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Featuring Demian Dressler, DVM and Sue Ettinger, DVM, Dip. ACVIM (Oncology), authors of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide

DogCancer.TV: The Full Spectrum Approach to Dog Cancer Care

What is the Full Spectrum Approach to Dog Cancer Care? Dr. Dressler and Dr. Ettinger  discuss the meaning of Full Spectrum Cancer Care and why the willingness to look at any and all available treatments is so important. Click play to learn more!


Transcript of: The Full Spectrum Approach to Dog Cancer Care

James Jacobson: One of the most interesting things that you present in the book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide is this approach that you call the “full spectrum approach”. Dr. Dressler, what is the full spectrum approach and how do we use it?

Dr. Demian Dressler: The full spectrum approach is embodied by avoiding personal bias. These means that we do not want to exclude things that may help our dogs, because we don’t like where the information came from. Here’s how it works. As a conventional veterinarian, I graduated from Cornell Veterinary School and I learned conventional veterinary medicine. As time went on, I began to explore other areas, because some of the diseases that we deal with are a little bit frustrating. So, I began to delve in to more diet and more nutriceutical such as plant derived compounds that have beneficial medical effects in the body and mind body connection all these things. Now, many conventional vets will say “no, no… That’s not good,” because, it’s “alternative”. Now the flip side happens as well. We have veterinarian who considered themselves as alternative vets, and they say no, no conventional veterinary medicine antibiotic surgery, these types of things that’s no good either. Now, in order for us to deal with the disease, we’re really struggling both in human and in veterinary medicine. We do not have a cure for cancer unlike some other veterinary or medical issues. We need to look very, very objectively at all of the available tools we have and select from those intelligently and disregard our own personal biases as far as the color of the wrapping paper that the particular tool comes in.

James Jacobson: It makes sense. Dr. Ettinger, what’s your approach in terms of looking out it from a broad perspective like that?
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Dr. Susan Ettinger: I think, it’s just important to learn about everything and consider all the options, and I think Dr. Dressler’s completely right and we both went to Cornell together and as you go out into the real world, you learned that there is more options out there and not everything is completely pharmaceuticals, and I think there’s a lot more spiritual connection and a lot of other things to consider.

James Jacobson: So, Dr. Dressler, when you talk about full spectrum, you’re not talking about holistic veterinary treatment per say.

Dr. Demian Dressler: Not at all. No, I don’t want to say ok we’re only going practice “holistic”, we’re only going to focus on diet we’re only going to focus on plant derived compounds, we’re only going to use acupuncture, and we’re not going to use all of the tools that we know have their place. This is why it is called full spectrum. This full spectrum approach is all about as objectively as possible avoiding hype, avoiding bias, assessing each tool independently and seeing well. Does this have merit in combating a disease that we struggle with? So, we’re looking for always new options, cause we want to improve survival times, get more life and make that life as good as it possibly could be.

James Jacobson: What is a very exciting approach and it certainly is throughout the book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide. Thank you both for joining us today Dr. Dressler in Hawaii and Dr. Ettinger in New York. Thanks!

Dr. Demian Dressler & Dr. Susan Ettinger: Thank you.

Discover the Full Spectrum Approach to Dog Cancer

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  1. Susan Kazara Harper on June 16, 2014 at 2:21 pm

    Hi Madeline, As you can appreciate, there are so many conditions and it’s impossible to cross-check them all. I know this was reflected in your query.
    At this time we have not used Apocaps as a supplement for Cushing’s disease. As such, we are therefore not recommending it until further investigation has occurred for this application. Support your girl with fantastic nutrition, which will help keep her strong. Work with your vets and weigh their recommendations. If you want to investigate complementary treatments which may help, it might be better to research holistic/complementary veterinarians with whom you can consult. Doing your own research and making decisions off the internet is full of pitfalls… if something is strong enough to help, it can also be accidentally mis-used. There are professionals trained in these fields, and I’ll bet you can find one. I hope this helps a little bit. All the best Madeline, and to your girl as well.

  2. Madeline on June 9, 2014 at 8:38 am

    My dog is a 13 year old yellow lab/golden retriever mix. She has been diagnosed with Cushings Disease. She also has hypothyroidism. My question is this. The Cushings Disease calls for some very toxic treatments. Since it is likely that hers is caused by a tumor on the Pituitary gland…might I be able to use alternative treatment like Apocaps to help her? I have the Cancer book and kit (she was diagnosed with lung cancer a year ago which turned out to be false. I am unable to find alternative treatments that have been studied. I know this isn’t a “cancer” issue, but it is a tumor issue and Cushings appears to be an illness with very little alternative support or research. I would be so grateful for advice and assistance with this challenge.
    Thanks!
    Madeline

  3. […] authors of the Dog Cancer Survival Guide, are early adopters of this method and urge parents to consider all facets of cancer therapy, from conventional medicines to alternative practices such as […]

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