A negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) dry cow diet strategy has been used to reduce the risk of clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia. The acidogenic diet creates compensated metabolic acidosis in late gestating cows, monitored through urinary pH. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 3 dietary strategies for close-up dry cows on mineral excretion of multiparous Holstein dairy cows (n = 81) through the transition period. Cows were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments during the close-up dry period (−28 d to calving): 1) a positive DCAD diet with low dietary Ca (0.4% DM; CON); 2) a negative DCAD diet (urine pH 5.7) with low dietary Ca (0.4% DM; LOW); or 3) a negative DCAD diet (urine pH 5.7) with high dietary Ca (2.0% DM; HIGH). Urine was sampled for 3 consecutive days at the start of the close-up period and then every second day until calving to monitor urine pH. Urine samples at −21, −14, −7, +1, +2, and +7 d relative to calving were analyzed for mineral and creatinine concentrations. Urine volume, calculated using creatinine and BW, was estimated for mineral excretion. The MIXED procedure in SAS was used to contrast: 1) CON vs the average of LOW and HIGH; and 2) LOW vs HIGH, with a fixed effect of treatment, random effect of block, and sample as the repeated variable. Prepartum urine pH for cows fed LOW or HIGH averaged 5.7 and cows fed CON remained above 8.0. The excretion of Ca in urine prepartum was greater in cows receiving LOW or HIGH (8.4 and 13.4 g/d) than in cows receiving CON (1.0 g/d; P < 0.01). Cows fed the HIGH diet had greater urinary Ca excretion than those given LOW (P < 0.01). After calving there was no statistical difference in urine volume or urinary Ca concentration averaged over the postpartum samples, but Ca excretion remained greater in cows receiving LOW or HIGH (0.68 and 0.42 g/d) when compared with cows fed CON (0.19 g/d; P = 0.04). In conclusion, cows given LOW and HIGH successfully created a Ca sink in the prepartum period to increase the requirement of Ca before calving. Higher dietary Ca did not affect urinary pH but increased urinary Ca excretion.