Full Spectrum Cancer Care
Full Spectrum Cancer Care is the approach taken by the authors of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide. In Full Spectrum cancer care, we embrace any method that has been shown to help dogs with cancer, regardless of its source.
Osteosarcoma and Dog Food Link
Some new information for dogs at risk or afflicted with osteosarcoma is out that I would like to share. Osteosarcoma occurs in both dogs and humans, but is much more common in dogs. It is the number one bone cancer in the canine. A recent study found that eight widespread brands of dog food contained…
Read ArticleEnd of Life Care in Dog Cancer
The end of life stage can be very hard on everyone. It often is gut-wrenching to see your dear companion start to say goodbye. Like any weighty decision, sometimes the emotions involved can paralyze our ability to choose. During these times it is so important to gain some clarity by seeking support in counselors, support…
Read ArticleA New Look Chemotherapy
The usual way we have used chemotherapy, in both human patients and dogs, brings about toxicity risks that can be frightening for many. This fear is a rational one. The reason that the bad effects of chemotherapy are seen is a bit complex, but stems from what I believe are two main areas. First, the…
Read ArticleHelp For Diarrhea In Canine Cancer Patients
I was recently asked by a client about what over the counter product could be used for diarrhea in veterinary patients. There are a number of different items that can be used. Some have interactions with other meds, or possibly side effects that would not be desirable. I told her about one that you might…
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Is The Hammer The Tool For The Job?
How a flexible and vulnerable mindset can help us identify the problem correctly, and choose the right tool to solve it.
Read ArticleAnti-oxidants versus Pro-Oxidants
A reader asked an interesting question recently that I thought would make a good post. The question involved the use of antioxidants, either for dogs with cancer or to help prevent cancer. Lets get an overview to clarify this frequently-muddied picture. A free radical is a reactive molecule that tends to damage cell parts. When…
Read ArticlePalladia, First Dog Cancer Drug FDA Approved But Not Great
Palladia, the first drug officially approved for use in treating dog cancer has arrived. This was described in the Dog Cancer Survival Guide by it’s pre-market name, SU11654. Now it’s finally ready for release. Palladia, made by Pfizer, has been approved by the FDA. It is expected to be available next year. This drug is…
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Astragalus: Immune Booster and More
I’d like to share some information taken from Traditional Chinese Medicine. One of the important aspects of full spectrum care to improve cancer outcomes is investigating … even when investigations lead outside the borders of our country. China has a long, well-developed, complex system of medicine. It is very different from what we are used…
Read ArticleDo Numbers Matter?
A lover of a dog with cancer needs to come up with an plan that makes sense. The first step in any plan is arming oneself with answers, or data that relates to the situation. There are two basic areas that we need to focus on. The first is what can we do to maintain…
Read ArticleWhy We Need To Think Outside the Box
The world’s tallest dog is a now a cancer patient. I recently came across this story, from a local news website in California. Gibson is a Great Dane, weighing in at a whopping 170 lbs. Gibson is presently 7 years old, which is definitely a senior citizen for a dog of this breed. Recall that…
Read ArticleNew Ways To Boost Immunity
I recently received a question about a product called Beres Drops, named after the designer, Joszef Beres. This is a liquid which is designed to deliver adequate amounts of trace minerals in a favorable form. In a discussion of cancer, the most relevant aspect of these drops are the effects on the immune system. This…
Read ArticleMore Raw Ideas on Dog Cancer
Hello again everyone. I would like to continue an examination of the use of raw diets for dogs with cancer, started in the last post. As concerned, anxious, and sometimes devastated human beings dealing with dog cancer, it is only natural to try to do everything you can to get an edge. And of course,…
Read ArticleRaw Diet Dogs and Dog Cancer
Do raw diet dogs have to change what they eat after a cancer diagnosis? Is a raw diet good for dogs with cancer?
Read ArticleWhat Is The Best Supplement for Dog Cancer?
We are faced with some hard choices when in a war against dog cancer. The truth is, as dog lovers, often we feel pretty undergunned and overwhelmed, with choices that range from not-so-great to downright awful. One of the difficulties many have is the choice among the supplements discussed in this blog or in The…
Read ArticleCan I give supplements with Chemotherapy?
In the world of dog cancer, we find ourselves in a war where we can be under-gunned. I must confess that when I look at this statement, I find myself wondering whether it is healthy. To think about dealing with malignancies as a war? Perhaps this analogy is too violent, too antagonistic, too contrary. The…
Read ArticleEverything is overwhelming…
Many dog lovers, especially those of you who just received the news that your dog has cancer, feel very overwhelmed. This is very common and completely natural. So many questions arise. How did this happen? Where did the cancer come from? Why wasn’t this picked up before? Is it the food? Vaccines? Chemicals? What do…
Read ArticleBut my vet has not heard of this….
Dear dog lovers, I have been deluged with comments that some vets out there, maybe even most, have not heard of many of the approaches to dealing with cancer that are beyond surgery, chemo and radiation. As a consequence, there seems to be a large “black box” as to what to do, how to arrive…
Read ArticleNeoplasene as a Dog Cancer Treatment
I received a question recently asking if I had heard of Neoplasene, so I thought I should post about it. Neoplasene is derived from bloodroot, an old herb used by native Americans. The stuff works but can be a bit much for an average dog lover to deal with. Read on. It is delivered to…
Read ArticleDog Tumor Surgery: It Matters
Many dogs afflicted with cancer face a surgery. In spite of how far we have come in medical science, our most reliable way of getting rid of canine cancer is still a bit old fashioned: cut it out. Indeed, most of the time surgical removal is the treatment of choice for tumor cure in the…
Read ArticleIs it for me or for my dog?
Decision making when loving a dog with a cancer diagnosis can be tough. Many times we will experience some degree of confusion in decision making. There are many options that are presented. Should I allow chemotherapy? Amputation? Is radiation really worth it? I think that a lot of the difficulty may not actually relate to…
Read ArticleOncology and Beyond
I have been getting some questions lately about whether or not I am a board-certified oncologist. Nope, and I do not try to be either. Here’s why: Oncology is our word for the field of cancer medicine. Oncologists spend a good amount of time doing chemo, and have broader interests usually within the additional areas…
Read ArticleMore on Curcumin and Dog Cancer
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…
Read ArticleSpice of Life: Curcumin and Dog Cancer
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…
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Vitamin D and Dog Cancer
Dog lovers will do anything they can to help their dog with a cancer. And you should! This can be one of the hardest times anyone will face. Many times the effort helps, and other times it may not. This, of course, is not due to any ill intention on the part of the dog’s…
Read ArticleCancer spread, Flax and Dog Cancer
Flax is one of the oldest crops known to man. Even the ancient Egyptians cultivated it extensively. These days, we don’t see it around much, except in health food stores or the supplement shelves in grocery stores. So why am I writing about this stuff? Well, flax has some handy properties that someone who loves…
Read ArticleLaser Surgery For Oral Cancer in Dogs
When a dog lover is contemplating a surgery to remove a canine cancer, we should remember there are different ways to do surgeries. Depending on the way the surgery is done, certain things can be improved upon that would otherwise make recovery harder. Some of these are: pain blood loss swelling One of the challenges…
Read ArticleLymphosarcoma and Simpler Chemo Options for Dogs
Lymphosarcoma is a cancer of the white blood cells called lymphocytes. It is one of the most common cancers in dogs. The worst kind of cancer is the kind you have to deal with in your dog. I heard that from a lady I saw on a video online a while back and I thought…
Read ArticleNew Antioxidant Info For Managing Dog Cancer
Got some new stuff for everyone into vitamins and antioxidants in cancer treatment for their loved dogs. Recall we are talking about cancer treatment, not cancer prevention. These are two different categories gang, with different considerations. You may recall also that the big deal is that there has been concern with free radical scavenging, which…
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