Helping Your Dogs and Cats Detoxify

This entry was written by Melissa Grosjean, posted on December 17, 2009 at 5:38 pm, and filed under Health.

Detoxification is essential for any animal that has been treated with multiple courses of medications such as steroids, antibiotics or antihistamines which are often prescribed for animals with itchy skin or digestive disorders. Even pets who have been on a heavily processed diet for years will experience a build up of toxins in their body which must be released when they switch to a healthier diet.

Changing to a raw food diet can initiate detoxification and you may see an increase in symptoms such as itching or an odd rash develop initially, but it will typically diminish within 7 to 10 days. Herbal rinses or oatmeal baths can help sooth itchiness and rashes until symptoms subside.

The elimination process can be supported with herbal or homeopathic remedies. Milk thistle and dandelion are commonly used for detoxification and liver support. The length of time it takes to detoxify will vary with the severity of the problem and the response of the individual animal. If you don’t see any improvement in 7 to 10 days, or if symptoms worsen, consult a holistically trained veterinarian.

(More in my next post on helping pets restore their digestive health.)

melissa_grosjean

If your dog looks healthy and is showing no outward symptoms of possible toxicity issues such as scratching, licking or changes in behavior she may not be in need of detoxing. Dogs that are on a raw diet long-term seem much more able to eliminate toxins from their systems without much difficulty.

After anesthesia you can use an herbal tincture such as dandelion and/or milk thistle for a few days. Extra antioxidants never hurt either; but for an otherwise healthy dog on a raw diet, even that may not be necessary.

Thanks,
Melissa

Jeannie

My dogs have been on the BARF diet since they were puppies and look great. The 3 yr old had her hips and elbows x-rayed (two different events) had a surgical sperm implant to get pregnant (anesthesia) and I've recently determined she is allergic to some of the foods she was eating. She is now on buffalo or mackeral as her protein source. Should I also initiate a detox, and if so, how?