Truth4Dogs

When Woody, beloved dog of holistic vet Dr. Paula Terafaj, was diagnosed with cancer of the spleen and liver, she set out to help Woody battle his own cancer without toxic chemo or surgery. Her fight to help Woody resulted in a series of articles on cancer care. Even if your dog doesn’t have cancer, and I very much hope he or she doesn’t, I hope you’ll bookmark this page. 46% of dogs dying of disease now die of cancer, so this is information, sadly, many of us may someday need.

I personally am no expert on canine cancer, so I’m happy to bring you this piece by a vet. Dr. Paula also allowed me to post Part 1 of this series, first published in her own blog. Read Part 1 by clicking here. We’ll publish Part 3 in a few weeks. And now, Part 2.

Part 1 of this article introduced the importance of disease prevention and how to promote better health. This discussion continues with the emphasis on how you can assist the body’s natural healing power. We can empower our army of immune fighting soldiers—both in terms of stronger prevention tactics and a stronger battle plan to attack a stealth enemy like cancer.

Remember that a well functioning immune system is your best guarantee of health. In fact, the immune system is on guard 24/7 in what has been termed immune surveillance.

A basic summary of immune surveillance states that:

Immune surveillance performed by specialized cells in the immune system known as Natural Killer (NK) cells can recognize and destroy spontaneously arising malignant tumor cells. Tumors can develop when transformed malignant cells escape immunological host defense mechanisms. The increased incidence of spontaneous tumors in immunosuppressed individuals indicates that the immune system can provide a major mechanism for host resistance against cancer and infectious diseases.

Now I will tell you how you can up your health insurance policy and fight back by taking nutraceuticals——food extracts from selected plants and herbs proven to have medicinal properties. One key nutraceutical from the plant kingdom that has proven to enhance natural killer cells (special cells that attack cancer) is AHCC* (Active Hexose Correlated Compounds)—a proprietary blend of mushroom mycelia extract that was developed by scientists in Japan.

*The Amino Up Chemical Company produces AHCC in commercial quantities at its facility in Sapporo, Japan.

Still skeptical? Just do a Google search.

Here is a list of the published research:

http://www.ahccpublishedresearch.com/wwwroot-ahcc/default.htm

As outlined in the research studies, AHCC stimulates the production of NK cells, killer T-cells, and cytokines such as interferon. Making it a welcomed weapon against chronic infections as well as cancer.

In Japan, AHCC is routinely used in the treatment of cancer patients. It has been found to reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapy and has also been documented to increase the survival rates of cancer patients.

AHCC is a trademarked product sold by Quality of Life Labs as Kinoko Gold AHCC. Other recognized supplement companies such as NOW Foods have also formulated products using AHCC. NOW Foods sells this trademarked product as AHCC Immune Support**—the same potency for less cost than Kinoko Gold. For additional savings, buy the powdered form and not the capsules. Mix it into a smoothie or soft food like yogurt or applesauce. Your dog will enjoy lapping up these tasty foods too!

**Available from iherb.com. Use code TER129 at checkout and get $5 off your first order.

Human adult dose is 2-6 capsules per day, preferably on an empty stomach. Use the higher dose (2 capsules 3 times per day, for a total of 9) to battle cancer or fight off infections. Use the lower dose (2 capsules daily) for disease prevention.

A supplement rule of thumb for dogs: give one-fourth the human dose to dogs under 25 pounds; one-half the dose for dogs between 25 and 40 pounds; three-fourths the dose for dogs between 40 and 55 pounds; the full dose for dogs over 55lbs. AHCC has no reported side effects and is regarded to be very safe.

Don’t be confused by the many different types of medicinal mushroom products available. Many have merit. To name just a few well studied mushrooms: Maitake, Shitake, Reishi and Cordyceps—all have been shown to have many healthy benefits. More of these mushrooms are popping up in natural food markets since they have become popular food-fare among health enthusiasts.

So you see, it is possible for us to help ourselves and our canine pals boost the natural abilities of an amazing immune system to battle cancer and other health threats. Yes, we can fight back!

Taking Nutraceuticals is a far different approach from swallowing toxic chemo cocktails in the war against cancer or using a super charged line of antibiotics ready to combat the next super bug. By working with the body’s intelligence we can evoke its natural healing powers and not worry about the negative side effects or fallout from using our super power, Big Pharma. Declaring drug war should be our last resort, never our first option!

Nutraceuticals, another gift from Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet, offer real help for an army of natural fighting soldiers. Remember, a top notch immune system is your best defense to ward off any type of illness—even cancer!

Learn more about Dr. Terifaj at http://30minvetconsult.com/blog/

Have you seen our new video “Vaccinating Dogs,” posted a few weeks ago? If not, click the “Vaccination” link in the black box on the right of this page.

Our next post will be on planning for your dog to go under anesthesia.

46% of all dogs who die of disease now die of cancer. That’s an astonishing figure, isn’t it? Forty-six percent!

Imagine half of your own friends dying of cancer. You’d surely be doing everything possible to stay healthy and disease free, wouldn’t you? Well, cancer will kill half your dog’s friends. The time has come to shift your focus from general health maintenance to cancer prevention. And it’s time to learn about alternatives to conventional cancer treatment.

My good friend, holistic vet Dr. Paula Terafaj (practicing in Brea, CA) wrote me: “Even for us doctors, there are more questions than answers: Did so-and-so cause my dog’s cancer? Are there any natural treatments for cancer? How long do you think my dog will live if we don’t do chemo?”

When Dr. Paula’s beloved dog Woody was diagnosed with cancer of spleen and liver, she set out to help Woody battle his own cancer. No toxic chemo. No risky surgery. She wanted him to live out his days pain-free as a cancer warrior with a game plan! Here’s the first installment of her game plan. She has kindly permitted me to reprint it. Parts 2 to 5 will appear in the upcoming days. (Have you subscribed to my blog yet? Sign up at right.)

Learn more about Dr. Terifaj at http://30minvetconsult.com/blog/ Here’s her first cancer article:

Part I: The Ultimate Cure for Cancer Is…

Simply prevention.

Everywhere you look these days, we hear news about this or that vitamin, mineral, vegetable, herb, plant from the rainforest, or exotic fruit reported to “cure” or protect us from cancer—but the fact of the matter is really just this: Our immune system (when working properly) has the natural ability to find and destroy cancer cells as well as the viruses and bacteria that make us sick. In fact, the most successful natural remedies simply amp up or help the immune system to fight its own deadly battles!

So, our health really depends on how well our immune system is functioning at all times—no silver bullets, no black magic. Our very own body intelligence is our best weapon to defeat the growth of cancer cells and keep us free of disease. It is only when the immune system fails to detect and destroy malignant cancer cells or mount a targeted attack against bacterial and viral invasions that we get sick. Sometimes we become the unwilling host to a flu virus or strep throat; other times falling victim to life threatening diseases, like cancer.

Scientific studies have shown that we can and do influence the functioning of our immune system. Read more »