We humans understand the benefits of detox and have no problem doing it for ourselves. Same principle is applied to our beloved dogs – in fact, they need detox even more than us because they are exposed to more toxin on a daily basis. Dogs don’t wear a protective layer of clothes as we do and they lick things, their bodies and everywhere, which in turn absorb those toxins. And because of their smaller size, a small dose of toxins has a huge effect on pets. We’ll explain what steps you can do to get the detox process started.
According to Dr Edward Group (D.C), the founder and CEO of Global Healing Centre in the US, “detoxifying dogs is a new trend and now more veterinarians are starting to look into it. But the only way to heal your pet is to look at the root cause of why your pet is sick to begin with, so the first step of detoxification is to detoxify the things that are causing the problem.”
Even if your pet doesn’t have any visible signs of sickness, detox definitely does only good to the overall health and immune system.
Detoxify the food:
Upgrade the food you are currently feeding to your pet. Let’s get real here, not everyone who currently feeds only dry kibbles would turn to raw homemade diet overnight. It’s about getting comfortable with your upgrade process while the change still fits your lifestyle.
So, if you are feeding only grain-based dry kibbles (it means the kibbles contain rice, wheat, soy, corn, oats and etc), you can consider upgrading the diet by replacing some kibbles with fresh food and veggies. Introduce the change gradually and slowly with 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of fresh food over the timespan of a couple of weeks to avoid stomach upset. You can also consider switching to a grain-free low-carbohydate dog food.
If you are currently feeding high quality grain-free kibbles, the upgrade you should consider is 1) lower the level of carbohydrates as much as possible because carbohydrates are simply broken down into sugars, and too much sugars, as you know, do no good. 2) same as the above mentioned, replace some kibbles with fresh food and veggies, or 3) switch to unprocessed fresh food diet.
If you are already feeding fresh food homemade diet (be it cooked or raw), that’s great. 1) What else you should do is to double check the diet is complete and balanced. For example, a dog’s body cannot produce the sufficient level of some vitamins and minerals itself which need to be supplemented in the diet. 2) Also, the upgrade can include as much organic and non-GMO fresh food as possible, and cut grains out as much as possible.
Detoxify the water:
Try your best to feed distilled or purified water. Because pets are sensitive to toxin substances like fluoride, bromine and chlorine which are present in tap water. (Additional note: In 2010, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified flouride alongside asbestos and arsenic as one of the ten chemicals that poses the greatest risk to human health.)
Detoxify the environment:
Things your dog play with: Watch out for the hidden toxin plastic and rubbery toys contain, namely BPA and phthalates. Also, be cautious about cheap toys of dubious origin, because there is simply no safety standard to require manufacturers to test the level of chemicals present in the toys such as in China. If your dog loves plastic or rubbery toys, then choose those which are BPA and phthalate-free or made from 100% natural rubber. Check the manufacturing location also, as some manufacturers might attempt to camouflage the manufacturing location by stating “designed in the USA” for example. Luckily, a number of brands we can find in Hong Kong such as West Paw Design and Waggo are safe!
Things you use to clean your home and your dog: Choose shampoo that is organic, free from chemicals. Use non-toxic cleaners for your home, better yet, you can actually DIY natural household cleaners. We will teach you how to do it with simple ingredients under 3 minutes! Stay tuned!
Do what you can within your power, and your pet will thank you for it.
Related reading: What fruits & veggies for dogs Relating reading: 13 toxic food to avoid
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