# Montmorillonite Clay in Natures Variety Formulas



## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

I have two of the worlds pickiest eaters. 

My 11 month old Westie has only been a good eater about two foods: Royal Canin (cannot feed chicken as she vomits) and Natures Variety Instinct. The Naturest Variety Instinct kibble (been trying to get a non-chicken raw boost formula) has been working well for her and she loves it. 

The only thing I am unsure about is the fact Natures Variety formulas all contain Montmorillonite Clay in them. I have never seen this used in pet foods before and I'm unable to find a whole lot of information about it regarding its use in pet foods which makes me that much more unsure toward it. 

Any thoughts? Experiences? 

I will be contacting a veterinary nutritionist when I have the funds to (gotta love pet emergencies) but for now I thought I'd see what other members thought.


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

Seems to be one of those "holistic" supplement things. http://www.amazon.com/Terramin-Natural-Multimineral-Supplement-Montmorillonite/dp/B001AV9W8O


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

The Dog Food Advisor review says this:



> After natural flavor, we find montmorillonite clay… a naturally occurring compound rich in many trace minerals. Montmorillonite has been approved for use in USDA Organic Certified products.
> 
> Reported benefits include the binding of certain mold-based toxins and even controlling diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).


There's a discussion of it here. Most stuff I see online seems to be more opinion than fact.


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## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm just concerned if its going to be safe for her long-term. It puts me in a difficult spot because she loves the food and that is not an easy find with her. I'm not thrilled with myself for feeding an all life stage food but so far its working for her. 

I have e-mailed the company to ask their use on the use of this ingredient in their formulas and if it is tested for dioxins. The information I recieve may influence if I continue feeding the diet or not, because I don't wish to feed a diet with an ingredient that isn't tested for toxic compounds/environment pollutants. 

From their ingredient glossary: Montmorillonite is a natural clay that we source from deposits in southern Utah that is approved by AAFCO for use as an anticaking processing aid. 

I wonder if there is anyone on the board who feeds any of the Instinct lines, how have they worked out?


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

Before I switched to raw, NV was my top pick for my dogs.. I fed the Limited Ingredient Diets. My dogs really liked it, and their condition on it was lovely. I wasn't sure about the m. clay either, but couldn't find any info that was enough to definitively turn me off of it.. especially after seeing how well my dogs did on it. I can't comment on long-term effects, as I only fed it for several months before moving on to raw.


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## RedGermanPinscher (Jun 22, 2012)

Seems to me, based on what I've read, to be something similar to Diatomaceous Earth. Nature's Variety is a regular part of my rotation and I have never had issues I am aware of...


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## roxiefoxie08 (Dec 15, 2011)

it makes one of my dogs stools too hard on the
limited diet only


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