# Mineral blocks



## HayleyMarie

Anyone have one for your dogs to lick when they feel they need some minerals and vitamins? 

I took Teagan to a herbalist/iridologist and she suggested I put one of those out for Teagan.

Thoughts!?

Hayley 

.


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## Love my lab

Not sure what they are, but I know if I put something that my dog thought was anything close to food she would think she needs to lick it until it is gone...lol. But on a serious side, I guess my intial thoughts would be if feeding a balanced diet w/ varitety the dog wold probably have all the nutrition it would need just from the diet. I do not know if my dog would go to a block and lick it because she thought she was lacking something...she would more then likely just lick it because it tasted good.


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## xellil

We used to do that for cows and horses (salt licks). Never heard of it for a dog. I would think if it was needed, alot more people would be doing it.


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## kady05

You mean like a salt lick like they make for horses? I put them out for my horse, have never thought to put one out for my dogs. I do sometimes wonder if they're lacking in something though.. at certain points of the year, ALL of them will start digging little holes in the yard and eat dirt. I mentioned it to my friend the other day (my dogs have started doing it the past couple of weeks), who also has 3 dogs and cares for 10 Ridgebacks, and she said all of those dogs were doing it too. Found it pretty interesting.


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## Kat

Hmm I never would have thought of that. Iv never heard of anyone doing that for a dog either, but it would be interesting to look into


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## xellil

Horses and cows eat grass. Probably in the past there were enough minerals/salt in the soil that they could get what they needed from their natural food. It makes sense we have to supplement now, with the poor soil we have today.

But dogs? Kibble-fed dogs definitely don't need it. all that stuff is added. Maybe for raw-fed dogs who are fed very poor quality animals.


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## kady05

xellil said:


> Horses and cows eat grass. Probably in the past there were enough minerals/salt in the soil that they could get what they needed from their natural food. It makes sense we have to supplement now, with the poor soil we have today.
> 
> But dogs? Kibble-fed dogs definitely don't need it. all that stuff is added. Maybe for raw-fed dogs who are fed very poor quality animals.


All 3 of my dogs eat grass.. I call Wilson my cow, actually LOL.


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## xellil

I think every dog I've ever had has been a grass eater to some extent or the other. 

Rebel loves grass and Snorkels doesn't - she loves the weeds. She's the one I'm worried about getting into something like poison ivy.

I think i'll pass on the mineral block, though!


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## naturalfeddogs

Our horses have one in their pasture, but the dogs have never shown interest.


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## xchairity_casex

i dont think it would hurt to try unless of coarse your dog starts chewing on it and litterly eating it that cant be good and so long as you get the mineral licks nad not just the plain salt licks.

Cesar constantly eats grass,flowers,sticks,leaves, so im constatly having to stop him he litterly eats everythign and anything whenever he vomits youll always find bits fo plastic,little legos from my nephew,string,rocks,bits of cloth,q-tips how the heck he gets alot of this stuff is beyond me becuase i follow him around all day long nearly and if i catch him eating somthign other then food i reach in to his mouth and take it out hes also a huge hair eater which is soo gross
last tiem he vomited and i had to dig for a pill out of it i was digging thru clumps of hair bleh


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## naturalfeddogs

I don't know, the more I think about it, if you are feeding good variety you shouldn't need all the supplementing.


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## naturalfeddogs

Oh, and those blocks are more salt than anything. I licked one of our horses blocks once just to see (before they used it, of course) and the amount of salt will make you pucker.


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## magicre

HayleyMarie said:


> Anyone have one for your dogs to lick when they feel they need some minerals and vitamins?
> 
> I took Teagan to a herbalist/iridologist and she suggested I put one of those out for Teagan.
> 
> Thoughts!?
> 
> Hayley
> 
> .


my thoughts are, i'd like to see one or see a link to one...and hear more about what is in this.....


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## naturalfeddogs

magicre said:


> my thoughts are, i'd like to see one or see a link to one...and hear more about what is in this.....[/QUO tons of salt, and minerals intended for livestock/horses. Most al feed stores carry them.


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## cprcheetah

My personal opinion is that if you are feeding a balanced raw diet, they get all the minerals they need from the organs/meat/bones etc. Too much salt (as that is what the majority of these blocks are) can cause problems.


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## magicre

i looked them up.

wow. they make them for all kinds of cows and goats and horses...

what i see, though, are supplementations for feeder lot cows, for lactating cows and the supplementation i see is already found in a dog's diet of protein/organ/ and bones.

i think these mineral blocks would be supplementing expensive pee for a dog.  just my opinion.


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## Kat

With dogs eating, I buy my cats organic ''cat grass'' and it says its ok to feed to dogs but Iv never tried that. Has anyone ever given their dogs cat grass?


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## xellil

I just don't think a bunch of salt would be good for dogs. My dog with the mitral valve disease certainly doesn''t need it.


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## barneysmom2510

kady05 said:


> You mean like a salt lick like they make for horses? I put them out for my horse, have never thought to put one out for my dogs. I do sometimes wonder if they're lacking in something though.. at certain points of the year, ALL of them will start digging little holes in the yard and eat dirt. I mentioned it to my friend the other day (my dogs have started doing it the past couple of weeks), who also has 3 dogs and cares for 10 Ridgebacks, and she said all of those dogs were doing it too. Found it pretty interesting.


I have been told the dogs can smell the grubs etc in the lawn and dig in the dirt and eat it to eat the bugs. One of my dacshunds does this all the time I am sure I have plenty of grubs because I do not use any chemical treatments in my yard.


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## magicre

xellil said:


> I just don't think a bunch of salt would be good for dogs. My dog with the mitral valve disease certainly doesn''t need it.


the one i looked at, and there are all kinds was mineral-x...and it had no salt added......


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## chowder

I used to have a salt block for my guinea pig and he gnawed on it all the time, but I think it was just salt. We also had them in all the cow pastures. I would think dogs would lick them because my dogs sure seem to like salty stuff, just like people do. It doesn't mean that its good for them.

Rocky also eats flowers, and Shade eats dirt. I have no idea why the two of them do that, and just those particular things. Shade doesn't eat the flowers that Rocky does, and Rocky doesn't eat the dirt that Shade does, yet they have the exact same diet. So you wouldn't think they would be missing any essential nutrients or they would both crave the same thing. Maybe they just like the way it tastes?


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## magicre

chowder said:


> I used to have a salt block for my guinea pig and he gnawed on it all the time, but I think it was just salt. We also had them in all the cow pastures. I would think dogs would lick them because my dogs sure seem to like salty stuff, just like people do. It doesn't mean that its good for them.
> 
> Rocky also eats flowers, and Shade eats dirt. I have no idea why the two of them do that, and just those particular things. Shade doesn't eat the flowers that Rocky does, and Rocky doesn't eat the dirt that Shade does, yet they have the exact same diet. So you wouldn't think they would be missing any essential nutrients or they would both crave the same thing. Maybe they just like the way it tastes?


this is what i found....and i don't think dogs need it...just my opinion....especially if they are getting the nutrients they need from their proteins/bone/organ.

Crystalyx


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## alleyfayw

magicre said:


> my thoughts are, i'd like to see one or see a link to one...and hear more about what is in this.....


I asked because my Chihuahua licks the couch cover all the time, I've heard soap is mostly salt ?? I think I will get a small one n see if they like it


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