When we hear the word ‘detox’, it is easy to think about supplements, powders and products designed to cleanse the body.
But your dog already has a pretty sophisticated detoxification system.
The liver does much of the processing, whilst the kidneys and gut help remove waste from the body. These processes are happening all the time, whether we are dealing with substances produced naturally within the body, medications or compounds from the environment.
But what if your dog has had a short-term exposure to something they shouldn't have? (obviously if this is happening right now, then you need to go and see your vet).
But, perhaps you have identified and removed the source, your dog has received veterinary treatment where needed and the symptoms have resolved. At this point, we can start thinking about nutrition.
We aren't trying to ‘flush’ toxins from the body. Instead, we want to make sure the liver and the body's own antioxidant and elimination systems have the nutrients they need to do their jobs.
How Does Your Dog Detox?
When a compound enters the body, the liver can change its chemical structure to make it easier to remove.
You may have heard this described as Phase I and Phase II detoxification.
We don't need to get too caught up in the terminology. What we are interested in is what the body actually needs to carry out these processes.
The enzymes involved in this process use amino acids, vitamins and minerals, which gives us a good starting point when thinking about the diet.
Start With Protein
Good-quality protein is probably one of the first things we want to think about.
Why?
Because protein provides amino acids, and several amino acids are directly involved in the liver's detoxification pathways.
One of the best examples is glutathione.
Glutathione is made from three amino acids: cysteine, glycine and glutamate. It is part of the body's antioxidant defence system, but the liver can also attach glutathione to certain compounds to help make them easier to eliminate.
Then we have methionine.
Methionine contributes to the production of something called S-adenosylmethionine, or SAM. SAM provides methyl groups that the liver can use during another detoxification pathway called methylation.
We don't necessarily need to start supplementing individual amino acids. We can start with food.
Good sources of amino acids include:
- Eggs
- Beef
- Lamb
- Chicken and turkey
- Fish
- Organ meats
Eggs are particularly useful because they provide highly digestible protein alongside sulphur-containing amino acids such as cysteine and methionine.
Support the Body's Own Antioxidant Defences
Processing unwanted compounds isn't always a neat process. Some reactions in the liver can generate reactive molecules along the way. If these build up, they can damage fats, proteins and other structures within cells.
Thankfully, the body has its own antioxidant defence systems to deal with them.
And these systems need nutrients too.
We've already met glutathione. Rather than being something we necessarily need to provide directly, the body can make glutathione from cysteine, glycine and glutamate. Cysteine is particularly interesting because its availability can influence how much glutathione the body can make. Which brings us straight back to protein.
But glutathione doesn't work alone. An enzyme called glutathione peroxidase uses glutathione to help neutralise peroxides before they can cause damage. Selenium is needed for this enzyme to work properly. There are other antioxidant enzymes too. Superoxide dismutase relies on minerals including zinc, copper and manganese, while catalase contains iron. So rather than thinking about antioxidant support as simply adding lots of antioxidant supplements, we can think about whether the body has the amino acids and mineral cofactors it needs to run its own antioxidant systems.
Again, good-quality meat, eggs, fish and appropriately balanced organ meats give us a useful place to start.
Don't Forget the B Vitamins
Amino acids aren't the only nutrients involved. The enzymes responsible for processing compounds also rely on vitamins and minerals to help reactions take place. B vitamins are particularly important here. Vitamins B2 and B3 are involved in reactions used during the initial processing of compounds by the liver. Then we have B6, folate and B12, which are involved in amino-acid metabolism and methylation. We don't necessarily need to provide these as individual supplements. Meat, eggs, fish and organ meats provide a range of B vitamins, with liver being particularly nutrient dense.
Processing It Is Only Half the Job
The liver can do all the clever chemistry it likes, but eventually we need to get those compounds out of the body. Some processed compounds are removed through the kidneys and leave through urine. Others are transported into bile. Bile travels from the liver into the intestine, where those compounds can eventually leave through the stool. So hydration and healthy bowel movements become part of the picture too.
And This Is Where the Gut Gets Interesting
Once the liver has prepared something for elimination and sent it into the gut, you might assume that's the end of the story.
Not always.
One of the ways the liver processes compounds is by attaching something called glucuronic acid to them. This helps prepare them for elimination. But some gut bacteria produce an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase. This enzyme can essentially undo some of that work, removing the glucuronic acid and potentially allowing the compound to be reabsorbed.
It can then return to the liver and go around again. This is part of what we call enterohepatic circulation.
We don't need to start trying to eliminate particular bacteria from the gut. But it does give us another reason to support a healthy gut environment and regular elimination.
This might include appropriate fermentable fibres, prebiotic foods and targeted probiotic support depending on the individual dog.
Can Supplements Help Detox?
Milk thistle is probably one of the best-known supplements when we talk about liver health.
The main group of active compounds found in milk thistle is known as silymarin, with silybin being one of its major components. Silymarin has been studied for its antioxidant and liver-protective properties, including its effects on oxidative stress and glutathione.
This makes it something we might consider when we want additional liver support.
As always, suitability depends on the individual dog, what they have been exposed to, their medications and their wider health.
What About Clays and Binders?
Certain clays can adsorb compounds within the gastrointestinal tract. In other words, substances can stick to their surface, potentially reducing how much is available for absorption.
Activated charcoal works on a similar principle and is sometimes used by vets following particular poisonings.
But binders may also bind medications and potentially nutrients, and once a substance has already been absorbed, adding clay to the food isn't going to magically pull it back out again. So this is something we'd use selectively rather than automatically adding a binder whenever a dog has been exposed to something unwanted.
So, if we were supporting a dog’s detox systems, what would we feed?
Once the source of exposure has been removed, any necessary veterinary treatment has taken place and your dog is stable, we'd focus on a nutrient-dense diet.
We'd be thinking about:
- Good-quality, digestible animal protein to provide amino acids
- Eggs for protein and sulphur-containing amino acids
- Oily fish for protein and essential fatty acids
- Appropriate amounts of organ meat for B vitamins, iron, copper and other micronutrients
- Foods providing selenium, zinc and manganese to support antioxidant enzymes
- Plenty of moisture
- Appropriate fibre to support the gut and regular bowel movements
The important part is that we aren't trying to ‘detox’ the dog with one particular food or supplement. We are making sure the liver has the amino acids, vitamins and minerals it uses to process compounds, the body's antioxidant systems have the nutrients they need to protect cells, and the kidneys and gut can continue doing their part in getting waste out.
Lisa Hannaby-Aird
A Registered Associate Nutritionist and author of Nutrition for Dogs, Lisa combines expertise in nutrition, psychology, biochemistry, and neuroscience to help dog owners understand the science behind canine health, behaviour, and nutrition.