In researching topics for expanded treatments of dog cancer, I have discovered surprises aplenty.
Because of the desire for options beyond surgery, chemo and radiation for dog cancer, I chose to look in areas that I would have ignored just a few years back.
One of the hottest topics in cancer research right now is the dietary flavonoid group. This is just a bunch of substances that are found in foods which have beneficial effects against cancer.
We all know that certain foods or dietary choices have influence on cancer development and overall health. I came accross a statistic in human medicine that stated that about one third of cancers in people could have been prevented with lifestyle choices (this was excluding the effects of cigarette smoking).
One of the biggest lifestyle choices is the inclusion of certain foods that combat the effects of environmental carcinogens, genetic tendencies, trace water pharmaceuticals, viral DNA changes, dietary carcinogens, electrical field effects, and more.
Most of these naturally occuring flavanoids have very low toxicities. One of the biggies is curcumin.
Curcumin is found in turmeric, which is the spice that is used in curries. Curcumin is exceedingly interesting for dogs with cancer. It is one of the core ingredients I use in cancer supplement programs for my patients and I have seen literal shrinkage of different dog lumps, like hemangiosarcomas of the skin, fatty tumors (lipomas) , fibrosarcomas, and plasmacytomas. I rely on it a lot.
This substance is being used as a model for tons of anticancer drugs in development right now. Here is some info. And here is some more. Over 40 different curcumin analogs (new drugs using curcumin as a template) are being researched at Ohio State University.
Why not just use the curcumin, instead of going through all the bother of making these new drugs? There are two main reasons.
My grandfather left me these wise words: “When you want to find the reason for something, look for the dollar.”
So of course money has something to do with it. You can’t patent a naturally occurring compound. However, if you tweak its structure to produce a synthetic analog, get the lawyers together to protect the intellectual property, patent it, you are set for years. In this way big pharma protects profits.
Secondly, curcumin has some bioavailability problems. This means that the stuff doesn’t, to a large extent, get absorbed into the blood after it is taken by mouth. However, there are ways around this.
If you want to find out more about curcumin, please read the next post!!
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi:
I wish I had known about you when my dog had cancer. He ultimately died from it. I adored him and it was very difficult to lose him.
I’m curious if your business is only online, and if you have a practice, what city do you practice in? I’m in L.A. Of course, I have no dog now but I’m hoping to get another, however challenging that might be (given my strong attachment to my late dog).
Iam from India. We have been using turmeric in our cooking for the last 5000 years. There was a company that tried to patent it, but could not because of the public uproar.
Iam a strong believer in capitalism. If a company has genuinely put in the effort to make a drug or any other product, then of course, it needs to make cash off of it. But not with something that has been around for 5000 years.
That said, anytime I make boiled chicken for my dog, I do add a dash of turmeric. She loves the flavor and I love that it is good for her. Talk about win win!
Hi Dr.Dressler – I am currently giving my golden tumeric bid for his brain tumor along with other supplements. He was given 3-6 months to live on Sept. 4, 08. Today is 6 months and he is still a happy, active boy. We are taking it day by day. Thank you for your website,
Karen Bender, Springfield, NJ
Thanks a lot Karen, I hope it helps.
D
Hi Anu!
Good to see you!! (on the blog as well as in the pet hospital)
D
How much of this spice should you be giving your dog each day!
Thanks
Joanne,
the dose for an average large adult dog is roughly 2 grams two times a day, taken from human studies.
If you have more questions please check out the webinar:
http://dogcancerblog.com/ask
Thanks!
D
How much Can I give a dog with a liver tumor? 3 of her liver values are normal right now acording to her blood tests. Two vets have said they do not think she would survive surgery- because it is so large.
Hard part she has no symptoms and it was found at a routine physical.
Thank you,
Dr. D,
I have an 11 yr old Schnauzer, Toby, who had a leg amputated 19 mos ago for grade 1, fibrosarcoma.
He did great for a yr, then began coughing and short, shallow breathing, and steady wt. loss. We know from an x-ray that he, now, has a large mediastinal mass.
He seems to be nearing the end and we love him too much to make him suffer just to keep him a little longer. But, I wonder, could it actually help him to begin giving the curcumin now? He still has an appetite, but is picky. (I can usually get pills or drops down him ok, but its hard to mix things in his food.)
Also how much for a 22 lb. dog (down from 45 lbs)? He currently takes 12.5 mg lasix daily, 12.5 mg benadryl daily, and 100 mg Theophyline 2x daily.
Toby was a stray, but he’s been our special boy for almost 10 yrs. It’s breaking our hearts to lose him!
If curcumin can still help him, this late, we’d be glad to start him asap.
Thanks,
Marsha
My chihuahua too has a mast cell tumor stage 3 ..he started bleeding from the rectum tonight. The MCT started in the scrotum which was ablated. He also has gone through the chemo drug vinblastine the 3 days of the cytoxan could not finish the 4th day. Is it to late too for this curcumin …he is not eating and barely drinks his water, as of today.
Sincerely,
Janet
Does Turmeric interfere with chemo? Specifically adriamycin for HSA?
Very glad to hear of the tumeric. My dogs are 9.5 and 8 and seem to be developing lipomas. I will look for a liver supporting herb in addition as that seems to make sense. One dog had two removed because the aspiration came back “inconclusive”. After surgery it was determined to be a lipoma, and two were surgically removed. I felt comfortable with that because they were on the side close to the front armpit and her lymph nodes under that armpit were swollen, and went down with acidophilus and antibiotics. When I got her back after 6 years in November, she had yeast and fungus issues. The acidophilus helped quite a bit as well as Nizoral shampoo. She had fleas/mites at that time too. Poor thing. The elderly friend who had her had brought her to the vet several times, somehow they missed the fleas and mites, and treated her with cortisone which just amplified her condition, treating her for what they thought was an allergy.
Lumps on a dog are worrisome. My outlook is it’s only money if the surgery is done on lipomas it’s better to be sure at least with an aspiration. However, what is annoying is the aspiration coming back “inconclusive” when a big enough sample isn’t taken. I can understand how that can happen, but it almost seems more cost efficient to have them removed, except for the risk of the anesthesia.
Is there a better way to ensure that a satisfactory sample when doing a needle biopsy (aspiration) is done? I watched the vet attempt it twice, I could barely see the sample on the slide. Not enough cells or the right kind of cells I guess.
What is the correct dosage of Turmeric for a Dachshund weighing 21lbs?
He is 10 years old. He has had disk problems in his back and he has had two previous back surgeries. Will Turmeric help at all with the disk problem in his back?
I have a 11 yr old golden retriever that was just diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen. You mentioned taking Tumeric for Hemangiosarcoma of the skin, but is it also safe for this type?
My 14 yr old Australian Shepherd mix was diagnosed with a urethral mass a year or two ago, discovered after elevated ALP liver enzymes. It was not conclusive if it was TCC, but I started her on curcumin 800mg daily.
My local vet referred me to a specialty vet who prescribed Tramadol for her arthritis pain because an NSAID like Rimadyl (which my local vet was pushing hard) would be too hard on her liver (I also had her on a glucosamine supplement). The mass remained stable for about a year but her symptoms have been more pronounced in the last month. It wasn’t conclusive again if her urinalysis detected a urinary tract infection, but rather than subject her to another needle test we decided to try an antibiotic to see if her symptoms subsided.
In the meantime we did start her on Rimadyl for the inflammation, to see if it helped with her arthritis as well as inflammation from the thickened urethra. I also got some Milk Thistle extract to support her liver and the vet prescribed Pepcid AC for stomach upset.
After 2 weeks she didn’t seem to have any obvious relief from Rimadyl of the weakness and pain in her hind legs, and she seemed much more listless, so Sunday I took her off everything except the antibiotic. This morning (Monday) she seemed brighter and more alert, so I’ve decided to finish the antibiotics and started her this morning on the Apocaps, leaving her off the Rimadyl for now, and will wait to see how it goes.
My question is should I still give her the Pepcid AC or would that interfere with the Apocaps? She has always had a very sensitive stomach. And should I resume the Glucosamine?
Sorry for the long entry, but I’m shooting in the dark and don’t want to do unintentional harm to this fantastic little spirit. She still wants to be here despite all her troubles, and I want to give her what she needs to have as good a quality of life as I can for however long she has left.
Thanks very much for any help you can give
I have a 5 yr old boxer who was just diagnosed with cancer. X-rays showed fluids that spread to the lungs. I was told nothing can be done for him. He is a happy,energetic, still eating with no problem and he is going to the bathroom with no problem. For the past 2 days i’ve notice his breathing is heavy. I checked his guns and still pink. Anything that I can do
Doctor Dressler: Our beautiful, healthly 6 yr. old labador retriever Hallie just had a needle biopsy of a bump on the side of her head which is a mass cell tumor. We are frightened and Tuesday 8 March 2011 she will have it removed. Hopefully it will be a stage 1. We have just bought shark cartlidge, tumeric, and 1000mg omega 3 capsules and only have given her the omega 3′s so far. She is on Kirkland Supreme dog food which contains alot of good nutrients. Any ideas to help Hallie and us would be greatly appreciated. I just am in the process of printing the cancer diet that you have allowed us to download. Of course until we get the biopsy back in i guess a week after surgery, we wont know what to do. She acts like a puppy and is full of life and we want to keep her that way. All of the cancer treatments seem scary let along more of an expense then we can afford. PLEASE give us some ideas of what we should do. I can’t wait until we get the cancer news updates from you. Sincerely Rod and Debbie Tozour
A friend went to the health store to buy some curcumin for my dog who has cancer. They sold him cumin in bulk, and told him to sprinkle it on his food.. They said that cumin is the same as curcumin. Is that true.?
Dear Karen,
no, unfortunately that is not true. Curcumin is found in turmeric, not cumin.
Your friend should look into the Guide!
Best,
Dr D
Dear Rod,
so sorry to hear about Hallie.
So, let’s take a breath. Fist, as you know, this may be a Grade 1, and a wide excision almost always cures this cancer. Second, you are doing the difficult and time consuming job of trying to figure out the best supplement plan, which is kind of tough for most. You really should consider reading the Guide, which is an easy read, and will end up yielding more in the end than doing the three years of work it took me (after 10 years of practice after vet school) to assess the different supplements out there…just a wee thought…
Hang in there meanwhile, and sending you my best,
Dr D
My 13 year old mixed lab has a large tumor on his liver. He had stopped eating, lost a lot of weight, and became weak in his hind legs. The vet says he might not live past a month–diagnosed Feb 2011. I began giving him chicken cooked with turmeric, garlic and cardamon–sprinkled with cinnamon to enhance his smell. He began eating and has not stopped. He has gained all of his weight back plus more; goes for walks; can go up and down the steps in our home without problems; playful; eyes bright. I actually think the tumor has shrunk! He definitely does not look like he’s on death’s door anymore.
Dear Thelma,
this is great news! Have you started the cancer diet? There is a lot of useful information that has taken years to compile in the Guide. It is an easy read and I think it can make a big difference.
Best
Dr D
Dr D, We have 2 Great Danes (male) Max weighs 180 lbs and (female) Sage weighs 140 lbs, we are having some issues with both dogs. Max is having inflammation which is causing him to drag his back paw at times and Sage has a few bumps that seem to be getting bigger every year. The ages of our Danes (Max) and (Sage) are: 7 & 4. What dosage of the Turmericforce would you recommend for them?
Dear Dan and Molly,
if you want a superior form of plant based NSAID constituents, I use Apocaps in my patients. The reason is that curcumin at high bioavailability is contained in this supplement, along with luteolin, silymarin, and apigenin. And plus, I created the preparation, so I trust it. My two cents…don’t forget to keep your vet in the loop on all medical choices with your dogs. For dogs like these I usually use about half the labelled dose.
Best,
Dr D
Hi Dr D,
My dog Kia (10 yrs old shih-tzu) has lymphoma and is given 8 wks to live. She’s currently on amoxil and prednsone. I’m still hopeful. I read about turmeric and I sprinkled it on her food and she seems to like it. How much should I be giving a 15lbs dog? Thanks in advance
Chers
D. Dressler,
I have two labs both are 11 1/2. One, Abbey, has a tumor attached to her heart and x-rays show fluid and/or tumor growths in her lungs. I have started to give her tumeric along with Essiac tea and enzyme supplements. I have a hard time trying to get her to eat when I put these herbs into her food. I use the powder pill form and fold it up in a treat. From what I’m understanding, this may or may not be beneficial to a dog in this form?? Can you give me any advice? I read stop giving dog food but EVERYTHING I have made for her she turns her head to. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much, Heather
hola como ha funcionado la curcumina para hemangiosarcoma? Mi sobrina de 23 años murio de angiosarcoma en el mes de diciembre. necesito saber si ha tenido exito con la curcumina
atte: ema
Hi, I am taking care of my mom’s dog after she had a stoke. My mother never took the dog to the vet or gave him any vaccine shots. She fed him regular commercial chip food and gave her food scraps such as fruit, vegetables, bread, etc. Kendy is now 21yo (human years) and still a happy, active and very alive dog. He’s lost some theta but he’s still have good appetite and behaves like a puppy. Recently he’s developed somme skin tumors and vocalizes a lot. He’s a small which is a mix of many, many breeds and we call them “Puertorrican Sato”.
How much turmeric can I give him?
Hello,
My australian/border collie cross 7 year old female was diagnosed with CCL (torn knee ligament) 4 weeks ago. She was limping severely and the vet recommended surgery. After a week she also lost some movement in the other hind leg, and had difficulty walking at all. My neighbor the accupuncturist tried that on her and thought it was more of a lower spine problem. She has come back quite well after 5 treatments, but had to go out of town for 10 days, so have relied on the vet’s anti inflammatory Metacam. After some research we are now giving her Glucosamine and Condroitin with MSM, and also Turmeric for pain. She can walk slowly, but sits frequently, with difficulty getting up.
My question is, am I doing the right combination of natural meds? I am still away from home for another week and don’t want to see her in pain. Is there something else I should try? It seems funny that her whole rear end is not working well if she has a torn ligament? Thanks for any comments, Willy
I have a 14 year old Samoyed that has a large tumor, probably on the spleen but possibly the liver. He is otherwise healthy. He eats well, plays, and has full interest in his normal activity. However, the tumor bled a couple of days ago (internally), his gums paled, and he nearly died. Somehow the bleeding must have stopped and he has been regaining strength. He is a bit weak in his hind legs, but is completely alert. At 53 pounds, he’s lost weight, especially considering that the tumor is most certainly a few pounds itself. What should I dose him? I will buy the guide and read it, but I’m hoping for information from you now that I can start him on immediately. Any help is appreciated!
Dear Phil
I am sorry your Sammy is experiencing this.
bleeding tumors usually require surgery during an exploratory (after doing lab work and imaging). This is step one. A biopsy can be taken which will inform us of the right conventional treatment plan. I would start with yunnan baiyao under veterinary supervision:
http://www.dogcancerblog.com/chinese-herb-for-bleeding-dog-cancers/
Once you get the book you can focus on the other steps…
Best,
dr D
Dr. Dressler,
Thank you for your help. I’m looking forward to reading the book to see how else I may help him to enjoy his remaining life. He’s been an extraordinary companion, even my local vet comments in ways that I doubt he does with all pets he sees. I’ll go by your dosing and plan to follow up so you can hear the results.
Phil
Keep us posted Phil
Best
D
Dr. Dressler,
Not sure if you can take the time to help me further on this, but I’ll ask. I have begun the YB as you suggested. He’s been on it for 5 days so now I’ll take him off for 5. I planned to feed him lots of fish for the oil and Omega 3, but I’ve also read that these may act as blood clotting inhibitors. So I’m torn which way to go. Obviously I want to fight the cancer, but I also do not want the internal bleeding to get worse. I guess this is one of those mental battles you go through on a regular basis. Any suggestions? By the way, he continues to play and has a great appetite. Still well under weight, but alert.
HI
I have a female collie who is 12 years old, seemed to be very healthy and I just happened to notice her gums were pale, we ran bloodwork and all appeared good except a low end PCV. A couple weeks later she paled again and we ran bloodwork again and did an xray the spleen was enlarged and after an ultrasound we removed the spleen. Anyway it appears she has a hemangiosarcoma and there was at least a nodule on her liver in the ultrasound. We had to go back in a week later cuz she herniated for some reason the stitches broke down and there was another mass forming and a small spot already on her liver.
Can she be treated with the Apocaps and I have turmeric powder I can start her on in the meantime. We did start her on garlic and melatonin, we have her on milk thistle too. It was also was suggested to use Vit D is this ok to use with this type cancer I thought i read in your book, no.
She is fed raw and has been most of her life and before that homemade. She is eating well but we are keeping her activity level down while she heals from surgery. Oh I put the tumeric in small capsules to give if she won’t eat it in food. To get the 2 grams, she weighs 58 pounds, do I just weigh it on a kitchen scale or is the a comparable measurement in tsp.
Thanks so much, oh I already have your books.
Vicki
Dear Vicki
it was quite astute of you to notice her pale gums! Great job. I would double check with your vet on liver function. If liver function is adequate, apocaps is no problem. Your vet can see the product information here:
http://www.apocaps.com
There is litte benefit in oral vitamin d supplementation- the levels in the blood are too low when given orally for anti cancer effects. Get sunlight several times weekly for 10 minutes at least each time for active vit D. I would hold off on the turmeric until after healing as curcumin may have some blood thinning effects. The capsules will give you mg, and 1000 mg is 1 gram. Kitchen scale is not usually sensitive enough to measure grams. Be sure your pet care is under veterinary supervision too.
Hope this helps
D
Dr Dessler,
I have a 7 year old Vizsla who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She’s a prednisone, pancreatin, beta glucans and curcumin. This is all under her vet’s supervision. She currently gets 500mg of curcumin since I wasn’t sure what the proper dosage should be for a 50lb dog, is that sufficient?
Thank you Best regards,
hi
i have a miniature poodle almost 2 years old, how much turmeric I can give him. Can i cook his ground beef with turmeric?
Thanks
Dear Sara
please consult with your vet on all doses and recommendations. I would suggest Apocaps which has the active ingredient in turmeric (curcumin) in a highly bioavailable form…and it is labeled for dogs over 5 lbs…and has a variety of other beneficial compounds.
If you do not want to use Apocaps, send us the body weight and we will give a dose to discuss with your vet..
best
Dr D
I have a Lab/Australian Shepard mix . She has 3 tumors, one in her neck, one on her top front leg joint and one on her stomach. I have been giving her Curcumin in capsule form for about 2 weeks. Her tumors are getting bigger but she is not showing any discomfort. It is scaring me about the change. What should I do?
Thanks so much!!!
Regina
Dear Regina,
please see your vet ASAP!!!
Best
Dr D
My 3 1/2 year old Shar-pei was diagnosed with Familial Shar-Pei Fever and renal amyloidosis. I plan on purchasing your book, as the cancer diet will help with many diseases.We have started her on a variety of holistic and western treatment options and I ran across curcumin in my search. Would this be damaging to her kidneys or sensitive tummy and what would the dose be for ~30 pound pup? Also, where would I find it? Thank you for everything you do!
I anticipate your answer about my dogs tumors. Can you help?
Thanks, Regina
Dear Lacy
I am sorry, this is not a good dietary choice for renal amyloidosis.
There are also medical considerations with curcumin you need to discuss with your vet (it inhibitis COX-2 which may or may not be the best thing for your dog).
You need to consult with a veterinarian who knows about this stuff and also knows your individual dog’s medical history, etc.
D
Can Curcumin be given when chemotheraphy is on?
Dr. Dressler, I have just finished your book. I can totally relate to the term Analysis Paralysis. My 13 year old chow/lab mix had an oral tumor downsized 3 weeks ago. It was too deep into the tongue to be completely removed. Because I told the vet I would do no chemo or radiation the mass was not sent for diagnosis. I feel this was a major error on my part as I now realize that even if you plan to treat “naturally” it is important to know the type of cancer. Due to the breed and my dog’s totally black tongue I imagine this cancer to be malignant melanoma, but of course, do know know for sure. My vet never mentioned the vacinne for melanoma or I would have probably approached things differently. I took her to a TCM vet a few days after the surgery. She put her on IP6, Wobenzyme, Canine Hepatic Support and Max’s Formula (Chinese herbs). I have added 7000mg of fishoil daily, turmeric sprinkled on the food, and melatonin at night. She is eating greatv(is on your cancer diet) and her energy level is good. I want to get the Apopcaps but not sure if I need to quit all these other supplements or can i still use them in conjunction with the apocaps (although I understand they should not be given at the same time). Any suggestions appreciated. Thank you for your most wonderful book. It is a wonderful blend of mental, physical and spiritual that is most uncommon in the medical field.
Dr. Dressler, i have a 12yr old jack russell (20lbs), she started holding her back leg up while standing and skipping when she walks. I have taken her to 2 vets and have gotten 2 different diagnoses (1 said it was a luxating patella and recommended me to see an OrthoVet. I took her to a different vet for a 2nd opinon. He did an ortho exam and could not find antyhing wrong, x-rays were good and so were blood tests (liver enzymes elevated, but he said that was probalby due to the steriod shot and metacam she was on, both did not phase her). He acts normal, walks fine, healthy appetitite, but after 6 weeks still holding her leg up. It seems like her leg is colder to the touch than her other leg. I have stopped her walks in fear of doing more damage and hope it heals. I have also started her on a high protein grain-free diet, adding a little turmeric. she has been taking fish oil and glucosomine for a long time. What is your opinion? Thanks so much.
When my dog was 5 years old (58lb black lab x) she tore her back left acl. I did manage to get her into surgery soon, but the vet stressed strongly that this was only a temporary fix, often times the other leg will tear, or the repaired leg won’t hold up forever, as well that arthritis will set in a lot sooner. Well it’s been 3 years and only 2 weeks ago did I see her leg becoming lame again, however when it warmed up outside she started using it again. So I put this down to arthritis. I started research online for ways to help with inflammation etc. TURMERIC came up and I have to say, it’s a really great anti-inflammatory herb, I have even started giving my mother it for her arthritis. I am still waiting to see just how effective it is but so far she doesn’t act like her leg is bothering her in any way! I am so excited about natural approaches to my dogs care as vet bills can be VERY expensive. Another great thing I give my dog is Apple Cider Vinegar (organic with the mother Braggs brand), this has an alkalinizing effect on the body I think (or so I have read) and an alkaline body resists disease more so than one in an acidic state. My dog suffers allergies, so I am also waiting to see if this has any effect on her allergies which I have not been able to peg to any certain thing. This might not work for all dogs, but my dog is a glutton and will literally eat anything I give her lol. The ACV threw her for a loop, but she just looked at me then continued eating.
Dear Diane,
I am sorry, I cannot diagnose a lameness over the internet. When in doubt though, check the patella and the lumbosacral area of the vertebral column.
D
I bought ten pounds of turmeric and keep it in the freeze. Hope this is ok, as I did this two years ago and it still tastes fresh. I give an amount that they will eat easily, perhaps 600 mg to my four dogs with their meal once a day. They are a shar pei (dad) and pit bull (mom) and a brother and sister shar pit. We get lots of exercise, as I have a scwinn 1000 watt scooter and harness them with leashes to the front every day several miles into the desert at night. Don’t use the batteries except in ruts. The scooter is charged by a wind mill on a pole alongside a pine tree. We trim the pines, and make tea out of the needles in the direction of a new trail. The tea I use to dampen the dry dog food with a can added, or sometimes I make lentils and rice with vegetables. I am not going to tell you about the occasional jack rabbit.
I take the turmeric in an oo capsule with the smaller end of the cap I fill with bromelain three times a day. I drink the tea separate from my chow, however
On the scooter, we are a ‘fource’ to be reckoned with. I always carry a pocket stun gun on the trail, but have never been attacked by a stray off leash dog. They seem to respect our odd running habits.