The proper transition of any dog from kibble to the raw dog food diet is very important.
A dog owner cannot simply proffer raw dog foods to a dog that has been eating processed dog food pellets for years.
Why?
Before the decision to switch him to raw dog foods or holistic diets was made, the dog ate commercial pet food for many years.
This article, What Do Those Pet Food Ingredients Mean, discusses in detail the standard ingredients of commercial pet food.
Now, domestic dogs are essentially carnivores.
Kibble is packed with cereal grains and plant-based food matter, substances that a carnivore is not meant to digest.
The sudden introduction of a fresh and natural diet may cause your pet to react differently – the reaction is always dependent on your pet’s age and health.
The symptoms vary from one dog to another. The intensity of the symptoms varies, too.
Some dogs make a smooth transition with non-existent symptoms. Some don’t.
Now, the longer your pet has been eating commercial grain-based foods, the longer you should allow him to transition to raw foods.
These reactions to the raw dog food diet are normal.
They serve as the dog’s natural responses to eliminate the accumulation of toxins and indigestible stuff.
Thus, the process is termed as detoxification.
The animal’s body heals itself from the inside.
Healthy dogs normally finish their detoxification stage within two weeks.
If it’s been more than two weeks, then there’s a need to consult with a holistic vet.
In that two-week period when you slowly introduce your pet to raw dog foods (never combine it with kibble), you must bathe him.
Clean his skin and rinse the toxins away.
These toxins are shed in the form of hair loss, scaling of the skin, and diarrhea.
Mild soap and detergent-free shampoo must be used. And don’t forget to rinse him thoroughly.
Always provide him with plenty of drinking water.
During that same two-week period, help your dog’s digestive system to adapt by adding probiotics or yoghurt to his meal.
These digestive aids alleviate what are known as “detox symptoms.”
Here’s an excerpt from “Healing Episodes,” an authoritative article by Dr. William Pollak of Fairfield Animal Hospital.
The article is published by Healthy Vet. It succinctly explains the reasons for the presence of detox symptoms.
“Upon switching to a more nutritious diet, physical and behavioral improvements can be dramatic or gradual depending on the state of the animal’s health. Severe nutritional deficiencies and toxic states have been known to mimic almost every known disease in veterinary medicine. In chronic conditions, some developing over several generations, improvement in health can take months or years. A pet’s ability to respond to high protein diets may require the individual animal “transitioning” through periods of purification or detoxification. Malnutrition and the toxic condition of the animal fed commercial diets can result in the inability to digest and assimilate basic food components of the fresher, more wholesome type…”
