Natural Cancer Treatment For Dogs
ANIMAL NUTRITION AND GROOMING CENTERNatural
Cancer Treatment For Dogs
- Julia
Henriques
- 2024-01-16
Once you get
over the shock of your dog’s cancer diagnosis, the most important decision
you’ll make is how to treat him.
The fear of
cancer often sends even the most holistically minded dog owners rushing for
conventional options like chemo, radiation or surgery, despite their often
severe side effects. But you might opt for completely holistic treatment … or a
combination of both.
The type of
cancer will be a factor in your decision, and it’s important to research all
the options and talk to holistic and conventional cancer experts before you
make a choice. In this post you’ll find some information about natural cancer
treatment for dogs.
Conventional Cancer Treatment For Dogs
Conventional
veterinarians will usually offer alternatives like surgery, chemotherapy,
radiation treatments and sometimes immunotherapy … although immunotherapy
options are more advanced for humans than for veterinary use.
There’s more
detail about conventional treatment options in our Cancer In Dogs article.
And if you’re
considering conventional treatment, it’s worth reading veterinarian Dr Ian Billinghurst’s opinion plus
important questions to ask your veterinarian before deciding on
these treatments.
Some
integrative veterinarians may offer a combination of conventional and natural
therapies. Or you can opt for conventional treatment but add some natural
remedies to support your dog through the process.
Natural Cancer Treatment For Dogs
Whatever type
of natural treatment you choose, make sure you find a practitioner with cancer
experience. Look for a really skilled homeopath, TCVM vet, herbalist (Western
or Chinese), or other holistic vet who’s treated a lot of cancer patients.
You may want to
ask others for recommendations. Ask anyone who’s involved with dog care –
breeders, trainers, veterinary rehab experts, animal chiropractors. Join online
dog cancer forums to find other dog owners who’ve had experience in your dog’s
type of cancer.
To help you
decide, read about the preferred cancer
treatment options of several holistic vets …
Supplements For Cancer In Dogs
Here are some
of the supplements with the most potent anti-cancer effects.
Medicinal Mushrooms
There are two
substances in medicinal mushrooms that produce their well-known anti-cancer
effects. Polysaccharide-K (PSK) and polysaccharide-P (PSP). PSK and PSP are
called beta-D-glucans. They promote a healthy immune response by activating
immune cells called macrophages, NK (natural killer) cells and T cells.
Macrophages destroy invaders like bacteria, viruses and cancer cells. NK
and T cells can also eliminate cancer cells.
These mushroom
components are so effective that PSP is approved as an anti-cancer drug in
Japan and China, and PSK is a key ingredient in a Japanese anti-cancer drug
called Krestin.
As well as
triggering immune cell activity, beta-glucans have other immune-boosting
effects, including …
Increasing
antibodies
- Reducing pro-inflammatory
cytokine
- Strengthening immune response
to several cancers
- Blocking metastasis (the spread
of cancer cells)
Some of the
most effective medicinal mushrooms include:
- Shiitake
- Maitaki
- Reishi
- Chaga
- Cordyceps
- Turkey tail
Turkey Tail Mushrooms
Turkey tail
mushrooms deserve a special mention. They’ve been especially well researched
for their anti-cancer effects …. including in dogs.
One 2012
study at University of Pennsylvania treated dogs with hemangiosarcoma with
different dose levels of I’M-Yunity … an extract of PSP from turkey tail
mushrooms. Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is an aggressive,
fast-spreading vascular cancer … and PSP delivered some remarkable
results. Here are the survival times for dogs in the study …
- No treatment: 86 days
- 50mg-kg/day turkey tail: 117
days
- 100mg-kg/day turkey tail: 199
days
Compare these
results with the median survival time for dogs getting doxorubicin
chemotherapy, which is 141 to 179 days.
Look for a
blend of medicinal mushrooms that has 5-7 different medicinal mushrooms,
including turkey tail. And you can give extra turkey tail as well to take
advantage of its potent anti-cancer properties.
Caution:
Make sure you buy mushrooms made from whole fruiting bodies, so that you give
your dog the full medicinal benefits. Many mushrooms supplements are made from
mycelium, which is only part of the mushroom. Mycelium is grown on grain and
studies show it has lower levels of beta-glucans and more starch than whole
mushrooms.
Curcumin
Turmeric, and
its main compound, curcumin, have been researched in more than 6,000 studies
that show its health benefits.
Research shows
turmeric can be more effective than many drugs, including …
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Steroids
- Arthritis drugs
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
One UK
study showed curcumin could prevent precancerous changes from developing
into cancer. And turmeric can also treat cancer naturally.
The American
Cancer Society claims, “Curcumin interferes with cancer development, growth,
and spread. Recently, curcumin has received a great deal of focus because
of its ability to reduce tumor size and kill cancer cells.“
CBD Oil
CBD has been
extensively researched for its cancer-fighting benefits. Studies show that CBD
can slow the growth of cancer cells and tumors, and in many cancers it has
increased survival times.
CBD can kill
cancer cells by stopping them from producing energy. It’s also been found to
stimulate the immune system to cause cancer cell death.
CBD may also be
helpful alongside conventional cancer treatments. One study found CBD made
cancer cells more sensitive to other treatment. And CBD can help reduce nausea
from conventional treatments.
A 2019 study
published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found that omega-3
fatty acids can help protect your dog from inflammatory diseases … and some
cancers.
In particular,
the researchers looked at whether inflammatory conditions in dogs increase the
risk of T-zone lymphoma (TZL), which makes up about 12% of all canine
lymphomas. Golden Retrievers are especially susceptible, with 40% of TZL cases
in the breed. The researchers found that omega-3 supplements may reduce the
likelihood of TZL.
The researchers
also found that omega-3s can help lower inflammation as well as strengthen
immune response in dogs.
Garlic
Garlic has many
health benefits for dogs, and one in particular is relevant to giving omega-3
to dogs with cancer.
Veterinarian Dr
Steve Marsden says that giving dogs fresh garlic helps direct omega-3s into
anti-inflammatory pathways. But you should avoid garlic if you’re using
chemotherapy for your dog’s cancer, because garlic can interact with chemo
drugs.
Otherwise, give
your dog 1 tsp daily per 30 lbs of body weight (adjust for your dog’s size).
Chop finely and let it sit for 10 minutes before adding to your dog’s food and
serve immediately. This allows allicin, the main medicinal property in garlic,
to develop.
Artemisinin is
a compound extracted from the Artemesia annua L. plant, known as
sweet wormwood. In Chinese medicine it was used to treat malaria, and now
studies have found it can help treat cancer.
A University of
Washington study found that Artemisinin destroys many types of cancer cells …
but leaves healthy cells unharmed. Artemesinin has shown impressive results in
treating a several cancers, including leukemia, breast, colon, prostate and
brain cancer.
According to Dr
Demian Dressler, co-author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide,
artemisinin is best given for a few days, with a break in between. That’s
because the body stops absorbing it after 5 days, so an intermittent dosing
schedule is more effective.
Dr Dressler
also suggests giving artemisinin about 4 hours away from food, because of its
tendency to interact with unbound ferrous iron (as found in red meat).
Apocaps
Speaking of Dr
Dressler, who’s also well known as The Dog Cancer Vet … he
developed a natural cancer supplement called Apocaps, which he and many
holistic vets have used successfully in cancer treatments, with or without
conventional therapies. In fact, Apocaps is being studied for possible use in
human cancer treatments.
Apocaps
includes the ingredients luteolin (a citrus bioflavonoid), curcumin (described
above) and apigenin (extracted from parsley). It works by helping the process
of apoptosis (meaning cancer cell death), and you can read more about the
supplement on the Apocaps website.
Ozone is O3,
containing 3 oxygen atoms (the air we breathe is O2). The extra oxygen atom
in O3 is less stable, so it’s more likely to react inside the
body. Medical grade ozone is produced by passing pure oxygen
through a generator that uses an electrical spark to split an oxygen atom off
the O2 molecules.This free oxygen atom combines with other
O2 molecules and produces O3 used for treatments.
People have
been using ozone treatments for more than 100 years to treat a long list of
health issues. But ozone has recently become popular as an anti-inflammatory
therapy in animals. It’s also anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal, so
it can help with many types of infectious disease.
For cancer, In
vitro studies show ozone helps inhibit cancer cells from various types of
cancer in humans, by as much as 40 to 90%. It’s safe and helps create healthier
cells in the body.
Sulforaphane is
a substance found in cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower. Cruciferous
veggies are rich in glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that when
chewed or digested, convert to isothiocyanates. The most potent isothiocyanate
is sulforaphane,
Sulforaphane’s
cancer-fighting benefits have been widely studied. Research shows that people
who eat cruciferous veggies have reduced cancer risk, In animal research,
sulforaphane has been shown to …
- Help prevent cell damage
- Cause apoptosis (cancer cell
death)
- Stops tumor blood vessels from
forming
- Inhibits metastasis (spread)
- Inactivate carcinogens
Researchers
from Oregon State University gave dogs broccoli sprout powder, which is the
richest food source of sulforaphane. They found that sulforaphane had the same
digestibility in dogs as humans … and that they also saw a better reduction in
HDAC activity. HDAC is a group of enzymes that protects DNA by expressing
tumor-suppressing genes.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe injections have proven effective
in reducing tumor size and pain.
Mistletoe is a
parasitic plant that grows directly from the branches of the trees that host
it. Mistletoe can become so prolific that it kills its host, but it often grows
with the host, as it cannot survive without it.
This plant has
has some remarkable abilities. Here are some mistletoe benefits:
- Prevents tumor metastasis
- Helps apoptosis (cancer cell
death)
- Improves mitochondrial
health
- Reduces tumor blood supply
- Stabilizes health DNA
- Stimulates the immune system
- Increases interleukin 2 (an
immune-boosting protein made by white blood cells)
- Reduces side effects of
chemotherapy and radiation
- Reduction of tumor-related pain
Mistletoe is
most often given via injections under the skin and can be done at home. It’s
typically done 3 times per week at increasing doses, until there’s the patient
shows skin inflammation at the injection site … or a slight fever. This is a
sign that the mistletoe has activated the immune system. A slight fever
enhances the body’s ability to eliminate cancer. Practitioners using mistletoe
will carefully monitor your dog’s response and adjust the dosing accordingly.
Follow the
links below for more posts about natural cancer treatments.
Treating Cancer In Dogs: A Holistic Approach
Holistic Vets Explain: Natural Treatment Of Cancer In Dogs
Holistic Vets Evaluate Dog Cancer Supplements
A Holistic Approach To Dog Tumors
*Please note that you can find the majority of these products at your local independent pet stores like ours.