The idea that a substance from the earth that, once inside the body, can draw toxins, heavy metals and other poisons out safely, giving more energy and vitality to our pets sounds like something I’d want to know about. And, that’s exactly what we’re doing today. Bentonite Clay for dogs and cats is a very useful addition to your healing tool kit for so many things, we’ll break them all down in this post.
The purpose of The Hound Healer blog is to share pet health tips that are natural, do no harm and serve us and our animals well. So, when I came across Bentonite clay and learned of all of its healing properties, it absolutely fit our mission. And, we’re all about sharing!
What Is Bentonite Clay?
It is an absorbent aluminum phyllosilicate clay from the Smectites family. It gets its name from the area it is most abundant in – Fort Benton, Wyoming. Bentonite Clay, also sometimes called Montmorillonite clay (which comes from the French region of Montmorillon, where it was discovered), are very similar in structure and both can absorb about eight times more than other clays. More what? More toxins, more parasites, harmful bacteria, and other things you don’t want in your pet’s body.
Bentonite Clay is commonly used today in the creation of skin care products and beauty regimens to create shiny, healthy hair and soothe sensitive skin. However, in many cultures it has been used as a “healing clay” for thousands of years.
It is composed of minerals like calcium, iron, potassium, sodium and magnesium, and comes from actual volcanic ash sediment. Fort Benton, WY is known for its large number of dormant volcanos.
An interesting tidbit about its history of healing is that it is believed the Neanderthals, who roamed the earth at least 200,000 years ago, used clay and mud to bathe and calm skin and wounds. In the 300s BC, the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, writes about those who ingested clay internally for health purposes. Early Native Americans called Bentonite “Ee-Wah-Kee,” which means “The Mud That Heals.” They used clay to reduce infection, pain and used during rituals.
Today, pets and their people can benefit from the powerful detoxifying properties of Bentonite Clay.
How Does It Work?
The beauty of Bentonite Clay is its ability to attract toxins in the body and carry them out. This is because it is a polycationic or a molecule or chemical complex having positive charges at several sites. When it is hydrated or mixed with water, it has a negative charge and like the laws of science and nature, will attract positively charged ions. Most toxins and forms of pollution carry a positive charge. So, a beautiful marriage is born!
What Does Bentonite Clay Help Improve Or Heal?
Ingesting or using topically boasts many benefits for:
- Immune support
- Digestive issues like diarrhea, pancreatitis, IBD and poor gut microbiome balance
- Aflatoxin removal
- Skin allergies, hot spots, wounds
- Kidney and Liver Support
- General and parasite detox
Let’s break down each.
Immune Support AND Digestive Issues
Every category of symptom is affected by the strength of our pet’s immune system. Immune support helps with it all; a stronger immune system can fight off any pathogens coming its way. With that in mind, let’s look at these specific types of symptoms which, as I’ve mentioned in other posts, are like the red lights flashing on the dashboard of a car, telling you something is wrong, that there’s an imbalance in the system that needs to be balanced.
Because Bentonite Clay can attract positively charged ions, if your dog or cat has digestive problems caused by parasites, bacterial or viral infections, it can carry those out of the body and restore balance. If there are issues caused by an imbalance in the gut microbiome, Bentonite Clay has been shown to boost the gut flora, or the garden of bacteria, good and bad, fungi, viruses in the gut needed in the right balance for optimal gut health.
Bentonite Clay also has important trace minerals that support gut health and the immune system. It has been well documented that our soil today is very depleted of the minerals and other nutrients that we could rely on getting through our food years ago. If you’ve taken my course, you know that 90% of your pet’s immune systems comes from the gut, so its proper balance of flora and the right nutrients is paramount in having a strong, healthy animal that will live a longer, more vibrant life.
Bentonite Clay also effective at resolving diarrhea in dogs and cats. A trial in back in 1961 showed that orally administered bentonite treated 97% of cases with different causative factors of diarrhea, including viral infections, food allergies, a spastic colitis, a mucous colitis and food poisoning.
In pancreatitis, the clay increased the production of important digestive enzymes and enhanced the integrity of the mucous lining of the gut, which is negatively affected in pancreatitis. And, increasing digestive health through balancing the gut microbiome will affect all issues in the body positively, including pancreatitis. It is all connected, and the body functions as a whole. When there’s an imbalance that is reflected as diarrhea or as pancreatitis, it is still a holistic imbalance that must be addressed.
Another very important benefit of Bentonite Clay is its ability to remove a substance you may have read about in recent years, pertaining to some commercial dog foods: Aflatoxin.
Aflatoxin is a mold chemical that is toxic to our pets. It is found in many commercial pet foods and you won’t find it listed on the label. It has been the source of many pet food recalls and has killed many pets when an over abundance of it gets into the mix. Aflatoxin has been shown to lead to cancer in our pets.
A study done in 1989 and updated in 2017 clearly showed that Bentonite Clay can bind to and carry aflatoxin out of the body. An excerpt: “Firstly in 1989 Dvorak et al reported that bentonite is able to reduce water aflatoxin to 66% of its primary concentration which showed the absorbing capacity of bentonite for aflatoxin. Schell et al showed that in pigs, when clay is added to aflatoxin-contaminated corn, it partially restored liver function without greatly affecting mineral metabolism…There are numerous animal feeding studies, which demonstrated that bentonites, can bind aflatoxins in ingested feed and reduce or eliminate the toxicity.”
This is very important for us, especially for any pet parents still feeding commercially processed food.
Skin Allergies/Wounds
Skin allergies and the itching that often accompanies them are caused by an overreaction of the body’s immune system against what it perceives as a threat. This could be a food, an environmental allergen, even stress. Bentonite Clay has been found to excrete histamine from the bowel, a chemical found in some cells in the body and a key cause of the symptoms of an allergic reaction. And, the process of binding to and removing bacterial overgrowth, toxins and parasites from your pet’s body is also a great support in reducing or resolving allergies.
Bentonite clay can also be applied topically by being made into a paste with water. When applied as a poultice onto an allergic hot spot or bug bite, it will soothe it and draw out any bacterial overgrowth on the skin, acting as a natural antibiotic, even showing effectiveness against the superbug MRSA. It also acts to resolve fungal infections on the skin.
For wounds, apply topically as a poultice to soothe and help heal.
A liquidy paste can be created and rubbed on the teeth and gums as a toothpaste, and to rid the mouth of harmful bacterial and soothe gums, aiding in the support of dental health. It is always critical when there is any problem in your dog or cat’s mouth – foul odor, red inflamed gums, bleeding gums – to see a vet or veterinary dentist. Gum and tooth decay is a key cause of other types of disease in our pets.
Kidney & Liver Support
For pet parents reading this now who are struggling with addressing kidney or liver disease in their pets, Bentonite Clay could be a great addition to your health plan. Please always check with a holistic vet before self-prescribing for a sick animal. The reason I’m suggesting you look into this for your animal is that bentonite clay is a natural phosphate binder, which is an important support in kidney disease. The excess phosphates and urea that the kidneys can’t clear can be greatly helped by Bentonite clay in removing them, and will allow your pet to feel much better, improving the appetite and energy levels.
SerumUrea is a by-product of kidney disease and poor kidney function. Bentonite is shown to promote the diffusion of urea from blood vessels to the intestines, and inhibits the absorption of urea in the intestines. See the study shared above for more info on this.
In addition, Bentonite clay was reported in this study to be able to restore liver function during exposure to toxins, without affecting the digestion of good nutrients.
General, Heavy Metals & Parasite Detox (Dahlings!)
Now that we know Bentonite Clay is a wonderful way to carry toxins and parasites out of the body naturally, while adding important minerals into the body that may be lacking in today’s farming environment, we can begin to see how the clay can act as a wonderful general detoxing protocol for us and our pets. By binding to the positively charged toxins and dehydrating parasites, carry it all out of the body, we have a safe, effective and natural, do-no-harm means to take care of nasty bugs that are hijacking our pet’s nutrition and overall health and getting rid of any toxic overload from today’s toxin-rich environment.
You can topically apply dry bentonite clay to kill fleas on your pets, and use it as a soak for flea prevention.
Detoxing with bentonite clay can also take heavy metals from dog vaccinations or cat vaccinations out of your pet’s system. You may know that toxic aluminum and mercury are found in vaccines and they stay in our pets’ systems, unless we remove them.
In a previous post on oxidative stress and how it is the root of aging and all disease, I mentioned C60 as a wonderful supplement to remove more oxidative stress, or free radicals, than any other antioxidant we know of today, as well as to repair cells.
Using these tools to remove toxins (bentonite clay), remove oxidative stress caused by toxins and repair the cells (c60), gives us a powerful piece of a healing plan for our babies that we can rely on, based on tried and true methods and the test of time.
And, on a lighter note, let me just say about that Chihuahua in the photo above? Definitely has the attitude of my Chi Chi, Ani. What about your princess?
How To Prepare & Administer Bentonite Clay
To Use Internally in Dogs & Cats:
- Give on an empty stomach
- Do not give food, herbs or medications for at least 2 hours after a dose of bentonite clay.
- Dosage: give 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon. To prepare, mix with enough filtered water to create a liquidy paste.
- Make sure to select a reputable and established clay product, as it can naturally contain heavy metals and the quality can differ between brands.
- Make sure clean and filtered water is available at all times, since the clay will be absorbing water from the bowel.
To Prepare Bentonite As A Topical Paste
- Mix 1 part clay with two parts of filtered or spring water.
- Mix well to form a paste to use topically.
- Apply the paste to irritated skin.
It’s fine if your dog or cat licks it, but keep in mind that if you are simultaneously using internally and as a topical, adjust the internal dosage so your animal doesn’t get too much clay, as it can cause constipation. Just remember it is absorbing water from the bowel, so hydrate your dog or cat well (lots of fresh filtered water available and making an internal mixture with enough water to make it a bit liquidy).
To Prepare As A Bath or Soak for Dogs
- Use 1/2 -1 cup of clay in a full tub of water.
- Put your dog into the tub and soak for up to 20 minutes to help calm itchy skin and skin with lots of hot spots or irritated areas.
We have so many good options to care for our pets naturally and complement what conventional medicine has to offer us.
Did you know about Bentonite Clay for your dogs or cats before this post? If yes, have you had any good experiences with it? Please tell us your stories in the comments below.
To their best health!
Jody 
