Most owners know dogs need minerals. But very few understand how quickly things go wrong when these tiny nutrients are overloaded. This is where real toxicity begins, and it often starts with good intentions.
š§± What Minerals Actually Do
Minerals are critical for:
- Bone and cartilage strength
- Hormone production
- Nerve signals and muscle control
- Oxygen flow and immune function
- Cell hydration and waste removal
They are involved in nearly every biological process. A shortfall causes weakness. But an excess can quietly overload the organs, creating a long, slow road to damage.
š„© Meat: A Double-Edged Sword
Meat is brilliant. Dogs thrive on it. It fuels the body with essential amino acids, boosts repair, and builds real strength. But hereās the warning: meat always comes with minerals. Phosphorus, iron, zinc, selenium, the list goes on.
And if the meat is too much, too often, and too concentrated, those minerals donāt just help, they harm. They stack. They overload. And they push your dogās internal systems past their limit.
That is the biological catch. Amino acids shout "more", but the organs whisper "enough".
This is where many good owners slip. More meat seems like more care. But in reality, it can be too much of a good thing.
š§½ The Sponge Analogy
Think of your dogās organs like a sponge.
A sponge absorbs water, up to a point. Then it floods, leaks, and stops working. The same happens inside your dog. Every time you feed, you add nutrients. If those nutrients stack too high, especially minerals, the sponge canāt keep up.
The result? Inflammation. Organ strain. Early ageing. Silent suffering. All while the label says "complete and balanced".
That is why understanding mineral load is vital to the public debate around low, medium, or high meat dog food. It is not about how much meat you can cram in, it is about how much your dog can process and still stay balanced.
ā ļø Real Structure Means Real Risks
The more meat, the more minerals. This is not an opinion, it is a law of biology.
- Phosphorus overload can trigger kidney issues
- Too much calcium affects joints and mobility
- Iron, copper, zinc, and selenium can build to toxic levels
If your food is 60 to 80 percent meat, and you add raw, treats, and extras, your dog may be absorbing double or triple their safe mineral levels, daily.
Balance matters. Track what you feed. Rotate meat types weekly. Feed to ideal weight. Thatās how real structure protects health.
ā Macro and Micro Minerals: The Essentials
Dogs need both macro and micro minerals:
Macro minerals:
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Chloride
Micro minerals:
- Iron
- Zinc
- Copper
- Manganese
- Selenium
- Iodine
- Fluoride
Each one affects something different. Bones. Blood. Hormones. Immunity. Vision. Memory. Energy.
That is why our entire food model tracks all 22 amino acids, 13 vitamins, and 14 mineralsĀ because biology demands it.
šÆ Final Thought, You Have to Know This
If you feed too little, the sponge dries out. If you feed too much, it floods. Either way, your dog loses.
Too many brands, shops, and online experts still sell the idea that "more meat means better health". That might work for a month or two. But long-term? It backfires.
A proper canine nutritionist will always explain this. And if the person advising you cannot even start with the 22 amino acids, 13 vitamins, and 14 minerals, you are not getting nutrition advice. You are getting performance.
To understand the severity of this blog, which is part of our free nutritional course, understand the following organisations back this up, and they repeatedly discuss, study, or confirm the biological risks involved:
- FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation)
- NRC (National Research Council, US)
- WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association)
- AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials)
- EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)
- Royal Veterinary College (UK)
- Published veterinary nutritionists and peer-reviewed journals
These are not opinions. These are biological warnings backed by decades of science.
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Your dog, if it could talk, would worship you even more than it already does. š¾