Your pets’ livers and kidneys do a lot of the “heavy lifting” required for maintaining good health in their bodies.

Responsible for nutrient absorption, waste removal, mineral balance, pH balance and much more, they play leading roles in keeping your pet healthy and active.

The liver performs over 500 vital functions, including filtering toxins out of the blood, producing essential proteins and vitamins, converting waste products so they can be excreted and converting nutrients into energy.

And their kidneys are involved in many crucial functions, including regulating the mineral balance in their bodies, filtering water-soluble waste and toxins, and managing their blood pressure.

With all they have to do, these three organs – one liver and two kidneys – carry the lion’s share of responsibility for detoxification in your pet’s body.

The cells in your pet’s liver and kidneys are constantly at work. And they need support to stay strong and do their jobs well.

You might think of those cells as a small-scale version of your pet’s whole body. After your pet spends a whole day working or playing hard and comes back in worn out – and sometimes dirty. That’s when they need food, water and a good bath to replenish their energy.

Their livers and kidneys are like that. They work hard, and they need their own version of food, water and cleaning to replenish their energy… or they can get worn out and become less efficient, exposing your pet to a number of potential health risks.

Today, more than ever, your cats and dogs need robust liver and kidney support as they come into contact with a never-ending list of environmental toxins.

With the heavy toxic load you face from chemicals in everything from most processed pet foods, treats sold on the market (kibble and canned foods), tap water, air pollution and lawn treatments, and even to the carpeting and fabrics in your home, their detoxification system has to handle a lot more than their dog or cat ancestors’ ever did. 

A report from the Environmental Working Group found that American pets' blood and urine are polluted with high levels of many of the same chemicals found in the average human.

Only, the chemical levels in pets are even higher.

For dogs, blood and urine samples were found to be contaminated with a total of 35 chemicals. Cat samples contained a total of 46 chemicals.

These chemicals included carcinogens, neurotoxins and chemicals toxic to the reproductive and endocrine systems.

Whatever the source, whether incidental or unintentional, toxins and chemicals can accumulate in your pet's body.  If your pets are young and healthy, their bodies can typically clear away those toxins and wastes through their natural detoxification systems – the liver and kidneys.

Your pet’s liver is considered the most important detoxification organ in their body. It operates under a two-phase system:

• Phase I breaks down environmental toxins and wastes in the body.
• Phase II neutralises and prepares toxins for excretion.

The kidneys function in close conjunction with the liver. They take blood that comes through the renal artery and filter it through nephrons, where the beneficial substances are separated from the waste products.

To support these vital processes, your pet's body requires an ample supply of nutrients, antioxidants and cofactors.

Age, stress, injury and a host of other contributors can result in less than optimal detoxification for your pet. Sometimes, the build-up of toxins simply becomes too great for their liver and kidneys to handle.

If toxins and waste can't be removed through normal detox processes, several problems can arise, including:

• Your pets’ bodies attempt to remove the excess toxins through their skin, resulting in itchy, scaly and dry skin.
• Your pets’ bodies try to shed toxins and waste through mucous membranes, leading to eye discharge, teary eyes or a runny nose.
• Your pets’ bodies store the overload of toxins to be handled later.

Toxins and unwanted waste that aren’t removed can remain and build up in your pet's body, potentially leading to less-than-optimal health.

When your pets are under stress, the nutrients that assist their detoxification process can become depleted too, exposing their bodies to even more potential damage from environmental factors.

The good news is that there are several things you can do to support your pets’ livers and kidneys, to help them maintain good health and stay active:

• Feed a fresh, species-specific diet, like Furchild Meals
• Provide plenty of opportunities for exercise.
• Help them maintain a healthy weight.
• Choose natural health support to minimise drug exposure and over-vaccination whenever possible.
• Reinforce their diet with antioxidants and nutrients targeted for liver and kidney support. Furchild Meals formulations are formulated with this in mind.  

Even if you aren’t able to provide a 100% fresh food diet, they can benefit greatly from these other proactive approaches. And even adding any amount of a balanced fresh food diet into the bowl helps.

A proper diet is the main line of defence for protecting your pet’s liver and kidneys. 

Dr Karen Becker also recommends feeding a natural, species-specific raw or lightly-cooked diet for most pets. Balanced fresh food diets like Furchild Meals resemble nutrient-dense ancestral diets.

These are the foods that our pets have evolved to eat.

Looking at what our cats and dogs eat in the wild gives us important clues as to which types of foods your pets' bodies are designed to eat, and where the bulk of their nutrition should come from.

Meat should be the main source of your pet’s nutrition, with small amounts of vegetables and fruits included for dogs.

Although carbohydrates form the basis for most commercial pet foods, cats and dogs aren't well-equipped to digest them. High-carb diets deprive your pets of the nutrition they should be getting from meats and vegetables – and it may also raise their risk for liver and kidney issues.

For the same, Dr Becker strongly recommends that you avoid feeding your pet dry kibble/biscuits or semi-moist pouch food, whenever possible.

Even if a fully fresh diet isn’t a possibility for you, your pet can benefit from toppers or treats made of real fresh raw pet food.

Water is an important defence for protecting your pet’s liver and kidneys. 

It’s also important to pay attention to your pets’ water. To reduce the toxic load their liver and kidneys have to process, provide your pets with fresh, filtered water.

Tap water often harbours a variety of toxins, including chlorine, microbial contaminants, herbicides, pesticides, lead and other heavy metals.

By providing clean, filtered water, you reduce the work their livers and kidneys have to do.

Lastly, giving your pets the benefit of regular daily exercise is another line of defence for protecting their livers and kidneys. 

Daily exercise assists your pets' normal detoxification processes in several ways:

• Stimulates blood to help remove toxins and waste from cells, tissues, and organs.
• Helps move lymph fluid to carry toxins to the liver and kidneys, where they can be safely eliminated from the body.
• Promotes regular bowel movements to move toxins and waste through the digestive tract in a timely manner to help prevent reabsorption.

Regular exercise is essential not only for the normal function of your pets’ livers and kidneys but also for help in maintaining a healthy weight, another key to reducing unnecessary strain on their detox system.

The foods you feed are critically important for maintaining the health of your pet's kidneys, liver and overall well-being.

Here are some of our most popular menu items: 

Furchild Meals 

Feeding a high-moisture diet, and a healthy diet is crucial. Commercial dry pet food (kibble and biscuits) is very stressful on the kidneys, which can exacerbate your pet’s dehydration. The high level of carbohydrates/toxins in dry pet foods (preservatives, artificial colours, etc.) makes the kidneys work harder. The kidneys flush toxins out of a pet's system, and the harder they have to work, the more unhealthy they become.

In comparison, Furchild Meals support healthy liver and kidney functioning by reducing their workload. They contain high-quality proteins, optimal moisture, and no chemicals, additives, fillers, or species-inappropriate ingredients, which are crucial for kidneys to efficiently filter waste and maintain a healthy urinary system without straining it.

Bone Broth

Provides essential hydration and contains glycine, an amino acid that helps detox your pet's kidney and liver. It can be added to any pet food diet as a meal topper or served as a treat. 

Raw Goat Milk & Kefir

It benefits your pet's liver and kidney health due to its nutrient content, hydration support, and potential anti-inflammatory properties.

Grass-fed Beef Green Tripe

It has a high moisture content that provides proper hydration of internal organs. Plus, it has low phosphorous levels and the calcium-to-phosphorous ratio is 1:1. And it is easily digested with nutrients and probiotics.

If your pet has been diagnosed with kidney disease or liver disease by a veterinarian, we recommend that you contact our qualified pet food advisors. They will be able to provide personalised recommendations that are appropriate for your pet's specific needs.