Dogs and cats are more likely to die from cancer than any other single cause. Between 25% and 50% of all elderly pets will develop tumors, either benign or malignant, at some time in their lives. Nearly half of elderly dogs and about one-third of elderly cats will die of cancer.
With conventional treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy, most pets with cancer survive six to 12 months after diagnosis. When integrative therapies — including supplements and herbal therapies — are included in the treatment plan, the survival time can double.
Best: Pet-care strategies that significantly reduce the risk of the animal ever getting cancer. We know that chronic inflammation causes many cancers in humans. It appears that chronic inflammation is the cause of most cancers in dogs and cats, too. A diet rich in antioxidants, as well as weight control and other measures, can create an internal environment that’s inhospitable to cancer development and growth.
Pure-Bred Cancer
All pets are susceptible to cancer, but pure-bred dogs have the highest risk. For example, pugs are especially vulnerable to brain tumors as are boxers and Boston terriers. Dogs with long muzzles, such as German shepherds, tend to get nasal or sinus cancers. Labrador and golden retrievers are more likely than other breeds to get lymphoma.
Mixed-breed dogs and cats (most cats in the US are mixed) benefit from hybrid vigor, a mixing of genetic material that lowers the risk for cancer.
How to prevent cancer in pure and mixed breeds…
Sun Protection
In spite of their fur, skin cancer is common in dogs and cats, particularly those with lighter skin or sparse fur. The main danger is squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer that usually appears as a raw area or a sore that doesn’t heal. Pets also can get melanomas, which appear as black tumors — or even small black dots — on the skin. In pets, melanomas can be benign or malignant. Melanomas usually are benign in miniature schnauzers and Doberman pinschers. They’re more likely to be malignant in miniature poodles.
Apply sunscreen if your pet spends a lot of time outside. Use a sunscreen made for pets with an SPF of at least 15. Apply it to the nose, tips of the ears, around the eyes and on top of the muzzle.
Protect pets from the sun, particularly in the afternoon when the sun is most intense. Some people keep their pets inside during these hours. For outdoor pets, provide shade with a doghouse, umbrella, lean-to, etc.
Healthy Weight
Obesity is just as dangerous for pets as it as for people. Fat releases inflammatory substances that can damage DNA and lead to various types of cancer. Body fat also produces a dangerous form of estrogen that can increase the risk for uterine and ovarian cancers.
What to look for: Dogs and cats at a healthy weight have a slight narrowing at the waist. Look at your pet head-on: If the body contour appears totally straight, he/she is probably overweight. Press lightly on the skin — you should be able to feel the backbone and ribs.
Restrict calories. If your dog is overweight, reduce food servings by about one-third. Do this for a few weeks. If the dog doesn’t lose any weight, reduce the food by another one-third.
Cats are trickier because losing weight too fast can cause hepatic lipidosis, a serious liver disease. In general, you can safely reduce calories by about 20%. If your cat hasn’t lost weight within a few weeks, talk with your veterinarian about other weight-loss strategies, such as switching foods or changing the nutrient balance.
Spaying/Neutering
This is among the most effective cancer-prevention strategies. In females, early spaying will prevent nearly 100% of breast tumors. In males, neutering prevents cancers around the anal area, known as perianal tumors.
When to spay: Females should be spayed before they have their first estrus (heat) cycle. This usually occurs between six and 12 months of age, depending on the breed. Smaller dogs and cats can have their first cycle earlier, often at four or five months of age. But it’s never too late to spay a pet.
When to neuter: Timing isn’t as critical with males. I advise having it done after puberty, at six to 12 months of age. Neutering limits their exposure to testosterone. This not only helps reduce cancer risk but also can prevent unwanted male behaviors, such as territorial marking and aggression.
AntiCancer Diet
There’s no scientific evidence that commercial pet foods increase the risk for cancer or that special diets such as Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) will help prevent it. What is known is that some of the ingredients in commercial foods are less than ideal.
Read the label. I recommend avoiding foods that contain synthetic preservatives, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or ethoxyquin. The word “by-product” also should raise a red flag because it refers to proteins that might not be healthy or readily digestible.
Look for antioxidants. Many pet foods now contain antioxidants, such as vitamin C or tocopherols (vitamin E). These compounds reduce inflammation in the body and can help prevent cell damage that can lead to cancer.
Helpful Supplements
Dogs and cats given certain supplements, particularly those with antioxidants, have stronger immunity, lower levels of inflammatory substances and healthier DNA. I use these supplements routinely in treating pets with cancer because they can enhance the effectiveness and reduce the complications of conventional cancer therapies. Nutritional supplements also can be given to healthy pets to prevent cancers.
The optimal doses of supplements are different for dogs and cats, as well as for pets of various sizes and breeds. Talk to your vet before giving any supplement to your pet.
Some of the best supplements…
Fish oil. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory that also improves immunity and inhibits tumor growth. In pets that already have cancer, it may inhibit the formation of new blood vessels that allow tumors to grow and spread.
A study on dogs with lymphoma found that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids — the main constituents of fish oil — increased survival time, compared with dogs that were treated only with chemotherapy.
Vitamins E and C. Vitamin E promotes apoptosis, the death of cancer cells. It also detoxifies the dangerous free radicals that are produced by chemotherapy.
Because vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient that’s mainly active in the fatty membranes that surround cells, I advise combining it with vitamin C, which works in the watery component inside and between cells.
Probiotics. These living, beneficial bacteria may reduce carcinogenic bacteria in the intestine, block the adhesion of harmful bacteria to the intestinal wall and possibly prevent intestinal bacteria from converting toxins into carcinogens.
Finally, there are several great blood tests that can measure cancer and inflammatory markers to diagnose cancers and precancerous conditions six to 12 months prior to cancer reappearing. These tests are highly recommended.
