Cancer Diets

[Guest Figmama]

For those that are or have battled Cancer in their Greys, what diet protocols have you followed? I have read they should not get carbs. I've read about the Science Diet N/D but know it is expensive and others have opted to do their own foods. Anyone ever used the (I think) it is Evo Red Meat food?

What supplements did you give?

[Batmom]

The no carbs thing is 99.99% mythology. I'd feed him what he likes and digests well.

[Guest tinams8]

I switched my cancer dog to grain free dog food at the recommendation of her vet. There are many different kinds on the market right now. Maybe if you search the site for grain free it will bring up people's experiences with specific brands. I know I've seen it discussed many times. My dogs are on the Costco brand grain-free right now, Nature's Domain.

[Guest snakes]

I had heard that too when i started researching cancer diets. Grain free doesn't mean carb free though! Personally we couldn't afford to do a totally carb free diet, especially as the diet for one dog is the diet for the second in the house as well!

I did go to Taste of the Wild which is grain free, mostly because it was slightly higher protein than the food we were on and they tolerated it well (unlike many 'superior' kibbles). I also give chicken quarters 5 times a week for dinner to up the protien and they get 1/2cup of veggies in with kibble for breakfast and reduced the amount of kibble by that 1/2cup. For lunch (yes they get three meals, it helped the boys GI issues and works with my schedule they get 1/2cup veggies and some wet/canned food.

[4My2Greys]

I found that Evo Herring and Salmon kibble came very close in comparison to Science Diet N/D in nutritional analysis.

[Guest KennelMom]

The thinking is that sugar feeds cancer, so low/no carb will deprive the cancer cells of their preferred fuel source. I've seen some interesting articles and research on it...I dunno...I fall in to the "can't hurt/might help" camp I suppose. Dogs, like people, don't need dietary carbs anyway...our bodies can make all that we need to function.

 

As mentioned earlier, grain-free is not carb free. We feed a raw diet that's based in meat, eggs and offal so none of our hounds get a ton of carbs anyway. Some veggie mash a few times a week is about all and most weeks I don't get around to making it Maybe some left over rice.

 

We have a cancer dog right now (hemangio)...she was given a few weeks to live - back in October. She looks/acts as though nothing is wrong. Of course, I have no clue as to how much (if any) of her survival is due to her diet. And if the diet has any influence, I don't know if it's more related to the carb level or the unprocessed/whole food aspect. We also have another hound that had a tumor sprout up on her toe in the last few months and we just had it removed (waiting on the pathology). Bottom line is that we just feed the best possible food we can to our dogs, that they respond well to and hope for the best whether that dog has cancer or not.

Edited May 28, 2011 by KennelMom

[greysmom]

I switched Dude (osteo) to Canidae Salmon and have had good results. He needs less of this food to maintain body weight and energy, so it's not overly expensive to feed one dog. There are lots of "grain-free" diets out there, in a variety of protein options and prices.

 

One thing about feeding raw, OSU advised us against a raw diet when he was doing active chemo as there is a risk of contamination when the immune system is already compromised. Just something to think about.

[Guest Figmama]

The thinking is that sugar feeds cancer, so low/no carb will deprive the cancer cells of their preferred fuel source. I've seen some interesting articles and research on it...I dunno...I fall in to the "can't hurt/might help" camp I suppose. Dogs, like people, don't need dietary carbs anyway...our bodies can make all that we need to function.

 

As mentioned earlier, grain-free is not carb free. We feed a raw diet that's based in meat, eggs and offal so none of our hounds get a ton of carbs anyway. Some veggie mash a few times a week is about all and most weeks I don't get around to making it Maybe some left over rice.

 

We have a cancer dog right now (hemangio)...she was given a few weeks to live - back in October. She looks/acts as though nothing is wrong. Of course, I have no clue as to how much (if any) of her survival is due to her diet. And if the diet has any influence, I don't know if it's more related to the carb level or the unprocessed/whole food aspect. We also have another hound that had a tumor sprout up on her toe in the last few months and we just had it removed (waiting on the pathology). Bottom line is that we just feed the best possible food we can to our dogs, that they respond well to and hope for the best whether that dog has cancer or not.

 

 

Kennelmom, is your cancer dog going through any type of treatments?

 

I have to admit, I've always feed good quality dog foods but have never really had to watch the protein, carbs, etc. Due to Ranger's protein problems, I had to find a food that was low in Phosphorus. So, now I need a diet that is low in Phosphorus, no carbs.

 

I have fed raw in the past but mostly raw chicken necks to my Sheltie and raw turkey necks to the Greys, on and off. I mentioned raw to my Vet and she made it very clear she is NOT an advocate of raw diets, esp in dogs under treatment. She is of the feeling a good quality food will suface.

 

I presently feed Ranger the Natural Balance Fish and Sweetpotato and he does okay on that. It is low phosphorus. I have no idea about the carb issue in that food. I have been adding some eggs to his food. Vegetables? He has never touched them yet. Since I have had this dog, he has been a picky eater. Every other hound I've had here woofs their food right down. Well, like yesterday, he finished his morning meal at 11 o'clock last night. Whatever advise you can give me, I'm sure I've been/there, done that over the years. Even taking treats, he will barely take something in his front teeth then may or may not eat it. It's funny, really, to see this big dog do this. He will, however, manage to get a piece of steak down. LOL

[Guest KennelMom]

No treatments for our cancer dog. When she was diagnosed we had the option of doing surgery to remove the tumor and spleen - that would have given her a few more months according to the doc (board certified in internal medicine and was paged in to do the ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis). Of course, he said sometimes when you remove the big tumor, all the small ones just go crazy and start growing. We opted for palliative care...which has really just been life as usual. Here we are 8 months later - no surgery, no chemo. Every day is truly a gift.

 

With the dog that had the tumor removed (also one lymph node), we'll see how the pathology comes back and if it comes back as a bad/aggressive cancer, we'll consult with the oncologist to see about further treatments. Hopefully, it was just a localized tumor.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Dr. Ogilvie has done quite bit of work on the canine cancer diet. You can Google him to find more specifics and on one site there are several recipes. Sorry I don't have it here, I am on the road.

 

Basically you want to feed moderate protein and as high fat as the dog will tolerate. Fat produces more energy than carbs. And helps stem Cachexia, which is normally what kills the cancer patient before the cancer itself does.

 

Other recommendations include not to supplement vitamins past what a balanced diet contains.

[galgrey]

Deleted.

Edited May 29, 2011 by galgrey

[Charlies_Dad]

I'm also on the side of "can't hurt, might help". When discussing the whole no carbs for pups with cancer with my vet he stated there was no solid evidence this was the case. However after reading and researching, we decided to eliminate from our pups diets almost 100%. We feed raw minced/blended vegetables, herbs and a protein - salmon, mackeral, turkey or eggs along with supplements/vitamins. DW blends up the veges and they last 7 days and we just add the protein with each meal.

[Guest WhiteWave]

I fed raw to mine while we were fighting/treating it, but once we new the battle was lost, I let them eat whatever they wanted, but most still preferred raw. Little Giggles ate probably 2lbs of beef kidney the morning we put her down.

 

Linus ate a bowl full of kibble and meats and veggies and then had to have his Greenie after his leg snapped into from the cancer. Darn dog wasn't going without his food! I'm freaking out, rushing around trying to find my purse/car keys and he was laying in the floor and barking at me b/c he had finished his food and wanted that stupid Greenie.

 

Casey was too sick to eat. The cancer had spread to his lungs and who knows where else. Lungs were clear before amputation, but before we could start chemo, they did another x-ray b/c he was having trouble breathing and his lungs were full of cancer.

[sobesmom]

When Sobe was diagnosed with Cancer, I did a lot of research, consulted some folks with experience, and went the "can't hurt, might help" route. He had hemangio, and it was pretty advanced when he was diagnosed - bad early diagnosis by the vets (they thought he'd pulled a muscle). So by the time the right tests were done, it had already spread to his organs. Hemangio caught early doesn't have a proven rate of recovery through any treatment, and late diagnosis is hopeless.

 

At that point he'd started wasting quickly, and they gave him maybe 2 weeks to live. He was already on grain-free food, but I switched him to a crockpot stew of beef, chicken and a little sweet potato for fiber (too loose without it). And he quit loosing weight, and lived quite comfortably for 4 months. I don't know if it was the food, but he was comfortable, and actually ate - he'd quit eating dog food. I also warmed it a bit sometimes if he didn't feel like eating.

 

My other dogs got it as a supplement with their food, and started looking quite amazing.

 

I'd go as close to all-meat for a cancer dog as I could again. The crockpot thing worked well for me - cook one day, feed for a week.

[Guest Figmama]

Thanks to everyone for all the good advice. I've been reading a bunch of info on the Internet also. I think we have decided just to do palliative care with Ranger - hard decision. I am still debating whether to use the Pred for him or not. My Vet said he will most likely be peeing all over and waking us during the night. Like I said before, he would be hard to contain as he does not like being closed off (used to free run of the house) and I don't want him to spend the majority of his time in a crate.

Other than that, my head is spinning. I still want to try a cancer recommended diet and supplements. HOWEVER, I am so confused.

Is there someone on the boards that has used a cancer diet with supplements that can just send me a recipe(s) and the amounts to use?

thanks

[NeylasMom]

I have to admit, I've always feed good quality dog foods but have never really had to watch the protein, carbs, etc. Due to Ranger's protein problems, I had to find a food that was low in Phosphorus. So, now I need a diet that is low in Phosphorus, no carbs.

Is Ranger your pup that also has cancer? And does he have kidney disease? You're going to be hard pressed to feed a diet that is low in phosphorus and also doesn't have carbs. If you're dealing with a pup that has both issues, I would be more concerned with the kidney issues than the cancer as kidney dogs often go off their food as the disease progresses and there's a well identified link between kidney disease progression and diet (with phosphorus, not protein, unless you're in the later stages).

 

If we're talking about 2 different dogs, you may need to consider feeding different diets to the 2 of them as a kidney diet would not be appropriate for a dog with cancer who may develop cachexia, or really even for a healthy dog.

 

To answer your original question, I'm pretty much with Kennelmom. In my case, my dogs were already on a raw diet when Neyla was diagnosed with bone cancer so we just continued with it. The holistic vets I spoke with would have recommended it anyway, but we did palliative care only, no chemo.

 

As far as specific diet recommendations or supplements, it would be helpful to know what kind of cancer your pup has. Another resource you may want to check out is Dr. Dressler's book. If you google him, you can find his blog and a link to purchase a PDF version of the book. He covers diet, holistic, and "regular" treatments for various types of cancer. There's quite a lot of information in the book.

 

I hope that helps some. I'm sorry that you're dealing with this.

Edited June 6, 2011 by NeylasMom

[Guest Figmama]

I have to admit, I've always feed good quality dog foods but have never really had to watch the protein, carbs, etc. Due to Ranger's protein problems, I had to find a food that was low in Phosphorus. So, now I need a diet that is low in Phosphorus, no carbs.

Is Ranger your pup that also has cancer? And does he have kidney disease? You're going to be hard pressed to feed a diet that is low in phosphorus and also doesn't have carbs. If you're dealing with a pup that has both issues, I would be more concerned with the kidney issues than the cancer as kidney dogs often go off their food as the disease progresses and there's a well identified link between kidney disease progression and diet (with phosphorus, not protein, unless you're in the later stages).

 

If we're talking about 2 different dogs, you may need to consider feeding different diets to the 2 of them as a kidney diet would not be appropriate for a dog with cancer who may develop cachexia, or really even for a healthy dog.

 

To answer your original question, I'm pretty much with Kennelmom. In my case, my dogs were already on a raw diet when Neyla was diagnosed with bone cancer so we just continued with it. The holistic vets I spoke with would have recommended it anyway, but we did palliative care only, no chemo.

 

As far as specific diet recommendations or supplements, it would be helpful to know what kind of cancer your pup has. Another resource you may want to check out is Dr. Dressler's book. If you google him, you can find his blog and a link to purchase a PDF version of the book. He covers diet, holistic, and "regular" treatments for various types of cancer. There's quite a lot of information in the book.

 

I hope that helps some. I'm sorry that you're dealing with this.

 

Thanks so much for the response. I'll look up Dr. Dressler's book.

Yes, this is the same dog. Took him in to the Vet a couple of months ago (?) due to weight loss and a dry hack. Had all tests run. He is losing protein in his urine. Did research and contacted Jean Dodds. He has been on a Fish and Sweet Potato diet, BP meds and Pepcid, needed a low phosphorus diet. He had been maintaining (gained maybe 2 lbs) then I found the lump in his neck, diagnosed with Lymphoma.

 

This has been a difficult journey. My Vet and I wonder now if maybe something wasn't going on when I first took him in. I've been beating myself up as to treatments and I think I am just going to do palliative care. Haven't decided yet whether to try the Pred or not. I at least wanted to try diet and supplements for him.

 

I've talked to so many people and read so much lately my head is spinning. I have worked with this Vet for a number of years and am not dog stupid. However, I have not dealt with lymphoma before. We are being realistic in that he is over 12 and also dealing with the protein issues plus the weight loss. I don't know that I would want to or make the dog deal with the side effects of the Pred. Very hard decisions.

 

Aside from that, I just would like to know if anyone has used a good diet with supplements for their dogs, what you used and the amounts.

 

No more dogs for me.

 

[NeylasMom]

I have to admit, I've always feed good quality dog foods but have never really had to watch the protein, carbs, etc. Due to Ranger's protein problems, I had to find a food that was low in Phosphorus. So, now I need a diet that is low in Phosphorus, no carbs.

Is Ranger your pup that also has cancer? And does he have kidney disease? You're going to be hard pressed to feed a diet that is low in phosphorus and also doesn't have carbs. If you're dealing with a pup that has both issues, I would be more concerned with the kidney issues than the cancer as kidney dogs often go off their food as the disease progresses and there's a well identified link between kidney disease progression and diet (with phosphorus, not protein, unless you're in the later stages).

 

If we're talking about 2 different dogs, you may need to consider feeding different diets to the 2 of them as a kidney diet would not be appropriate for a dog with cancer who may develop cachexia, or really even for a healthy dog.

 

To answer your original question, I'm pretty much with Kennelmom. In my case, my dogs were already on a raw diet when Neyla was diagnosed with bone cancer so we just continued with it. The holistic vets I spoke with would have recommended it anyway, but we did palliative care only, no chemo.

 

As far as specific diet recommendations or supplements, it would be helpful to know what kind of cancer your pup has. Another resource you may want to check out is Dr. Dressler's book. If you google him, you can find his blog and a link to purchase a PDF version of the book. He covers diet, holistic, and "regular" treatments for various types of cancer. There's quite a lot of information in the book.

 

I hope that helps some. I'm sorry that you're dealing with this.

 

Thanks so much for the response. I'll look up Dr. Dressler's book.

Yes, this is the same dog. Took him in to the Vet a couple of months ago (?) due to weight loss and a dry hack. Had all tests run. He is losing protein in his urine. Did research and contacted Jean Dodds. He has been on a Fish and Sweet Potato diet, BP meds and Pepcid, needed a low phosphorus diet. He had been maintaining (gained maybe 2 lbs) then I found the lump in his neck, diagnosed with Lymphoma.

 

This has been a difficult journey. My Vet and I wonder now if maybe something wasn't going on when I first took him in. I've been beating myself up as to treatments and I think I am just going to do palliative care. Haven't decided yet whether to try the Pred or not. I at least wanted to try diet and supplements for him.

 

I've talked to so many people and read so much lately my head is spinning. I have worked with this Vet for a number of years and am not dog stupid. However, I have not dealt with lymphoma before. We are being realistic in that he is over 12 and also dealing with the protein issues plus the weight loss. I don't know that I would want to or make the dog deal with the side effects of the Pred. Very hard decisions.

 

Aside from that, I just would like to know if anyone has used a good diet with supplements for their dogs, what you used and the amounts.

 

No more dogs for me.

 

You might want to start a thread in H&M to get a little more input on what you're dealing with. It's difficult without more information to know what's going on with the protein loss (how much protein loss, did you also do blood work and did that show signs of kidney issues, etc.). The same is true if you are looking for supplements that might help with either the protein loss or the cancer. There are definitely options for both.

 

I personally think if the fish and sweet potato diet is working for him, you should stick with it.

[Guest Figmama]

I've been checking here and there for some diet information. I just put some lean ground beef, beef liver, chicken, zucchini, a little tomato, a little garlic and some chicken broth in the crock pot. I'll add some brown rice later. I also got some small curd cottage cheese and Omega-3 to start him on. Due to the protein problems, I am going to keep him either on the Natural Balance Fish and sweet potato he has been eating and add this to his food or check into the Evo red meat (?) food.

Some of the canine cancer boards show people adding stuff I never even heard of. I think I'll try this.

Still on the fence about trying the Pred. One of my Vets didn't necessarily think that was a good idea due to side effects, etc.

[sobesmom]

I've been checking here and there for some diet information. I just put some lean ground beef, beef liver, chicken, zucchini, a little tomato, a little garlic and some chicken broth in the crock pot. I'll add some brown rice later. I also got some small curd cottage cheese and Omega-3 to start him on. Due to the protein problems, I am going to keep him either on the Natural Balance Fish and sweet potato he has been eating and add this to his food or check into the Evo red meat (?) food.

Some of the canine cancer boards show people adding stuff I never even heard of. I think I'll try this.

Still on the fence about trying the Pred. One of my Vets didn't necessarily think that was a good idea due to side effects, etc.

 

Remeber - you're going for quality of life here, not a cure. Meat, some fiber, and that's probably good. All the exotic suppliments in the world won't help after a certain point. BTW - fatty ground beef is fine. The fat will help keep the weight on, and probably wont' hurt. You're stew sounds wonderful for a cancer dog.

[Guest Figmama]

I've been checking here and there for some diet information. I just put some lean ground beef, beef liver, chicken, zucchini, a little tomato, a little garlic and some chicken broth in the crock pot. I'll add some brown rice later. I also got some small curd cottage cheese and Omega-3 to start him on. Due to the protein problems, I am going to keep him either on the Natural Balance Fish and sweet potato he has been eating and add this to his food or check into the Evo red meat (?) food.

Some of the canine cancer boards show people adding stuff I never even heard of. I think I'll try this.

Still on the fence about trying the Pred. One of my Vets didn't necessarily think that was a good idea due to side effects, etc.

 

Remeber - you're going for quality of life here, not a cure. Meat, some fiber, and that's probably good. All the exotic suppliments in the world won't help after a certain point. BTW - fatty ground beef is fine. The fat will help keep the weight on, and probably wont' hurt. You're stew sounds wonderful for a cancer dog.

 

Actually, I picked up some EVO canned food also and some canned tripe. Ranger has been eating well until last night. He only picked at his dinner and I had to try and hand feed him some food this morning. The one node in his neck seems larger and I think I feel the one on the other side enlarging. He is shedding so much, more then expected. I assume it is probably the cancer as he is getting 4 caps of Omega 3 a day. He is looking thinner and thinner but still taking his two daily walks. This is sooooooooooo hard to watch but I just can't second guess my decision to just do the best I can. One just feels so guilty not doing something more, I guess. I signed up for a couple of the cancer groups on yahoo and, after reading some of those stories, I don't know that I would put an animal through that but I know that is a personal decision. Please keep sending good thoughts for Ranger. He is still my handsome guy.

[Batmom]

Sending best thoughts that he continues to hold his own for you. {{{{{{{{{{Ranger & mom}}}}}}}}}}

[giadog]

This is the diet we put Butkus on when he was diagnosed with cancer:

 

Breakfast:

2 scoops Orijen 6-fish kibble

2 scoops plain yogurt

His prescription meds (steriods and pheno pills for seizures)

7 maitake mushroom pills

1 I-3 supplement pill

1/2 dropperful of goldenseal extract

a pinch of plant enzymes

3 tablespoons brewed essaic tea

 

Dinner:

1-2 scoops hamburger/veggie mix (once a week I'd lightly sautee a mix of hamburger, kale, blueberries, tomatoes, edamame, and broccoli sprouts, then scoop it out for dinner every night)

5-6 raw chicken wings

1 scoop cottage cheese

His prescription meds

7 maitake mushroom pills

1/2 dropperful goldenseal extract

pinch of plant enzymes

3 tablespoons essaic tea

 

Twice throughout the day, when NOT on a full stomach, we gave him 3 IP-6 pills.

 

Hope that helps!