By steve
Per special request of our friend Oz the Terrier, we are sticking with the letter “m” for the second week in a row and are featuring “Montomorillonite” as our ingredient of the day.
What is Montomorillonite?
According to Wikipedia, Montmorillonite is a very soft … group of minerals that typically form in microscopic crystals, forming a clay. It is named after Montmorillon in France.
Common names for Montmorillonite
The most common name variations for Montmorillonite include Montmorillonite clay, Calcium Montmorillonite, and Bentonite .
Why is Montmorillonite included in dog food?
Montmorillonite clay is used in some pet foods as a natural anti-caking agent. In addition, it is a natural source of minerals so it may bring with it added health benefits to pets.
Is Montmorillonite a commonly used ingredient in dog food?
Not really. We found Montmorillonite in 3% of all dog foods in our database.
Common benefits or risks of Montmorillonite
Besides being an anti-caking agent, Montmorillonite provides somewhere near 50 trace minerals. Montmorillonite is also purported to facilitate the elimination of body toxins. It has also been shown to have some anti-bacterial properties and can prevent diarrheal diseases.
Miscellaneous facts about Montmorillonite
As a topical, Montmorillonite has been used to treat contact dermatitis.
Montmorillonite and other types of clays are used in human detoxifying solutions.
Slimdoggy Ingredient Comfort Level
Although it appears to be a beneficial ingredient, the research available on Montmorillonite in a dog’s diet is sparse. For this reason, we give this ingredient a “neutral” rating.
Sources and further reading
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2413170/
http://www.vri.cz/docs/vetmed/49-10-389.pdf
We’re joining the Tasty Tuesday Blog Hop sponsored by Sugar, the Golden Retriever and Kolchak from Kol’s Notes:
From: Dog Food Ingredients A to Z: Montomorillonite
