06/14/2016
At a recent Relay For Life event, I was asked the question, “Does some commercial dog foods have ingredients that cause cancer?” By the way, this was an event called “Bark for Life”, the canine cousin of the Relay for Life, which raises awareness about the escalating cancer rate in dogs.
I think about cancer as the result of several things going wrong. Cancer cells are produced daily in all of us and our pets. These nasty little cells have to be intercepted and neutralized before they spread or grow to cause medical problems. There are a couple common reasons cancers can develop. The first is that the number of cancer cells that normally develop increase in number and overwhelm the body’s immune defenses. The second one is that the immune system may be stressed and unable to handle the normal amount of cancer cells. Cancer cells may result from irritating chemicals, UV light, aging, viruses, or constant inflammation of an organ or body system. Since we and our pets are individuals, the triggers for cancer may be different for each individual. So how does that apply to our pets?
Well, back to the question about food and how ingredients may cause cancer. Commercial food may contain additives that will help prevent the food from getting rancid, which is the oxidation of fat. The food may also contain thickeners or preservatives that also help that dog food sit for weeks without spoiling. These different chemical antioxidants and preservatives like BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, and propylene glycol may irritate or inflame the cells of the digestive and filtering systems (bowel, liver, and kidney). Any time a daily dose of irritants bathes these cells, it may push them “over the edge” and medical problems or even cancer can be the result. And it is not only chemical irritants that may cause chronic irritation, medical problems, and cancer. The most common allergens in dog food are wheat gluten, beef, and chicken. Dogs that are sensitive or intolerant to these ingredients can have one or more medical problems. Itchy red skin and ears, chronic bowel problems, bladder infections, and even seizures can result from common allergens in sensitive dogs. It’s not a big stretch to imagine that the stress on the organs from constant medical issues may lead to more serious issues like cancer. We can’t really control the breed of the dog we already have, or its age…but we can control what ingredients enter its body!
To prevent health issues and cancer, we have to help our dogs body function as well as it can. The first step is to feed a quality food and supplement with antioxidants to prevent chemical and allergic inflammation of their body. The next step is to make sure our dogs are not overweight and that they get exercised at least 3-4 times per week. (Exercise and a lower weight helps everything work more efficiently!) Those three things, the right food, the right weight, and a few added antioxidants are the most important things that you can do to help prevent chronic diseases and cancer. This is especially helpful for those purebred dogs that are prone to cancer (golden, labs boxer, and bulldog).
Fish oil capsules, Vitamin E, sardines, and many vegetables (green beans, carrots, and peas) help bathe our cells in an antioxidant barrier to help reduce the effect of harmful chemicals and inflammation from food ingredients, allergens, and even pesticides like flea control. (I only use flea control when absolutely needed and have found that a better diet with healthy oils may reduce the need for flea control!)
To find out more details visit http://dogdishdiet.com and/or check out the Dog Diet Answer Book just published this May! http://tiny.cc/dogdietanswerbook
Pet Food, Grain, Allergens, Dog Food, Raw food, Puppy, Dog, Dog Treats, Dog Health
