Natural Flea Control

Protection from the Inside Out
Another important fact about fleas is that they prefer weaker, less healthy hosts and very young puppies and kittens with undeveloped immune systems.  Knowing this, we can arm our pets for flea resistance by boosting their health and immunity.  If you have a flea problem, this is the first place to start.
If you’ve read any of the other articles on our site, you’ve heard this before:  Diet is the foundation of health.  Nothing you give your dog or cat can do as much good for their health and immunity as a proper diet.  After years of experience and research, we have come to believe that the best diet for both dogs and cats is a biologically appropriate food diet.  Please feed the very best diet you can.  At the minimum this means top quality processed foods that do not contain fillers, chemical preservatives, or food colorings.  No “by-products” or “digests”.  Meat should be the first ingredient, not grains.  In fact, it should be zero grains. Dogs can be fed a mix of canned and dry foods.  
Supplementing your companion’s diet can also help.  Essential Fatty Acids like salmon oil will help build the immune system and boost the health of the skin and coat. Probiotics will help him get the most nutrition from his food and aid the digestive process.  Garlic tends to make the animal less tasty to fleas, so many guardians add some garlic to meals.  
Over-vaccination is taxing on the immune system of dogs and cats.  Educate yourself about the risks of too many vaccinations before succumbing to the usual pressure to vaccinate annually for a variety of diseases.  
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External Protection
There are many topical sprays & shampoos out there touting their effectiveness at killing or deterring fleas.  Many of them contain chemicals and pesticides however, that are not conducive to building your companion’s immune system. 
For repelling fleas from dogs, we recommend natural products with Neem oil.  Neem oil spray, shampoo, and conditioner not only help repel fleas, they also help sooth and heal irritated skin.  Some essential oils that seem to be “flea repellent” are cedar, tea tree, citronella, eucalyptus and pennyroyal, (the last two are toxic to cats).  Pay particular attention to the neck and chest on cats and the top of the hips/base of the tail and under the legs and belly on dogs.    When using any product like these with a strong odor, just keep in mind that your dog or cat has a much stronger sense of smell than you do, (as do the fleas), so don’t overdo it.  
For killing fleas once they are on your pet, we recommend natural flea powders. Flea Away is a powder based on diatomaceous earth that is safe for use on dogs and cats as well as around the home, (which we will get to next).  It kills fleas by dehydrating them – which is not only non-toxic to pets, humans and the environment, but fleas cannot develop an immunity to it as they do to all other pesticides over time.  There are many varieties of diatomaceous earth available. It is a very fine powder and a little goes a long way.  Suggested use is approximately 1 tsp. per 10 lbs of body weight.  Using the flea comb to help spread the powder throughout your companion’s coat is helpful.
Bathing your companion is an excellent way to kill fleas.  Use a neem shampoo like the Ark Naturals Neem Shampoo or a soothing shampoo such as ones made with aloe vera or oatmeal if your companion has irritated skin.  You can add a drop or two of essential oils to the oatmeal shampoo to make it more “flea unfriendly”.  Leave the lather on your pet for a few minutes to help smother any persistent fleas, and then RINSE WELL.  Soap residue can dry the skin and make the itchiness worse.

Why not use flea collars?
Good question!  The answer is: flea collars only repel fleas around the animal’s neck and do very little for the rest of the body.  Fleas are very resourceful; they will find a good spot far enough away from that collar to hang out.  Also, most flea collars, especially anything non-toxic, are only effective for a short time.

What about “spot-on” flea products?
A pesticide is a pesticide no matter what you call it.  We only recommend spot-on flea products as a last resort for animals with severe flea allergies.  The most thorough investigation we have seen of these products was done by Whole Dog Journal as reported in the article “Are ‘Spot-On’ Flea Killers Safe?” in the February, 2002 issue, (available from their website for a fee:  www.whole-dog-journal.com).  Here is an excerpt from that article: “All pesticides pose some degree of health risk to humans and animals.  Despite advertising claims to the contrary, both over-the-counter and veterinarian-prescribed flea-killing topical treatments are pesticides that enter our companions’ internal organs (livers, kidneys), move into their intestinal tracts, and are eventually eliminated in their feces and urine.”
Systemic pesticides are NOT a good way to build an animal’s immune system; on the contrary, they can only weaken it.  Some guardians report that their companions appear more lethargic and depressed for a day or more after applying spot-on flea products.  More severe reactions that have been reported include excessive salivation, skin rashes, convulsions, tremors, hyperactivity, stiffened limbs and lameness.  Consider that to be deemed safe for use on our companions, these products only need be tested for 3, 13 or 52-week intervals.  Higher doses are used to compensate for the shorter testing periods.  NO STUDIES have been done on the LONG TERM effects of applying these pesticides to animals repeatedly over long periods of time.
One more reason not to use pesticides – they end up in our environment – including on your lawn.  Fleas will develop immunity to any pesticide over time.  This is already being seen with some of the spot-on products.  They cannot, however, develop immunity to dehydration – which is how the diatomaceous earth and boric acid products kill fleas.

The Household Environment
You cannot rid your companion of fleas by treating him or her alone, (unless you are willing to resort to pesticides).  Most of the population lives and develops in your house and yard, not on your pet.  Treating the environment is essential if you want to win this war.

Carpets, Flooring & Furniture
Vacuuming and washing the hard floors often – daily during the height of flea season – is the least toxic way to control fleas.  This will remove most of the adults, and some eggs and larvae.  Keep in mind the larvae don’t like light, so vacuum under furniture and around baseboards anywhere near your pet’s favorite places to hang out.  Remember to  vacuum some Flea Go or Flea Away powder into the vacuum bag to kill any fleas in the bag, or remove the bag and discard it in a sealed plastic bag after use.
Some infestations, however, are just too much to be controlled by vacuuming alone, and not everyone has the time to clean all the floors daily.  That’s when we recommend using one or more of the natural “powders” available for ridding your home of fleas.  The least toxic substances available for this are diatomaceous earth and boric acid products.
Flea Go or Flea Away, discussed above, can be used on carpeting, on the pet’s bedding, on furniture and on hard floors.  It is a very fine powder similar in consistency to talcum powder, so it gets into cracks and crevices on hardwood and linoleum floors easily.  It acts more quickly than boric acid products – a difference in the flea population can be noticeable in 24 – 48 hours.  Diatomaceous earth, however, does not last as long as the boric acid products.  Monthly applications are recommended in areas with heavy flea populations, especially during the height of flea season.
Boric acid products, such as  Fleago, work in a similar fashion to the diatomaceous earth by dehydrating the fleas.  When applied correctly, they offer protection for up to a year or more as they remain deep in the carpet fibers.  FleaGo may also be used on hard floors as the powder is fine enough to reach into cracks and crevices well.  Both products may be used on furniture.  All visible powder must be worked into the carpet, floor or furniture well with a broom or rake, and any remaining visible powder should be vacuumed up.  Boric acid kills flea larvae, but is not as effective at killing the adults, so you may not see the results for 2-6 weeks while the adult population dies off.   During the initial weeks after application, it is helpful to vacuum frequently to kill the adult fleas.  Boric acid products are more toxic than diatomaceous earth products as well, so you do not want to use them directly on dogs or cats.
With all of the flea powder products, common sense caution must be used.  Follow package directions carefully.  They are drying agents, and therefore irritate nasal passages and lungs if inhaled directly.  Avoid overzealous shaking of the container while spreading it onto the floor so you don’t create clouds of dust. 

Bedding
Don’t forget the sleeping quarters!  Wash your pet’s bedding in hot, soapy water at least weekly.  You can even add some essential oils to the water for extra flea-zapping power.  Sprinkle a little Flea Go or Flea Away onto DRY bedding and work it in to help kill the little pests while your companion sleeps.


Securing the Perimeter (Your Yard)
Last, but certainly not least, treat the yard.  Remember that the larvae don’t like light – so rake up any leaves and keep the grass cut.  Watering can help drown the larvae as well.  A majority of the fleas and larvae will be within 50 feet of your companion’s favorite spot to rest, so focus on those areas.  Beneficial Nematodes are another way to control fleas in the yard.  Beneficial nematodes are a flea parasite, (mother nature always has a balancing mechanism).  They are tiny little bugs that prey on both adult fleas and larvae.  They can be applied with a hose sprayer or, on a smaller yard, with a watering can.  Some garden centers and nurseries carry them or can order them for you.  An Internet search will provide many sources as well.

Arginine in the Treatment of Cancerous Tumors

What is Arginine? (l-arginine)


Arginine is a complex amino acid and is considered to be conditionally essential. It does not fall perfectly into the essential or non-essential categories, due to the fact that arginine can be synthesized in the body at adequate levels for maintenance in normal adults. The body needs higher levels of arginine when it is under conditions of stress, illness, malnutrition or injury. When these conditions are present arginine then becomes essential. There are also some rare genetic disorders in which the synthesis of arginine is impaired; in these conditions supplemental arginine is necessary. It is interesting that even in those not deficient in arginine, beneficial effects were realized by supplementation.


In the human body arginine is most concentrated in skin and connective tissue.


Arginine has many benefits: 
Aids in liver detoxification
Detoxifies ammonia
Increases sperm count in males
Aids in kidney disorders and trauma
Maximizes protein synthesis 
Helps lower cholesterol
Stimulates blood flow
Stimulates cerebral circulation
Promotes optimum growth
Helps to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass
Assists the body in collagen production
Assists in the release of growth hormones
Enhances immune system function
Causes retardation of tumor growth


The actions of L-arginine which are related to its use in cancer treatment are:
Inhibits cellular replication of tumors
Assists in the release of growth hormones
Enhances immune response 
Improves rate of wound healing (in cases of surgical intervention) 


Arginine retards the growth of tumors and cancer by enhancing immune function. The thymus gland is the "director" of the immune system and plays a key role in determining the effectiveness of the immune response to cancer. When the body is under attack from cancer, protein loss causes the thymus to shrink, drastically reducing the strength of the body’s immune response. Supplements of free-form arginine, acting as the precursor of growth hormone, have shown the ability to increase the size and health of the thymus gland. The immune response becomes more vigorous as the thymus gland produces more of its enzyme, thymosin, which in turn stimulates the spleen and lymph nodes to manufacture higher levels of T lymphocytes (T-cells). The T-cells are not only increased in number, but also become more active and effective. T-cells aid in the destruction of pathogens, including cancerous cells, either by digesting the invading agents or by sending out toxic compounds to destroy them. 


A correlation has been seen between the excess of an enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase, and increased tumor growth. Arginine supplementation has been shown to decrease the activity of ornithine decarboxylase and aid in slowing tumor development in this manner also.  It is also believed that the by-products of normal arginine metabolism produce anti-tumor activity resulting in lowering polyamines, which are elevated in many cancer patients.



(Arginine is L-Arginine.  This is also the primary supplement in Hills Prescription Cancer Diet food. That food is canned because any cancer diet MUST be very high protein and medium fat. Almost all, probably 99% of all kibble dry dog foods no matter how much you pay is pretty high carb. Cancer loves carbs. Hills is available only at your vet at a very high price and does not have all that great ingredients. Just buy a good dry food and add l-arginine from your health food store to it with some cooked eggs or cooked ground turkey and some fish oil to up the quality protein and quality higher fats.)


I  GIVE LUCY A 80# LAB 900mg of Arginine capsule.




Arginine in the Treatment of Cancerous Tumors


Arginine and Fish Oil May Help Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy


Effect of fish oil, arginine, and doxorubicin chemotherapy on remission and survival time for dogs with lymphoma



Research Supporting the Use of Arginine in Cancer Treatment:
Animals fed arginine rich diets (5%) had considerably fewer and more benign tumors when later treated with the carcinogen DMDA (Takeda, Y., et al, Cancer Research, vol. 35, p.2390, Sept. 1975).
Arginine added to drinking water in animals was able to inhibit subcutaneous tumor growth (Pryme, If, Cancer Letters, Vol5, p. 19, 1978).
Arginine added to diet of mice (5% of wt.) produced fewer tumors, slower growing tumors, and twice the mean survival time as compared to untreated mice (Milner, JA, et al., Journal of Nutrition, vol.109, p.489, 1979).
Via animal studies, researchers have speculated on two primary functions of arginine in the body; essential for the synthesis of reparative collagen in wound recovery, decreases some of the negative aspects of metabolic responses to injury (Seifter, E., et al., Surgery, vol.84, no.2, p.224, 1978).
Arginine supplements in animals stimulated thymus activity which resulted in reduced tumor growth (Critselis, AN, et al., Federation Proceedings, vol.36, p.1163, 1977). Arginine also dramatically improves wound healing.
Arginine stimulates lymphocyte immune response in 21 healthy human volunteers Barbul, A., et al., Surgery, vol.90, no.2, p.244, 1981).
Arginine supplements in tumor-bearing mice provided enhanced T-cell function, increased response to autologous tumors, retarded tumor growth, and prolonged median survival time (Reynolds, JV, et al., Annals of Surgery, p.202, Feb.1990).
In mice with neuroblastomas, arginine supplements provided significant tumor retardation in the ummunogenic group (Reynolds, JV, et al., Journal of Surgical Research, vol.45, p.513, 1988). Arginine’s tumoricidal abilities go beyond its protein sparing abilities or immune stimulation.
Arginine supplements in mice provided significant enhancement of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, natural killer cell activity, interleukin-2 receptors and general immune improvements (Reynolds, JV, et al., Surgery, vol.104, no.2, p.142, Aug.1988).
Accelerates protein synthesis and elevates albumin synthesis from 8.5% to 19.7% when used in TPN formula in 10 malnourished cancer patients (Tayek, JA, et al., Clinical Research, vol.33, no.1, p.72A, 1985).
Volunteers with breast cancer were given 10 milligrams a day for three days, which significantly enhanced several measures of immune function.. The mitogenic responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes were increased approximately 60%, while NK and LAK cytotoxicity were increased by 81 and 107%.

L-Arginine is an essential amino acid required for the normal cellular growth, metabolism and organ function. However, L-Arginine also plays a vital role in inducing cell death - Apoptosis. 

In a recent study conducted on dogs suffering with lymphoblastic lymphoma, researchers were able to increase survival time to a significant level by providing L-Arginine and fish oil only as a dietary supplement. L-Arginine was found to lower the levels of lactic acid and insulin in the blood and also reduce the levels of cytokines that can help in the growth of cancer. L-Arginine also helps in enhancing immunity in cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy or surgery. Certain cancer types do not require L-Arginine for their growth. Studies have shown that overloading such cancer cells with excess L-Arginine has resulted in decreased tumor growth.  

Symptoms of Dog Seizures

Symptoms of Dog Seizures

Seizing dogs may have several identifiable symptoms before, during, and after the actual seizure.

Pre-Ictal Phase Symptoms

Unresponsive

This is usually a symptom that first appears before the onset of a seizure. Your dog will ignore your spoken commands, and may seem to be slightly catatonic. 

Trembling

Before a seizure, some dogs will begin to tremble uncontrollably. This may also be accompanied by incessant whining.

Biting

It's possible that a dog will begin biting before a seizure. This may manifest as uncontrollable gnawing of the limbs, or snapping at nearby individuals and objects.

Restlessness, Twitching of Limbs

Some dogs will experience a period of time where they seem anxious, active and restless. This may include pacing, sporadic running, and turning in circles.


Ictal Phase Symptoms

Thrashing of Limbs

This is a telltale sign that your dog is experiencing a seizure. Seizing dogs will usually have violent convulsions of the limbs, to the extend of frantic thrashing.

Urination, Salivation and Defecation

These three symptoms are sometimes present during a seizure. Many dogs lose control of their bladder, salivary glands and bowels while having a seizure.

Paralysis

When a dog is experiencing a seizure, they may appear to be temporarily paralyzed, and will usually fall to the ground. This may last several seconds to a few minutes right as the seizure occurs.

Teeth Gnashing, Extended Head

This is also an obvious sign that a dog is having a seizure. Some dogs will have their neck stretched out and head drawn backward during a seizure episode. This may be accompanied by violent gnashing of the teeth.


Post-Ictal Phase Symptoms

Loss of Hearing or Vision

This is a temporary condition that sometimes affects dogs after a seizure. Some dogs will seem to lose either their vision or their hearing, though in some cases it may be both.

Confusion, Disorientation

Many dogs will seem to be disoriented after a seizure episode. Some dogs will even run into walls, door frames, and other objects. This period of confusion can last for a few minutes, or several hours.

Excessive Salivation

This sometimes occurs after a dog has a seizure. This Post-Ictal phase symptom is especially common if the dog was also salivating during or before the Ictal phase.

Increased Appetite

Some dogs will display a greatly increased appetite after having a seizure. This Post-Ictal phase symptom is sometimes also accompanied by excessive thirst.  


Advanced cases of cancer where bony destruction has occurred into the brain, seizures may occur. This can be treated though with anti-convulsants. This will help delay things and make stuff less stressful for you and the dog. 

Euthanasia When is it Time? The decision regarding the euthanasia of a beloved pet may be the most difficult decision one makes in one’s entire life; obviously, the consequences are irrevocable. Whatever the decision is, it should be one that you can always look back upon and know that the best decision was made and that you would make the same decision over  again in the same situation. So how do you know if it is time? There are several criteria used in evaluating life quality and you should consider them carefully. Is your pet eating? Basically, quality life involves eating or at least interest in food. An animal that is hungry has vitality that must be considered, though this is not the only consideration. Is your pet comfortable? The pet should be free of debilitating pains, cramps, aches or even the psychological pain that comes from the development of incontinence in an animal who has been housebroken for an entire life.  Does the pet still enjoy favorite activities? The elderly pet does not necessarily need to continue chasing balls or jumping after discs but he should enjoy sleeping comfortably, favorite resting spots, the company of family, etc. You know your pet better than any one and only you can truly answer these questions.  Dr. Alice Villalobos, the veterinarian who started Pawspice, a quality of life program for terminal pets, has published a scoring system for life quality called The HHHHHMM scale.  The letters stand for: Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, and More Good Days than Bad. Quality of Life Scale: The HHHHHMM Scale Pet caregivers can use this Quality of Life Scale to determine the success of pawspice care. Score patients using a scale of 1 to 10. Score Criterion 1-10 HURT - Adequate pain control, including breathing ability, is first and foremost on the scale. Is the pet's pain successfully managed? Is oxygen necessary? 1-10 HUNGER - Is the pet eating enough? Does hand feeding help? Does the patient require a feeding tube? 1-10 HYDRATION - Is the patient dehydrated? For patients not drinking enough, use subcutaneous fluids once or twice daily to supplement fluid intake. 1-10 HYGIENE - The patient should be brushed and cleaned, particularly after elimination. Avoid pressure sores and keep all wounds clean. 1-10 HAPPINESS - Does the pet express joy and interest? Is the pet responsive to  things around him or her (family, toys, etc.)? Is the pet depressed, lonely, anxious, bored or afraid? Can the pet's bed be close to the family activities and not be isolated? 1-10 MOBILITY - Can the patient get up without assistance? Does the pet need human or mechanical help (e.g., a cart)? Does the pet feel like going for a walk? Is the pet having seizures or stumbling? (Some caregivers feel euthanasia is preferable to amputation, yet an animal who has limited mobility but is still alert and responsive can have a good quality of life as long as caregivers are committed to helping the pet.) 1-10 MORE GOOD DAYS THAN BAD - When bad days outnumber good days, quality of life might be compromised. When a healthy human-animal bond is no longer possible, the caregiver must be made aware the end is near. The decision needs to be made if the pet is suffering. If death comes peacefully and painlessly, that is okay. *TOTAL *A total over 35 points represents acceptable life quality  Adapted by Villalobos, A.E., Quality of Life Scale Helps Make Final Call, VPN, 09/2004, for Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, by Blackwell Publishing, Table 10.1, released 2006. If you are considering euthanasia, discuss the pet’s condition with your veterinarian prior to making a decision or even coming in for an appointment. Every veterinarian has a story or two about the pet that was brought in for euthanasia but turned out to have a relatively simple problem and ultimately achieved a complete recovery.

Gut Microbes Affect Absorption of Dietary Fats

Cancer loves carbs. Cancer cannot use fats very well. Documented. 




Much new research is now emerging on the importance of bacteria – intestinal bacteria, to be more exact. These are commonly referred to as probiotics, and are the antithesis to antibiotics, both of which I'll discuss below. 

These microscopic critters are also known as your microbiome.

Around 100 trillion of these beneficial bacterial cells populate your body, particularly your intestines and other parts of your digestive system. In fact, 90 percent of the genetic material in your body is not yours, but rather that of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms that compose your microflora. 

We're now discovering that the composition of this microflora has a profound impact on your health. For example, we now know that your intestinal bacteria influence your:

•Genetic expression 
•Immune system 
•Brain development, mental health, and memory 
•Weight, and 
•Risk of numerous chronic and acute diseases, from diabetes to cancer 


Certain Gut Microbes Affect Absorption of Dietary Fats


Most recently, a research team that includes Carnegie's Steve Farber and Juliana Carten has revealed that certain gut microbes increase the absorption of dietary fats. According to the authors:


"Diet-induced alterations in microbiota composition might influence fat absorption, providing mechanistic insight into how microbiota-diet interactions regulate host energy balance." 

Medical News Today recently reported on the findings, stating:

"Previous studies showed gut microbes aid in the breakdown of complex carbohydrates, but their role in dietary fat metabolism remained a mystery, until now... 'This study is the first to demonstrate that microbes can promote the absorption of dietary fats in the intestine and their subsequent metabolism in the body,' said senior study author John Rawls of the University of North Carolina. 'The results underscore the complex relationship between microbes, diet and host physiology.'"

The bacteria identified as instrumental in increasing fat absorption are called Firmicutes, which, incidentally, have previously been linked to obesity, as they're found in greater numbers in the guts of obese subjects. The researchers also found that the abundance of Firmicutes was influenced by diet. This adds weight to previous research postulating that gut bacteria can increase your body's ability to absorb fat, and therefore extract more calories from your food compared to others who have a different composition of bacteria in their intestines – even when consuming the same amount of food. 

Cancer loves carbs. Cancer cannot use fats very well. Use anti-biotics only if absolutely necessary. Better quality kibbles have added probiotics and I personally give Lucy an extra probiotic capsule sometimes and I also give her live yogurt as a treat sometimes. This might help with the fat absorbtion and therefore cancer growth. Just another tool in the box to deal with cancer. Diversity in treatment is your friend.

What’s Your BEST Omega-3 Source?

What’s Your BEST Omega-3 Source?

Unless you have lab results in your hand that verifies the purity of the fish having no mercury, I am reconsidering the sources I buy for Omega 3 fish oils.

Your safest and most cost effective choice , possibly, is to take high-quality krill oil on a regular basis I am thinking.

I used to recommend taking generic fish oil, then salmon oil, but aside from the problem of overfishing to the point of near extinction and the potential of mercury contamination in the oil, fish oils also have other drawbacks.

Most importantly, fish oil is generally low in antioxidant content. And, as you increase your intake of omega-3 fats by consuming fish oil, you actually increase your need for even more antioxidant protection.

This happens because fish oil is highly perishable.

You have to have sufficient antioxidants to ensure that the fish oil doesn't oxidize and become 'rancid sort of' inside your body or the bottle (oxidation leads to the formation of unhealthy free radicals).

This is one of the main reasons I now recommend getting your omega-3 fats from Antarctic krill oil.

It is superior to fish oil because it contains phospholipids, antioxidants ( more than 47 times the levels found in fish oil!), and omega-3’s bonded together in a way that keeps them safe from oxidation, and makes them easily absorbed in your body. So with krill oil, you can ensure that you’re getting these incredibly healthy fats (EPA and DHA) without having to worry about oxidation issues.

Additionally, your risk of getting any mercury contamination is extremely low since krill are so small they don’t have the chance to accumulate toxins before being harvested.

I particularly appreciate the fact that the omega-3 is attached to phospholipids that dramatically increase its absorption, especially into brain tissue.

I am now going to give Lucy Krill oil instead of the generic fish oil or salmon oil.
 !MAKE SURE THERE IS NO SORBITOL OR ANY KIND OF "...ORBITOL" IN THE INGREDIENTS! Sometimes they put it in! Odd.

Lucy's Nasal Cancer Has Another Month in Remission

Lucy's Nasal Cancer Has Another Month in Remission

She has been in total remission now for 1 full year and 2 months! 
A year and a half after diagnosis of dog nasal cancer adenocarcinoma!
Look, this is a long time in dog cancer time. Keep your fingers crossed.

She had all the symptoms, had a scan, AND had a biopsy sent to a lab to be sure. There is no way it could be a misdiagnosis. A foxtail does not resolve itself, was not found either, aspergillus fungal infection was not the biopsy report, nasal cancer was, and aspergillus fungus does not usually have unilateral (only on 1 side) bleeding episodes, it's both sides. It could only be cancer with symptoms, symptom and diagnostics results and exclusions. There are vets and professionals who simply don't believe this protocol could possibly put cancer in remission and claim it must be the vet misdiagnosed it. Too many tests and biopsies and scans to be that from many different professionals. I am not selling anything. I am not charging anything to anyone nor pushing anyone to buy anything. I don't know what to say to them. This diverse method worked without using radiation or chemotherapy (I am just as surprised. I just wanted her to feel better as long as possible and neither one of us stressed). Just natural versions of things that work against cancer. Lots of them and all of them coming at it from different angles. It just a concept based on vast research and using diversity in attack and symptom support.


Original biopsy report of canine nasal adenocarcinoma in 3/31/2011

http://dognasalcancertreatmentforlucy.blogspot.com/2012/04/original-biopsy-of-lucy-of-nasal.html

Why are commercial diets so poor? Part II

Why are commercial diets so poor?

Here are some of the reasons:

1.                Cost

• Even premium diets cost about 2 dollars a pound. When we factor in manufacturing, marketing, shipping, packaging, and markup costs for the manufacturer, the wholesaler, and the retailer, the true cost of the basic ingredients is more likely 10-50 cents per pound.
• Reflect on what type of raw ingredients can be purchased for this price.
• Commercial diets are primarily conceived and developed to minimize costs, not maximize nutrition.
• To keep the cost so low, commercial diets have foods in them that have been rejected for human consumption. Even those that refrain from using condemned foods must resort to including foods that are far worse than what people would demand for themselves.

2.                Diets are made to meet minimal standards, not optimal standards.

• Again, due to cost considerations, essential fats, complex carbohydrates, and high-quality digestible proteins are kept to a minimum in the diet.
• Healthy animals can survive on these diets, but over time, there is a price to be paid in deteriorating health and a more rapid aging process for your canine companion.
• Sick animals, and those with a more fragile constitution, require high quality, optimal diets.

3.                Over-processing (i.e., high temperature cooking under pressure) is used to make indigestible foods digestible.

• Food processing plants have known for a very long time that if one wants to feed a food item that is essentially indigestible, the way to do this is to cook the product so excessively that it turns into a soup. Then, by adding grains (again, after extreme cooking methods), one can cook the product once more and turn it into a hard biscuit or kibble.
• Unfortunately, all of the complex compounds we already mentioned as being so essential have disappeared.
• Vitamins are also gone, so the commercial food industry will then spray vitamins mixed with oils (which have likewise been destroyed) onto the resulting hard kibble at the end of the processing. The vitamins are often synthetic, and the minerals are often poorly digestible at best. An example is zinc oxide and ferrous oxide, forms of zinc and iron supplementation that are often preferred by the food industry because they are so cheap (they are, in reality, rust). But they are very poorly absorbed, making them almost useless to the body.

4.                "Garbage in garbage out," a long-standing truism in the computer world, is just as true in diets: poor quality foods can't become good quality foods, no matter what one tries to do with them.

• To the degree possible, diets should start with the highest quality, most digestible and wholesome food possible, instead of starting with the worst foods and trying to improve them with synthetic vitamins and false claims of being "nutritionally complete".
• This is called the food's "Biological Value".

 Labels and Labeling Requirements

All regulations that control the labels on dog foods are created by AAFCO. AAFCO, as has already been stated, is a group controlled by commercial animal food manufacturers.  It is not surprising to find that there are enough loopholes in labeling requirements to make it completely impossible to know what is in a diet, let alone the quality of the diet. Any manufacturer who wishes can create the marketing image that their product is a "premium diet".

In fact, most of these premium diets are, at best, only marginally better than the average diet, and many of them are conceived entirely as a marketing ploy to sell an average diet with a higher markup, creating higher profit margins.

One example of how easy it is to use subterfuge to create an image of wholesomeness, or using a term popular in the industry, "natural", is in the use of preservatives. Many companies will use standard preservatives such as ethoxyquin; yet not mention this in the ingredient list. This is possible if the company adds the preservatives themselves instead of buying a product that already includes them as a preservative. Making the situation even worse is that it is common to then say on the package, "preserved naturally with Vitamin E". This statement naturally implies that no other chemical preservative is in the product, when in fact the company can make this claim by simply adding a little extra Vitamin E than is required by AAFCO to meet minimal needs. The ethoxyquin can then be purchased in a product such as chicken fat that contains ethoxyquin, and thus that information never needs to be placed on the label!

Mushroom Derived Compound Lengthens Survival in Dogs With Cancer

Mushroom-Derived Compound Lengthens Survival in Dogs With Cancer, Study Suggests


 Dogs with hemangiosarcoma that were treated with a compound of Beta glucans derived from the Coriolus versicolor mushroom had the longest survival times ever reported for dogs with the disease. These promising findings offer hope that the compound may one day offer cancer patients -- human and canine alike -- a viable alternative or complementary treatment to traditional chemotherapies.


The study was conducted by two University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine faculty. They published their findings in an open-access article in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The Coriolus versicolor mushroom, known commonly as the Yunzhi or Turkey Tail mushroom, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years. The compound in the mushroom that is believed to have immune-boosting properties is polysaccharopeptide, or PSP. In the last two decades, some studies have suggested that PSP Beta glucans also has a tumor-fighting effect.

"There have been a series of studies looking at groups of people with cancer,"  "The issue with those studies is that they weren't necessarily measuring what most people would think is the most clinically important result, which is, do people taking PSP Beta glucans live longer?"

To address this critical question,University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine pursued a study in dogs with naturally occurring hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive, invasive cancer that arises from the blood cells and typically affects the spleen. It commonly strikes golden retrievers and German shepherds.

Fifteen dogs that had been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma participated in the trial. Divided into three groups of five, each group received a different dose -- 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg/day -- of (Beta glucans), a formulation of PSP.

The owners were instructed to give their dog capsules of (Beta glucans), compounded by Penn pharmacists, daily. Each month, the owners brought their dogs to Penn's Ryan Veterinary Hospital for follow-up visits. There, the researchers took blood samples and conducted ultrasounds to determine the extent that tumors developed or grew and spread in the dogs' bodies.

Based on the ultimate endpoints -- how quickly the tumors progressed and how long the dogs actually lived -- the results of the researchers' trial suggest that the Beta glucans was effectively fighting the tumors.

"We were shocked," University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine said. "Prior to this, the longest reported median survival time of dogs with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen that underwent no further treatment was 86 days. We had dogs that lived beyond a year with nothing other than this mushroom as treatment."

There were not statistically significant differences in survival between the three dosage groups, though the median survival time was highest in the 100 mg group, at 199 days, eclipsing the previously reported median survival time.

The results were so surprising, in fact, that the researchers asked Penn Vet pathologists to recheck the dogs' tissue biopsies to make sure that the dogs really had the disease.

"They reread the samples and said, yes, it's really hemangiosarcoma," University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine said.

Chemotherapy is available for treating hemangiosarcoma, but many owners opt not to pursue that treatment once their dog is diagnosed. "It doesn't hugely increase survival, it's expensive and it means a lot of back and forth to the vet for the dog," Cimino Brown said. "So you have to figure in quality of life."

 As an added benefit, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have found no evidence of adverse effects from the Beta glucans treatment.

 "Although hemangiosarcoma is a very sad and devastating disease, in the long term, if we prove that this works, this treatment can be a really nice alternative for owners to have increased quality time with their pet at the end of its life."



I give Lucy Swanson Beta Glucans or Beta 1,3/1,6-D-Glucans (same thing) 100mg- Immune Boosting beta 1-3, 1-6 glucan is a potent immune system stimulator. It is derived from yeast and specifically activates macrophages turning on your immune system.  I believe, though, cancer treatment needs to be as diverse and multi-pronged as possible. So it needs to be more than just this.
Here is what is working on Lucy
http://dognasalcancertreatmentforlucy.blogspot.com/2012/03/dog-cancer-supplements-and-herbs-i-use.html