Get Dr. Dressler's Dog Cancer Diet FREE Okay everyone, today I am going outside the realm of politically correct. You will see me do this from time to time, and some readers are not going to like it. Sorry, but I want to present information, and I don’t care if it is not PC if it saves lives.
As a vet, I am trained to promote spaying and neutering so dogs in shelters are not euthanized (killed) before they find homes. Â This is sensible wisdom, and I agree. Â But guess what… whenever we intervene with a surgery, medication, or a supplement, there are effects on our dogs. Â And some of these effects are called “side effects”, because we don’t like them.
A little background first: Osteosarcoma is a brutal, aggressive cancer of the bone, common in large dogs such as Rotts, Wolfhounds, Goldens are more.
Here is some information that has been more or less kept under wraps, or has not been spread in the veterinary community for whatever reason:
If a male Rott is neutered before a year of age, his rate of osteosarcoma ALMOST QUADRUPLES. Â
If a female Rott is spayed before a year of age, her rate of osteosarcoma MORE THAN TRIPLES.
If a purebred dog is spayed or neutered before a year of age, his or her rate of osteosarcoma MORE THAN DOUBLES.
This information has massive ramifications, especially among owners of Rotts. Â
These figures were taken from an article in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, Nov. 2002.
To be sure, spaying and neutering saves lives, especially those of dogs in shelters and those in need of homes. Â But we must not be rigid in our thinking, because the “facts” of today are not those of tomorrow.
It’s my viewpoint that Rotts should be spayed and neutered after a year of age. Just my two cents, friends.
Best,
Dr Dressler
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About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
I wish I had known this before I spayed my dear Timo. She’s 8years old now and it has just been discovered that she has osteosarcoma. Sunday, she will have her leg amputated, as it is painful and she is not using it. I’m told it will prolong her life. I also plan on giving her immune system boosters. I don’t know what to do about chemo. Have you any suggestions.
Iris, I am sorry to hear this bad news. There is a lot of information, too much to include in this comment box. Sorry but it is a huge topic. I would honestly start reading previous blog posts, where a lot is included. I also have a book coming…be sure to read the amputation blog as well. Also check out the dog cancer coping guide, available online, if you feel that this is a bit overwhelming.
Best,
D
hello Dr, i am an owner off a7month old rottweiler my mother is looking to neuter him but i don’t agree he has a lovely calm temperament a bit cheeky but that’s being a puppy.we live out in the countryside with a massive garden so he has plenty of freedom what would your opinion be on this subject am i right or is my mother please help i don’t know what the right choice is.
Thanks Louise
Louise,
I can only give you my personal opinion here, which is different from many vets. This is the opinion you read about in the blog post you are commenting on….my personal opinion in Rotties is to wait until later in life than 7 months. I advise my clients between 18 and 22 months most often, if they are going to spay or neuter.
D
Hi Dr , I’m so glad you shared that. I rescued Jake( a 1 yr-young neutered Rotti) from the streets 4 yrs ago–had been severely abused. He just had his front leg amputated w/ the shoulder blade–he is so much happier & getting around great. He was in far more pain than he let on from the osteosarcoma. His surrounding node was clear & we’re about to complete the 4th & final chemo. He’s on an amazing nutritional program, has gained 5 lbs & seems to be thriving, except his wbc is a little low. What kind of water should I be giving him? I’ve been giving distilled, but a friend said Dr. Young, in the book Sick And Tired, advises against that for people w/ cancer. Thanks, K
Dr. I would be happy to share Jake’s nutritional program & diet. One of the things I researched to help protect his organs during chemo is CoQ10. He gets 50 mg of the Super Ubiquinol by Life Extension twice a day w/ meals. I also give him several supplements from Standard Process(the canine line), K-9 Immunity & Transfer Factors from Aloha Medicinals, Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Oil by Vital Choice, ProGreens by NutriCology sprinkled on his food for chlorophyl, probiotics & some great nutrients. His Taste of the Wild kibble is the only one I know of that is low carb–SO VERY important, I’m finding out. I give this w/ some very lean raw beef chunks(which it turns out is actually easier for him to digest), a raw egg, some steamed green organic pureed vegetables, carrots, or organic baby food vegetables, sometimes cooked chicken or turkey instead of beef, & 2 different anti-oxidant capsules. Luckily, he inhales all that I mix together. Any other suggestions on his diet? Thanks, K
Kat,
if you want my ideal recommendation (and I am not a water expert): reverse osmosis.
You don’t want water with lower pH than normal….
Good luck!
D
Careful with carrots: more carb calories than you might imagine. Raw meat and eggs in cancer patients is a bit of a no-no due to possible immune compromise and presence of possible disease-causing microbes on the surface of the meat in the package, or salmonella in the egg. You might want to at least flash-cook the surface of those chunks.
Rosemary, basil, oregano, clove oil: high ORAC values (antiox)
Check all with your vet.
D
My 9 year old male Rottweiler has a tumor in his mouth which has partially gone into his jaw. The Vet wants to remove the tumor and one side of his jaw immediately… I asked for a biopsy and a few days to think this through. Should I use K9 Immunity Critical and factor pills to shrink the tumor and forgo the surgery. I am extremely worried.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Mavis
PLEASE HELP I NEED ADVICE
I received the lab results today on my Male Rottweiler Caleb he is 9 years old. Malignant Chondrosarcoma it is inside his mouth a tumor reaching into his jaw. Apparently it is slow growing but looks to be the size of a golf ball on the x ray. He has thick drool coming out of his mouth with blood in it. The Vet wanted to remove the jaw immediately but I am going to an oncologist on Monday for a second opinion.
Can you direct me to anything on your site regarding this specific tumor in Rottweillers and the treatment needed.
I was hoping that it was the type of tumor that could be injected with something to the cell level hopefully killing the cancer.
I received the K9 Immunity package this morning 2 days to Alberta, Canada. I am so happy and gave him his first dose of Omega, K9 and the Transfer Factor. I gave him one aspirin for pain (is this ok)?
He is sleeping like a baby.
January 26th visited the Oncologist.. It seems Caleb our Rottwieler has Osteosarcoma the tumor is in the bottom left jaw and they want to remove the jaw before the cancer spreads. it is localized in jaw at present. We do a Cat Scan tomorrow. Would Artemisinin be of any use to Caleb without removing his jaw??
Thanks for your earlier thoughts about Jake’s diet & water. I’ll be buying your book, but I have to decide if I’m going to take him for his 4th & final chemo of Adriamycin within the next few days. They have been alternating Carboplatinum w/ the Adriamycin, along w/ Piroxicam & Doxycycline daily & Cyclophosph once/wk. Since his wbc went from 8190 to 4,920 in 3 wks, they wanted to wait an extra wk, while I felt more comfortable w/ at least 2, maybe more. Since his surrounding nodes around the amputated humerus were clear, from your experience, does 1,2, or 3 wks make much of a difference for the final trmt? Have you ever heard of this trmt actually working? Her prognosis was 18 mos w/ it & 6 mos w/o. So I can’t help but wonder what would happen if I postponed the last one until he’s built up a little. His rbc went from 5.17 to 5.01 & his HCT from 36.4 to 35.9 in the same 3 wk period. I saw a holistic vet, Dr. Norman Ralston, for 20 yrs, but after he passed 8 yrs ago, no other vets here are nutritionally or preventive oriented. Have you had any experience w/ shark cartilage helping the wbc improve? Or is there anything else you know of? Thanks so much, Kat
Kat, you need to clear everything you do with your oncologist. Discuss cordyceps, which has been shown to enhance bone marrow production of white cells in mice exposed to cyclophosphamide.
Remember, every dog is different. The numbers often do not have a lot to do with an individual dog.
You need to discuss the chemo plan with the oncologist, who is very experienced with these drugs, and express your feelings that you would like to wait. You must be your dog’s primary health care advocate. Having said that, new white blood cells most often are formed in about 3-5 days.
Best
D
Mavis, the artemisinin by itself likely is not a stand-alone. I can’t give individual dog recommendations in this blog post, but here are some things to discuss with the oncologist/vet. You should discuss artemisinin use with them. It could be of some use, as you put it. But I don’t think it is enough by itself. If you have a very cutting edge oncologist, see if they would consider OPLA (open cell polylactic acid) polymer, which can be impregnated with cisplatin for slow release into the circulation. This is kind of like a sponge that is put into Caleb’s body with a small surgery. Another option is samarium injections, not very available but..Make sure you talk to them about pain control. This is big.
I talk more about these advances in the upcoming e-book for more complete discussions.
I wish you and Caleb all the best.
D
Dr,I have a 10 month old rott and have a appointment to neuter when he is 11 months.I really dont believe in neutering except for medical reasons.Koda is a very sweet guy but does seem to have a little aggression by running up behind you and snipping your leg.Should I wait to see if this is just a playful act or go ahead and neuter him??
Dara,
sounds like exercise, exercise, exercise….
and then training and obedience ….is the name of the game!!!
Look into a weigh vest to help burn off steam and get that dog to a trainer now.
Best
Dr D
Dara,
check out Tamar Geller’s stuff. She is a friend and a good resource.
Dr D
I am soo confused! I have a 6 month old female rottweiler and she was schedualed to be spayed but then I received info about spaying too young, all the prob she could get. Then my vet tells me that if I dont spay her now then she could get breast cancer and have other problems. I haven’t re-schedualed the spaying, I’ve been researching the whole thing and I really don’t know what to do!? Please help.
Karen, the research is there. The data is there. Be your dog’s health advocate. I advise waiting until after heat 3 but before heat 4. That way you compromise and get protection against both, if you intend on spaying. Osteosarcoma is, by far, more debilitating than mammary cancer.
D
I’ve ended up with two half-Goldens who are now four months old, one male and one female. How did the stats work out for mixed-breeds, or did anyone check? I’d like to give a sensible rec to their new homes (if they ever FIND new homes!) or do something sensible myself with these little rescue-punks. Nice pups. They deserve a decent future.
I first came to your site for my SAR dog Sunny, now departed. Thanks for all your help.
Erika,
no research yet, although I would not be surprised if there were some similarities.
D
Unfortunately like many owners I found this and other research after I had both my lads done at 8 months old. I am furious to say the least that the vets do not provide the fuller picture and provide all of the information. Why are they not obliged to tell us all of the side effects ??? the cons far out way the pro’s and simply would not have had it done had I know. I can and should of course take some responsibility for not researching further however I would expect my GP to tell me all of the potential effects if I was to have an operation why therefore can I not expect the same from my vets !!!!
Anyway I can rant as much as I like its too late, however can I ask is there anything I can do now to reduce any risks my lads may have from getting bone cancer? They are both labradoodles and big dogs…
Thanks in advance.
Dee
I have an 8 week old Rottweiler and wonder if its good or bad to give him a Steamed Bone Milk Supplement.
Please help. I have a 8 month old rottweiler and shes getting way more hyper… She is taken for walks daily for 3 hours and I have her scheduled for a fix the end of this month. I don’t wand my dog to get any health problems either yet I don’t feel like having her try to hump my family friends and etc.. she also nips at my Boyfriends feet…. She never does this with me shes very good with me I don’t got a problem however my boyfriend she jumps all over and doesn’t listen well and my vet told me a Fix might calm that state of Dominant behavior. I’m getting a Male rott in the Summer. My old rottweiler Texter never had Cancer she died at 14 years old. she was fixed at 10 months.
Hi Erica,
there are pros and cons to spaying and neutering…I am not at all against it, it is just a matter of making informed decisions on the part of the dog lover (you!) and being your dog’s primary health care advocate. Consider a weight vest to help burn off steam during walks (available on-line), as well as some good lessons at local obedience classes to help with good manners tips! Maybe you and your boyfriend could go- it can be a fun activity for everyone.
Best,
Dr D
Doc,
I noticed that you mentioned a weighted vest to help burn off some energy. Is a 9 month old Rottie too young to carry some extra weight?
We have decided to weight until Daphne is a 1.5 years old to spay her, but she has sooooo much extra energy that we are are about ready to duct-tape her to the wall (just kidding). I have a doggie backpack that I can put 5lb weights on each side. She is structurally sound and extremely healthy.
What do you think?
Thanks!
Doc a friend’s rott was spayed on his 11 months of age but after few months, the dog had developed a seizure, does fixing him relates to this case too?
I have an 11 year old, in-tact, male Rottweiler. He is going for surgery on Friday to have a mass removed in his chest and have some dental work done. The vet has encouraged me to have my Rott neutered while undergoing the other procedures. He’s overall fairly healthy for his age and loves walking. He’s not as active in general though. His activity level has declined in the last year. For example, doesn’t want to play ball like he used to. His prostate is slightly enlarged, but smooth. He leaks a little urine sometimes while laying down. He is having trouble getting up and down and using stairs. I’ve been giving him non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but they seem to only help minimally. The vet recommends getting him fixed to avoid prostate problems or testicular cancer. All of his blood work came back good. At his age (11) and size (105 lbs.) and based on the information I’ve given, would you recommend getting him neutered? How long would his recovery be and would it be hard on him?
Thank you!
Just a note – I have a 4 month old Rott male and was told at our vet visit today that he is ready to be neutered any time. I asked if she was familiar with any of the studies citing disadvantages of early neutering, esp. high rates of osteosarcoma. She told me that she had not heard anything about it. She then mentioned that the price for surgery will go up as he ages.
I will be my dog’s health advocate and wait for his sexual maturity until he has this surgery. Amazing to me that all of this information is available and still there are vets who either don’t know about it or won’t tell their clients.