Cancer is an ugly word whether we are talking about us or our pets.  Often terminal, the best we can hope for is to either prevent it from occurring at all or, when it does happen, stop it or slow it.  Many would scoff at the idea that diet can make a difference for our pets where cancer is concerned, but the truth of the matter is that there are certain measures we can take that can help.  Will changing your pet’s diet get rid of the cancer completely?  Probably not BUT slowing the beast and giving our pets a lengthier quality life is certainly worth the change.

Tripe is often a go to food for dogs who have lost their appetite due to illness. Its perfectly balanced and great for dogs dealing with cancer and treatment

Commercial processed dog foods are, in reality, very cancer friendly.  Understand that you aren’t going to find any advertising campaigns touting kibble as the friend and feeder of cancer cells but why would anyone want to share that sort of info?  Just because they don’t proclaim it on the bag doesn’t mean it isn’t true.  Cancer cells feed off of sugars.  Carbohydrates turn to sugars in the body.  Carbohydrates feed cancer cells.  Thankfully dogs have no use for or need of carbohydrates.  That begs the question as to why commercial kibbles are full of carbs.  The answer, because they are cheap fillers and they hold those tiny little nuggets together.  Nutritionally they do nothing for our pets.  They use fat, not carbs, as their energy source and, indeed, can’t even digest carbs to any usable degree.  So one of the most important things you can do for your pet who has been given a diagnosis of cancer is eliminate all those carbs.  How?  Feed meat, bones, organs, offal.  Easy as that.  Why on earth would anyone continue to feed a product that is going to cause a cancer to grow more quickly?  Its logical and pure common sense.  Trust it.  It may give you an extra few months or even years with your pet and it certainly isn’t going to cause harm.

Another plus to feeding a natural raw diet to a dog predisposed to or diagnosed with cancer is that a healthy dog who receives good nutrition is a dog who has an immune system that just won’t quit.  Its understood that a healthy immune system isn’t going to destroy cancer BUT a healthy immune system gives those healthy cells a fighting chance to keep the cancer cells at bay.  Consider too that the more cancer cells take over, the less efficient your pet’s body is at fighting off secondary infections.  Sick animals tend to not want to eat, further weakening their systems and giving them even less of a platform from which to fight.  Even the pickiest dogs can often be enticed to eat raw therby keeping up weight and strength.

Diet recommendations are simple – no carbs, pure meat and organs.  Vegetables should be fed in moderation or skipped entirely but since they have great anti-cancer benefits, small amounts of low glycemic veggies, such as those that make up our Veggies mix, can help your cause as well.

Chicken backs are an easy and affordable way to feed without carbohydrates

A Place For Paws carries many foods that are consistent with these recommendations.  Our meat only mixes include Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork and Tripe.  Tripe is often a go to meal when your dog’s appetite starts to fall off.  Not many dogs can resist the smell and tastiness of tripe and it has often proven to be a lifesaver of sorts in its ability to convince some of the sickest dogs to eat.  Our Veggies is a low glycemic mixture that you can use to add those dark green leafy veggies to your dog’s diet in amounts that you desire.  Also perfect for avoiding carbs are raw meaty bones such as chicken backs, chicken necks, and turkey necks.  Our Nothing But…Treats are single ingredient treats with no added carbs whatsoever – try to find THAT at the local Super Petstore!

Raw feeding is the ONLY way to go when your dog has had a cancer diagnosis or scare .  Its easy to do and can make such a difference in your dog’s life possibly extending your time with your best friend by weeks, months or even years.