Detox Symptoms in Dogs

Is my dog experiencing detox?

When switching a dog over from a cheap commercial dog food to a high quality natural and holistic food, and even to the BARF Diet (raw food), the dog’s body may begin the process of ridding itself of toxins and impurities as it adjusts to the intake of proper nutrients. This process is called detox. Depending on the overall health of your dog, detox may last one week, one month or even several weeks…or not even at all.

The most common detox symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, bad breath, body odor and itchy skin. It is normal for any of these detox symptoms to get worse before they get better…just don’t give up and hang in there. Keep your dog as comfortable as possible during this process. Go slow on introducing new foods, to make sure there are no allergies. Pure pumpkin in the can (not pumpkin pie filling) works magic to firm stools quickly. Provide plenty of fresh water, but limit excessive water intake immediately after meals, as your dog may regurgitate. Give plenty of Vitamin E and C (the C to bowel tolerance) to help boost his/her immune system.

The ‘Top 50 Most Frequently Asked Questions Newcomers to BARF Ask’ can be viewed in their entirety here.

Please remember that if you are new to BARF (bones and raw food) or if you are switching your pet’s food, it’s important to know how to properly introduce a new diet. Please read the following article on ‘How to Introduce Your Pet to Natural Foods’ here.