Find out what treatment options are available. Discuss these options with your veterinarian. Some of these options may be surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.

There are alternative cancer treatments as well. I began school to become a Doctor of Naturopathy, ND degree. An ND believes the body has an innate healing ability. I just couldn't finish because of having breast cancer which resulted in a double radical, and then the reconstruction; end result was a massive flesh eating infection that came very close to killing me. It took over a year of many surgeries, antibiotics, home nurses to finally kick the infection. Though, I did learn a great deal.

Holistic doctors treat the body as a whole. You may want to confer with a holistic veterinarian.

Cancer in Dogs and Cats - Symptoms and Alternative Therapies video on youtube Cancer video There are many other very informative videos and information on cancer at Holistic Pet Info


Another approach I find intriguing is something called visualization. I had heard of visualization but until I read the August 2010 issue of Reader’s Digest I hadn’t been motivated to research visualization. There was a feature on amazing pets. One of these amazing animals was a Bald Eagle. Found injured as an eaglet the poor little fledgling was taken to a wildlife care center and was hand raised by a volunteer. The eagle would never fly, however this volunteer would take him for walks in the woods (gloved hand). After two years a lump was found on the eagle’s neck. Someone told this volunteer about visualization. Eight months later this eagle was cancer free. If you get a chance you have got to read this story, the ending is beyond amazing.

An October 1997 Morris Animal Foundation survey not only showed cancer as the number one killer of dogs and cats, but also the leading cause of death in ferrets, rabbits, and birds. This study is very worrisome to me and it should be to you too. Since this survey animal cancer has been on the up rise.

One case in point, terminology may be misleading, making a person wonder if there really is that much cancer in our pets. Often you will see or hear the word neoplasm instead of cancer with pet/animal related cancer.

Other theories of what is causing cancer in our pets are plentiful. However, certain vaccinations seem to be causing cancer especially at the injection site. Another possibility is that animals are being spayed and neutered far too young, often just weeks old. An example of this is ferrets, and they are right up there with dogs and cats as cancer being a number one killer.

Many animals, especially pedigreed purebreds and animals mass bred such as ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits, have suffered genetic damage by years of inbreeding.

Lack of natural sunlight causes vitamin D deficiency which can leave the animal vulnerable to cancer.

I have seen a lot of pet skunks with cancer; I attribute it to lack of a natural diet resulting in nutrient deficiencies, lack of sunlight (vitamin D deficiency), and insufficient exercise, exposure to chemicals, second hand smoke, inbreeding, and carcinogens in their drinking water.

Something else I find quite troublesome is that cancer is big business; yes I am saying it is highly profitable. How many bilateral mastectomies occur when a single breast being removed would have been perfectly sufficient? I believe this happened in my case. If doctors take kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of surgical implants what would keep some veterinarians from over diagnosing or over treating? I am sure treating the disease instead of preventing the disease is far more financially rewarding.

Through the coming months we will examine cancer and pets more in-depth. However, in the meantime you can be an advocate for our animals!

Go to part one of this article Cancer the Number One Killer in Pets

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