca:P ratios up to 1:1.55.
AB - We previously demonstrated that a purified diet containing 3.125 μg of cholecalciferol/kg was adequate to maintain plasma concentrations of 25- hydroxyvitamin D in growing kittens. With the use of this concentration of cholecalciferol, the response of growing kittens to varying levels of calcium in purified diets was measured. Five groups (treatments 1-5), each comprised of seven weaned kittens, were given diets containing 3.8, 5.0, 6.0, 7.2 or 8.1 g calcium/kg diet (Ca:P ratio of 1:1.25) from 9 to 18 wk of age. Two further groups of kittens (treatments 6 and 7) received similar diets containing 6.0 g Ca/kg diet, with Ca:P ratios of 1:1.55 and 1:2.61, respectively. No clinical signs of calcium deficiency were observed, i.e., growth rate, energy intake- and plasma total calcium were not affected by the treatments. However, ionized calcium was significantly lower in kittens in treatment 7. Plasma phosphorus was lower in kittens in treatment 7 than in kittens in treatments 1, 2, 3 and 4, and there was a negative relationship between dietary and plasma phosphorus concentrations. Kittens in treatment 7 had a significantly higher alkaline phosphatase concentration in plasma than kittens in treatments 1, 2, 3 and 5. Kittens in treatment 1 had a lower percentage of bone minerals measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry than kittens in treatments 2-6. These results indicate that the calcium requirement of growing kittens is not >6.0 g/kg diet, (calculated metabolizable energy ~20 kJ/g) and that kittens are not very sensitive to inverse Ca:P ratios up to 1:1.55.
KW - Calcium
KW - Cats
KW - Osteocalcin
KW - Parathyroid hormone
KW - Phosphorus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032819410&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032819410&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 10460207
AN - SCOPUS:0032819410
VL - 129
SP - 1698
EP - 1704
JO - Journal of Nutrition
JF - Journal of Nutrition
SN - 0022-3166
IS - 9
ER -