|
Canine Cancer: Nutrition Can be Key
We have been using the following diet since November 2005 and could not be
happier. We use it as a preventative in our Golden who does not suffer from
cancer, and had used it with our Darcy when she was fighting her cancer. Read
Dr. Gregory Ogilvie's great 24-page paper (PDF),
Nutrition and Cancer:
Frontiers for Cure! to learn more about the
importance that nutrition does play.
 Organic Canine Cancer Diet
 This is the diet we use here at
the Land of
PureGold. We utilized it with our Golden Darcy when she was diagnosed
with fibrosarcoma in 2005 and we have maintained Alfie on it as well, as a
preventative measure.
A portion of the sale of this food is
provided to the Smiling Blue Skies Cancer Fund, set up through the
University of
Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust Fund.
Canine Life — For Purchase in the U.S.
& Canada
West Coast Canine Life
 — For folks residing on the
western coasts of the U.S. and Canada. [Note: Pre-mixes
are
custom milled in small batches at a certified Organic
and Kosher facility.]
Business run by Joanne Fraser who
is pictured
here with her two official taste-testers, Maya &
Abbey.
Canine Life-Ontario — For folks
residing the eastern
coasts of
the U.S. and Canada. [Note: Pre-mixes are
custom milled in small batches at a certified Organic
facility.] Business run by Liza Cowell.
Canine Life was formulated based on the
National Research Council's (NRC) daily
nutritional requirements for dogs, and has been developed as a
hypoallergenic formula. It has enhanced the quality of life of dogs
with: allergies, skin problems, immune disorders, thyroid
conditions, kidney, liver and heart disease, cancer, diabetes,
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Pancreatitis, Megaesophagus,
gastrointestinal issues, gluten intolerance, anal gland problems,
stress, weight problems, painful joints, aging issues and even those
with fussy appetites. The Pre-mix contains these 100% human food
grade and organic ingredients: Organic milled brown rice, Organic
oat, Organic barley, Marjoram; Turmeric, Carob, Ginger, Oregano,
Rosemary, Parsley, Garlic, Acadian Sea Kelp, and, Alfalfa. Each of
these ingredients plays an important role in your dog’s health.
 Canine
Life can be purchased as a pre-mix or ready made in meaty
patties or muffins. Canine Life meaty patties, which are baked fresh and
frozen for your convenience, are available in Chicken, Turkey, Beef,
White Fish, Lamb, Pork, Low Protein, and in a Puppy formulation.
Canine Life muffin are available as: Complete Muffins with
Hormone/Antibiotic free meat; Complete Muffins with Regular meat and
as Meatless Muffins.
We love the pre-mix formula as this is more economical and allows
for greater diversity. A 7kg bag of the pre-mix makes
approximately 200 muffins. By adding 1.5 to 2 lbs of raw ground
meat, raw minced vegetables, shredded red apple, egg, safflower oil,
and cranberry juice to 5 cups of pre-mix, you will e nd up with 24
baked meaty patties or muffins, or a 9 x 13 cake pan. Recipes are
also available for dogs with specific health issues.
Canine Life makes two
formulations, one with the correct amount of calcium for dogs who do
NOT eat raw meat with bones as a regular part of their diet, and the
other for dogs who ARE eating raw meat with bones on a regular
basis. There is a formulation specifically for growing puppies as
well. as calcium is an extremely important part of your dog or
puppy's diet. In addition, a gluten free pre-mix is available for
dog's with gluten intolerance.
This is our
good Golden pal, Gus, who had surgery for
mast cell carcinoma in
the spring of 2003, and is now recove ring from surgery (June
2006) that removed a
spindle
cell sarcoma mass. His treatments have involved Dr. Wen's
Chinese herbal medicine, and now beginning in July 2006 he
is additionally receiving the Canine Life Cancer
Formulation. As you can see, Gus loves his muffins so much,
that he insists on licking Mom's muffin tins clean as well!
The
SPECIAL FORMULATION FOR CANCER
contains: Organic milled whole brown rice, Organic
chick peas, Organic whole oats, calcium,
carob, Acadian sea kelp,
green tea, turmeric, oregano, marjoram,
parsley, rosemary, ginger, and garlic.
This is a true home-cooked diet,
each recipe making 24 muffins. The baking time is extremely
short as there is nothing to rise here, it is merely to cook
together so that any bacteria is removed from the raw
ingredients. A few cups of this pre-mix is then added to the
following ORGANIC ingredients (that we purchase from a good
specialty grocery): broccoli, egg with shell, apple,
blueberries, pure cranberry juice, safflower oil, ground
chicken with skin, and chicken livers. The ingredients, such
as the chicken livers, apple and broccoli, are pureed or
chopped fine via a (Cuisinart) food processor. And, the
chicken with skin (no bones) is ground up via a meat grinder
attachment on our food processor.
For optimum health, it is also very
important to add at least 4000mg daily of wild salmon oil to provide
the essential Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
 Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Pure Sockeye Salmon Oil
Our Golden Alfie has gotten 6000 units daily since 2007, before that
getting 3000-4000 units a day. Boy, what a difference it
has made. His coat is incredible, and at his now senior age of 9 (2008),
the extra softgels keep down joint inflammation associated with
increasing age and arthritis. It is a must-have
supplement!
Derived exclusively from wild sockeye salmon
caught in the cold, pristine waters off Alaska, this 100% PURE oil is not
blended with any inferior salmon or other fish oils. Here's why this is unique:
To achieve high ratios of EPA to DHA, commercially available salmon oil capsules
are fortified with other fish oils. One benefit of Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Sockeye
Salmon Oil is that it has the lowest cholesterol levels, in contrast to the
higher levels found in farmed salmon oil.
The freshest and purest oils available, Sockeye contains the highest amount
of omega-3 fatty acids of any salmon.
It's orange color is due to the high levels of the carotenoid and astaxanthin
(occurring naturally in sockeye) that helps the eyes and cardiovascular system.
Alaskan sockeye salmon are the richest salmon species in the powerful biological
antioxidant astaxanthin, a natural caroteniod that imparts a rich orange glow to
the oil and eliminates the need for added tocopherols present in other brands.
Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid that gives our oil its rich orange color—and
is up to 100 times more potent than Vitamin E at quenching singlet oxygen ‘free
radicals’.
There are NO artificial preservatives, color or sweeteners; corn, dairy,
starch, wheat, or yeast.
|
 DR.
DRESSLER'S DOG CANCER BLOG
Food and dog cancer: omega 6 fatty acids
Many people ask me if dog food has something to do with the development of
cancer in their pet. Before I devoted my time to studying the topic, I never
gave it much thought. Nah, I would say. Dog cancer is mostly genetic, viral, a
few carcinogens…who knows? ”There is no real cause of cancer”, I would say.
Baloney. There are causes of cancer, and they are real. Most of us vets just
don’t take the time to really investigate the literature. Due to our personal
biases, lack of motivation, no time, fatigue, or professional indoctrination, we
sometimes condemn before investigating.
A great example is dietary omega 6 fatty acid excess. Fats are grouped according
to their chemical structure. Two biggies are the omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acid
groups. Dog’s bodies, and our own, are designed to have a certain ratio of omega
3 to omega 6 fatty acids in the diet.
Too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3, and bad things happen. These bad things
are not minor, folks. Excessive intake of omega 6 fatty acids suppress cells
that are key in the body’s natural cancer fighting ability (Natural Killer cells
and cytotoxic T cells). The omega 6 group promotes inflammation, which is
critical in cancer development. They also stimulate cancer cells directly by
turning on a path in the cancer cells called PI Kinase, one of the central
signaling
events in cancer cells which make them behave like…cancer cells.
Where do omega 6 fatty acids come from? Next time you are at the grocery store,
read the panel on some popular dog foods. Look for corn (grain, oil, meal),
vegetable oil, and beef fat (lard, tallow), to name a few. Foods are put
together to be successful enterprises (profit), and omega 6-rich items are
favored for this reason.
There are ways to offset the effect of the omega 6 excess in dog foods.
Dog food and cancer: help fight this problem!
In the last post I wrote about one of the issues in most commercial dog foods
contributing to dog cancer: omega 6 fatty acid excess. This is a group of fats
that are found in large quantities in corn products, vegetable oils, and meat
products like tallow and lard, to name a few sources. Dogs in the wild eat lean
meats (imagine an antelope’s body) and digested plant matter from the prey’s
intestines. The diets we are feeding them currently are inappropriate, and in
some ways harmful.
This omega 6 fat excess sets the stage for cancer development, stimulates cancer
cell growth, and decreases the body’s natural cancer-fighting abilities.
Our dog’s bodies can better handle the omega 6 excess by providing them with
another type of fatty acid that will decrease the harmful effects of too much
omega 6. These are oils containing omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in high
concentrations in fish oils. I outline this topic in detail in the upcoming
book, but for the purposes of this discussion let’s focus on oil from sardines,
menhaden, mackerel
, salmon and so on. Cod liver oil is NOT a good source for
omega 3 supplementation.
If your loved dog has a cancer at this time, you want to get as much omega 3 in
him or her as possible. Start slowly and work your way up to large amounts over
about 2 weeks to avoid an upset stomach. Give with food. For a dog about 60 lbs,
you want about 18 grams of good quality fish oil containing omega 3’s. This
usually means about 15-20 of the typical capsules daily, which is a large
amount! For double strength caps, halve the dose. Adjust up or down for the size
of your dog. The capsules can be popped and the oil mixed in food if your dog
resists eating the capsules by themselves. Watch for digestive upset (vomiting,
diarrhea, loss of appetite), and if so, stop and then later start with lower
doses increased more slowly.
Krill oil is, in my opinion, the best option for supplementing fatty acids for a
variety of reasons…
If your loved dog is not diagnosed with cancer and is on typical commercial
food, I would have you begin an omega 3 fatty acid supplement at lower doses
than those dogs with cancer. For a 60 lb dog, my opinion is a standard
supplemental dose of roughly 4-6 grams of omega 3-containing capsules daily.
Remember to start with low doses than work up over 2 weeks.
There is limited, theoretical evidence that you should stop these supplements 10
days before surgery as they may have mild blood-thinning effect. Do this as a
precaution, to be on the safe side. |
The following information is also supplied with the pre-mix:
Nutrition and the Animal Cancer
Patient
Recipes abound in the world of animal cancer. Simply put,
one diet does not fit all, and what works well today, may
cause problems tomorrow. From the cancer starving diet, to a
raw or cooked diet, and everything in between, the road to
good nutrition has many bumps and curves, as owners try to
determine the best path to follow, with the guidance and
support of your veterinarian and nutrition specialist. The
most important thing of all however, is to make sure that
your canine cancer patient eats!
Research tells us that animals with cancer have an altered
carbohydrate metabolism, so a diet that is low in
carbohydrates, and contains high quality proteins and fish
oil as the primary fat source, best meets the needs of the
animal cancer patient. When preparing food for your pet, try
to use organic products, and always use distilled, filtered,
or spring water.
Baking with Canine Life Pre-mix or purchasing our
cancer diet patties may be just the thing to entice your pet
to eat. Consider chicken, beef, turkey, or a novel protein
source like ostrich = buffalo or game, along with liver and
heart, eggs, carrots, broccoli, celery, cabbage, Bok Choy,
turnip greens, spinach, and summer squash, flavour enhanced
by antioxidants like fresh garlic and turmeric. Canned
salmon, mackerel, or sardines, can also be used. It is
always good to have plain old fashioned chicken broth on
hand, and dogs often go for a sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese,
when other things have failed. Remember, cats are
intermittent eaters, so patties should be available
throughout the day. Patties for cats with cancer are made
with an adapted pre-mix base and different amounts and types
of protein.
If your pet is accustomed to a fresh whole foods/raw diet,
stick with it, but keep in mind, that if your pet is
undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments, cooked food
is recommended for animals that are immune suppressed in any
way. Whatever way you decide to feed your cancer patient,
make sure that the diet is evaluated on a regular basis,
always keeping your pet’s overall condition in mind, and
consider Martin Goldstein, D.V.M.’s book,
The Nature of
Animal Healing, to guide you through complementary and
alternative therapies, to support your cancer patient.
Many herbs have been said to treat cancer, but before you
add herbs to your dog or cat’s diet, do your homework, get
expert advice and speak with your veterinarian. Dr. Randy
Kidd, D.V.M., Ph.D. identifies Bloodroot, Burdock, Cat’s
Claw, Goldenseal, and Red Clover, as safe herbs in your
battle against cancer, and one of the very best books on
herbs is
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets,
written by Gregory L. Tilford and Mary L. Wulff-Tilford.
Share a cup of green tea with your pet. It boosts the immune
system, and also has antioxidant and astringent properties.
Treats are associated with happy times, and for many pet
owners, making special treats for their sick animal
companion empowers them, and sometimes, it is the only thing
that your animal cancer patient will eat.
Sometimes despite everything you have tried to tempt your
companion’s appetite, he refuses to eat, and this is where a
simple cancer cocktail can come into play. The simplest
mixture was developed by Wendy Volhard, and includes 1/2
pound of beef or chicken liver, and 2 cups of filtered
water. Simply put the ingredients in a pot and bring to a
boil. Stir gently, until you are sure the liver is cooked.
This takes approximately five minutes. Remove the pot from
the stove and cool, then puree in a food processor or
blender, until you have a thick soup mixture. Using a large
syringe, feed your cat or dog a little bit of this mixture
several times throughout the day, and hopefully, it will get
your companion back on the food track.
Email Joanne Fraser (west coast
folks) or Email Liza Cowell
(east coast folks) to find out which formulation
is best for your dog and also to learn about those locations
carrying the Pre-Mix, Ready Made Muffins, Ready Made Patties or
Custom order Pre-Mix or Patties for dogs with specific health
problems. Canine Life products can be shipped anywhere in North
America.
|
|
For You & Yours
|
