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 Treat dog cancer with holistic diet and supplements
Do you have a dog going through treatment for dog cancer? Did you know that research has proven that treating dog cancer can be added by giving your pup dog cancer supplements?
Treating dog cancer has advanced, but the basic fact that your dog needs a boosted immune system to fight cancer has not. Holistic pet supplements can help boost your pet's immune system which helps his body fight against the cancer. A dog cancer diet can offer your dog the fighting chance he deserves.
A holistic dog cancer diet that is natural and targeted to give your dog the most nutrition can be the secret to returning your dog to health. Don't think that regular dog food is the best thing for your dog who is suffering from cancer. Most don't offer enough nutrition to be beneficial to a healthy dog not to speak of one that is fighting against a life threatening disease.
Diet is Vital for Dog Cancer Recovery
It is hard to hear that your dog has cancer, but there are many things you can do.
Cancer
develops, because your dog's immune system has weakened and was unable
to fight cancer cells as they developed. If undergoing chemotherapy,
your dog's immune system is diminished further.
As a result, dogs with cancer require an integrated treatment program including a highly nutritional diet and anticancer supplements that
augment traditional treatment. Even if not diagnosed with cancer, dogs
need a nutritional program to maintain their healthy immune system and
prevent illnesses from developing. However, deciding what to feed your dog can be a massive undertaking with such a wide range of options available.
 Why a special diet for dogs with cancer?
There are many different therapies used to fight canine cancer,
depending upon the patient and the type of cancer. But one thing all
dog cancers have in common is the need for a specialized diet. Every
process in the body is regulated and controlled by what goes in the
mouth. If you want the best chance for a good outcome, you must give
your dog the proper building blocks to use in fighting this disease,
and keep out those things which will cause further harm. Diet is crucial for a dog with cancer.
"Dogs
rarely die of cancer. They usually succumb to secondary liver or kidney
failure. These are cancer side effects that can usually be avoided by
controlling the diet"
When a dog is fighting cancer, the first concern is to get the immune function back to normal. For most dogs, this is adequately addressed by the use of the K9 Immunity and K9 Transfer Factor combination.
Give your dog well balanced meals and fight dog cancer
 The next most important issue is diet.
A dog with cancer is building a lot of new tissue, and adequate
proteins and cell membrane compounds omega 3 fish oil are required to
do this. When the adequate amounts of the correct proteins and
fats are not present in the diet, the body will rob it from other
places, leading at best to muscle wasting, but more likely
complications with the functions of the kidneys and liver.
This can lead to kidney and liver failure,
which is something your poor dog does not need on top of the cancer.
Fortunately, these secondary liver and kidney complications can usually
be avoided by watching the dog's diet.
"Diet
is one thing that is easily controlled, and is often the only thing
that makes the difference between a successful treatment outcome and a
failure"
 The first rule for feeding a dog with cancer is to STAY AWAY FROM GRAINS!
Dogs did not evolve as grain eaters. Most of our commercial dog foods
are based upon rice, wheat or corn. But if we look at dogs in nature,
we find they never graze in the wheat field or rice paddies. Dogs have
evolved for the past 10 million years as primarily meat eaters. They
simply do not produce the enzymes necessary to digest grains. While
rice and corn may be a good filler for the dog food companies, they
don't make a good filler for the dog.
Feel free to add canned sardines (best), cottage cheese, eggs and yogurt (plain).
High fat content is good. Some vets advocate a raw diet, while some say
it should be cooked. More important than cooked or raw is the amount of
animal-based protein and fats. Keep in mind, dogs are primarily
carnivores. They do best on the diet they evolved to eat.
Certain fatty acids called Omega 3 fish oil are required in fighting cancer. Fish oil is a good source of these specific fatty acids. We HIGHLY recommend fish oil be added to any cancer dogs diet.
It is easy to get a dog to take their fish oil. If you open the
softgel, you will find it is stinky and fishy. It's like candy for
dogs. They love it. Just
snip open the capsule and squeeze some out so the dog can smell it the
first time, and after that you should have no problem with the dog
taking the capsules.
 One 1000 mg softgel capsule per 20 lbs body weight per day is a good dose for dogs.
(60 lbs dog gets 3 capsules per day). Some people like to use flax seed
oil, and that is okay in theory, but often times dogs will not readily
eat flax oil so it needs to be disguised in a carrier. This is a good
indication it is not the best choice. It is better to stick with fish
oil.
"We
think our K9 Omega is the best fish oil available for dogs, but you can
also use a fish oil from your local store. Buy the cheap one. It has
less additives and the dogs do better on it"
Other Dietary Supplements to Enhance Chemo-Therapy:
 Vitamin E 400 iu per day
Selenium 100 mcg per day
Beta-carotene - or raw carrots, grated, if the dog likes them
Grape seed extract
Quercetin
These ingredients are all antioxidants.
While antioxidants enhance the effectiveness of some of the chemo
drugs, they may interfere with other chemo drugs. If the dog is on
chemotherapy, discuss with the oncologist whether the dog should be
taken off these during the course of chemo. The information on this is changing daily
 Membrane stabilizers such as omega-3-fatty acids, gamma-linolenic acid and coenzyme Q-10 are also important additions.
Many veterinarians feel that antioxidants should be stopped three days before, and resumed one week after the completion of the radiation or chemo treatment.
This comes from earlier assumptions and is not necessarily the latest
info. It is crucial you work with your oncologist to achieve maximum
effectiveness in your dog's treatment!
Immunomodulators that should be used in all canine cancer patients.
K-9 Immunity should be used at a dose of 1 capsule per 10 lbs per day to enhance immune function and cancer recognition.
K9 Transfer Factor or Transfer Factor Plus Advanced
Formula or K9 Colostrun Transfer Factor, or other transfer factor
product should be used to enhance bio-availability of the K-9 Immunity.
Usual dose is 100-200 mg / 10 lbs / day
Other purported Anti-Cancer herbs:
 Cat's Claw:
Uncaria tomentosa, comes from Peru and was used to treat arthritis and
cancer. Studies have confirmed that it has antioxidants and
immune-enhancing properties.
Pau D'Arco:
This herb is extracted from the bark of the Tahebuia genus tree in
South America. It contains lapachol and other phytochemicals which
produce anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory results
Other Dietary Supplements:
Biosilymarin:
This helps prevent liver damage. It can help treat hepatitis and
prevent injury from other drugs. It can protect the liver from
chemotherapy and anti-convulsants (phenobarbital). Suggested dosage is
250 mg for a dog under 25 lbs, and 500 mg
for a dog over 25 lbs once daily. Biosylimarin should be used in most
cases of liver cancer, but always ask your veterinarian.
Shark Cartilage:
This has anti-angiogenic properties which reduce blood vessels in
tumors. You can use 1000-2000 mg of shark cartilage if recommended by
your vet or oncologist
 Additional Treatments:
Acupuncture: Acupuncture
can relieve pain and provide analgesia without the side effects of
drugs. It can stabilize the function of the adrenal gland and increase
endogenous corticosteroid secretion without the side effects of
steroids. Electrical acupuncture can improve muscle strength and reflex
activity.
It can help relieve muscle spasms after operations.
Acupuncture is usually a process of several treatments. If it doesn't
show results in 3-5 treatments then it probably won't work. Your
veterinarian could refer you to a veterinary acupuncturist.
Static Magnetic Therapy:
Static Magnetic Therapy: North pole magnets create alkalinity by
decreasing hydrogen ion concentration in tissue. They suppress cell
mitosis, viral/bacterial growth, tumors and inflammation. Apply a north
pole magnet over the tumor area for 15-20 minutes a day. Medical
magnets should be 1000-3000 gauss.
Healing Touch:
Healing touch: Some believe that life force and energy can be
transferred to a patient through touch and this will cause healing
benefits. No spiritual belief is necessary and there is no harm that can be done. Some studies have shown that touch can reduce stress and blood pressure of the patient.
It
is not easy to demonstrate the results of healing touch. Petting your
sick dog is good therapy for both of you and certainly will not cause
you any harm. He or She needs lot's of love and attention at this time,
as do you. If you want more information about these additional treatments please do a search on Google.
IMPORTANT: Cancer is a very serious disease. The
information provided here is intended for educational use and is not
intended to substitute for the advice of a professional. This page is
not intended as an endorsement of any product. You should discuss all
forms of treatment with your veterinarian
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