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In 2014, I decided to start sharing my journey as a raw feeder. I had been feeding my dogs a raw food diet for a year and wrote about what I had learned as part of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Looking back, I cringe at how little I knew about raw feeding and decided to update each of those blog posts in 2018-19.
Enjoy.
Raw Food Detox Symptoms
When I initially transitioned my dogs to a raw food diet, I was warned that my dogs would go through a detox period that could be pretty scary. People warned me because they didn't want me to freak out and race back to kibble because I thought the raw was harming my dogs. Dogs go through a detox as the body sheds the accumulation of toxins in their system. A few detox symptoms include the following:
- An increase in goopy eye boogers and runny eyes
- Loose stool and diarrhea
- An increase in shedding
- The coat may look terrible
- Increased doggy odor
- Mucus covered poop
So when Rodrigo and Sydney started eating raw, I was prepared for the worst. But nothing happened. I don't know if they went through a mild detox and I just didn't notice, if there weren't symptoms because I started with premade raw dog food, or if my dogs were lucky and didn't go through a detox. Scout and Zoey started eating a raw diet at six weeks old; I think they were too young to experience a detox.
How Long Does it Take for a Dog to Detox?
Despite the fact that my dogs didn't go through a detox or the detox period was so short that I didn't notice – people always want to know what to expect and how long it'll last. Based on what I've been told and things shared by others, a detox period can last from a few days to a week, to several months. If the period lasted more than a month, I'd speak to my vet to make sure that I was doing everything right.
What About an Ongoing Detox for Dogs?
Today, two of our dogs have been on a raw food diet for more than five years. And the other two have been on raw for most of their lives. I don't know if feeding a raw diet (the 80/10/10) is providing an ongoing detox. What I do know is that some of the foods and supplements I add to my dogs' diet help to detox any toxic buildup in their system. For example, I give my dogs Spirugreen because it's a great source of spirulina and chlorophyll, which detox the system while improving the immune system, among other benefits. Other foods that naturally detox the system include:
Foods that Detox the Liver
- Milk Thistle
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Dandelions
- Golden paste
Foods that Detox the Kidneys
- Water (keep plenty of fresh, clean water on hand)
- Parsley
- Alfalfa
- Cranberries
Foods that Detox the Gut
- Fermented Foods
- Garlic
- Chia Seeds
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Dandelions
Foods that Detox the Skin
- Blueberries
- Purple Cabbage
- Sunflower Seeds
Source: MindBodyGreen.com
If you are feeding your dog a raw food diet and your dog seems to be going through signs of detox that are concerning, don't hesitate to contact your veterinarian. If your veterinarian doesn't support raw feeding and you don't feel that they will help you, please consider a consultation with a holistic veterinarian.
That’s amazing, especially because they’re Golden Retrievers. Have you added them to the Long Living Pet’s Research Project yet? https://longlivingpets.com/ – Thomas Sandberg is running this study on raw fed pets.
I started feeding my two Golden Retrievers a raw organic food diet since they were puppies and I have used small amounts of garlic too. I’ve never had to use toxic flea and heart worm medicine. They’re tests always come up negative. My dogs are now both 10 1/2 and have the body of and act like five year old dogs. One other benefit; they are much more calmer and listen better. I would never feed a dog conventional dog food again! A couple other things; I only vaccinated at the puppy age and my dogs drink only pure healthy non chlorinated and non fluoridated water.
Thank you for your comment, Jazmine…
Garlic is actually a healthy supplement for dogs when given in the right doses, which can be found online, published by holistic veterinarians. You can also read more about the benefits of garlic in Dr. Pitcairn’s book, The Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.
A FEW BENEFITS OF GARLIC FOR DOGS:
– natural flea and tick repellent
– supports a healthy immune system
– supports liver health
– a natural antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal
RISKS OF GARLIC FOR DOGS:
– dogs with lupus or anemia shouldn’t have garlic in their diet.
– puppies shouldn’t have garlic in their diet.
SOURCES FOR MY INFORMATION:
– Natural Dog Health Remedies: https://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/garlic-for-dogs.html
– Dogs Naturally Magazine: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-for-dogs-poison-or-medicine/
– Dogs Naturally Magazine: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-for-dogs-poison-or-medicine/
– Whole Dog Journal: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/4_11/features/5409-1.html
Of course, everyone has to do what’s right for their dog and I find that it’s best to run things by my veterinarian instead of believing everything on the internet (my vet gave me the thumbs up), but I wanted to respond because it’s a myth that garlic is toxic or dangerous for dogs. In the right amounts, it’s beneficial for dogs.
Have a lovely evening.
I have to put this comment here. DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG GARLIC, IT IS BAD FOR THEM! IT CAN KILL! I CANT BELIEVE THEY HAVE PUT THIS ON HERE!
A really interesting article. I have not even thought about how dogs can detoxify. But that’s so exciting, I really have to get involved with it.
Thanks for sharing, Larry 🙂
I have fed my dog raw food for about 6 years now. I adopted her about 10 years ago. Probably about 15 y.o. now. Very healthy. I use a product on my dog that is safe to use for flies, mosquito’s and fleas.
See it here
There are lots of cat bloggers – you can find a great list here: http://blog.a-pets-life.com/2013/05/03/top-5-cat-blogs-and-bloggers/
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I cannot really say I saw a detox in my dogs, only improvement. Faolan was nine months old when we got him, gangly as all get out, and had a thin, rough coat. Neeko and Bruce were 1 and 1.5, and never had a “detox” period either. Some swear it exists, I just didn’t see it. Thanks for the flea and tick tips!
This is so interesting and I love how I am coming across sites like this for dogs in this challenge. I however have 2 cats and I need to find thoughtful bloggers like you that can help me with my cats. I still read these however because I have always had dogs up until recently and plan to eventually get another one. thanks for the tips Teresa visiting from the following sites Fangirl Next Door, Quackin Over Disney, Stormy’s Sidekick Geek On!
Kayo’s poop is WAY smaller now that she’s on raw. It’s smaller, harder and much easier to pick up!
Love the tips on flea preventative. I’m going to start using diatomaceous earth – just bought some a few days ago and I’m excited about it. Especially because I found the tick in my house I wanted something that could take care of ticks too.
DE isn’t a long term preventative but it can be good with killing them on the spot. I’ve heard that it dries out some dogs’ skin, which is a problem Kayo had before raw so I’ll have to see if that happens.
I too saw the smoothie recipe and clipped it so I can try it. Doodle dad and I are big smoothie people but I’ve never thought to share with the Boys – until now. I’m sure the detox period varies from dog to dog, but on average how long would you say it takes…
I am trying a new all-natural, topical flea spray. I will let you know what I think of it. Thanks for mentioning my smoothie recipe too 🙂
Very interesting!