What to Do Before Rover's Vet Bill Hits $15,000

What to Do Before Rover's Vet Bill Hits $16,000

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterinary costs have increased an average of 79% from 2000 to 2010. Rising operating costs are to blame, but so is the quality of care that is now available.

What would you do if faced with a $15,000 veterinary bill for a pet you love as much as a child?

While most financial planners would advise against borrowing funds from savings, retirement or equity accounts to pay a vet bill, every case is different.

"For some people, their pets are their lives, they are their children, a part of the family, I would ask them if it would give them a better return on their life if they extended that of their pets. If a pet brings extreme happiness to an elderly person and they can extend that pet's life by five years and maybe that five years could be a big portion of that person's remaining life, then I would definitely advise them to do it," he adds.

Once that question is answered, list your financial goals in rank of importance and that's where they would determine from which account to withdraw the funds.

Where to find Fido's medical fund

Many have used a variety of sources to pay the vet bills thus far. Some might have a basic pet insurance policy, which is usually maxed out at $3,000 in benefits. The remainder was drained from her emergency fund, as well as placed on a low rate credit card. So far, she says, she has been able to pay the bills as they come due.

There are financing options most veterinarians offer through their office, such as CareCredit or Citi Health Card. "They offered one year, no interest and you can figure out how much you need to pay each month to pay it off," . That is key to these programs, or you could be slammed with high residual interest at the end of the loan.

Knowing when to stopIf a beloved pet needs long-term care that requires ongoing expenses, this is when it becomes a really tough decision.

"Even $2,000 in treatments can be [too much for] some people's entire budget for a year. That's when we slip into quality of life mode, really a hospice model that will not attempt to cure, but will keep the pet comfortable, happy and eating for as long as possible. It circumvents the $15,000 bill and the emotional decision."

Ask yourself two questions:

What happens with my pet if I continue to do this?

What are the consequences for me if I continue spending the money?

Faced with the possibility of bills upwards of $400 every three weeks for chemotherapy injections or $6000 on radiation plus all the other vet fees, some may come to the painful conclusion that they just may not be able to afford to continue treatment.

"I don't think maxing out your credit and getting more is the answer. If you don't use credit in a strategic way, it can ruin you."

While many remain optimistic about the pets recovery, you also need to be trying to be realistic. "I do worry about making that decision and my ability to recover from that decision. It would be different if she were old and sick with no treatment options. That is a different thing than making the decision based on finances."

Tips for dealing with your vet

Consider a Plan B:

When bringing in a sick pet, vets will typically offer the Plan A treatment plan. If the client indicates they cannot afford all of the tests and treatment options, some vets, if you simply ask them, can tailor the plan to fit the client's budget. Many say they can still typically offer therapy without compromising quality of care. Work with a holistic vet as well. 

Negotiate: Ask your vet to price match other vets in the area.

I couldn't afford very much for Lucy. It nearly killed me agonizing over what was the best compromise in this situation. That's part of the reason I researched all alternative treatment routes I did.
 I don't spend that much and Lucy is still in remission after a year. I hope I am as lucky with your dog going my route as I am with Lucy's cancer if you choose it.

Why are commercial dog foods a problem?

Let's look at some of the most recent research on human nutrition:

"Consuming a diet rich in plant foods will provide a milieu of phytochemicals - nonnutritive substances in plants that possess health-protective benefits."

"Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, herbs, nuts and seeds contain an abundance of phenolic compounds, terpenoids, sulfur compounds, pigments, and other natural antioxidants that have been associated with protection from and/or treatment of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer."

        Craig W, Beck L. Phytochemicals: Health Protective Effects. Can J Diet Pract Res. 1999 Summer;60(2):78-84.

Many of these phytonutrients are not heat stable, especially when cooked extensively, as with commercial dog foods.

Considering the high temperature, high pressure, and processing that commercial dog foods receive, we can expect that these dog foods are totally devoid of the beneficial nutrients mentioned by Dr. Craig in this well-respected study.

In recent years, the practice of recommending commercial diets as the only source of food for dogs has come under increasing scrutiny, often by trained animal nutritionists. 

It has been stated by one veterinarian with a Ph.D. in nutrition that we "are killing our pets with commercial diets".    Most dog and human holistic doctors agree that the best diets are those with home-prepared foods that are at least part of the diet. 

Many conventional veterinarians will at least agree that diets will improve when we offer some fresh foods and use variety.

"I have seen the health of almost all dogs deteriorate, in general, when fed commercial diets. Conversely, when my canine patients are placed on wholesome diets, fully a third of the dogs that arrive in our practice diagnosed with a chronic, incurable disease return to complete health just by the change in diet!" He said.

What things can I add to my dogs food to make it healthier

 Since grains and other carbohydrates are not necessary or helpful to a obligate carnivore, we recommend they be fed sparingly. Especially avoid almost all grains. But some things are healthy to give to a dog with cancer that might help when added to their kibble dry or canned foods.

 Vegetables should be routinely added. We recommend:

                                                                  Carrots

                                                                 Broccoli
                                                          
                                                                Spinach

 Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, yams, and squashes are all excellent additions to the diet. Sweet potato is especially good, inexpensive, easy to prepare, and readily accepted. Sweet potato should be cooked, and can then be used a portion at a time over a few days. They can be mashed and mixed so well into the diet that all animals will accept them. Carrots, broccoli, and spinach often need to be cooked lightly or shredded/chopped finely, or they may not be accepted or completely digested. I just buy canned for Lucy. Not optimal but she gets it then. A few baby carrots can be given raw per day to help clean teeth.

  Dairy products can be included. Our favorites are:

                                                               Yogurt

                                                              Cottage Cheese

  Eggs are great to feed, and can be fed cooked. I give Lucy 1 sometimes 2 per day.

Fish Oils and Olive Oils.

Fish Oils Omega 3 Oils and Cancer

Fish oils are natural sources of high concentrations of omega 3 oils. As studies increase, it becomes increasingly evident that Omega 3 oils from fish are one of the most powerful nutritional products, and help heal a large number of conditions. They are excellent at maintaining health, as well.



Supplementation with fish oils might benefit some of these conditions:

Allergies
Chronic diarrhea
Cancer
Aging
Autoimmune diseases
Heart disease
Lupus
Arthritis
Rashes
Anti-inflammation
Modulation of immune function


I give Lucy 2 or 3 gel capsules at each meal.

*start with 1 per meal per week then 2 then 3 to avoid bowel nonsense.....

Inositol Hexaphosphate IP-6 anticancer properties

Inositol Hexaphosphate is derived from rice bran. Inositol is an essential component of cell membranes and plays an important role in cell growth and cellular function.

Recent research is showing that IP-6 might help:

• Fight cancer, possibly even shrinking tumor cells in some situations
• With diabetics
• Boost the immune system
• Prevent kidney and bladder stones
• Have a cardiovascular protective effect

The theory behind its anticancer properties is:

Since all cancers, irrespective of their type and origin, have a common defect of uncontrolled cell proliferation, and, since IP-3 is a key regulator of cell growth, and IP-6 & Inositol yield IP-3; therefore, IP-6 & Inositol should be effective against many different types of cancers across all species

In addition to reducing cell proliferation, IP6 increases differentiation of malignant cells, often resulting in a reversion to normal phenotype. Orally administered IP6 is rapidly taken into the cells and dephosphorylated to lower-phosphate inositol phosphates, which further interfere with signal transduction pathways and cell cycle arrest. Enhanced immunity and antioxidant properties can also contribute to tumor cell destruction. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this anticancer action are not fully understood. Because it is abundantly present in regular diet, efficiently absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and safe, IP6 holds great promise in strategies for the prevention and treatment of cancer. IP6 enhances the anticancer effect of conventional chemotherapy, controls cancer metastases, and improves the quality of life.

IP-6 has been reported to have in vivo and in vitro anti- cancer activity against numerous tumors, such as colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia, pancreatic cancer, and rhabdomyosarcomas.

IP6 has been introduced by mouth, by injection directly into tumors, intramuscular injection, intraperitoneal injection, etc. And regardless of how IP6 was given, it consistently had the same effects, whether it was tested on a colon-cancer model, a breast-cancer model, smooth-muscle cells, skeletal muscle tumors, liver cancers, etc.

In addition to animal studies, there are several human studies that have shown that IP6 inhibits growth of human prostate cancer cells and adenocarcinoma. Scientists have observed that cancer cells can revert back to normal cells in the presence of IP6. It should be pointed out that most of the research has been done with animals; in order for IP6 to gain greater support by the medical community, more human trials are needed.


Breast cancer
IP6 inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells; but it also acts synergistically with adriamycin or tamoxifen, being particularly effective against estrogen responsive alpha-negative cells and adriamycin-resistant cell lines.
Patients with invasive ductal breast cancer where polychemotherapy was indicated were monitored. Fourteen patients in the same stage of ductal invasive breast cancer were involved in the study, divided in two randomized groups. One group took IP6 + Inositol in the form of powder in the daily dosage of 6 g, divided in 2 doses, starting from the first postoperative day, every day until the end of treatment (6 months), while the other group took placebo. Patients receiving chemotherapy, along with IP6 + Inositol did not have cytopenia, drop in leukocyte and platelet counts. Red blood cell counts and tumor markers were unaltered in both groups. However, patients who took IP6 + Inositol had significantly better quality of life and functional status and were able to perform their daily activities. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2010. Efficacy of IP6 + inositol in the treatment of breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: prospective, randomized, pilot clinical study. Bacić I, Druzijanić N. Department of Surgery, General Hospital Zadar, Zadar, Croatia.


Pancreatic cancer benefit
Inositol hexaphosphate: a novel treatment for pancreatic cancer.
J Surg Res. 2005. Johnson VA Medical Center, Clarksburg, West Virginia; Department of Surgery, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA.
Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) is a naturally occurring polyphosphorylated carbohydrate found in food sources high in fiber content. IP6 has been reported to have significant inhibitory effects against a variety of primary tumors including breast and colon. The effects of IP6 have not been evaluated in pancreatic cancer. We hypothesized that IP6 would significantly inhibit cell growth and increase the apoptotic rate of pancreatic cancer in vitro. Treatment of pancreatic cancer with the common dietary polyphosphorylated carbohydrate IP6 significantly decreased cellular growth and increased apoptosis. Our findings suggest that IP6 has the potential to become an effective adjunct for pancreatic cancer treatment. Further in vivo and human studies are needed to evaluate safety and clinical utility of this agent in patients with pancreatic cancer.
Prostate cancer and inositol hexaphosphate IP6 : efficacy and mechanisms.Anticancer Res. 2005.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USA.
Inositol hexaphosphate is a major constituent of most cereals, legumes, nuts, oil seeds and soybean. Taken orally as an over-the-counter dietary/nutrient supplement, and is recognised as offering several health benefits without any known toxicity. In vitro anticancer efficacy of IP6 has been observed in many human, mouse and rat prostate cancer cells. Completed studies also show that oral feeding of IP6 inhibits human prostate cancer xenograft growth in nude mice without toxicity. In a recently completed pilot study, we observed similar preventive effects of IP6 on prostate tumorigenesis in the TRAMP model. Mechanistic studies indicate that IP6 targets mitogenic and survival signaling, as well as cell cycle progression, in prostate cancer cells. IP6 is also shown to target molecular events associated with angiogenesis. Moreover, IP6 has pleiotropic molecular targets for its overall efficacy against prostate cancer and, therefore, could be a suitable candidate agent for preventive intervention of this malignancy in humans.
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Novel anticancer function of inositol hexaphosphate IP6 : inhibition of human rhabdomyosarcoma in vitro and in vivo.
Anticancer Res. 1998.
The objective of this study was to investigate whether IP6 inhibits growth of rhabdomyosarcoma, a tumor of mesenchymal origin, which is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children. Our results show that IP6 suppresses growth of rhabdomyosarcoma cell line (RD) in vitro in a dose-dependent fashion. However, the removal of IP6 from the media, after 72 hours of treatment, allowed cells to recover their logarithmic growth. Exposure of RD cells to IP6 led to differentiation; cells became larger with abundant cytoplasm, expressing higher levels of muscle-specific actin. Consistent with in vitro observation, IP6 suppressed rhabdomyosarcoma cell growth in vivo, in a xenografted nude mice model. When compared to controls, IP6-treated mice produced a 25 fold smaller tumors, as observed after a two weeks treatment. In a second experiment, wherein the treatment period was extended to five weeks, a 49 fold reduction in tumor size was observed in mice treated with IP6. Histologically no evidence of tumor cell necrosis was observed.




IP6: a novel anti-cancer agent.

Shamsuddin AM, Vucenik I, Cole KE.

Source

University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201-1192, U.S.A.

Inositol hexaphosphate (InsP6 or IP6) ubiquitous in plants and animals is not only a natural antioxidant, but may also be the precursor/storage of intracellular inositol phosphates, important for various cellular functions. A novel anti-tumor action of InsP6 was demonstrated in models of experimental colon and mammary carcinogenesis in vivo. We now show its effects on growth and differentiation of HT-29 human colon carcinoma cells in vitro. A dose- and time-dependent (0.33-20 mM InsP6 and 1-6 days treatment) growth inhibition was observed as tested by MTT- incorporation assay. The inhibition was statistically significant (p < 0.05) at 1 mM concentration as early as first day after treatment and continued up to 6 days. DNA-synthesis was also suppressed by InsP6 and significantly inhibited as early as 6 h after treatment at 1 mM concentration (p < 0.05) and continued to 48 h (p < 0.01). The expression of proliferation marker PCNA was down-regulated (p < 0.05) by InsP6 (1 and 5 mM) after 48 h of treatment. To investigate the mechanism of action of InsP6 the intracellular phosphatases (including phytase) were inhibited by F to slow down the dephosphorylation of InsP6. Ion-exchange chromatographic separation of intracellular inositol phosphates demonstrated a 84-98% decrease of Ins, InsP1 and InsP2 InsP3 was reduced by 39% and InsP4 and InsP5 by 21% and 13% respectively, whereas intracellular InsP6 was increased by 24.6% at 5 min following 3H-InsP6. Since neither the rate of uptake of 3H-InsP6 was unaffected, nor was the efficacy of growth inhibition altered by F inhibition of phytase, data suggest that contrary to the popular misconception, phytase plays no role in influencing the anti-neoplastic action of InsP6. Alkaline phosphatase activity (brush border enzyme, associated with absorptive cell differentiation), increased following 1 and 5 mM InsP6 treatment for 1-6 days. The expression of a mucin antigen associated with goblet cell differentiation and defined by the monoclonal antibody CMU10 was augmented (p < 0.0001) by InsP6. The tumor mucin marker Gal-GalNAc, expressed by precancer and cancer of colon, but not by the normal cells showed a time-dependent biphasic change by InsP6; an increased expression after 1 day of treatment followed by suppression after 2 days suggest progression of mucin synthesis and differentiation of cancer cells with reversion to normal phenotype. Because the tumor marker Gal-GalNAc is a) easily detected in rectal mucin of patients with colonic cancer and precancer with high sensitivity and specificity, and b) suppressed by InsP6 treatment, it can be used to monitor the efficacy of chemoprevention by InsP6 or other such agents. Since InsP6 a natúral dietary ingredient of cereals and legumes, inhibits growth and induces terminal differentiation of HT-29 cancer cells, it is an excellent candidate for adjuvant chemotherapy and prevention of cancer.
Inositol hexaphosphate (InsP6 or IP6) is ubiquitous. At 10 microM to 1 mM concentrations, IP6 and its lower phosphorylated forms (IP(1-5)) as well as inositol (Ins) are contained in most mammalian cells, wherein they are important in regulating vital cellular functions such as signal transduction, cell proliferation and differentiation. A striking anti-cancer action of IP6 has been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro, which is based on the hypotheses that exogenously administered IP6 may be internalized, dephosphorylated to IP(1-5), and inhibit cell growth. There is additional evidence that Ins alone may further enhance the anti-cancer effect of IP6. Besides decreasing cellular proliferation, IP6 also causes differentiation of malignant cells often resulting in a reversion to normal phenotype. These data strongly point towards the involvement of signal transduction pathways, cell cycle regulatory genes, differentiation genes, oncogenes and perhaps, tumor suppressor genes in bringing about the observed anti-neoplastic action of IP6.

I give Lucy 1 capsule in her PM dinner.

Licorice and Deglycrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)

Licorice and Deglycrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)

Licorice is an herb that is commonly used by both western herbologists and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. It is likely that licorice is the most common herb used in Botanical medicine.

It has many effects in the body, one of the most important being its powerful anti-inflammatory action which seems to be somewhat similar to cortisol.

Licorice has adrenal gland actions (it is called a glucocorticosteroid and a mineralocorticosteroid effect). These actions can be very powerful and beneficial in healing patients. Some of these effects include:

Licorice seems to enhance desoxycorticosterone, a hormone that affects sodium levels in the body
This causes retention of sodium and water
Excretion of potassium from the body
Licorice will keep the circulating levels of cortisol in the blood steam longer than normal, thus elevating cortisol levels and producing an antiinflammatory effect
This effect is dose related, so one can use appropriate dosages with little risk
Excessive use can lead to a weaknesses in the adrenal gland (called the adrenocortical axis)
This can produce edema (fluid retention)
The mineral/adrenal effects are most common in women
Licorice can be used in women, but with some caution
This sensitivity probably does not extend to spayed dogs and cats
We commonly use licorice in animals for:

Pulmonary disease in general
Treating dryness of the lungs
Coughs
Chronic bronchitis
Upper respiratory viruses
Digestive diseases
Inflammation of stomach, esophagus, small intestine and colon
It may be used alone, but we most commonly use formulas containing several herbs, licorice being only one of them.


Deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) licorice is a nutraceutical extract of licorice. DGL does not have any of the adrenal gland effects associated with licorice. DGL restores the intestinal lining. It is good for ulcers, stomatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. DGL increases the quantity and quality of mucin, increases the life span of intestinal cells, improves mucosal blood flow and has a prostaglandin-like effect on cytoprotection.

DGL is often used for:

Stomach Ulcers
Stomach Inflammation
Chronically Vomiting Animals
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Chronic small intestinal Diarrhea
When To use DGL and when to use Licorice?

The whole licorice herb has an adrenal cortical action, as previously mentioned, which may be beneficial in specific situations. Because of this "cortisol-like" effect, it has powerful anti-inflammatory effects that can be very helpful when needed. It should be used in those situations. If you want to have the intestinal protective and mucosal soothing effects on the stomach, then you should consider DGL as it is slightly safer.

I give Lucy 1 of each capsule per day. Cancer causes inflammation which then has secondary bad effects.


Dehpour AR, Zolfaghari ME, Samadian T, Vahedi Y. The protective effect of liquorice components and their derivatives against gastric ulcer induced by aspirin in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1994 Feb;46(2):148-9.

Schambelan M. Licorice ingestion and blood pressure regulating hormones. Steroids. 1994 Feb;59(2):127-30.

Cancer Killing Properties of International Medicinal Herbs

Tumoricidal and Cancer Killing Properties of International Medicinal Herbs


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2650746/?tool=pmcentrez

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20564497

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10557371

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14969719


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20043255