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Mineral Licks

How Himalayan Salt Lick Is Good for Dogs?

by Betty Gabriel
written by Betty Gabriel

Over the years, the place for certain animals has changed in our lives. From being a strange and beautiful distraction, they have now become an integral part of many families. As the human population is growing, so is the pet population. Many people have pets in their homes and they consider them as a part of their family.

According to statistics, 57% of the people around the world own pets. Out of this 57% of the animal lovers, 33% are dog owners. Dogs have always been the most popular pet of all times. Their loving and loyal nature makes them man’s best friend. If you belong to the lucky 33% of the population owning dogs then this article would be of utmost interest to you.

Like all other members of the family, our pets are equally dear to us. Their health is a serious concern and we make sure to provide them with everything that is beneficial for their health.

Why Do Dogs Lick?

If you own dogs you must be aware of the peculiar habit that comes as a package with these four-legged beauties. Dogs love to lick and they lick almost everything. It is probably their way of expressing themselves as well as exploring things around them.

People have been trying to decipher the exact meaning behind the dog’s licking. There are quite a few possibilities. We have compiled a list below of all the reasons for a dog to lick.

  1. When a puppy is born, the mother dog licks the new-born clean. It is also a warm display of affection for the baby. You must be wondering why your dog licks everything? Because these babies take on to this habit of showing affection from their mothers and lick people, things and other animals for their display of affection.
  2. Wild dogs when return home, regurgitate the hunted meat. The puppies lick the meat of their parents’ mouths. This is a well-known reason for dogs to lick their fellows.
  3.   When a dog meets its owner after a gap of a few hours, it greets the owner by licking. It is the dogs’ way of telling their owners how much they were missed and how much the dogs love them.
  4. Licking someone is also considered as a gesture of showing respect in the dog world. Wild dogs often lick others from their breed to show respect and welcome the alpha and commit their submission to the ones that are higher than them in the social order.
  5. Sometimes dogs lick their owners face in seek for attention. You must have noticed that when dogs shower us with kisses, we often pat them with love or scratch the back of their ears lovingly. These small gestures mean a lot to the pooches.
  6. Oftentimes it happens that the dogs feel neglected. They lick their owners to depict the message that they need a little more care or food.
  7. You must be curious to know that Why do Dogs lick themselves? Well, there are a number of reasons behind it. It can be because of a painful paw or claw or any other part of the body. They might be feeling unwell or might be suffering from some kind of skin disease. They might be infested with lice and fleas. It is their way of communicating the message that things are not right with them.
  8. One alarming reason for dogs excessively licking everything is they might be suffering from obsessive-compulsive behavior. Although it is very rare in dogs still it is best to consult your vet and get your dog checked and treated by an animal behaviorist. This disorder is often a result of prolonged anxiety or stress.
  9. Dogs lick themselves to clean themselves. The wild breeds do this to get rid of any odor that might alarm enemies of their presence. Although the pet dogs at our homes do not need to beware of the enemies, they still lick themselves. This may be attributed to their sense of self-cleaning.

Why Do Dogs Lick Your Hands And Feet?

Apart from all the above-mentioned reasons dogs also lick human feet and hands because they might find it salty. Dogs lick everything that tastes different and this is their way of exploring this world.

Salt For Dogs:

We all know how important salt is for our daily intake. Studies have shown that daily salt intake is equally important for dogs. It is very important for dogs to have salt intake in their daily diet as it is a source of electrolytes and minerals. Without salt in their diets, they may get dehydrated and suffer from malnutrition.

Salt is simply sodium and chloride but it plays an important part when it comes to maintaining good health. It maintains pH balance in the body, blood pressure, blood volume and, transmission of nerve impulses.

Sodium is essential for transferring nutrients to the cells and getting rid of the waste substances. Chloride, on the other hand, helps with the production of hydrochloric acid which aids in protein digestion.

In case a dog is deprived of the ideal daily salt intake it is likely to affect its cognitive as well as physical health and growth and this will also be strongly depicted through the dog’s behavior. Low salt diet may cause seizures, coma, lethargy, and weakness which may further cause difficulty in maintaining water balance, loss of hearing, fatigue, and dry flaky skin. Low salt or hyponatremia can also be a result of prolonged diarrhea and vomiting. If anything like this occurs, it is best to consult a vet immediately.

Himalayan Salt Lick For Dogs:

The pink Himalayan salt is known to be the only purest salt present on this earth. This salt is hand extracted from the salt mines situated at the foothills of the Himalayan mountain ranges.

An interesting fact about the natural salt is that it contains sodium chloride and as many as 84 macrominerals and trace minerals in the proper ratio. These 84 minerals of Himalayan salt are already present in the human and animal bodies and help in proper growth and functioning of some of the vital organs.

You can introduce Himalayan salt licks to your dog by placing purpose-built salt licks around the place or dissolving salt in your dog’s food and water.

Saltwater Toxicity In Dogs:

We all know what beaches mean to our pooches. Dogs love to play at the beaches and swim in the cold water. This all may lead to a thirsty dog and chances are your dog may end up drinking beach water.

Saltwater taken in little amount may only cause diarrhea but if the dog drinks up too much of the toxic beach water, it may be fatal. Excessive saltwater disrupts the fluid balance of your dog and raises with toxic degrees of sodium of their systems. while too much salt builds up in a canine’s body, her cells release their water content material to try to balance out the sodium disparity. This, in flip, reasons a litany of great health effects. It can motive seizures, a loss of brain cells, damage to the kidneys, and intense dehydration. Hopefully, all the information compiled in this piece is helpful in taking care of your animal friend.

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deer licksalt
Mineral Licks

A Comprehensive Guide For Buying & Using Salt Licks for Deer

by Betty Gabriel
written by Betty Gabriel

A salt lick or commonly called a mineral lick is a location where animals go to fulfill their mineral needs. These salt licks can be naturally occurring or man-made.

Deer have been salt lickers since the beginning of time. They have been doing it from the naturally occurring salt licks. Unfortunately, these natural salt licks are rare in this age, which is why man has resorted to creating salt licks on his land.

Why Are Salt Licks Needed?

Are salt licks good for deer? Well, yes because salt licks are a great source of minerals for deer. They need minerals for the healthy growth of their bodies and antlers.

Do not confuse their mineral requirements with those of any other animal. Unlike other hoofed animals, deer require a mineral lick that fulfills their need for calcium and phosphorus as these two are the basic minerals required for the healthy growth of their antlers. It is better to grab the formula for making a salt lick that is prepared specifically to meet deer’s needs.

If you own a property that is frequented by deer, you would want this piece of land to benefit you as much as possible. A land which is home to healthy deer having great antlers is an ideal place for deer hunting. This is the main reason artificial salt licks are setup wisely around the property. A salt lick also promises healthy and beautiful deer breeding.

When To Set Up Salt Licks:

If you are thinking for an ideal time of the year to set up salt licks for deer, you might be surprised to know that deer benefit from these salt licks round the year.

Summers and springs are a crucial time for deer to have sufficient mineral intake in their bodies as they grow in this period. Also, a lot of Doe give birth to fawns during these seasons and thus need an extra inflow of these minerals while lactating. It nourishes the mother and the baby equally.

During summer and spring, there is an abundance of greens everywhere for deer to feed upon. This lots of green intake calls for good digestion and processing of extra water intake. Salt licks ensure all of this is handled properly.

Deer need an adequate amount of mineral intake during fall and winter. They need nutrition to gain fat in their bodies in order to keep them warm during harsh winters.  Since the green is absent at most places in these seasons, deer have to feed upon dry birches and shrubs. Salt licks come handy in order to fulfill the missing nutrients.

Where To Set Up Salt Licks:

There is no devised formula to know how deer think and where they might frequent looking for salt licks. If you want to find out the best places for setting up salt licks you will have to observe the behavior of deer.

Setup cameras and observe which track they follow and where do they end up having water from.

Some of the most common places to set up salt licks for deer are:

Water pools: Deer are bound to come regularly at water pools or ponds. Setting up a salt lick near that area will ensure the deer benefit from it as they will need salt after having water and vice versa.

Bedding area: Deer will set up a particular area for resting and meeting other habitats. It is best to set up mineral licks near their resting area. They will definitely end up figuring it out and getting benefited by it.

Trails: Setting up salt licks near the deer trail is yet another great idea. The trick is not to put it right on the middle of the trail. Setup a salt lick a little away from the trail. This will ensure no natural habitat is compromised with the deer end up finding a salt lick through their strong sense of smell.

Be careful while setting up a salt lick. Nothing in the environment should be changed noticeably. This will alert the deer and hush them away to other properties. The main idea behind setting up the salt lick is to provide the deer with the best health and safety within your property.

How To Choose The Best Product?

After finalizing the spot and timing for setting up the salt licks, now comes the next step of choosing the best mineral product for your property.

It mainly depends upon the type of property and weather of your area. The mineral product comes in three forms

  • Solid brick or blocks
  • Granules
  • Liquid

In an area with heavy rainfall, the salt blocks are used commonly as it will take time to seep in the soil but will not be washed away with the rainwater.

For the optimal results, Himalayan salt mineral blocks are preferred as these blocks are all natural and packed with essential minerals.

Others prefer granular form as it is very easy to use and stays for quite a good time.

The liquid form is the easiest to blend in the soil but it gets carried away very easily. Another drawback with using the liquid form of salt is that it gets leached deep into the soil over time. The deer have to dig deep down to get to the salt and in doing so they end up consuming a lot of dirt which may be harmful to them.

The best idea is to use all three forms according to the time of the year and the requirement

How To Set Up a Salt Lick:

Setting up a salt lick that looks natural is very easy, follow these steps to set up your own salt lick.

  1. Dig holes in the ground where you plan to set up your salt lick.
  2. Fill these holes with the salt mix or mineral mix. Save a little of it.
  3. Top them up with soil removed from the holes to give a natural look.
  4. Stick a stump in the ground and cover it with the salt mixture so that it looks natural. This will make it easier for the deer to find the salt lick.

After rain or two, the salt lick will become more natural and there will be no need to add any more salt up to six months.

Another idea of setting up a natural salt lick is digging a hole of around 12 inches deep and 36 inches in diameter. Fill this hole with the salt mixture saving a little for later use. Top up with the soil and give it a stir to blend a little with the salt mixture. Sprinkle the saved salt mixture on top of the soil.

This salt lick will need refilling with soil from time to time as it may get bigger and end up being storage for rainwater.

If you are considering setting up a salt lick with the purpose of attracting deer for hunting, make sure it is legal in the area of your residency.

Be patient in seeing the change these salt lick will bring about in the herd of deer at your property. Do not expect something magical to produce huge sized bucks with killer antlers overnight.

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