Scottish Terrier miraculous recovery from bladder cancer

[Luis Miguel]

I wanted to share this with you, it may be useful for similar cases and the wellbeing and health of our dogs in general.

If you want to know more, go deeper and see Phoebe's analysis results before and after, i recommend you to read and this excellent article by Dr. Gabriela Segura.

My uncles' 12 year old dog (Scottish Terrier) Phoebe, had bladder cancer - Transitional Cell Carcinoma -, common in this race and mortal in almost all cases, and according to the analysis and the vet, it was an aggressive one.

The veterinary told them that in 6 months the dog was going to experience a remarkable health deterioration. He suggested an aggressive therapy with very strong medication and he wasn't even sure that it was going to help in any way, maybe just to give her more time (in pain for sure). Well, my uncles didn't want to subject her to a painful and hard therapy and medication so they decided to search for other options.

We were talking about it and the idea that the right nutrition could help to heal the body, and about the possible health damage caused by industrialized dog food loaded with carbs, chemicals and other stuff that it's not part of a dog's natural or proper diet. Also, a friend suggested changing her diet to lean meat may help her in someway.

When I came back to Mexico I researched a little bit under that idea, and there are some vets now promoting a proper diet for dogs to avoid some sickness - some race's specific -, and some for treatment. In some articles, they also suggested to give them animal organs as heart and liver - from cows, pigs or chickens - (funny that this organs are the first eaten by the alpha wolf in a pack), and also found some articles about the use of small doses of Vitamin C (depending on the dog's size) to treat cancer in dogs.

Here are some of the sources and links:

Knowledge that Scotties are the #1 breed affected by transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, and that bladder cancer is the #2 cancer affecting Scotties, gives you, the Scottie owner, more information than 95% of veterinarians have. You are the person with breed specific information, and a wise veterinarian will use your knowledge.

Source: stca.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=589:bladder-cancer-remember-this-treatment&catid=330:bladder-cancer&Itemid=100

A Carb-Restricted Diet for a Dog

Neither the Association of American Feed Control Officials nor the 2006 Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats book from the National Research Council lists a minimum or maximum dietary carbohydrate requirement for dogs--because there isn't one. A high-protein, carb-restricted diet for a dog can aid in weight loss while maintaining lean muscle mass, according to several studies, including one published in the American Society for Nutritional Sciences journal.

Source: ehow.com/about_6470571_carb_restricted-diet-dog.html#ixzz2KwUGgvVD

"There is no known minimum dietary carbohydrate requirement for either the dog or the cat. Based on investigations in the dog and with other species it is likely that dogs and cats can be maintained without carbohydrates if the diet supplies enough fat or protein from which the metabolic requirement for glucose is derived." Source:

Source: rawfed.com/myths/carbs.html

Dogs don’t need corn. And they don’t need wheat, barley rice or potatoes, either. Dogs simply don’t need any carbohydrate ingredients — at all. Yet surprisingly, carbohydrates represent the most common raw materials used for making dry dog food. [Then], ¿Why dog food manufacturers love carbohydrates?

Since the early 1950s, dog food manufacturers everywhere have fallen head-over-heels in love with carbohydrates because they’re:

- Abundant
- Durable (long shelf life)
- Essential to the kibble-making process
- Cheaper (per calorie than protein or fat)

Please notice that not one of these reasons has anything to do with nutrition — not one.

Source: dogfoodadvisor.com/canine-nutrition/dog-food-carbohydrates/

Another fallacy pertaining to meat is the notion that an all meat diet is lacking in vitamins and minerals. In fact, meats contain all of the essential amino acids (the basic structural building blocks of proteins), and they do so in a ratio that is ideal for their complete utilization. Meats also contain twelve of the 13 essential vitamins in large quantities.

Source: dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-your-dog-needs-more-meat-and-fewer-carbohydrates/

Worst foods for dogs with cancer

The first rule for feeding a dog with cancer is STAY AWAY FROM GRAINS! [and carbs of course] Dogs are not naturally grain-eaters. Over the past 10 million years, dogs evolved mainly as meat-eaters. Have you ever seen a dog grazing out in a grassy field? That’s because grains are stressful on their digestive system. Unfortunately, most commercial dog foods (even the expensive ones) include rice, wheat or corn.

Source: k9medicinals.com/dog-cancer-diet

Vitamin C

[...]Barbara joins dog owners who use nutritional therapies in their cancer patients. In addition to piroxicam, Mack receives Vitamin C and supplements including Coenzyme QI0 [...]. Barbara believes Vitamin C is a major factor in Mack's continued good condition: "I have run out of vitamin C several times, and have noticed more blood in the urine."..

Vitamin C improves immune function by enhancing white blood cell function and activity. It also increases the blood levels of interferon (the body's natural antiviral and anti-cancer compound) and antibodies (proteins that destroy foreign material such as bacteria, viruses, and toxins). In fact, many veterinarians (both conventional and holistic) now routinely include vitamin C in their treatment protocols for various illnesses, including canine cancer, infections such as bladder and urinary tract infections, respiratory infections (e.g. kennel cough), and others.

Some veterinarians also suggest giving dogs vitamin C as a preventative and immune booster. For example, vitamin C can be given to dogs before and after vaccination, to feeble and old dogs, to pregnant and lactating dogs, and to those that have been exposed to contagious diseases. Moreover, vitamin C maintains the health of collagen. Therefore, it is also helpful for dogs with arthritis and degenerative joint disease, hip dysplasia, and spinal disorders.

In her book "Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats and Dogs", Cheryl Schwartz, DVM, suggests the following dosages for health maintenance:

- Puppies and Small Dogs: 250 mg daily
- Medium-sized Dogs: 500 mg daily
- Large Dogs: 750 mg daily
- Senior Dogs: 500-1,000 mg daily per 40-50 pounds of body weight

For specific health problems, she suggests:

- Arthritis: as high a dose as possible with diarrhea being the limiting factor, up to 5,000 mg/day.
- Ear Infections: 125 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250-500 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 500-1,000 mg twice daily for large dogs.
- Teeth/Gum Diseases: 125 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 1,000 mg twice daily for large dogs.
- Upper Respiratory Problems: 125-500 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250-1,500 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 500-1,500 mg twice daily for large dogs.
- Skin Allergies: 125 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250-1,500 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 500-1,500 mg twice daily for large dogs.
- Bladder and Urinary Tract Infections: 125 mg twice daily for small dogs; 250 mg twice daily for medium dogs; 500 mg twice daily for large dogs.
- As Immune Booster: 500 mg twice daily for small dogs; up to 1,500 mg twice daily for medium dogs and large dogs.

Although there are other sources that suggest slightly higher doses, the right indicator is:

If your dog develops diarrhea, adjust down the dosage until the stools are firm again.

My uncles didn't tried this, but it may be help in other cases (?):

[...] Another nutritional strategy could be garlic. Research (Cancer, vol 79: pp. 1987-1994, 1997) shows garlic as a possible new effective treatment for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Mice treated with garlic orally had significant reductions in both tumor volume and mortality. Garlic is worth a try for dogs with bladder cancer. Aged garlic tablets (like KyolicÒ) do not promote offensive odor and are easy to give.

Source: www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/vitamin-c-for-dogs.html

Dog ancestors food: Wolves usually tear into the body cavity of large prey and consume the larger internal organs, such as lungs, heart, and liver. The wolf's diet consists mostly of muscle meat and fatty tissue from various animals. Heart, lung, liver, and other internal organs are eaten.

Source: www.timberwolfps.org/wolf-facts.html

They contain a lot of useful nutrients, vitamins and minerals

I shared the info with them, and since the end of September they decided to apply it with caution. So, in this case, all came down to getting rid of the industrialized dog food, a diet based on lean meat, heart and liver sometimes, and small daily doses of vitamin C. The result of the past week analysis: Phoebe has no trace whatsoever of this allegedly aggressive cancer, she even increased her weight a little bit, and she's more active than before.

The vets and the people of the analysis lab are very surprised by this results. According to them, she should be dead or almost there by this time. My uncle's are very very happy because they love that dog very much.

Warning: Avoid making a drastic change in your dog's diet, if he/she is in a industrialized dog food diet or a high carb diet (as in industrialized dried dog food) you need to make a smooth transition, in this case was of 1 week. They mixed the dried dog food with the lean meat and organs, increasing the quantity of these last and reducing the dog food. In this case, with the Vitamin C it may be the same process, at the begging Phoebe's body only accepted 1 gram per day (then she presented diarrhea), and it was increased to 2 grams per day in a week with no problems and no diarrhea.

 

[Z...]

so this was your uncle's dog. I saw this article few days ago, thanks for posting.

 

[Guardian]

Thanks for posting this! The newest canine addition to our family has had nothing but raw meat and a little raw egg since I got him at about 8 weeks of age. His only treats have been raw meaty bones, beef, duck or turkey jerky and the OCCASIONAL dehydrated sweet potato slice.

His digestion is great, very regular, his coat is beautiful and fluffy, and NO health issues at all.

Likewise for my kitty, except that she was approximately 2-3 years old when I got her, and she came from a shelter too, so I don't know what she ate before, but she LOVES her raw meat now and is the picture of health too.

I will always be grateful to this forum for proving that I was essentially poisoning my best friends for decades by feeding them the so called "High quality" commercial foods. It will NOT happen again! I will eat commercial dog or cat food before they have too!

 

[Redrock12]

Hope this is relevant to this topic.
My brother has a butcher shop and he makes and sells dog food to a number of dog breeders as well as numerous pet owners. He's been doing this for a number of years.
His main ingredients are organ meats, scraps, and mechanically deboned chicken, ground up and frozen. No carbs or grains
One breeder who raises black labs lets the food rot before it's eaten (yuk!).
As well, this same guy mixes in well-cooked carrots. He has prize-winning dogs.
fwiw.

 

[Guardian]

Hope this is relevant to this topic.
My brother has a butcher shop and he makes and sells dog food to a number of dog breeders as well as numerous pet owners. He's been doing this for a number of years.
His main ingredients are organ meats, scraps, and mechanically deboned chicken,

Why does he debone the chicken? I feed the chicken (and turkey), bones and all. I chop the bigger leg bones up a little with a butcher knife, but I'm doing that less and less now that he's getting bigger.

The whole leg quarter goes in a hand crank grinder for the cat, so the bones are mixed in with the rest of her food.

 

[Chrissy]

I will always be grateful to this forum for proving that I was essentially poisoning my best friends for decades by feeding them the so called "High quality" commercial foods. It will NOT happen again! I will eat commercial dog or cat food before they have too!

I just wanted to express my gratitude as well. This forum directed me to the right books and information regarding my dogs diet. And also a big thank you to Guardian who reminded me of my responsibility as a caregiver of a domesticated animal. Both of my labs were switched to a raw diet about a month ago. My elder yellow lab can once more go up and down the stairs, which allows her to sleep near me again at night, and my overweight chocolate is losing inches. (I've been measuring around his belly with a tape measure)

 

[Redrock12]

Hope this is relevant to this topic.
My brother has a butcher shop and he makes and sells dog food to a number of dog breeders as well as numerous pet owners. He's been doing this for a number of years.
His main ingredients are organ meats, scraps, and mechanically deboned chicken,

Why does he debone the chicken? I feed the chicken (and turkey), bones and all. I chop the bigger leg bones up a little with a butcher knife, but I'm doing that less and less now that he's getting bigger.

The whole leg quarter goes in a hand crank grinder for the cat, so the bones are mixed in with the rest of her food.

The mechanically deboned chicken is supplied by commercial poultry processors. He gets it in 50lb boxes. It looks like pink mush. I don't know why he can't, or won't, order chicken bones. Just speculating, but it's probably because his dog breeder customers specified what they wanted in the food. Or maybe the poultry processors use them for something else.
But good question Guardian. I'll ask him next time I see him.