Animals enjoy Better Health eating Clay!

Animals are instinctively selective about the types of minerals they will ingest, shunning sedimentary minerals in favor of mineral deposits formed by igneous hydrothermal activity. Extensive studies with cattle, horses, pigs, fish, chickens and other animals have shown that the volume of food intake is less when mineral supplements are added to the their diet. Additional benefits are noted as well, for example, increases in butter fat and milk output are documented from dairy cows. These improvements have been found in all studies using a specific type of calcium montmorillonite. It has helped cows with scours and pneumonia. Veterinarians use it on dogs, cats, horses, etc... for various afflictions including injuries and infections.

Dr. Quisenberry, from Texas AandM, researched the beneficial effects of calcium montmorillonite clays when fed to many farm animals including horses, pigs, chickens, etc. Neva Jensen, a nationally known nutrition expert, wrote a book on Clay called "The Healing Power of Living Clay," explaining how the nutrients in certain clays are assimilated in our bodies. The US Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted similar studies on trout fish on the Snake River in Hagerman, Idaho revealing the same health promoting effects. All of these studies were specific to IonMin by California Earth Minerals®.

Clay is renowned to have many uses in promoting health in plants, animals and humans. Healing clays, have been used by indigenous cultures since before recorded history. According to Knishinsky, benefits reported by people using liquid clay for a period of two to four weeks include: improved intestinal regularity; relief from chronic constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, and ulcers; a surge in physical energy; clearer complexion; brighter, whiter eyes; enhanced alertness; emotional uplift; improved tissue and gum repair; and increased resistance to infections. Clay works on the entire organism. No part of the body is left untouched by its healing energies, he notes.

"The eating of clay has been observed in [ native ] peoples and animals in all parts of the world since antiquity. Early writers described the widespread use of kanwa ( earth from a lick near Lake Chad ) for animals and humans in Nigeria. Long journeys were made to [ this ] lick to obtain a tribal supply of this earth, and it was then issued as rations to cattle and humans

Another Use/Benefit is for Gastric Upset

In other situations, a dog may begin to eat dirt if he has already eaten something that has begun to upset his stomach or his intestinal tract. Eating dirt is an attempt to dilute or to get rid of the offending food item. This may be something as mild as a plant that has caused him a bit of distress, or it could be something very serious, like one of several human foods which are poisonous to dogs. Watch for your dog eating dirt one time only but for a sustained period of time. If he eats a lot of dirt at once, this is also a potential sign that something is the matter with his bowels or his stomach.

Mineral Deficiency

One reason that some dogs eat dirt is because their standard diet lacks in certain minerals. If this is the case, your dog may revert back to his instinctual tendencies to try to obtain the rest of the important vitamins and minerals that he needs in order to survive healthily. If he isn't getting the minerals he needs from food, he may try to get them by eating dirt. Check if your pet eats dirt frequently when he's outside; if he doesn't, this is a potential sign that he may be missing out on certain materials that he needs for his diet.

Check on his dog food label and compare it with a list of important minerals and vitamins that all dogs need. You can find this list online in a variety of different sources. If the food is missing many of those crucial vitamins and minerals, get rid of it and purchase a higher quality and well balanced food for your dog.