Food IS Medicine: Moe’s Cancer Story

Our Five Dogs’ cousin, Moe, a thirteen-year-old gentle and perfectly-mannered golden retriever, was recently diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) on his lower jaw.  As you can imagine, his family was devastated.  Moe, named for the tiny raised mohawk he had as a puppy, greets everyone who visits his home with a gift (usually the closest shoe he can find) and his tail wagging away.  Everyone that meets Moe loves Moe.  He is SUCH a good dog.

One day my sister called on way to the vet, telling me about a cut on Moe’s lip that looked infected. I received a second call from my sister about thirty minutes later.  The infected cut turned out to be a cancerous tumor. The news was shocking, as until that vet visit, Moe was poster child of a perfectly healthy dog. In fact, several months prior to the cancer diagnosis, my sister began feeding both of her dogs Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm instead of the high-end kibble she had been using since they were puppies, and the switch to Dr. Harvey’s returned Moe to his spunky, puppy personality!

Now that Moe was diagnosed with cancer, it was VERY important to keep him away from kibble dog food due to the high carbohydrates which feed cancer cells. I am not here to say that Moe’s life of kibble meals caused his cancer, but I will say that I am positive it didn’t help.  And I am also confident that my sister’s decision to start feeding her dogs a fresh, nutritionally complete homemade diet, using Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm as a base, was a significant factor in Moe’s healthy and happy demeanor, even with cancer. I could go on and on citing health issues caused by feeding pets highly processed, high-carbohydrate kibble, but instead, I would like to provide you with the best site I have found that describes how non-kibble ketogenic diets improve the outcomes of cancer and support good overall dog health: Keto Pet Sanctuary.

When faced with a diagnosis of cancer, the first question usually asked is, “How long does he/she have?” The answer my sister received was devastating – three months. Moe was immediately referred to a prestigious Board Certified Oncology Veterinarian’s office. A week later, the oncologist performed a biopsy and determined that it was, in fact, an osteosarcoma. This surprised the oncologist, as the chances of an osteosarcoma on a jaw were low; however, the tumor was in a spot that was operable, and surgery to remove the mass could, in fact, be a “cure.” My sister immediately scheduled the surgery.

As my sister prepared for Moe’s surgery, which included an overnight stay at the hospital, she pre-made Paradigm meals and placed the meals in a cooler for Moe to eat after the surgery. As the technicians were taking Moe to the back, the technician said to my sister, “Don’t worry mom, he will get plenty of love and treats.” My sister called me in tears worried about the treats’ nutritional content, and asked my advice. I told her to immediately explain to the technician that Moe’s strict diet did not allow for any food other than his Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm meals, and though it was a sincere gesture of kindness, that Moe was absolutely not to be given any treats. The technician understood, and made note of the diet restrictions in his chart.

Moe’s was a strong brave boy and his surgery went wonderfully. The oncologist was hopeful that they had removed large enough margins, and sent the mass off to the labs for further diagnosis. The results came back and unfortunately the margins weren’t as big as hoped, which meant there was a chance the osteosarcoma could return. The oncologist suggested to my sister that Moe immediately begin chemo radiation. My sister called me and asked  the aged-old question veterinarians often hear, “What would you do if this was your dog?” I told her, “No chemotherapy.” One of the most common side effects I see with chemotherapy is inappetence. Moe’s appetite was excellent still, and I did not want to disrupt this important aspect of his health and recovery. I consider food to be medicine in itself in the form of fresh, nutritionally-dense homemade meals.   Also, clinically, Moe was in great health. And yes, down the road, this could change, but he was thirteen, and if Moe were my dog, I would rather give him the ability to enjoy his last time on this beautiful earth rather than suffer through the side effects of chemotherapy in hopes of extending his life. My sister decided against chemo radiation, and came up with a wonderful idea instead. My sister decided to bring heaven to earth. Each day, my sister would say to Moe, “Moe, do you want to go to heaven today?” and would take him to places like the beach, the park, or wilderness walks.  My sister’s thought process was that this way, when it was time for Moe to cross over the rainbow bridge, it would be easier for my sister to tell Moe it was time to go to doggie heaven.

My sister has since added Dr. Harvey’s Solaris and Emune-Boost to his diet, too. Solaris is packed full of medicinal mushrooms and healing herbs to help battle cancer, and Emune-Boost ramps up his body’s immune fighting abilities.  Fast forward to NINE MONTHS later and Moe is still living his best life and visiting heaven on earth regularly. His appetite has been stellar and he is showing no signs of slowing down.  Moe is a true inspiration and I have no doubt that his change in diet from kibble to fresh, homemade meals with Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm, Solaris and Emune-Boost has helped improve his outcome with cancer. He may be missing half a jaw, but he is all heart!

Disclaimer:

After contacting Dr. Harvey’s to share the physical and mental health benefits that I witnessed after switching my dogs’ diets to Paradigm, Dr. Harvey’s has since given me free products from their lines of food, supplements, treats, and grooming essentials for my honest feedback.

All opinions expressed about Dr. Harvey’s in this and any other article I post may not represent the thoughts or opinions of Dr. Harvey’s. Dr. Harvey’s products are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

In no way is this post or any other post intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Yes, I am a veterinarian, but I am not your pets’ veterinarian. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian with any questions you may have regarding the medical condition of your pet. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.