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What is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal can be used safely to neutralize dog bad breath, eliminate dog odor and as a tasty (yes, dogs like it) dog treat ingredient. Veterinarians also recommend it for accidental poisonings.
Activated charcoal
is made by processing materials like wood, rye, coal or coconut shells. The charcoal is made into very fine particles with a huge amount of surface area—this is what makes the charcoal “activated”. It is a fine, black powder that is odorless, tasteless, and nontoxic. In turn, the charcoal works by attracting the poisonous particles in your dog's stomach and intestines and quickly taking them through the bowels and out of your dog's body in her feces. For humans, hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic, use charcoal that has been activated. It is given to a person after that person's stomach has been pumped--to remove drugs or poisons that remain. Charcoal can reduce up to 60% of the poisonous substances that it comes into contact with. If your dog has eaten a poisonous substance, the approach is the same. After he has vomited, give him the charcoal and get him to a vet or animal hospital immediately. This simple action can buy you some precious time.
How Safe is Activated Charcoal
for Dogs?
Charcoal has been used as a routine additive to livestock feed in Europe for years. In addition, like the Mayo Clinic example above, veterinarians give the substance to pets when a dog or cat has ingested a toxic or poisonous substance. If you give charcoal to your dog, his stools will turn black for a short period of time. This is perfectly normal and not a cause for concern. The most common side effect is mild diarrhea. Very rarely, you might see vomiting, constipation or pain and swelling in the stomach. If any of the symptoms does not disappear in a short while, you should take your dog to the vet to be checked.
Other Uses for Charcoal
I have used this more than once when Skipper managed to find some garbage and eat it. The charcoal definitely helped settle her stomach—and made her smell a lot better too!Charcoal is also used routinely to eliminate animal body and breath odors. When you add charcoal to a dog treat recipe, it can be used to freshen your dog’s breath—which can sure make life a lot nicer! This is one of those remedies that has been used for hundreds of years safely and effectively. Why argue with success? Used as an ingredient for healthy dog treats, charcoal can be a great addition to your pet's dog treat selection. Since
charcoal powder
is a safe ingredient, you can give your dog a charcoal treat or two a day--to prevent dog odor and dog breath.
Human Grade Charcoal
for Your Dog Treats
When you purchase activated charcoal, make sure that it is human food grade. There are many uses and grades, ranging from livestock feed ingredients to filtering water in your house to industrial uses in factories. They are made from different substances, and some of them are not edible. The only kind that is appropriate for use in your homemade dog treats is the human grade (or possibly livestock grade), which is usually made from coconut shells. Given the many different types of activated charcoal on the market, finding a good source of charcoal for your dog treats can be a daunting task! But there are sources available, and patience will reward you.
Why not try
activated charcoal
and make our
charcoal dog biscuits recipe?
If you would like to read about other healthy dog treat ingredients, go to
dog nutrition
or
healthy dog treat ingredients.
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