More on Curcumin and Dog Cancer
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: December 26th, 2018
In the last post, I introduced curcumin, a useful tool against cancer found in turmeric.
In this post we will look at some of the effects and practicalities in the use of this remarkable substance.
Safety should always be questioned. Curcumin is exceptionally safe when given by mouth. Read more here.
One of the complaints about it is that it is not absorbed significantly when taken by mouth (passes through in the feces). True statement. But…
Curcumin taken by mouth does have effects in the body after all, in spite of low levels being taken up in the blood. It was shown in a human clinical trial that large doses (over 3 grams) decreased the levels of a chemical signal with links to cancer development and progression.
This chemical signal is called prostaglandin E2. This signal was measured in the bloodstream.
This means that actually some of the curcumin taken by mouth does indeed have effects on the body. Check it out for yourself here.
Curcumin, at least in test tube studies (in vitro), shows a most definite ability to cause cancer cells to end their life cycle. Another way of saying this is that it is an apoptogen, or something that causes programed, healthy, end-of-life for cancer cells.
One way that curcumin is able to do this is by injuring the mitochondria, or the energy factories in the cancer cells. Here is an abstract about that.
To learn more in nutrition, and diet for dogs with cancer, get a copy of the Dog Cancer Diet
Curcumin is able to shut down the activity of one of the central chemical signals involved in cancer development and progression (NFK Beta). This molecule is perhaps one of the most important molecules in the whole field of cancer.
On top of that, it has effects to slow the growth of blood vessels feeding tumors, helping to stop cancer expansion.
For more info on these different ways curcumin helps fight cancer, read on here.
In humans, most of the research has focused on intestinal cancers. The reason is because the stuff, after taken by mouth, goes down into the intestine and contacts the wall of the intestine.
Since these intestinal cancers are less dependant on curcumin getting in the blood to contact the cancer cells, that is where the interest has been.
I believe curcumin has broader application than that. Since we know it has effects outside the intestine, and it is non-toxic, it should be applied more for dog cancer.
Curcumin does not dissolve well in water. This is one of the things that limits its absorption. You can overcome this by mixing it with lecithin and water and making a slurry.
Get a copy of this informative seminar to learn more on apoptosis in cancer treatment
Lecithin is available online. It is very , very gooey, so you add some water to the curcumin-lecithin, about 4 parts water to 1 part lecithin.
You can put some low sodium bullion in it for flavor, or similar agents.
Many of the commercial preparations have bromelain with it, to enhance blood levels. No problem.
Doses are approximate, and taken from human literature. For a large dog, use about 2 grams two times a day, as an estimation.
Do not use curcumin with gall stones, stomach ulcers, or within 10 days of surgery.
There is a possibility it should perhaps be avoided with liver problems in some references. I believe this effect is not likely based on serial blood tests in my hospital with its use, but discuss with your vet, as always.
There is more in how curcumin fits into the full spectrum plan in the downloadable cancer book on https://www.dogcancerblog.com/book
Best to all,
Dr D
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
My rottweiler has been diagnosed with inoperable fibrocarcinoma (Spanish), we live
in Costa Rica and options are non-existant. I have been dosing my dog with tumeric and adding ground fresh green peppercorns. There are several studies
showing black peppercorns compliment and add to the absorbsion of the tumeric (curcumin), plus have their own cancer fighting properties. I have been adding
the fresh green peppercorns because fresh should be better, perhaps having more piperine than the dried. Do you know what amount I should feed a 100 lbs. dog? I’m just guessing. Thanks for any help!!!!!
Dr Dressler
What is your take on the application of turmeric based antiseptic and anti-inflamatory cream or ointment on the tumour bearing area ? Typical ingredients of the cream are extract of turmeric ( 16% w/w ) and small amounts of sandalwood oil. Other excipients include Stearic acid ( 15% w/w ) and small amounts of sodium hydroxide, Methyl paraben sodium, propyl paraben sodium ,sorbitol and water q.s as listed on the package. My dog has osteosarcoma of the pelvic bone, Can we apply this ?
Dear Sandeep,
hm..how far out of the box do you want to go?? The main problem is penetration. I see very little that will get the stuff into the tumor. You would be better served using an oral product with bioavailability enhancer to deliver curcumin (Apocaps) to get the curcumin into the tumor itself. Are you doing this?
If you are totally desperate, discuss with your vet mixing the cream with a DMSO-containing topical. An old one I recall is Domoso (used for horses usually). This is definitely experimental. You could also mix in some capsaicin cream into the mix (this stuff is from chile peppers and is a pretty good apoptogen). Again, this is experimental, and most definitely get your vet involved.
I assume you guys are doing your Dog Cancer Diet and the other steps in the Guide?
Keep in touch,
Best,
Dr D
Holly, my 14 year old Australian Shepherd/Scottish Terrier/Lab mix (42-45lbs) has a thickening in her urethra, possible transitional cell carcinoma, but since last September it has gotten only slightly bigger, if at all. This leads the vet to doubt cancer since that form is so aggressive and grows very quickly until the urethra is blocked.
But we are treating it as though it is cancer with peroxicam. We started Holly on it last Wednesday or Thursday (she was at my brother’s while we were out of town and we picked her up yesterday Saturday May 1). Today (Sunday) Holly seems very lethargic. I had read about the turmeric, and a couple of weeks ago started her on one New Chapter brand 400mg soft gel capsule a day.
My understanding is that it has the same Cox-2 inhibiting properties as the NSAID Peroxicam, without the Cox-1 inhibiting effects that cause stomach problems. My questions are these:
Is it alright to give her this along with the Peroxicam? If so am I giving her enough?
She has always had a sensitive stomach and I fear the Peroxicam is the cause of her apparent discomfort. What about cytotec?
If I discontinued the peroxicam and increased the turmeric, do you think it would be enough to shrink the growth or inflammation? She also has numerous fatty tumors on her body, I had read it could also help shrink them.
She has some arthritis and her liver enzymes are also somewhat elevated (started after 6 weeks on doxycycline), so I worry about the peroxicam doing more harm than good.The vet didn’t recommend rimadiyl because of her liver so I give her a glucosomine/MSM/condroitin soft chew for the arthritis. She is a very sweet, sensitive, intelligent soul and we want to do everything we can for her without causing her more harm.
I appreciate any help you can offer for this beautiful little spirit.
Dear Eileen,
If you are interested in using supplements with effects like this, you would be well advised to look into Apocaps.
The problem with the curcumin in turmeric is that very little gets in the body. Hence the bioavailability mechanism in Apocaps. None of us yet have the cure for cancer, but this is a strategy that can help many dog life longer, better lives.
I hope it helps!
Best,
Dr D
[…] on line. Apocaps contains these agents in combination form, or you can get the indivudual ones. Here and here are some other posts on these supplements for more […]
My dog has osteosarcoma that has spread. I have been giving him a bit of tumeric once in a while (just the standard spice used for cooking-purchased from Whole Foods). Is this not the right form to be feeding? Is there a special medicinal form that would be more effective in inhibiting tumor growth?
(sorry I posted my comment under the “supplement” blog – THIS is where is should be!)
Dear Dr. D,
I was informed by my vet on 2/12 that my 9 year old lab/golden mix “Zoe” most likely has a brain tumor based on the symptoms she’s been displaying this past week (droopy eye, lethargic, circling). It all started with a seizure on 2/7. Up to that point she was a perfectly healthy dog. This has all been happening so fast.
We are going to meet with a neurologist early next week but in the meantime, I would like to start Zoe on turmeric. Would 1/8 tsp. sprinkled on her food twice a day be sufficient? She is 80 lbs. I’m not sure what grams is converted to tsp. She gets a mixture of canned food & dry food. Perhaps I should mix the turmeric up in her wet food? Would it be readily absorbable this way? And would it be better to use the Curcumin?
I am also cutting back on her dry food b/c of the high carb content and will probably go off it totally. I need to be very careful with Zoe’s diet b/c she also has IBS. I’m so glad I found your website. I will probably be purchasing your book after I get an official diagnosis. I will do absolutely anything to help my baby girl. I’m not ready to lose her yet!! Thank you very much for your help.
Dear Carla,
please wait until you know what you are treating before starting on any treatment plan, and please additionally make sure your veterinarian is kept abreast of any interventions since he or she knows your individual dog. This is to keep your plan on the right track…
Here is a conversion calculator:
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/cooking-conversions/gram-conversions.aspx
However, curcumin is the more desirable source of the active bioflavanoids.
Curcumin’s bioavailability is enhanced with bromelain as well as lecithin. Commercial preparations contain bromelain and you can mix it with some warmed lecithin available on line. There is more info in the book too.
here is some more information for you:
https://www.dogcancerblog.com/blog/homeopathy-for-dog-cancer/
Best,
Dr D
In February, 2009, my 18 pound Shi Tzu was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma that that had metastasized to the bone. After a surgery removed most of the lump, we began metronomic chemo. The dog cancer specialist mentioned that turmeric was showing promise in some studies and suggested we try it.
Both the specialist and our regular vet gave Tiger 5 months to live.
A year has gone by. The remaining part of the tumor has actually shrunk, no primary tumor (which the vets expected to pop up) have been found, his blood work and x-rays are all normal. They call him “an amazing success story.”
Tiger’s regimin is simple: 1600 mg of turmeric and 2000 mg of garlic oil given twice daily with peanut butter, honey, and cheese. HE receives his liquid oral chemo once a day. He has plenty of fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and rest. (The dog has a better life than we do!)
May I also add that prayers from friends and family far and wide have been a blessing to his health.
Dear Gina,
That is great news!
Keep up the good work-
Best,
Dr D
Dr. Dressler,
I have a pitbull who has been diagnosed with Lymphoma type B. He has lost a lot of weight, and I am looking for alternatives to chemotherapy. I am currently giving him 1000mg of Pau D’ Arco twice a day, and 50mg of Prednisone once a day. Can I give him Turmeric in addition to the current medicines listed above, and if so, how much can I give him daily?
Thank you
Rick
Thank you so much as I take it I can give it with a little cow’s milk? Some people say milk is not good for cancer so I am worried. Last few days she is having distress and weak in rear portion-so now I want to begin turmeric in earnest (she is taking budwig diet, 1500 mg Vit C, floressence, aloe vera, coenzyme 10, echinacea and many things… from February when it began she made a lot of progress but last few days some distress-how much turmeric to give per day and how to know when you post an answer ?
Thank you so much for all the information you are giving to us all
My dog has mammary gland tumour. My question is : do we give the turmeric raw or can it be cooked with the food as we do normally? We are Indians.
I was briefly giving it to her for the ulceration around the mouth of the burst tumour by boiling it with milk-this is how we do in India for many ailments when we give “haldi” (turmeric)-she likes it well this way but I need some confirmation
Thanks
Gita
Gita,
you will increase the absorption by giving it with milk like you do in India. No wonder!
D