When you think about the topics that affect family wellness, you probably consider the health of a couple, and perhaps a child (or five), too. What you may not consider, is the wellness and wellbeing of the family’s faithful four-legged friend: the family dog.
When other members of the family are feeling lethargic or suffering from stomach or digestive problems, you may consider some kind of detox diet. When it comes to the dog, perhaps you should consider the same strategy?
Pets are surrounded by the same exposure to daily toxins and chemicals that can impair the ability of all living things to naturally get rid of all of the waste materials that they carry around, leading their bodies to feel heavy and sluggish. This can lead to illness, and a few days of a detox diet can help to improve the function of the liver, clear the skin, restore healthy digestion and improve overall energy levels.
Holistic pet care is a school of thought that believes that pet care should encompass the whole pet and every aspect of their mental and physical wellbeing. Many people believe that a lot of the health problems in pets come from problems with their kidneys and liver, brought about by chemicals in pet food, in the air around them (such as in cigarette smoke) in chlorinated water, in pesticides and in pollution. This can lead them to suffer from parasites, digestive problems, weight gain or loss, lethargy, skin problems and respiratory problems.
Prevention is best, so if possible, try to avoid chemical cleaners and insecticides, avoid smoking around your pet and use natural flea treatments and pet foods with your pet. If a detox is necessary though, there are a number of options, such as adding probiotics to their food to improve their digestion, giving them milk thistle to help with damaged liver and using dandelion as a detoxifier.