Calcium Deficiency

Question: calcium deficiency?? when you have white marks on your nails, is there anything else it can be except a calcium deficiency, and even if it is or not, how can you get rid of them?? and is it true that they aren't on your nails, just underneath them??

Answer: i used to get that a lot when i was a kid and my mom used to tell me its bc i dont eat enough eggs :) could be wives tales could be true, all i know is i dont get them anymore and i think its because i take vitamin supplements. I take Centrum. Everybody should take vit sup.

Question: Calcium Deficiency???????????????? Is calcium deficiency genetic or is it just the less calcium you have the more pain you can be in? Also can this lead to degenerative disc disease?

Answer: It depends on a lot of factors... age, diet while younger, current diet, and if there is an underlying disease that causes mal-absorption such as as celiac disease.

Question: What are symptoms of calcium deficiency for birds? The vet said my chicken had calcium deficiency, it can't stand up and it trembles alot. I've raised her from a chick and i'm worried if he made the right diagnosis or not, when I try to find her symptoms on the internet I just get Mareks disease, which has me worried. Her legs are not paralyzed, she flexes her toes and bends her legs, but she acts like she's too weak to stand up. Thanks for any information to ease my worry.

Answer: Many birds wings will be shaky if they have a calcium deficiency. Hens can become egg bound due to lack of calcium. Also, your chicken will lay a soft-shelled or thin-shelled egg. Your chicken will be prone to broken bones if it has a calcium deficiency. The chicken needs to eat grit or cuttlebone for calcium. You can also get a calcium supplement from the vet for your chicken.

Question: My Bearded Dragon's head and Pelvic area turned white, is it to do with calcium deficiency? I don't think it's shedding because he recently shed and I always clean the dead skin out after he cut himself on one of his shedded spines. My main worry is as mentioned that it has to do with the calcium deficiency. Thanks.

Answer: The symptoms of calcium deficiency (called metabolic bone disorder or MBD) are twitching of the back legs, general twitching, lethargy, bad or nonexistent appetite, thin or brittle bones, twisted toes and limbs, bumps or deformities, paralysis, seizures and eventual death. Turning white is not one of the symptoms. Young bearded dragons are constantly shedding in what are known as 'incomplete' sheds, meaning little bits or certain body parts shed at different times (as opposed to a snake who will shed it's entire skin in one go). Are you sure his head and pelvic area have shed recently? Does this whiteness look mottled or dull/does it look like it usually does when he sheds? My guess would be that it's a shed. If you are absolutely certain he isn't shedding, my second guess would be yellow fungus rather than MBD. Here is a link to a description and picture of yellow fungus (although if you keep your beardie's cage clean, I doubt he has this either.)

Question: Do my little sister and I have a Calcium Deficiency? Many people say that if you have white splotches on your finger nails(Not all, just some) that you have a Calcium Deficiency. Is that true? If so, then how can you get rid of it? Is it harmful to your health? Even if you drink a lot of milk is this still possible? Please help, because me and my little sister both have these white splotches.

Answer: I have never heard this concept, however it is still possible that you and your sister may have a calcium deficiency. A calcium deficiency can cause many problems, the most serious being hypocalcemia (too little calcium in the blood) or hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the blood). These conditions are rare if you do not have a disease process going on, but the second most serious complication of a calcium deficiency is bone resorption (or bone "loss"). It is called osteoporosis and it is a major problem and can be seem in children as early as 15. It is relatively simple to get more calcium in your diet (ie through milk, cheese, yogurt, leafy greens, and calcium enriched foods like cereal). The problem is that even if you have enough calcium you may not be absorbing enough because vitamin D plays a major role in calcium absorption. To get vitamin D, you either need to drink milk foritifed with vitamin D, or simply expose your arms, hands and face to the sun for 15-30 min 2 days per week. This helps your body synthesize vitamin D which will therefore increase your calcium levels and reverse the process of osteoporosis. Good luck with everything!

Question: My maltese gave birth to 3 pups last night, what are the signs of calcium deficiency and when does it show? She had puppies in April and had a calcium deficiency. I didn't want her to get pregnant again so soon but it was accidental. She has been on calcium supplements and puppy food the entire pregnancy. She has started panting and has engorgement problems. I was hoping the panting went along with the engorgement rather than the calcium deficiency.

Answer: She will be panting and usually trembling, or shaking. Trouble walking will also be evident as calcium is drawn from the bones. Usually calcium supplements will be fine. However if the litter is big or the pups are big, then the dosage may not have been enough. If she is showing these sign see a vet as it can be quite serious . The usually emergence treatment is an iv with calcium. Fixes them up within minutes. The vet should be able to sell/recommend a supplement that you mix with water and looks like milk. I can't remember the name of the powder, but I used it before when I had a small dog. The vet recommended that I also feed it to the pups with an eye dropper, to take pressure of momma. I followed this recommendation through all other pregnancies, straiting the powder supplement about 4 weeks in and continuing until the pups where gone. HTH

Question: If your bones continuously crack, does that mean you have a calcium deficiency? By crack, I don't mean snap... I mean like that popping sound that you can make with your fingers. My friend pointed out to me the other day that my bones seem to crack all the time. Which is true. And it's really gross. xD I don't know why I do that, but she thinks it's a calcium deficiency, and I don't. What really is the cause of something weird like this?

Answer: I pop my "knuckles" or joints as it were and have had no problems. It is not calcium deficiency that would be the bones. This is the joints between them.

Question: Can cracking bones be caused by a calcium deficiency and give you arthritis? My sister cracks her bones knuckles, leg and feet all the time. Arthritis runs in our family and i am wondering if this is a a calcium deficiency. Thoe noise is disturbing and sounds painful

Answer: When you "crack your bones" you are not actually cracking the bones, you are popping the nitrogen bubbles in the fluid between the joints - much like those bubble wraps that come in fragile mail shipments. The jury is still out on what long term effects this may have - but calcium deficiency is definitely not one of them - although facilitating certain types of arthritis isn't out of the question.

Question: could hair loss be caused by calcium deficiency? i have been losing alot of hair lately i haven't colored my hair in 4 months and i leave conditioner in for 1 or 2 hours i don't blow dry my hair and i rarely use a flat iron .i don't eat much and when i do its like eggs or something healthy could it be a calcium deficiency ?im really scared my hairs going to fall all out .

Answer: Female hair loss is becoming much more prevalent. Nutritional deficiency is just one of the many possible causes of female hair loss. The most common deficiencies that lead to hair loss include iron, zinc and protein. Spirulina and/or chlorella are excellent natural source of many nutrients needed for healthy hair growth and overall health. Other causes of telogen effluvium (excessive shedding) include medications, birth control pills. recent vaccination, surgery, trauma, stress, exposure to toxins or allergens, extreme diet/weight loss. etc. You can learn more about the types and causes of female hair loss at the links listed below.

Question: Can a 3 week old sparrow be suffering from severe calcium deficiency? I rescued a house sparrow one week ago. I have been feeding it Iams cat food with boiled egg yolk for about a week. Yesterday it began shaking and has been today too. It has a healthy appetite but it won't stop shaking. It is very tame, so it is not doing this from fright. I noticed on some sites, it says to feed baby birds a calcium supplement. Could this cause the shaking? I cannot take it to a rehabilitator as they are not taking sparrows and there are no avian vets nearby.

Answer: Yes, this bird is most likely suffering a calcium deficiency. You should have been adding calcium to the diet all along in the form of antacid tablets (Tums): This is the mixture you SHOULD be using: 1 cup soaked dog/cat food 1/4 cup of applesauce 1 hard boiled egg Avian vitamins (follow dosage on package) Around 750 mg calcium (TUMS or other generic antacid) Water I tried advising you on the care of this bird when you posted before..but you just ignored me and sent me hate mail because you didn't like my answer.

Question: Can a calcium deficiency cause joint pain? I'm only 20 years old, and I have frequent joint pain, mostly my knees and hips, and I very rarely drink milk or eat dairy, and I was wondering if this lack of calcium could be the reason my knees hurt. . .

Answer: A calcium deficiency could cause joint pain, I would think you need calcium for healthy bones so I would try a supplement if I were you and I would also see a dr for the pain. They know all this stuff...went to school for years.

Question: What should be done to overcome calcium deficiency? my 12yrs old sibbling suffers frequently by calcium deficeincy . though the problem is solved by some tonics it is temporarily done. His nails become thin . He also suffers from bleeding nose which is less frequent now? Plz help

Answer: .When a person has a deficiency it is seldom in only one type of vitamin or mineral. These work together to enhance their function in the body. Calcium can be found in dark greens n dairy n soy but I know that dairy contain too much phosphorus which causes calcium to be lost from the human body. you can get a calcium citrate supplement from any health food shop. Vitamin C & D, zinc, magnesium are important for calcium to be utilised properly. Calcium is also something that is absorbed better with some oils / fats so I don't know why they bother to sell skim milk. Taking a good multi vitamin is your sibling's best bet. Check out Pharmanex or Usana or get a recommendation. Also, the nails are not made from calcium alone. Its main structure is still protein so look at his protein intake. Many fast foods look like protein but they are usually made of fillers rather than real protein. People who eat to live do not eat well enough to build health.

Question: when a child eats sand is it a calcium deficiency? My grandson is eating sand when he is put in the sand box. Is it a sign of a vitamin deficiency or just a baby experimenting with new things to put in his mouth?

Answer: Hes just experimenting. When I was a baby I used to eat sand and my brother used to eat worms so..

Question: My leopard gecko's right hind limb is paralyzed, and I think it's due to a calcium deficiency. What do I do? I just want to know if there's a way to cure him. I give him a calcium supplement once a week. Do I give him more calcium?

Answer: You should be dusting his crickets with calcium powder every time you feed him. It's a little too late for that now. You need to call a vet..he may need a calcium injection or some calcium powder with a higher concentration of calcium from the vet.

Question: What can a deficiency of calcium can lead to? What can a deficiency of calcium can lead to? A. rickets. B. osteoporosis. C. scurvy. D. anemia. For a healthful diet, nutrients must be consumed in different amounts. An example of this is how carbohydrates should A. be limited to 300 milligrams a day. B. make up about 30% of your daily caloric intake. C. be limited to 3,000 milligrams a day. D. make up between 45 to 65% of your daily caloric intake.

Answer: First Question is B http://rockwellfitness.com/?page_id=1956 Second Question is D http://rockwellfitness.com/?page_id=2036 read chapter 7

Question: How can you prevent calcium deficiency in dogs? Thanks :) Im not enquiring about my own dog, just general cases. Its for a peice of coursework! thanks for all your answers so far :)

Answer: By feeding a quality food.