The dog liver detox is an important function in the body, as the liver eliminates the waste materials. The waste materials such as drugs, bacteria or viruses should be eliminated. If this function is impaired, the dog will be drastically affected, as the toxins will remain in the blood and will circulate to all organs.
The Liver and the Detox Process
The liver is the organ that detoxifies the blood on a constant basis. This function is essential, as toxins can have damaging effects on the dog’s overall health.
A healthy liver will perform the detox process, but this may be helped by a diet, applied at least once or twice per year.
Detox Diet
A detox diet comes to help the liver and takes some workload off it. The diet will contain bland foods that will not contain many toxins, so the liver can recover.
The detox diet may vary depending on your dog’s age and health condition. However, the diet may contain:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Lean meat such as chicken or turkey (the amount of fats should be limited during a liver detox cure)
- No carbohydrates
- Wheat products
All the ingredients of the detox diet should be organic, as these contain fewer hormones and fewer chemicals, so that the liver is not overloaded. You should avoid foods that cause allergies in your pet or ingredients your dog has developed intolerance to.
Some vets recommend even 2 days of fasting. If this sounds too radical, you should stick to a minimal amount of food and plenty of water, just to make sure your dog gets some energy and is not dehydrated.
The detox diet should be applied for 10 to 20 days, depending on the vet’s recommendations. Some vets may recommend a longer diet (i.e. up to 6 weeks), but this may be too long and the dog’s body may be deprived of numerous essential nutrients, so complications may arise.
Drugs shouldn’t be used during the detox diet, as these contain a lot of chemicals that will have to be filtered by the liver. The purpose of the liver detox diet is to allow the liver to rest.
Liver Detox Products
There are a number of commercial liver detox products that may be purchased. Talk to your vet about these and see if they can be recommended for your pet.
There are also various other recipes that you may find with specifics for each day of the diet.
Supplements to Assist Liver Function
Canines may require a few supplements to assist the liver’s functions. The vet will recommend a number of minerals such as Zinc, vitamins, probiotics and fatty acids.
Flaxseed oil or liver oil can also be recommended for a healthy liver.
Liver Detox Diet Contraindications
The liver detox diet is not recommended in puppies or dogs that have certain nutritional deficiencies.
Senior dogs may not respond well to a detox diet.