Successful Cancer Treatments for Dogs and Cats

Adapted from Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dog Care, by Randy Kidd (Storey Books, 2000).

With incidences of pet cancers on the rise, many of us are dealing with this frightening illness in our own beloved pets.

Simple Solution:

These five simple steps, as part of a program of holistic health, can be helpful in your pet’s recovery from cancer.

1. Develop a positive belief system. Create and maintain a positive attitude. Prayer, whatever your religious affiliation, has been proved to help in the healing process. Don’t underestimate the power of this step.

2. Eliminate potential causes of cancer. Go through your pet’s entire environment. Modify it so that she or he avoids contact with pesticides, herbicides, airborne pollutants, and toxic household chemicals found in the carpets, in the furniture, under the sink, and in the garage. Give your pet filtered water, and serve water and food in non-plastic (ceramic or glass) dishes. Eliminate ALL grains and carbohydrates from your pet's diet too!

3. Add nutritional and supplemental support. Perhaps the most effective component of good health or healing is to put your pet on a good diet. Home-cooked organic foods are best. There are other health foods commercially available that do not contain preservatives, and they are made from mostly organic (or hormone, antibiotic, pesticide, and herbicide-free) high-quality foods.

Supplements are an excellent addition to a quality diet. Use therapeutic levels of antioxidants--vitamins A and C and the culinary herbs--and add extra levels of zinc, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil). (Check with your vet to determine the proper dosages of any supplement, based on your pet’s weight.)

4. Use classical homeopathy. I have not found any medicine as powerful as classical homeopathy. . .when it works. With classical homeopathy you need to find the one remedy that best connects with the patient’s totality of symptoms, and finding this one remedy can be a challenge. Consult a holistic vet for the proper treatments. Homeopathic kits available here.

5. Incorporate herbs to enhance organ function. When the organ systems are balanced, the body is better able to fight cancer. The major herbs I use are those that enhance organ-system function, aiding the organs that are under attack by the cancer cells. Consult a holistic vet for recommendations, or see the suggestions in Dr. Kidd‘s book.