The Dog Cancer Survival Guide (63 page)

It’s very important for your dog to eat the right balance of fatty acids. High omega-6 fatty acids are primarily found in corn and other vegetable oils and the fat of grain-fed animals. If you look at some commercial dog foods and treats, you may find these ingredients. Some of the most common ingredients are meat or meat by-product (which can include anything from bones to cartilage to entrails). The animals used in dog food are often farm-raised beef and poultry. If left to forage, cows would eat grass and chickens would eat insects, worms and seeds. Commercial operations, however, often feed these animals inexpensive grains like corn to keep expenses down, “fatten them up,” and keep their flesh tender. Unfortunately for our dogs, this food increases the amount of omega-6 fatty acids in the meat.

On commercial dog food labels, fats like corn oil, vegetable oil and beef tallow are often listed. These are all rich in immunity-suppressing omega-6 fatty acids. In addition to minimizing the preservatives and carcinogens sometimes found in commercial dog food, this is one of the main reasons I urge you to cook for your dog at home.

It’s been shown conclusively that omega-3 fatty acids can help minimize the immune-suppressing and inflammatory effects of excess omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids also protect against cancer cachexia (weight loss), been shown to help reduce depression and, in some cases, shrink tumors, in human studies.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in cold-water fish, such as sardines, mackerel and menhaden. They’re also found in the tiny shrimp-like plankton, krill, which is an important food source for many whale species. Flax and some other seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, although not the higher amounts of certain very beneficial types (DHA and EPA) that are found in fish and krill oils.

Deliberately reducing the presence of omega-6 fatty acids in your dog’s diet, and increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids, is a cornerstone of the dog cancer diet. You’ll find more specifics about how much and what kinds of oils to use later in this chapter.

Cancer has a sweet tooth. Cancer cells prefer sugar to any other kind of food, including foods with a higher calorie count. Even before any actual signs of canine cancer begin, the metabolism of sugar in the body starts to change as cancer cells signal the liver to create more sugar. The increase in sugar favors the growth of developing cancers, which then send signals to release even more sugar – and so the cycle continues. Sugar both favors cancer development and continues to feed it once it has taken hold.

We’ve discovered that the way sugar is used by the body is a reliable indicator of the progression of cancer. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans are even used to detect human cancer in tissues by looking for sugar “hot spots.”

Clearly, limiting sugar is an important step to take when your dog has cancer (I also recommend doing this for healthy dogs). Carbohydrates break down into sugars during digestion, and certain carbohydrates break down more quickly than others. Unfortunately, the first ingredient on most commercial dog food labels is often a high-carbohydrate food such as corn, corn meal, wheat or flour. These grain-based foods are cheaper than meat, which is probably the main reason they are used so often in dog food. Sadly, they don’t just feed the dog; they may also feed the cancer. Some brands have recognized that high carbohydrate diets are not appropriate for dog wellness, and are producing low-carbohydrate foods.

The diet I recommend later on is a low-carbohydrate diet. The carbohydrates that are included are from low-glycemic grains that break down slowly, so there are no spikes in cancer fuel.

Whether your dog has cancer or not, it is advisable that any change in diet always be started slowly by gradually phasing out the old food as the new is added. Dogs can experience diarrhea, bloating, loss of appetite, vomiting, and other problems if their food is changed suddenly. Your patience will pay off.

“[The dog cancer diet] has helped her tremendously. Olivia is full of life and energy. Her blood tests have come back normal. Overall it’s been the best decision we’ve made.”

– Margherita Ferlita, Surrey, England

The way to introduce these foods is over a long period, usually about two weeks. Every day, increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of old food, tablespoon by tablespoon. If a small amount of diarrhea occurs, lessen the amount of the new food at the next meal until the symptoms subside. Then try to increase it again in a few days. If problems still continue, or get worse, be sure to call your vet or oncologist.

After one week, your dog’s ration will probably be half the dog cancer diet and half the previous food. After two weeks, your dog will probably be on the new dog cancer diet. If your dog has trouble adjusting, it might take a little longer.

The dog cancer diet is flexible, with several choices for ingredients, which can be mixed and matched according to your dog’s taste. As you go, you might find your dog does not like something in particular, and you might have to try out several different combinations before you can find one your dog enjoys.

Remember the most important thing: eating something is better than not eating at all. If you have to choose between feeding your dog something less-than-healthy and starving your dog, choose the less-than-healthy food.

The Full Spectrum dog cancer diet is mainly based on what dogs eat in their natural state in the wild. It also includes several foods that may help the body fight cancer or lessen the consequences of cancer in the body. You will likely recognize many of the ingredients, and, depending upon where you shop, most are relatively inexpensive. These ingredients can also be purchased in bulk or on sale, and frozen for later use.

If you already cook for yourself, shopping for and preparing your dog’s food will take no more time than for any other meal. Because this recipe makes enough for two to four days’ worth of food, you will not have to cook every day. If you do not cook, this may initially pose more of a challenge (well worth taking on); previous readers often report this home-cooked diet makes a big difference in the life quality and even the health of their dogs.

Mealtime is an excellent time to give your dog many of the supplements I recommend. A detailed recipe follows; before I tell you how to make your dog’s meal, I want to go over the general guidelines for this diet.

Try to include at least one ingredient from each of the following categories at every meal. Don’t worry about memorizing all of this information right now. I will tell you how to combine these
ingredients, and in what amounts, in the Recipe section.