My senior dog has inoperable cancer. What holistic and diet options?

I am sorry, but there is no cure for cancer. Small tumors can be removed surgically and then undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy depending on the type of tumor and if clean margins were made during surgery. If this is not an option for Hundoll, then he would be considered for hospice-type care. I would recommend that you have have him evaluated by a vet for pain. You can feed him whatever he wants at this point. Acupuncture may help with some of the pain, but it won't be able to stop the growth of the tumor. You may be able to find a vet in your area that uses herbal remedies, but they need to be prescribed after careful examination of the dog.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Olivia has a tumor in her mouth. Surgical removal or radiation therapy would most likely be recommended. I went through this with my own dog and chose to just keep him comfortable. So the question you have to ask yourself is how much do you want to put Olivia through at her age? If you want to get more specific answers, it might be best to consult with a veterinary oncologist to discuss surgical options vs. Non surgical options. There is always the route of comfort care and keeping Olivia pain free and comfortable with medications. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

I'm sorry that Foofie has a tumor! Given that she is very active and if she is otherwise healthy, I see no reason why the tumor can't be removed. The growth of this tumor is affecting her teeth, and it could affect them to the point she has difficulty eating. Not eating would lead her to be very weak and sick, and you want to avoid that. You can have the first vet doing a geriatric blood panel and urinalysis to see how her organs are functioning overall, which would give an idea of how she would fair under anesthesia for the tumor removal. Personally if it were my dog, I would have it removed, but that's me. I would have another conversation with the first vet. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I'm so sorry that Lucky is ill. I can tell you are trying to do everything in your power to help her feel well for as long as possible. BalenceIT is my usual go to for supplementing home cooked diets. However, it is usually most appropriate for young-mostly healthy dogs. Dogs such as Lucky need more assistance. I would strongly recommend talking to a veterinary behavior specialist. I know Ohio State University Veterinary School was doing over-the-phone consultations with their nutrition specialist, Dr. Parker, at one point so I would recommend starting there. Here is the information you would need: http://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/nutrition-consult-request. You and Lucky will be in my thoughts.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Petitte has cancer and that it has spread. I typically recommend using the prescription diet Hills and feeding N/D (neoplasia diet) with any diagnosed cancers. This diet is a proprietary blend of antioxidants and nutritional ingredients to help dogs with cancer especially going through chemotherapy. Your vet will need to prescribe this food as it is a prescription diet. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While in theory anti-inflammatory medications can help to reduce the blood vessels feeding the tumor, this is only when combined with a chemotherapeutic agent such as cyclophosphamide given in a metronomic fashion. However, we have not found this to result in a better outcome in patients with metastasis (spread of the tumor). While those herbs are unlikely to be harmful, they unlikely to help. You can always however try the herbs and focus on her quality of life at this time. I would encourage you to seek a consultation with a veterinary oncologist that can review the case in detail and make recommendations. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As a veterinary oncology veterinarian I can tell you that there is no proven diet for cancer patients. The only supplement that you could potentially add that could have anti-cancer activity but most importantly helps with the skin and joints is fish oil. I would recommend you get the commercial kind online or at your local pet store. Other than that, the best cancer diet is the diet that Jake loves as again there is no diet that has been proven to help with cancer. This is the time to make him happy so I would focus on a diet that he likes regardless of protein, fat or carbohydrate contents. Just make sure it is not too rich as it can upset his belly. Good luck and have a great day!