Foods For Preventing Canine Cancer

Veterinary nutrition is crucial to shoo away pet disease, and offering a nutritious diet to your canine friend directly impacts their longevity and well-being. Prevention is always better than cure as the adage says, it is important that the right diet be given from the time they are puppies and also it is uber important to follow a diet plan during sickness as well. A diet chart plays a very important role in this. 

There are diverse foods that prevent or help your pet fight against cancer. However, preparing a diet plan requires ample research and proper guidance. Before making any diet change in your pet, it is always advisable to seek a vet nutritionist’s advice. 

To help you prevent cancer in your canine friend and fight the effects of cancer, we have enlisted some cancer-preventing foods after thorough research thus making it easier for you. You can check out the infographic added to take a quick sneak-peak! Before scrolling to the anti-cancer food list, let’s scroll through what causes canine cancer and why a proper diet is essential when your canine friend has cancer. 

Primary Causes Of Canine Cancer

Cancer in canines is primarily triggered by hereditary, environmental, and nutritional factors. Dog breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Boxers, and Rottweilers are more prone to developing the disease than other dog breeds. Specific genetic characteristics contribute to the higher rates of cancer among these animals. 

• Carcinogens are the major environmental factor that contributes to developing cancer in pets. Ultraviolet radiation, tobacco smoke, herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, air pollution, and smog are other significant environmental elements that cause cancer in pets. 
• Besides, common substances such as Nickel, uranium, benzidine, benzene, radon, vinyl chloride, cadmium, and asbestos have been identified as carcinogens. The longer your pet is exposed to environmental carcinogens, the higher the chance that a carcinogen could affect genetic material such as DNA and RNA in a cell and cause cancer.
• Some cancers are transmitted due to sexual intercourse. For instance, genital cancer of dogs, i.e., canine transmissible venereal tumor, is transmitted during sexual intercourse. The cancerous cells are transferred between the healthy animal and an affected animal.
• It is seen that cancer development in dogs is frequent in the advanced ages. Even though there is an exact reason between aging and cancer development is yet to be found, a primary speculated reason is that the immune system weakens with age. A weak immune system cannot control the muted cells, and the cell division becomes more and more likely to lead to malignancy, not be repaired correctly, and end up with a mutation. Such muted cells can lead to cancer. 

Nutritional Importance 

There is an old saying that, ‘you are what you eat’; the same adage applies to your furry friends—offering a quality diet results in fewer infections and bowel diseases, stronger bones, and better muscle and energy! Besides, better nutrition boosts your pet’s immune system.

Talking about cancer prevention diets, note that any cancer excarberates through oxygen and carbohydrates. Even though adjusting oxygen is not possible through the correct diet, you can adjust the carb intake of your pet. Cancer cells cannot use fat for energy, but they can feast on carbohydrates; in a pet having cancer, having a diet rich with omega-3 fatty acids acts as an anti-cancer diet. 

Feeding your dog the proper nutritional diet is crucial as the metabolic effects of cancer persist even after the treatments. So to avoid some adverse side effects, you must adjust your pet’s nutrition chart. Besides, in chemotherapy, though the intention is to target the cancer cell, it also affects the rapidly reproducing cells. 

It may cause vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea and lead to reducing your pet’s appetite and food consumption. To be precise, radiation to the chest and upper abdomen can lead to nausea and vomiting, and lower abdomen radiation can cause diarrhea. Besides, the calorie density of feeding before and after their treatment is vital in avoiding weight loss and deconditioning.

Even though cancer does affect the balance in protein metabolism, protein intake is critical to regulating lean body mass. Note that the dietary protein levels for your canine companion with cancer should be higher than those in an average adult pet, provided your pet’s liver and kidneys are functioning normally. The recommended canine cancer patients protein level of 30-40% DM.

Canine Food To Prevent Cancer

The concept of a preventive diet is keeping the content low while infusing more protein and good fat. Let’s check of the best anti-cancer food choices:

• Fish Oil

Fish oil is an excellent food choice to add to your pet’s diet plan; it is an abundant resource of omega-3 fatty acids. It helps to reduce inflammation and also shrinks tumors. Fish oils can slow cancer and offer other benefits, such as fighting against skin dryness and keeping your pet’s skin shiny. 

• Berries

Blueberries are a rich choice of antioxidants. It consists of ellagic acid that helps block the metabolic pathways leading to cancer. The antioxidants in blueberries prevent cell damage, and the anthocyanins in the food have anti-inflammatory properties. The vitamins and the fiber available in berries also aid your pet’s cognitive functions. Blackberries have anthocyanins, which have powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

• Broccoli

It is a source of glucosinolates. The biologically broken compound has anti-cancer properties and further prevents DNA damage. These compounds also make carcinogens inactive and prevent forming tumor blood vessels. It breaks down cancerous cells even before it starts spreading.

• Turmeric

Turmeric is a cancer preventive food; also, it is used as a treatment. Curcumin, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound available in this food, slows cancer development. Further, it can reduce or erase tumors. To enrich curcumin absorption, you can blend it with coconut or use it as a supplement. 

• Meat

Cancer accumulates proteins from the different body areas, and to ensure that your dog’s body does not lack protein, adding an enriched protein diet is required. Besides, sometimes some pets with cancer lose appetite, and the body starts accumulating fat. To replace those fat stores, adding a fatty acid diet is essential. Including meat in the diet helps in increasing the protein, which elevates recovery.

• Eggs

Eggs are the source of vitamin D3 that is crucial for immune function and cancer prevention. Besides, it contains Zinc that strengthens the immune system. Altering eggs, you can also add Salmon, Sardines, Shrimp, Cod as these foods are also a great source of vitamin D3.

Final Thought!

To prevent canine cancer in your furry friend, plan a diet plan including cancer-preventing food; you can reach out to a vet for nutrition guidance. You can balance the diet chart with 50% protein such as poultry or fish and 50% veggies such as carrots, broccoli, green beans, etc. Adding Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 rich food sources to the diet is crucial. Summing up, note that senior dogs are more vulnerable towards diseases, so to get an in-depth insight on senior pet dog wellness, you can read this resource! A new perspective towards your pet’s nutrition and the small dietary changes can save your pet’s life!

Disclaimer: The content on the site is for educational purposes only, and it does not provide medical advice. The shared information must not be treated as a substitute for or alternative for medical practitioner advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Regarding any concerns about your pet’s health, seeking veterinary guidance is of utmost necessity. Each pet has specific health, fitness & nutrition needs. Do not disregard, avoid or delay pet health-related advice from veterinarians based on reading the information provided on this site.