Full Spectrum Cancer Care

If you're facing dog cancer and you feel overwhelmed, there's a good reason for that: it's overwhelming. There is a lot of information to sort through and understand, and it's not always easy to get it from veterinarians. Full Spectrum Cancer Care is an approach pioneered by Dr. Demian Dressler, author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, that includes conventional approaches like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, but also many other strategies from other medical traditions that have been shown to have value for dogs with cancer.

The following articles were written by The Dog Cancer Vet Team to introduce you to some of the most important aspects of his method of understanding and treating dog cancer. We hope you find them helpful.

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Dog Prostate Cancer: Intraoperative Radiation

Prostate cancer in the dog is very different from that in people. Not because the cancers themselves are that different, but because treatment success is different. This has not been good news for our dogs. The success rates (due to surgical techniques, mainly) for dealing with human prostate cancer are much better than for dogs.…

Is Dog Cancer Treatment the Same as Prevention?

I’ve been thinking about a distinction that deserves way more attention from those who want to be their dogs’ primary health advocate. Why are distinctions important? One meaning of distinction is, “the act of making or keeping distinct”. So there is action implied in distinctions. Many time actions are built in to words because they…

The Premature Frenzy: Resveratrol

Ever since Dr. Oz mentioned resveratrol on Oprah, the media has anchored this substance into the minds of dog lovers across the country. Granted, resveratrol is very interesting. And the anti cancer effects of resveratrol are quite interesting too…but mainly in test tubes and petri dishes. If one were to use this as the basis…

Homeopathy for Dog Cancer?

Using homeopathy for dog cancer is a mixed bag in terms of the literature, but it may be useful for certain cancers. What Exactly Is Homeopathy? Homeopathy is a system of medicine based on the administration of very diluted amounts of substances that mimic the symptoms of the disease being treated. The underlying idea is…

I Need An Alternative Veterinarian!

When on the hard road of dog cancer, we have to use all tools at our disposal. The reason is obvious: we still don’t have a cure for systemic cancers. Thus, most in their right mind would agree that an unsolved problem demands open-minded consideration of all approaches. At the same time, the challenge is…

Detoxification in Dog Cancer

One of the ways companies make money on cancer is by using words that sound great but mean little. “Detoxification” is one of them. Let’s take a closer look at this. On the surface, getting rid of “toxins‘ is a good idea, right? “Toxins” bad, “detox” good, correct? Well, sure, except nobody really knows what…

Vitamin C and Dog Cancer Update

There is much talk on the use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), in it’s various forms, for cancer treatment in the “alternative” medical community. It’s use in conventional cancer care is routinely ignored. In the spirit of full-spectrum care and rational analysis, let’s take a closer look. Due to some interesting observations, focus on vitamin…

Vaccinating Dogs with Cancer

Vaccination. For some dog lovers, this word is a general part of health care for a canine companion. For others, it is the root of a syndrome called “vaccinosis”. Vaccinosis is a made-up term is a term used by alternative vets to describe the cluster of side effects from vaccinations. Like most issues in medicine,…

A Change in Viewing Dog Cancer

I gave a webinar this morning that focused on making a dog cancer treatment plan. I realized the topic should be presented, as so many blog readers post specific questions, but many are essentially the same query. So I presented a structure that would allow people to answer their own version of the question, with…

A Thermometer to Save Dogs Fighting Cancer?

It is clear that dogs with cancer, at least with true, aggressive forms of cancer, have some special needs. I would like to give you some information about a special need that is often overlooked. Dogs with a cancer diagnosis should have their temperatures taken on a regular basis. If a dog is on chemotherapy,…

Hit The Bull’s Eye With Dog Cancer Drugs

One of the problems with chemotherapy, in addition to cost and trips in and out of the hospital is toxicity. It can be especially difficult to handle a toxic event when the whole point of chemo in treating dog cancer is palliation. Palliation is defined as a reduction in the signs or symptoms of a…

A Dog Cancer Wake Up Call

From time to time I receive comments from readers who express opinions about what they will consider in treating their dog’s cancer. These particular folks segregate themselves into a single group…the “anti” people. First, we have those who are very impressed with conventional veterinary care. This is my background, so I see the appeal. Big…

When to Avoid Chemo for Canine Mast Cell Tumors?

There has been much online talk these days about dogs with mast cell tumors (read, Palladia) which are the most common canine cancer. So I thought I’d just add some fuel to the fire and give my readers some overall guidelines about mast cell tumors and chemotherapy. As many already know, these cancers come in…

Diet for Dogs With Mast Cell Tumors

Friends, Today’s post will likely be met with some skepticism from those immersed (and confined) to our Western medical approach. So if this is your framework, please keep an open mind. You will be pleased to know that the information here is taken from little known, but still Western, data banks. I have recently been…

Pau D’Arco for Dogs With Cancer: Be Careful Says Dr. Dressler

In the last post, I focused on really looking at the source of the information you are receiving about your dog’s cancer. Let’s get into some specific examples of questionable “intelligence” you may have received. Some, claiming authority in the area of supplements for dog cancer, are pushing Pau D’Arco. Be careful, everyone! Let’s look…

Keep Yourself and Your Dogs Safe with Palladia

Palladia is the first FDA-approved drug for dog cancer. It is a chemotherapy medication, and as such it is a big gun. When I say big gun, I mean that there are side effects and issues that you need to be aware of. And some of you may have not heard this yet. Since a…

Yunnan Baiyao for Dogs: Chinese Herb for Bleeding Dog Cancers

Yunnan baiyao for dogs with cancer may sound weird because it’s used for bleeding problems. But in certain cases, it is really useful.

Carcinogenic Chemo Drugs

One of the biggest ironies I have encountered are carcinogenic chemotherapy drugs. Sound odd to you? Well, I don’t blame you! When I first found out about it I was shocked. Medication used for fighting cancer actually increasing the odds for cancer later? Now, before everyone gets reactionary, we have to temper this topic…

The Two Sides of Sunlight and Dog Cancer, part 2

In the last post, we examined those cases where a dog lover might want to protect dogs prone to certain skin cancers with sunscreen and indoor living. However, these are the minority. The vast majority of dogs actually benefit, in a real way, from some direct sunlight. Here’s my argument… Sunlight exposure in people is …

The Two Sides of Sunlight in Dog Cancer, part 1

I practice veterinary medicine and surgery in a sunny area. For those of you with a loved dog who gets a lot of sun, you may have wondered about the effects of sun on canine cancer. As with many topics in medicine, there are a couple different things that have to be considered, as it…