I read the following segment of an article about holistic supplements for a dog with mast-cell t
tumors. I felt the information was valuable enough to pass it along. The full article information is below. I especially like the last couple of sentences.
“I have a 6-year-old Lab/beagle mix who has had many problems — the latest being two mast-cell tumors. The tumors were removed on separate occasions, and the surgeries were successful; however, we were told that we needed to be diligent about checking for lumps.
“Our veterinary oncologist has recommended that the dog be put on 4,000 milligrams of fish oil and 10 milligrams of Pepcid. She suggested Pepcid because dogs with mast-cell tumors tend to get ulcers, and the fish oil helps discourage the return of the mast cells.
“Also, a friend of mine in Florida said that her holistic vet uses food-grade liquid aloe in diets for dogs that have had cancer. Neither my vet nor vet oncologist have heard of this before, but from what I’ve read on the Internet, it makes sense. What do you think of using food-grade aloe as a supplement? And how much should a 45-pound dog drink?
Answer from Dr Michael Fox: “There are many treatments that can be integrated into a holistic therapeutic regimen for your dog’s cancer.
“I concur with what the two veterinarians recommend: You can give 1 tablespoon of aloe vera in your dog’s food twice daily. I would also recommend New Chapter’s anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor Zyflamend and anti-cancer Immortal Mushrooms combination of beneficial fungi. Daily treatment with a mild antihistamine may also be beneficial, along with a super-antioxidant supplement such as N-acetyl-L-cysteine and alpha-lipoic acid. Above all, avoid any treatments that may compromise your dog’s immune system, such as “booster” vaccinations and spot-on anti-flea drugs. Feed your dog a whole-food diet rather than manufactured dog food, good nutrition being the first medicine.”
You can read the full article here:
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100207/FEATURES/2070342/-1/NEWSMAP
Important Information About Feeding Your Dog
Dog Food Comparisons
Technorati Tags: dog cancer, Holistic Treatment
According to pet health experts, bad human habits, like eating too much, consuming food with poor nutritional value and exercising too little, are contributing to what is being called an animal obesity epedemic. There is a need for owners to put their dogs on diets and exercise programs.
One of the main problems with obesity in our dogs is that they can end up with the same obesity-related diseases we humans get including: diabetes, cancer, liver disease and heart diseases. Owners think they are pampering their dogs when in fact they are shortening their lives.
One family learned this lesson with their seven-year-old Jack Russell terrier when they realize he was more than double his recommended weight. He was so heavy he could hardly walk and spent most of his day sleeping. After putting him on a strict diet for a year he lost 46 pounds. Their dog is now playful and energetic dog, swims and goes on walks.
Other dog owners have had similar success helping their companions lose weight and improve in health. The best strategy is to not let your dog get overweight in the first place, because putting a dog on a diet is not without it’s drawbacks. Dogs on a diet may become craky like their human counterparts do when going on a diet. Dogs often become aggressive or hyperactive and may bark incessantly to compensate for the reduction in available food.
The benefits, however, outweigh the negative aspects of helping your dog lose weight. A very common problem of dogs that are overweight is diebetes. This is compounded by the fact that many dog food producers add sugar and other sweeteners to their poor quality food to cover up the bad taste. These sweeteners are something that a dogs digestive system was never meant to deal with and can increase the possibility of dog diabetes. Again, keeping your dogs weight down and providing high quality dog food that is high in quality protiens and low in other additives will help keep your dog healthy and strong for years to come.
Technorati Tags: dog cancer, dog diabetes, dog diet, dog heart disease, dog liver disease
