Early detection of cancer in your dog or cat can make a huge difference in your pet’s comfort and longevity when coping with this disease.

Here are some early warning signs that may indicate all is not well with your pet:

• Loss of or change in appetite
• Losing weight
• Unexplained vomiting
• Breathing difficulties
• Coughing for no apparent reason
• Wounds that will not heal
• Abdominal swelling
• Changes in elimination
• Blood in the stool
• Limping with no apparent cause
• Unexplained pain

Any of these symptoms should indicate a vet visit for your pet. However, if you are simply thinking proactively about cancer, you may want to investigate a fairly new at-home cancer detection test calledOncotect. I have not used this product, but it has good reviews. It is available for purchase online, costs less than $150, and is veterinarian-endorsed. It is a simple urine collection process that is then sent to the lab for the detection of four specific types of cancer. The results are then mailed to you, and when they arrive, you can proceed to rejoice or make a veterinary appointment to determine appropriate cancer treatment options.

Best Action Step:

One of the most effective proactive steps to take against cancer is to follow a diet that encourages general good health in your pet such as a species–appropriate, raw, carnivore diet, formulated to be complete and balanced because a properly nourished body will produce healthy cells (less likely to become cancerous) and can more easily fight diseases in general. This is the concept behind Orthomolecular Medicine which is therapeutic nutrition based on biochemical individuality.  It is one of a number of Complementary Therapies that can be used in conjunction with conventional cancer treatments. Below is a brief list of the most extensively researched cancer-fighting foods to date.

Cancer Fighting Foods:

• Cruciferous family of vegetables.  Most strongly recommended are broccoli sprouts containing the highest concentration of sulforaphane. This phytonutrient activates the Nrf2 pathway which in turn activates anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions throughout the body. These actions inhibit dangerous cell mutations leading to cancerous tumors.
• Raw garlic which is rich in allicin. Many scientific studies have proven that Allicin has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, as well as it’s suppression and apoptosis of cancer cells and ability to reduce the size of tumors.
• Medicinal mushrooms, specifically Reishi, Turkey Tail, Shiitake, and Maitake. Medicinal mushrooms have been successfully used for centuries and modern science is confirming their efficacy. November’s blog will highlight Medicinal Mushrooms.
• Foods rich in polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants, helping the body fight cancer-causing free radicals. A few of the most effective are blueberries, Meeker Raspberries, strawberries, black currants, and blackberries.
• Apples are also a good source of polyphenols as well as containing pectin which is helpful against cancers of the bowel system
• Walnuts and flaxseeds are both recommended in an anticancer diet since their consumption increases the diversity of probiotic bacteria in the gut (leading to a healthier immune system) and they are both high in lignans. In studies, lignans appear to reduce the growth of cancer cells.
• Other foodstuffs of interest are turmeric + black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and Omega-3 fatty acids. These are safe for dogs, but cats may not react well to apple cider vinegar. Most of the other well-known anticancer foods that are fine for humans, for example, grapes, are not safe choices for dogs and cats.

While changing your pets’ diet is a relatively simple, albeit highly effective, preventative Complementary Therapy for cancer treatment, there are other modalities to explore.  Instead of changing or adding a food or two to your pet’s raw diet, there are two complete diet systems that claim to be effective against cancer. The Alkaline Diet and the Ketogenic Metabolic Diet both claim high success rates by starving cancer cells, leading to apoptosis of malignant cells. There are some interesting studies of the effectiveness of these diets available on the web.

Holistic vets often use what is called a Multi-Modal Program when treating cancer patients. This simply means that along with some conventional cancer treatments they also use as many complementary diets, substances, and techniques as they think applicable and as the pet’s parents agree with to bring relief and enhance the quality and quantity of the pet’s life. All of the treatments listed below have strong adherents and success stories attached to them.

Treatments:

1. Acupuncture
2. Botanical Medicine
3. CBD Full Spectrum
4. Chiropractic Manipulation
5. Homeopathy
6. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
7. Laser Treatments
8. Phytotherapy
9. Vitamin Therapy – Nutraceuticals

When your vet says cancer, it may not be lethal, but it is always bad news. Prevention of cancer in our pets must be our first step, but if the worst happens and Fluffy or Fido gets the dreaded diagnosis, remember, we have many tools to fight this disease alongside our trusted vets. Take heart, explore all of the many fascinating complementary treatments, and cherish each and every day you have with your Best Friend.