According to the Veterinary Cancer Society, approximately 6 million dogs and cats will be diagnosed with cancer this year. If you are one of the families dealing with the disease or are new to Cancer, we feel your pain.
The early stages of cancer diagnoses, particularly when it comes to treatment decisions and what to do in the interim to help your animal may seem overwhelming.
We’ve been treating cancer in our veterinary practice for over 40 years, using diet, vitamins, minerals, herbs and homeopathics with good results. We wish we could say we found a cure, but one thing for sure, we can help achieve the common objectives of families, which is to maintain or improve day-to-day quality of life and extend life.
The following tips have been shared by many folks dealing with cancer and may prove to be helpful to you and your animal.
Tip 1: Stay Calm:
The best way to get beyond the shock is to take a step back and breathe. We are not talking about superficial breathing but deliberate deep breathing preferably outside in the fresh air. Along with the breath, we recommend the following mantra: “Help Is On The Way”. These five little words are a powerful calming energy. Consider administering a natural calming agent. We recommend Earth Animal’s Liquid Herbal Remedy Calmness or Bach Flower Essence, Rescue Remedy for your animal. By the way, Bach’s Rescue remedy also helps people with anxiety.
Tip 2: Know That You Have Choices:
There are options to explore when it comes to the appropriate treatment for your individual dog or cat. Unless your animal is dealing with a life-threatening cancer requiring emergency surgery, we advocate for pet parents to be as educated as possible about all the options open to you and the treatment of your dog or cat.
Tip 3: Consider Getting a Second Opinion:
There are integrative approaches to cancer, which combine traditional medicine with alternative treatment. There are holistic veterinarians that specialize in cancer or immune suppressive diseases that can be consulted.
The important thing to realize is that your dog or cat is an individual with individual Healing needs. There is a positive treatment path to take. The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association has a list of holistic veterinarians. There are integrative veterinary oncologists who combine conventional medication with alternatives. Additional resources are listed at the end of this post.
Tip 4: Visualize Your Animal’s Wellness and Healing:
Visualization techniques to support health and healing was introduced in the 1980s by Dr. Bernie Seigel. In his book, Love Medicine and Miracles (Harper & Row) he instructs patients how to support their healing and influence their own recovery using love and visualization. In the 1990’s, Visualization for supporting Healing for Cancer patients was written about by Dr. Carl and Stephanie Simington (Authors of Getting Well Again – 1992). They believed relaxation and visualization techniques supported healing for cancer patients. Visualization in Cancer is a technique involving guided mindfulness to help achieve the goal of healing. It utilizes one’s imagination and is simple to use and master. Visualization can be an effective tool in maintaining mental wellness and requires willingness and practice. All you need to do is create a picture in your minds eye of what your dog or cat looks like, Vibrant and Well, as though you are painting on canvas. Take time to perfect your work of art and give it detail. Once set in your mind, repeat the vision frequently throughout the day and especially when a worry or fear thought occurs. “This is what I refer to as replacement energy”, says Susan Goldstein “and we believe your animal will feel the energy”.
Tip 5: Keep Your Animal Eating:
During this early stage of figuring things out treatment wise, it is oh so important to keep your animal eating. Cancer can impact your pet’s appetite negatively. It’s a huge blessing if your dog or cat continues to enjoy their meals. However, if you are dealing with an off-food situation, there are other palatable food options available besides traditional dog foods.
Consider Under the Weather, a freeze-dried bland diet with electrolytes which sick dogs seem to rally over. Paul’s Pet Foods will direct ship a home cooked diet with your dog’s personal nutritional requirements from your veterinarians. Dr. Bobs Wisdom dog foods are a nutrient dense, minimally processed, sustainable dog food. Homemade vegetable or bone broths are mineral rich. The vegetable broth is appealing to plant-based eaters. Cancer patients may be mineral deficient according to Dr. Bob and bone or vegetable broth may be offered in support of all cancer patients.
Susan’s Home Support for Animals with Cancer
A mixture of live culture yogurt and organic flax seed oil diet was developed for human cancer patients by Dr Budwig in the 1950s. This program also works really well for both dogs and cats as its quite palatable and good for those animals with decreased appetite. The program is the mixing 2 Tbs of live culture plain organic yogurt with 1 Tbs of organic flaxseed oil and serve at room temperature (may be syringed if needed). Start with a tsp for small dogs and cats and up to 3-4 Tbs for large dogs. Believe it or not, some animals enjoy fresh juice, so get out your juicer or nutri-bullet and prepare a mixture of organic carrots, celery, and apple. This combination is rich in naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phyto-nutrients all known to support strong nutrition, which is valuable in times of distress or illness.
Tip 6: Vitamins and Minerals are the Spark Plugs for the Immune System:
In addition to doing your due diligence for the appropriate treatment, we recommend Earth Animal’s Immune Support, a blend of powerful herbs, which will support your pet’s immune system. Consider a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplement. We suggest Fortitude CSP, a veterinary formulated nutrient dense supplement which Dr. Bob has historically recommended for his cancer patients.
Tip 7: Listen To Your Intuition:
Your intuition is there for a purpose and will lead you in the right direction. It longs to be heard and to help you make the right decision.
Trust It.
We hope we’ve helped and know that there’s always someone at heart and a helping hand. ❤️
Dr. Bob and Sus
Information for Cancer Articles
Cancer and other diagnoses statement
“There are always other options. If someone ever tells you that there is nothing more that can be done, say thank you and then seek other answers. There are always other options and hope, you just need to look for them.” Jamie from Healing Center for Animals heard this quote from Dr. Marlene Siegel
How to look for an Integrative Holistic Veterinarian
If you are looking for good Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM) tool for your cats and dogs, check out https://www.holisticactions.com/. Holistic Actions is a resource hub for optimizing your pet’s quality of life. They are an online community of Integrative Holistic Veterinarians and other holistic minded people that are passionate and love animals. Holistic Actions can help empower you by guiding and teaching alternative approaches and a resource hub for optimizing your pet’s quality of life. Start by checking out their list of places where you can search for an Integrative Holistic Veterinarian possibly near you or who will do phone consults – https://www.holisticactions.com/select/.
Cancer Diet Information
KetoPet Sanctuary –https://www.ketopetsanctuary.com/ – They can help you make a homemade Keto diet. They have a ton of information on how a Ketogenic diet can play a role in cancer treatment.
Darwin Raw Pet Food – Created by Veterinarians. Darwin’s has a prescription “Intelligent Design” diet offering. With Darwin’s prescription foods you must have a prescription from your veterinarian to order them. Click on the link below and scroll down until you find their “Intelligent Design” diet.
https://www.darwinspet.com/product/prescription-meals-for-dogs/
Paul’s Custom Pet Food LLC (PCPF) is a licensed pet food manufacturer that prepares fresh, made-to-order therapeutic recipes formulated by veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists for their patients/clients. These individualized diets are recommended by veterinarians and shipped directly to veterinary clients & patients throughout the country.
Dr Bobs Wisdom Dog Food – Wisdom Air-Dried minimally processed dog food recipes are made with high quality, nutrient dense sustainable ingredients that are gently air-dried to optimize nutrition, moisture, and flavor. For very picky eaters, Wisdom also offers protein rich toppers.
https://earthanimal.com/our-products/wisdom-dog-food/
List of Integrative Holistic Veterinary Oncologist’s
Dr Trina Hazzah Long Beach CA
Veterinary Cannabis Consultations
Dr. Kendra Pope – Red Bank NJ
732-487-3545
Betsy Hershey Phoenix AZ
602-841-0626
List of Supplements
Other supplements can offer additional support to your pet’s overall wellness in times of distress. It is always best to consult your veterinarian before using supplements and to consider additional effects these may have on the body.
Earth Animals Immune Support
Immune Support is a reviving herbal blend that helps jump-start and balance the immune system. It helps provide immune support, and supports organs to guard against common conditions due to stress or seasonal changes.
https://earthanimal.com/product/immune-support-organic-herbal-remedy/
Essiac Tea
Essiac Tea – https://essiacproducts.com/
The history of Essiac – https://www.essiacinfo.org/
Chinese herbs:
Dr. Jiu Jia Wen has created condition specific Chinese herbal remedies. The company is Natural Solutions Inc. and the brand is White Crane – Dr Wen’s Partner Dr. Karen Johnston is creating these herbal blends for veterinarians to purchase for their patients. You can find Natural Solutions at https://www.naturalsolutionsvet.com/.
Mushrooms:
RX Vitamins for Pets – Rx Coriolus Forte
RxCoriolus Forte contains medicinal mushrooms and Chinese herbs that have been found in studies to improve cell-mediated and humoral immunity.
https://rxvitamins.com/products/rx-coriolus-forte?_pos=1&_psq=corio&_ss=e&_v=1.0
Fera Pets – Organic Mushrooms Immune Support – https://www.ferapets.com/collections/immune-support/products/usda-organic-mushroom-blend-for-immune-support
Four Leaf Rover – Seven’shrooms Natural Immune Support (organic) – https://fourleafrover.com/products/seven-shrooms-organic-mushroom-mix
Mushroom Wisdom – Maitake Pet fraction – https://mushroomwisdom.com/product/maitake-pet-fraction-60ml/
Nutritional Support
Poly-MVA Lipoic Acid Mineral Complex for Pets that supports cellular energy and overall health and wellness
https://polymva.com/product/poly-mva-for-pets/
Fortitude Canine CSP (Former Kauffman’s Canine Stress Protection) – a nutrient dense supplement formulated with vitamin, antioxidants, proteinated trace minerals, digestive enzymes and probiotics in a palatable, protein packed, high fat top dress powder. Especially useful for animals with a depressed appetite.
– https://fortitudecanine.com/product/fortitude-canine-csp/
CBD
You must be careful where you get your CBD from. Make sure the company you get your CBD from has a COA (Certificate of Analysis) for each lot number they produce. This will tell you exactly what is in the CBD. Also always make sure it is a full-spectrum formulation.
ElleVet Sciences – https://mushroomwisdom.com/product/maitake-pet-fraction-60ml/
CBD Dog Health (they have CBD for cats too) – https://mushroomwisdom.com/product/maitake-pet-fraction-60ml/
Omega 3 fatty acids
Adored Beast Apothecary – Potent-Sea Omega-3 (Concentrated High Potency EPA & DHA Algae Oil) https://adoredbeast.com/collections/immune-support/products/potent-sea-omega-3
Fera Pets – Algae Oil Omega 3-6-9 – https://www.ferapets.com/collections/immune-support/products/vegan-omega-3s-algae-oil
Dr Peter Dobias – FeelGood Omega – https://peterdobias.com/collections/all/products/feelgood-omega
Pre & Probiotics
The gut is a powerful part of the immune system, and maintaining good gut health supports overall wellness. When using probiotics, it can be beneficial to use a variety of strains to provide a broad spectrum of support. Adored Beast understands the importance of this and has created different probiotics so you can rotate at different meals. When you are finished with one bottle grab a different one. They have several to choose from. https://adoredbeast.com/collections/pre-probiotics
Integrative therapies that support cancer treatments
Ozone Therapy – https://o3vets.com/
Cryotherapy – https://www.arizonaveterinaryoncology.com/treatments/pet-cryotherapy
Sanawave Therapy – https://innovarius.co.uk/services/
Intravenous Vitamin C Therapy – https://www.floridawildvethospital.com/service/intravenous-vitamin-c/
Homeopathy – https://www.drpitcairn.com/
Energy Healing
One of the most important parts of anyone’s healing is emotional and energy therapy.
Reiki is widely used even in human hospitals – https://www.animalreikisource.com/
Qigong – https://holisticqigong.com/healing-methods/energy-healing-for-animals/
Tellington TTouch – https://ttouch.com/
https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/holistic-cancer-treatment-for-dogs
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/holistic-cancer-treatment-for-dogs/
https://www.thewelldogplace.com/blog/dog-with-cancer-what-you-need-to-know
