Your dog’s liver is busy
This vital organ influences over 500 metabolic functions in your dog’s body, including detoxification, energy and hormone management, protein and fat management, blood clotting, and vitamin production.
Simply put, a dog cannot be healthy without a healthy liver, yet dogs with healthy livers are becoming increasingly rare.
The incidence of liver disease in dogs and humans is rapidly increasing.
It’s more important than ever to protect and care for our dogs’ and our own liver health.
Why are more and more dogs and humans suffering from poor liver health and liver dysfunction? Well…
Because our world is becoming an increasingly toxic place, and the problem is much worse than most people realize.
Let me explain what I mean:
Last year, a group of scientists published the following research findings: An astounding 350,000 new toxic chemicals have entered the environment over the past 40 years..
In addition, approximately 700 new toxic chemicals have been added to the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act. Per year.
please think about it…
This means that at the rate of approximately two new chemicals per day, toxic pesticides, emulsifiers, preservatives, additives, and other substances are being used by industry and entering our environment.
Once these chemicals are released into the environment, it is only a matter of time before your dog is exposed to them.
Take glyphosate, for example.
As you may know, glyphosate is a herbicide and the main ingredient in Roundup, the world’s most widely used herbicide.
Recently, a team of leading American scientists identified glyphosate as a major cause of oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress damages cells, proteins and DNA, causing premature aging in humans and dogs.
It causes brain confusion, poor concentration and memory problems.
Oxidative stress is also a major cause of liver disease, elevated liver enzymes, and decreased liver function.
If you follow health news, you may know that glyphosate has been found in many foods, including cereals, breads, pastas, meats, fruits, vegetables, and even drinking water.
And unfortunately, glyphosate has been discovered in dog food too.
Where do we go from here?
The truth is, toxins will always be present in our world and there isn’t much we can do about it, but we can love and support our dogs and our own bodies by paying attention to liver support and detoxification.
Constant exposure to chemicals, heavy metals, food additives and other toxins puts a tremendous strain on a dog’s liver health and function.
This is a big reason why so many dogs today suffer from poor liver health.
Luckily, there are many things you can do to protect and care for your dog’s liver health.
- Blood test: Healthy dogs can have elevated liver enzyme (ALT) levels without necessarily having liver disease.
References
1. Muir DCG, Getzinger GJ, McBride M, Ferguson PL. How many commercial chemicals have been analyzed in environmental media? A 50-year literature analysis. Environ Sci Technol. 2023 Jun 27;57(25):9119-
