Feeding your dog a fresh, natural diet without any preservatives or chemical additives is the best tool for protecting her against cancer. Once cancer invades, certain nutritional changes may be helpful. Tumors need carbohydrates for their energy, so reducing carbohydrate content in your dog's diet may slow tumor growth.

Dark green cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, strengthen the immune system. Choose fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides and fertilizers. Just be sure to wash all fruits and vegetables to remove any residue of pesticides.

Maintaining a healthy appetite can be a problem because dogs with cancer often don't feel like eating. To encourage your dog to eat more at each meal, sprinkle on a little turmeric, both for its anticancer effects and to enhance the flavor of the food.

Add in whole grains, such as brown rice and millet, and include salmon body oil to provide a source of omega-3 fatty acids. If you feed a commercial diet, add fish oil, fresh meat and vegetables, and extra vitamins. Sprouts and grasses are good sources of vitamin B and trace minerals. The tempting aroma and taste of these additives will encourage your dog to eat. Veterinarians can supply a prescription diet canned food that contains extra omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, and nutrients.

Cancer-Fighting Supplements

Recently, many commercial cancer cure supplements have been introduced to the market. Before giving any of these to your dog, ask your veterinarian for a recommendation of what to add to your dog's diet. Generally it's best not to add more than four or five supplements in a single serving; more than that may increase the risk that the supplements will counteract one another.

Beneficial vitamins and antioxidants are the same for healthy dogs and those with cancer. These vitamins and antioxidants include:

• Beta carotene

• Bioflavonoids and plant extracts

• Coenzyme Q10

• Ginkgo biloba

• Gammalinolenic acid

• Green tea and grape seed extract

• Omega-3 fatty acids

• Selenium

• Vitamins A, C, and E

Chinese herbs are also beneficial. Try echinacea, astragalus, licorice (on a short-term basis), ginseng, and yunnan pai yao, which is helpful in bleeding tumors such as hemangiosarcoma. Cat's claw, medicinal mushrooms, or mushroom extracts such as reishi, cordyceps, tremella, maitake, and pau d'arco are touted as anti-cancer herbs. Other beneficial complementary therapies are milk thistle, goldenseal, dandelion leaf and dandelion root, ginseng, and red clover.

Weight Management

Excess weight places a dog at a higher risk for cancer. Besides the extra stress on all systems of the body, the additional fat cells secrete a substance called adiponectin. In a dog at normal weight, adiponectin has a protective effect. When the body is already storing fat, adiponectin is only released in very small amounts and provides little or no protection against cancer. Therefore, maintaining your dog at a healthy lean weight might decrease your dog's risks for some types of cancer. Fat cells are metabolically active cells that release many different chemical mediators that alter immune activity. This is why obesity is considered a low-grade inflammatory condition. This condition sets the body up for the potential of various forms of chronic disease, including cancer.

Water Helps

Providing only pure water helps protect your dog against cancer because it rids the body of toxins. However, some tap water contains dangerous chemicals such as lead, arsenic, and nitrates.

Consider filtering your tap water with a good-quality water purifier or use bottled or distilled water. Make sure bottled water is not chlorinated or fluoridated. While a water filtration system is more expensive to purchase in the beginning, it's more economical than bottled water in the long run.

Don't let your dog drink water from public areas, creeks, or ponds as they may be contaminated. Street puddles often contain cancer-producing toxins, such as auto hydrocarbons and asbestos dust.

Clean your dog's water bowl every day and refill with fresh water. Keep it protected from dust and debris so he's not ingesting toxins.