Posts Tagged ‘detoxification’

Since I began practice over 40 years ago the incidence of cancer in companion animals has increased dramatically.     Unfortunately, veterinarians diagnose cancer daily in dogs, cats, birds, ferrets and rodents on a daily basis.   Surpisingly cancer is diagnose more frequently in birds than in any other species.  Some of the  more  common cancers seen in dogs and cats are mammary tumors, skin tumors, bone tumors, squamous cell tumors,  sinus tumors, anal gland tumors, lymphosarcomas, mast cell tumors, gum tumors, hemangiosarcomas of the spleen, and testicular tumors.    In my opinion the increased incidence of cancer is a result of the polluted environment we and  our pets live in and the poor quality,  mineral deficient soil we grow our crops in.   Furthermore,  the  hormones, antibiotics, and parasiticides we feed our food animals ends up in our own food and that  the dog and cat food of our pets.   There is little  doubt that the poor quality of the air we and the food we eat  over stimulates  inflammatory processes and eventually suppresses the immune system of people and pets.    To add insult to injury we then  process human and commercial pet food and add more toxins in the form of coloring agents, artificial flavorings, texturizers, and preservatives.

 

The present conventional theory of cancer is that both humans and pets are continually producing cancer cells in their body, however, a healthy body will have an efficient immune system which on constant alert for the development of abnormal cancerous cells and will quickly destroy these cells before they can form as cancerous mass more commonly known as a tumor.   Unfortunately, if we are not in the best of health and our immune system is not receiving the raw materials it needs to fight off emerging threats the cancer cells will get a foot hold and grow into a tumor that may become life threatening. 

 

Any time you notice a lump or swelling on your pet have it promptly checked out by your veterinarian.    Although veterinarians can often make a good guess as to whether the lump is benign or malignant he or she can never be certain without first obtaining a biopsy sample.   The biopsy may be obtained with a needle, key punch device, biopsy forceps or  by excising the whole growth or a portion with a scalpel blade.    When the biopsy is taken with a needle and syringe it is called “an aspiration biopsy”.   Although  aspiration biopsies are perhaps the most common approach to identifying malignancy  they do provide more chance for misdiagnosis because of the small size of the sample.    Any new growth should be biopsied even if it looks like a benign fatty tumor.    Benign fatty tumors (lipomas) can not be visually distinguished from malignant mast cell tumors.     At a recent oncology seminar I attended the speaker made the following very important point:   “Do not wait to see if a growth continues to grow before trying to determine whether it is malignant with a biopsy”.

 

Of course there are many cancer growths which can not be seen because they involve internal organs.   Cancers like hemangiosarcomas of the spleen, may get huge before they produce obvious outward symptoms.  Below are what many veterinary sources consider to be possible signs of cancer.:    weight loss for no apparent reason, loss of normal appetite, bleeding from a body opening like the nostril, a foul odor from the mouth, difficulty eating and swallowing, difficulty breathing,  non healing wounds, lameness that persists..

 

So what can we do to protect ourselves and our pets from cancer and how can we treat them once they are diagnosed with it?     Of course,  keeping our bodies in optimal health by providing them a healthy diet, environment and life style, and plenty of exercise is the foundation for a strong immune system .   Please visit my website Doc4pets.com for details on how to feed a healthy diet.   As for a healthy environment, this would include minimal exposure to poisonous plants and  chemical toxins on the grass, in the house, and in the garage.   Radon levels in the basement should be checked.   Don’t smoke around your pet.   Second hand smoke has been shown to increase the incidence of cancer in cats.  With regard to  healthy life style,  this  should include plenty of companionship and minimal stress.    Even psychological stress due to isolation can suppress a pets immune system and make him or her more susceptible to cancer.   So try not to leave your dog alone in the house for extended periods.   Spend quality time with your pet.  Exercise can be  in the form of jogging, fetching, hiking or competitive sports  such as “fly ball” or agility training.  

 

Conventional treatment of pets diagnosed with cancer include surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.   Alternative approaches include organic rare meat diets, liver support and detoxification,  antioxidants therapy, herbal  formulas, acupuncture, and immune stimulants, and life style enhancement.    

 

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth, invasion and destruction of surrounding tissues.  Some cancer remain a localized problem but others spread (metastasize) to other locations via the blood and lymphatics.    Cancer affects people and pets of all ages.   The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer is oncology.   Nearly all cancers are caused by abnormalities in the genes of these abnormal cells.   These abnormalities may be due to the effects of carcinogens such as tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, and infectious agents (viruses) to name a few.  Other causes of cancer may result from random errors in gene replication or are inheritied and present in all cells since birth.    Conventionally cancer diagnosis is made by the microscopic exam of a biopsy specimen although the initial indications of malignancy may come from radiographic abnormalities.   The progression of many cancers can be slowed down and some even cured.    The prognosis depends on the type of cancer, the location of the cancer and stage of the cancer.     Upon confirming the diagnosis, cancer is usually treated conventionally with chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.  

 

The incidence of cancer is increasing in both humans and animals     Certain cancers are more prevalent in in certain breeds ie.  Golden retrievers with lymposarcoma, boxers with mastocytoma,  Great Danes with osteosarcoma, German Shepherds with hemangiosarcoma.  Irresponsible  breeding to achieve  nothing more than looks at the expense of health is probably the cause for such breed predispositions.   If you are thinking of purchasing a new pup check out the breed to find out what health issues the breed is proned to.  

 

When a pet or   person is diagnosed with cancer the  question that needs to be asked is why did it happen.   The present thinking is that we are all developing cancer cells all the time.   If our body is healthy and its immune system is efficient then these renegade cancer cells will be identified and destroyed before a solid tumor results.     When a tumor develops, at some level,  the immune system failed to perform effectively.    So the question is where and why did the failure occur.   As the overall causes of cancer first you have genetics.   Second you have the affects of diet and thirdly the effects of a toxic environment and life style (which includes psychological stress).

 

Cancer is not something you or your pet contract it is something that often happens to you slowly, in a step by by step progression.  The unfortunate fact is that cancer  is the all too often  end result of living in a toxic world.   Environmental  toxins occur as excessive sunlight, chronic electromagnetic field exposure, geopathic stress, sick building syndrome, ionizing radiation, nuclear radiation, pesticide/herbicide residues, industrial toxins, polluted water, chlorinated water, fluoridated water, household cleaners and vaccines.   Food toxins occur as pesticides, parasitacides, antibiotics, hormone, texturizers, flavor enhancers,  food colorings, and allergens.  Anything that produces a damage to the intestinal lining can results in a leaky gut syndrome where bad bacteria, bacterial toxins,  yeast, and large grain protein molecules  are able to enter the hepatic circulation and eventually exhaust the livers ability to detoxify,

 

When toxins enter the body they challenge both the immune system and the detoxification system.     Toxins, which  often act as free radicals, stimulate 1) the immune system to produce a protective  inflammatory response  and  2) the antioxidants defense system to neutralize the free radicals.     If the immune system is too busy dealing with a heavy toxic load  it may become so overwhelmed that it does not have the time or man power to protect the body from spontaneously occurring cancer cell.   Also, toxins and free radicals can damage cellular DNA and be the cause of many of the spontaneously occurring cancer cells .  

 

Under more optimal environmental circumstances where toxins are not so abundant,  mutated cancer cells are quickly recognized by the immune system such that the cancerous cell’s uncontrollable growth  elicits an immune response which will send  macrophages (phagocytic white blood cells) to the region for cellular phagocytosis and removal of the mutated cells (Walters, 1993).  

      

Besides a toxic environment, nutritional deficiencies may also predispose the body to cancer.   If the raw materials the immune system and the detoxification process requires to do its job are not present then the cancer may not be discovered and or destroyed.    The cells will then grow into a malignant mass.

 

It starts to become apparent that cancer must be considered a whole body, systemic disease rather than a   localized phenomena.    Conventional medicine treats cancer as a localized disease and recommends  the “cut, slash, and burn” approach to cancer therapy.   That is they treat cancer more as a localized disease that must be either surgically cut out, slashed out by irradiation, or burned out by chemical destruction.   Rarely does a conventional oncologist emphasize the importance of  the elimination of food and environmental toxins or the enhancing overall nutrition.   He or she rarely recommends nutraceuticals to  stimulate the immune system,  support the liver and detoxification, or to remove destructive free radicals.   

 

On the contrary holistic cancer therapy begins by  emphasing optimal general nutrition consisting of  homemade diets made up of  a wide variety of fresh  organic meats and veggies,  trace minerals,  omega fatty acids.   To the foundation of great general nutrition, the holistic approach adds nutraceuticals providing digestive enzymes, prebiotics, probiotics, mega vitamin and trace mineral therapy, whole food concentrated antioxidants,  immune stimulants,  detoxification and liver support.    Next the  holistic approach commonly adds nutriceuticals that help to change “the biological terrain” to  one that is inhospitable to the growth of cancer.    Cancer loves sugar and acidity,  but hates oxygen and an alkaline environment.   By changing the bioterrain to one that discourages cancer growth we hope  to prevent  both local growth and metastasis to other sites.   Trace minerals encourage an alkaline bioterrain where stabilized oxygen supplements, dimethylglycine,  Ozone therapy, and Megahydrate support a highly oxygenated terrain both of which discourage the progression of cancer.

 

Next there are a number of specific nutrients and herbs that block the progression of cancer at various stages of development.  Resveratrol  is an example

Finally there are specific herbs and nutrients,  that are lethal to cancer.   These include IV vitamin C, Laetrile, Artemesinin, and hydrogen peroxide.

 

The big difference between conventional cancer therapy and  the above nutritional, nutraceutical,  and   mega nutrient holistic cancer therapy is that the later does not damage healthy cells,  produce destructive free radicals, or suppress the immune system.   Since we know that the immune system is instrumental in removing cancerous cells anything that damages its effectiveness would be unwanted.  A final note is that even when the holistic approach does not cure cancer at least it does no harm.

 

There is no one, holistic “right way” to treat  a  cancer patient, human or pet .   The treatment will depend not only the type of cancer  but also on the individual patient.   It will also depend on how long the cancer has been present and what medical treatment has already been prescribes.   Some cases are so advanced that I don’t recommend much treatment other than nutritional therapy.    In such cases it is usually best to focus on and enjoy the time you have left  together with the patient rather than complicating the patients life with stressful supplement regiments.       No matter what stage of cancer the patient is in they can  benefit from an improved diet loaded with vitamin/antioxidants like Vitamin A, C, and E and the mineral selenium.   Blood cleansing herbs and detoxifiers are usually in order.

  

     

 

Categories of anti cancer supplements

   1) Supplements which enhance cellular immunity

             Astragalus, Echinacea, Aloe mucopolysaccharides, Omega3, carotenoids, 

             mushroom and yeast extracts,  Green tea polyphenols,  reduced glutathione,

             vitamin C

    2) Supplements which minimize oxidative stress

             Resveratrol, reduced glutathione, green tea, quercitin , curcumin,  megahydrate,

             Selenium, vitamin C and E, Lipoic acid, hydrogen peroxide,   

    3) Supplements which support the liver and detoxification process

            Rosemary, Reduced glutathione, N acetylcysteine, Curcumin, Resveratrol, SAM-

            E, milk  Thistle,

   4)  Supplements that normalize the clock of the  cell cycle

            Resveratrol, , tocotrienols, curcumin, green tea polyphenols, vitamin D, 

            CoQ10,   Reduced glutathione, Quercitin

   5)  Supplements that enhance cancer cell differentiation

            Vit D3,  caratenoids,  Ganoderma,  Quercitin

   6)  Supplements that encourage apoptosis

            Green tea polyphenols,  quercitin, CoQ10,  Ganoderma,  Curcumin

   7)  Anti angiogenesis ( inhibit new blood vessel proliferation) supplements

             Omega3, Green tea polyphenols,  Aloe Vera, shark cartilage,

      Supplements that kill malignant cells by stimulating intercellular production

           of  H202

             Vitamin C, Artemesinin, H202, Laetrile

   9)   Supplements that create an inhospitable biologic terrain for cancer cells to

            live in.  They increase Alkalinity, Oxygenation,  produce cells with high voltage

               Megahydrate, Ultimate pH Balance,  H202, NaHC03 & molasses

 10)   Supplements blocking cancer cell initiation, promotion and progression

           Resveratrol,  Selenium,  garlic, catechins and polyphenols from green tea,

           Cruciferous vegetables (Brassica),  quercitin, Ascorbic acid, omega 3 fatty

           Acids, vitamin E, proanthocyanidins

 11)  Miscellaneous

            Glucosinolates from cruciferous veggies, sprouts, cabbage,

             Auto sanquinous homeopathic therapy

 

 

 

The following are a list of terms with definition that important to know when you are reading or researching cancer:

 

Tumor:   A swelling, lump, or mass.

 

Neoplasm:   An abnormal proliferation of genetically altered cell.  A mass formed by an abnormal proliferation of genetically altered cells.  Synonymous with the word tumor

 

Malignant Neoplasm:  Synonymous with cancer.

 

Benign Neoplasm/tumor:  A tumor that stops growing by itself, does not invade other tissues and does not form metastases.

 

Pre malignant tumor:  A neoplasm that is not invasive but has the potential to progress to cancer.

 

Grade of cancer:  A number on a scale of 3 created by pathologist to describe the degree of resemblance of the tumor to its surround benign.

 

Stage of cancer:   a number on a scale of 4 developed by the oncologists to describe the degree of invasion of the body by the tumor.

 

 

 

Carcinoma: Malignant tumor derived from epithelial cells

 

Sarcoma:  Malignant tumor derived from connective tissue

 

Lymphoma and Leukemia:  Malignancies derived from hematopoietic (blood forming) cells. 

 

Blastoma:   A tumor which resembles an immature or embryonic tissue                                    

 

 

 

 

Symptoms of cancer may be divided into 3 groups:

         1)  Local symptoms= lumps, bumps, or swelling, bleeding, pain,  ulcerations

         2) Symptoms of metastasis= enlarged lymph nodes, cough, enlarged liver, bone

              pain, fracture of affected bones, neurological symptom

        3)  Systemic symptoms = weight loss, poor appetite, fatigue, anemia

 

      

  

The general scenario of cancer development occurs this way

1.      Induction of genetic instability

2.      Abnormal Expression of genes:  to many cancer promoting genes and too few cancer inhibiting genes

3.      Abnormal Signal Transduction:  Signals that come from outside the cell and go to the nucleus stimulate proliferation of malignant cells

4.      Abnormal cell to cell communication:  In cancer cells the mechanisms controlling communication with other cells doesn’t work

5.      Induction of Angiogenesis:  growth of new capillaries

6.      Invasion and metastaisis: via lymph and blood

7.      Immune  evasion: cancer cells learn to shield themselves from the immune system

 

 

Basic Premises about cancer

1.      Failure of immune surveillance to detect cancer due to

a.       nutritional deficiencies causing hypofunction;   dietary toxins  

b.      GI and liver damage which allows toxin into body resulting in immune stress

c.       Exhausted by environmental stress

d.      Exhausted by psychologic or physical stress

2.    Cancer loves sugar

3        Cancer hates oxygen – anaerobic glycolosis

4.   Cancer loves an acidic environment.  Toxins are acidic.  Free radicals are acidic

    5.   Cancer loves iron

6.   Oncovirus damage DNA

7.   Free radicals damage DNA therefore antioxidants can prevent cancer

    8.   Cancer is a  result of an energy blockage that orginates in the etheric field

    9.   Cancer cells can not make catalase which destroys H202  which destroys cancer

          Healthy cells make catalase  itamin C therapy stimulates H202 in cells

 10.   The liver is the most important organ to support when treating cancer

 

                                  ****************************************************

Woodside Animal Clinic is a unique, very personal,  one doctor practice where, for over 35 years, Dr. Simon has been healing dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles with both conventional and alternative medicine.  Dr.  Simon is the author  of 4 pet care books and he writes a monthly pet care column in the Mirror newspaper.

Woodside Animal Clinic  sees pets from all over the greater Detroit area including Royal Oak, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Warren, Centerline, Clawson,  Troy, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Wixom, Brighton, Livonia, Plymouth, Commerce, Ann Arbor, Ortonville, Waterford, Union Lake,  Rochester,  Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Utica,   Romeo,  Windsor, and Toledo.