Coral Calcium

[tangledfedish]

What about Coral calcium? I get a liquid calcium from a health food store and my squirrel will drink it up. I give it to him after he eats. I havent read anything bad about for squirrels. Does anyone know how much they should get daily?

[TinyPaws]

That's a good question....does anyone know?

[4skwerlz]

What about Coral calcium? I get a liquid calcium from a health food store and my squirrel will drink it up. I give it to him after he eats. I havent read anything bad about for squirrels. Does anyone know how much they should get daily?

All we have is the nutritional requirement for rats, which is 2,500 mg of calcium per week for a 1-pound animal.

Two problems with coral calcium:

1. Destruction of coral reefs. Even when they claim they only vacuum up dead pieces from the bottom of the ocean, it still causes environmental damage. Folks are trying to outlaw the harvesting of coral for any reason.

2. Possible contaminants. Mercury, lead, PCBs, and other nasty stuff, including various ocean pollutants, which tend to be concentrated on the ocean bottom and in long-lived critters like coral.

Minimally I would be sure your calcium is certified free of contaminants, metals, and toxins. But then you still have the environmental problem.

There's no scientific proof that coral calcium is superior to other forms.

[Sciurus1]

It is common knowledge that some forms of Calcium were found to go right through folks! This is because Calcium does not uptake well without being paired with Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). You can easily find Calcium Citrate in a liquid form, in Health food stores. It is a combination of Calcium and Citrus, usually tasting then like the fruit used to combine it with. I like the orange flavored one, but there are others as well. This form of Calcium is the only kind I trust will actually do some good! Perhaps another member can shed some light on if they use this form for their squirrels or not.

[wheezer]

I did a lot of research on coral calcium when it was very popular. 4s is correct, there is no scientific evidence that it is any better than other calcium.
The calcium citrate seems to be the best from what I have found too:)

[Jackie in Tampa]

:) I certainly have no education on nutrition, but what I have deciphered, is that without C and D4, we might as well not give them any calcium....they are needed to process/metabolize calcium...
and cold water fish is all we have ...hence the Cod Liver Oil.....gotta have it too. Just as important as the C...I was wondering why 4S isn't adding C...or is she? I know she has been researching like a mad scientist!:thinking

actually...Fred has been doing the research at our house..I'm too tired at the end of the day.....

[4skwerlz]

Glad you brought this up. Studies have shown that calcium citrate results in 20% higher blood calcium levels; also improved suppression of parathyroid hormone (another part of the complicated calcium metabolism/bone-making process). These results have been repeated in a number of studies. However, it has yet to be shown that this makes a difference where it really counts: in the bones. In other words, Did the quicker and 20% greater rise in blood calcium levels actually result in more bone mass? So given that calcium citrate is much more expensive, the jury is still out on whether this difference is worth paying more for. Another question: The rat RDA is based on calcium carbonate. Would the dosage need to be adjusted for calcium citrate if used long term?

I think the bottom line is that calcium carbonate works; calcium citrate might be an even better supplement; but more study is needed. In the meantime, another form of calcium, calcium formate, has proven superior to calcium citrate in studies like the ones mentioned above. And so it goes....

HOWEVER, this did get me thinking......perhaps for squirrels with acute MBD with neurological symptoms, which result from low blood calcium levels, it makes sense to use calcium citrate ("CitraCal") because of the quicker rise in blood levels. But I still think the squirrel should immediately be given whatever form of calcium the person has on hand, as minutes count in acute cases. Then they can buy some calcium citrate when they get a chance.

About the Vit C. There's no RDA for C for rats. However, Vit C is destroyed by cooking or baking so no point in adding it to the blocks. Vit C must be obtained from fresh fruits & veggies or a vitamin pill every day. Since our fuzzies love their fruits/veggies, they probably get plenty.

[Sciurus1]

What I noted about calicum carbonate pills, not being easily absorbed, was because they have been commonly found in septic tanks whole, having passed right through the people who took them. A liquid form of Calicum Citrate is known to be easily absorbed, and have good uptake.

The brand I take is made by Life Time, 'Osteo Density Blend'. It is milk and Phosphorus free, and has 0g sugars. It contains 750 mg Ca (from Citrate elemental), 300 Mag (from citrate elemental), 15 mg Manganese Gluconate, KI 100 mcg, D3 (Cholecaciferol) 200 IU, Boron Citrate 2mg, Sllica 100 mg, Collagen (marine) 200mg. Other ingredients include Natural Raspberry, and Vanilla flavor, purified water, Xanthan gum, citric acid, Carrageenan Gum, and Stevia.

Even though Calcium, Magnesium, and D3 are essential, as well as some of the other ingredients, I do not know if all the ingredients in this are good for squirrels.

[4skwerlz]

It is true that some years ago it was discovered that some vitamin and mineral supplements did not dissolve well enough to be absorbed. This was found to be due to three factors:

1. Compressing the pills too hard
2. Coating them with a insoluble coating, like shellac
3. Using binders that don't dissolve well in stomach acid, like gelatin

Most supplement makers have since then made changes to ensure their products dissolve in the stomach. You can test your own supplements by putting one in a glass of plain vinegar, which mimics stomach acids. It should dissolve completely within 2 hours. (I just tried it with the calcium carbonate pills I use in the blocks, and it dissolved completely within 9 minutes, so that's good.)

I'm glad you brought this up. The supplement market can be a racket sometimes and this is one more thing to look out for.

I take a CHEWABLE multivitamin every day. After all, digestion actually begins in the mouth, as the chewing process and certain components in saliva start to break down whatever we eat.

Sciurus, I'm sure your supplement is fine for you (just do the dissolve test on it to be sure:D).

[Sciurus1]

Thanks for that clarification 4S. :goodpost

Members, just don't for get the need for Vitamins C and D with it to ensure good uptake of the Calcium, and Magnesium in the right proportion to ensure the right balance.

[tangledfedish]

One thing I do know is that Vitamin C is destroyed by exposure to air. A slice of cucumber left standing in a bowl, loses up to 49% of it's Vitamin C in the first 3 hours.

[Sciurus1]

One you can do to make sure the calcium is have a good uptake is to give the squirrel a small piece of fresh orange every other day.

[tangledfedish]

I was also thinking of other ways that outdoor squirrels get their Calcium. TREES! So I started looking up trees and if they have calcium in them, they do. Brought in from the soil to the roots.
Theory: Squirrels also dig a lot so maybe some of the calcium in the soil is absorbed into their skin from their paws, noses (I see their noses filled with soil all the time), and from eating whatever they dug up from the ground. Also, they eat bark and chew on trees which has calcium in it.
I started looking online and found Calci-Sand for Hermit Crabs. I assume this is something that can be used also (it's ingestible and digestible) . Has anyone used it before?

[4skwerlz]

I was also thinking of other ways that outdoor squirrels get their Calcium. TREES! So I started looking up trees and if they have calcium in them, they do. Brought in from the soil to the roots.
Theory: Squirrels also dig a lot so maybe some of the calcium in the soil is absorbed into their skin from their paws, noses (I see their noses filled with soil all the time), and from eating whatever they dug up from the ground. Also, they eat bark and chew on trees which has calcium in it.
I started looking online and found Calci-Sand for Hermit Crabs. I assume this is something that can be used also (it's ingestible and digestible) . Has anyone used it before?

Yep. Like I've said before, the wild stuff they nibble on has all kinds of nutrients in it that we can only guess. My H&H love to eat dirt, and they also nibble on my rock collection.

Calci-Sand is primarily a bedding material for reptiles, though they claim it's digestible. Remember that these kinds of products are NOT "food grade" which means manufactured and tested to meet certain standards of purity, consistency, and so on. There are different grades: "feed grade" means only for animal consumption; "food grade" means okay for human consumption; "pharmaceutical grade" is the highest. Without any standard, you have no idea where the sand came from (was it polluted?), how it was handled, or whether there are contaminants or toxins in it. Most calcium carbonate or calcium citrate supplements should be marked with USP--which means they meet very high pharmaceutical standards. I'd definitely stick with them.

[TinyPaws]

4S....where do you get your dirt from? and is it organic? I know Lowe's sells organic soil, or so it's marked organic, are those safe do you think?
Yep. Like I've said before, the wild stuff they nibble on has all kinds of nutrients in it that we can only guess. My H&H love to eat dirt, and they also nibble on my rock collection.

Calci-Sand is primarily a bedding material for reptiles, though they claim it's digestible. Remember that these kinds of products are NOT "food grade" which means manufactured and tested to meet certain standards of purity, consistency, and so on. There are different grades: "feed grade" means only for animal consumption; "food grade" means okay for human consumption; "pharmaceutical grade" is the highest. Without any standard, you have no idea where the sand came from (was it polluted?), how it was handled, or whether there are contaminants or toxins in it. Most calcium carbonate or calcium citrate supplements should be marked with USP--which means they meet very high pharmaceutical standards. I'd definitely stick with them.

[4skwerlz]

4S....where do you get your dirt from? and is it organic? I know Lowe's sells organic soil, or so it's marked organic, are those safe do you think?

I just use regular topsoil. Organic would be even better. Some people use playsand. You can use soil from outside; but if you have raccoons in the area there's a risk your squirrel could get raccoon roundworms; the larvae can live in the soil for years and cause a fatal disease in squirrels (Baylisascaris).

[joejeweler]

I didn't see it mentioned in this thread but squirrels,....among many other woods residents,... get healthy doses of calcium and other minerals from shed deer antlers. The deer shed them starting around February through about April in the Northeast. (not sure about other areas)

Seems to me that antler shedding provides lots of calcium and phosphorus at the right time when young squirrels are needing it to grow healthy. I've just ordered 4 pounds of shed antlers to supplement the 25-30 squirrels I feed daily.

[joejeweler]

All we have is the nutritional requirement for rats, which is 2,500 mg of calcium per week for a 1-pound animal.

Two problems with coral calcium:

1. Destruction of coral reefs. Even when they claim they only vacuum up dead pieces from the bottom of the ocean, it still causes environmental damage. Folks are trying to outlaw the harvesting of coral for any reason.

2. Possible contaminants. Mercury, lead, PCBs, and other nasty stuff, including various ocean pollutants, which tend to be concentrated on the ocean bottom and in long-lived critters like coral.

Minimally I would be sure your calcium is certified free of contaminants, metals, and toxins. But then you still have the environmental problem.

There's no scientific proof that coral calcium is superior to other forms.

Just an update on this post, as for several years now there has been a much better Coral Calcium choice available that is NOT vacuumed up from the ocean floor, so no environmental damage. It is actually live coral that washes up naturally on the beaches of Brazil, and have much higher usable concentration of trace minerals than the vacuumed versions. I use it daily myself as a health supplement and highly recommend it added to an Avocado paste and applied to shelled nuts as a tasty treat for our outdoor fur balls.

I buy mine on Amazon from this link, and for the record have NO financial interest in this product.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NI5HH1E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Also, there is a Coral Calcium "watchdog" site that compares a lot of the most popular forms of coral calcium currently available:

http://www.coralcalcium-watchdog.com/compare.htm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdbKrean2wIVylSGCh3C JgEfEAAYASAAEgKcyfD_BwE

Here is some info on this newer form off the watchdog site:


Okinawa Coral Calcium or Brazilian Coral?
The coral calcium market is dominated by Okinawa coral calcium and Brazilian coral calcium. There are two sources of Okinawa coral calcium, above sea coral calcium and below sea coral calcium. Below sea coral calcium is vacuumed from the ocean floor near the delicate coral reefs. Above sea coral calcium is coral that lived under water hundreds of years ago and then has been naturally deposited on the islands of Okinawa. The coral is preserved under layers of soil until mined to create above sea coral calcium products without harming the environment.

Laboratory analysis of the two kinds of Okinawa corals show that each variety have similar mineral content. Above sea coral calcium tends to have a little higher percentage of Calcium - 35 to 38% while the below sea coral has 20 - 24% calcium.

Brazilian Coral
There is now a new category of coral calcium that is not from Okinawa. This new coral calcium is harvested live as it washes up on the beaches of Northern Brazil. The certificates of analysis on this product show it has more than 12 times the trace mineral content of Okinawan coral calcium.
Brazilian coral calcium is cold processed therefore retaining more of the marine nutrients, proteins, amino acids and phyto-nutrients...."

Oh,...and Coral Calcium is said to have a much higher absorption rate than that other forms such as Calcium Carbonate.....


....and my personal recipe for "Squirrel Lasagna" recently posted on this site, with added Brazil Coral Calcium with some of the Avocado paste scooped onto some of the nuts:

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?60407-My-quot-Squirrel-Lasagna-quot-Recipe-For-Your-Little-Friends&highlight=squirrel+lasagna

301641

Cheers,
Joseph Tousignant

[joejeweler]

Well,...I missed the time limit to edit this in (15 minutes is a bit short for my tastes :-),.... but I just found a link to some great info and photos of the "live" Coral version washing up naturally on Brazil's beaches.

They are selling a product, but worth a read for sure to get some backround infomation...

http://inspiredliving.com/coral-calcium/brazil-live-coral-calcium.htm

...here is just a snippet of the above link:


Since Brazil Live Coral Calcium is alive, the obvious concern is how can it be harvested without harming the delicate coral reefs?

The species of coral used does not generally grow in coral reefs. The tiny corals attach to pieces of seaweed on the sandy ocean bottom. Toward the latter part of its 180-day life cycle, it typically reaches the size of a person's fist and it's weight is such that it cannot be supported by the seaweed.

The wave action of the ocean washes the coral onto the shore where it will die within 48 hours when exposed to the sun. Like apples falling from a tree, it is a matter of harvesting them or letting them decompose.

[Diggie's Friend]

Be careful to check out the bagged garden, and top soils presently available, as a number of them I found now contain fertilizers (urea, nitrogen, iron, etc.) which you don't want to give to squirrels.

[SophieSquirrel]

These coral calcium products are all from foreign sources and I would seriously doubt any of them are sustainably harvested regardless of what they say on the bottle or website.

For Squirrels I would just order Cal Carbonate from Leigh: https://www.henryspets.com/calcium-carbonate-powder-100-g/