Trace Minerals for Dogs

​Learn about trace minerals & their importance in your dog health regimen and the right source to buy & an easy way to give trace minerals to him.

Lots of dogs have lots of symptoms these days - the epidemics are rising and veterinarians are failing at diagnosing the problems at the root cause. Prescribing drugs and steroids and calling it 'treatment' has become the mantra at vet clinics - only to find out few days or even few weeks later that the 'treatment' has failed and now, the dog needs even more stronger drugs and steroids to manage daily activities at a minimum.

Then when another visit calls for the vet, the owners are lost and now, the liver and kidney numbers start going off the roof. So, now, the toxic vet adds even more drugs to manage liver and kidney numbers. Soon, you realize, the poor dog is left with very low quality of life so much so that many dogs are barely able to breathe normally and the ignorant owners are left with heavy vet bills! Let's talk further...

The basis of problem...

What is even worse is that the medical system has no relationship with the 'farming' system - hence, creating a huge divide between the health-care and the nutritional needs of the patient, in this case, the dog. And no, kibble is no food. Period. Food is what comes from the farms - fresh, aromatic, colorful and rich in life giving properties.

And now, about kibble - It is something very disgusting and void of nutrition, all packed in plastic bag and made to expire in a few years - unlike food from the Earth that expires in just few days AND does not come in plastic bags! Instead of active enzymes and rich colorful nutrients, the dog is fed lifetime worth of synthetic chemicals and on top of that, add to it some drugs, vaccines, heartworm pills and steroids. This should give you a very clear picture why the disease rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity, skin issues, bad teeth, etc are rising in canine population in the Western world (especially in America).

Another aspect of this problem...

Another aspect of this problem affects those owners who do everything for their beloved pooches - from buying farm fresh, colorful organic produce to planning and making 100% home-cooked meals. While home-cooked food made from fresh produce is a sure way to prevent diseases in dogs, but who is to say that it is not void of micro-minerals? The problem is at the basic roots - the soil and its depletion; we humans have over-worked the environment so much that it has affected our soil and its natural mineral rich resources to a point that our produce, even if it's organic, is depleted in these micro-nutrients. 

So, what is the solution? 

The obvious solution here is to buy yourself some 'peace of mind' by adding trace minerals to your dogs's health care regimen. This way, you can rest assured that diseases are at bay and your beloved pooch is safe from deficiencies which often don't show up until and unless a major sickness occurs. For example, you may see your dog itching a lot but you will never associate that it could be silica or zinc deficiency. Likewise, a dog with cancer will have chromium, selenium and iodine deficiency yet neither the vet nor the owner will ever be able to connect the dots as we just talked about the gap between nutrient-rich science and that of medical field.

So, let's get more clear on what are trace minerals and go further from there.

What are trace minerals?

Minerals are important for many functions in the body - from making hormones to helping heart, brain, muscles and bones working effectively. They also help in enzymatic functions as they support the healthy production of enzymes. Trace minerals specifically are also responsible for our skin, hair and nail health.

Minerals also play a very important role in maintaining our blood pressure, electrolyte and fluid balance as well as delivering oxygen to cells. Nerve functions also depend on rich mineral supply. 

There are 2 types of minerals needed by the body - macro-minerals and micro-minerals, also called as trace minerals. While you need large amounts of macro-minerals (hence the name, 'macro'), you only need trace minerals in small or very low quantity in the body.

​Macro-minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur and chloride. Micro-minerals or trace minerals include iron, iodine, copper, zinc, manganese, chromium, cobalt, fluoride, molybdenum, selenium, boron and many more. There are at least 74 trace minerals. 

Irrespective whether one is a macro-mineral or trace mineral, whether one is needed in large quantity or smaller quantity, make note that both are equally important and needed by the body. 

What are the benefits of trace minerals?

There are immense benefits of trace minerals and these are:-

1. Cancer prevention & healing in dogs - Notice that 3 of the most powerful cancer prevention minerals are selenium, iodine and chromium and these are all trace minerals. This should just tell you the importance of trace minerals and also, as we talked about, the soil depletion and rise in cancer go hand-in-hand. 

2. Inflammation - This is a no-brainer; when the dog's body is supplemented with the minerals it was lacking, the underlying inflammation will go down. Inflammation is the root cause of all diseases - so what if we supplemented the dog's diet with trace minerals and had a chance at preventing diseases?

3. Hair, Skin & Nails - Once you start giving trace minerals to your dog, you will immediately notice improved coat, skin and nails. Why? This is because hair, skin and nails depend mainly on trace minerals for their nourishment; Silica, zinc, copper, boron, iron, and iodine are all very essential for coat & skin health. Silica is needed for healthy skin and copper for healthy pigmentation in dogs by supporting melanin, iodine works indirectly by maintaining proper thyroid hormones and iron and boron for healthy coat & hair growth. Sulfur is also vital for beautiful skin in dogs. In fact, deficiency of sulfur usually results in skin conditions like mange and acne. 

4. Dogs eating poop or dirt - Many owners notice their dog eating poop or dirt and this is just plain disgusting! But did you know this is one of the telltale sign of trace mineral deficiency in dogs? Adding trace minerals to dog's diet will help stop this habit as the dog is not actually seeking poop or dirt - it is seeking minerals that it's body is lacking.

​5. Arthritis & Stiffness in dogs - Because trace minerals are involved in nerve functioning as well as many chemical and electrical processes throughout the body, it is no surprise that when the dog's body is no longer depleted in minerals, the dog no longer has joint ache or muscle cramps or stiffness. Sulfur is a vital trace mineral needed not just for skin and hair health but also to relieve and reverse joint mobility issues in dogs like arthritis, stiffness, muscle cramps and aches. 

6. Blood sugar - All trace minerals are important and chromium is especially vital to regulation of insulin as it works side-by-side with insulin to regulate blood glucose. With so many dogs having diabetes these days, trace mineral supplementation is crucial from early on as a great preventive.

7. Energy - When your body is depleted in minerals, you will experience lack of energy and vice versa. On top of that is the importance of trace mineral copper - it helps with iron metabolism (thus oxygenating the blood) and helps in picking up the energy. As a side note, copper is also necessary for proper bone growth, collagen and also helps in absorption of calcium.

8. Allergies in dogs - Zinc is vital for immunity and is a powerful trace nutrient to prevent or reverse any allergies your dog might be having. Zinc also helps in digestion so that could be another reason why it  aids immunity and prevents allergies as we know that everything starts in the gut - likewise, for your dog. 

What is the best source of trace minerals?

Dogs, just like us, do not make minerals on their own so it's very important to get them from diet and then, supplementation. Trace minerals are best found either in plant sources, rocks, mineral deposits (from prehistoric era) or the sea. Many companies extract trace minerals from rocks as in calcium carbonate, but these are very hard on the stomach and therefore, hard to absorb. Therefore, plant-based sources or sea sources are the best as they are the easiest for to absorb and most natural.

Another point to note is that when buying trace minerals, liquid ones are better as they have high absorption in the body (about 96% to 98%) as compared to pills or capsules (only 4% to max 18%). Make sure you buy a high quality one that your dog can absorb and one that is natural (sourced from the sea or plants). 

How to give to my dog?

When you buy the trace mineral liquid, it will come with directions. Usually, 1 drop per 5 pounds is recommended. I recommend buying one sourced from sea beds as that will be less processed and is just similar to your dog bathing itself at the beach! The only difference is that the companies take out the impurities and sodium and refine it just enough so that we (and our dogs) only get the benefits and nothing of the bad stuff. 

You can add it in your dog's water bowl or you can add few drops to your dog's food. For picky eaters, if your dog doesn't like the taste, then give it with something sweet like mango or banana - just 2-3 drops at a time and he won't even know it!

Great! I am ready to buy! Where to find from?

You can buy from health food store or amazon. Buy a regular one - as in, one sold for humans as it will be better quality since products made for humans have more liability. Just find a good quality trusted brand and start using both for yourself and your dog.

So, this is it for today! Here's to health-eir Fido because he joined The Garden Pooch! & his owner saved tons of money! 

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-Somyata