I wish someone would have shared how to keep your dog healthy long before he was diagnosed with cancer. Along with the information on which dog breeds are genetically more susceptible to disease and cancer.

Providing your pets the safest and cleanest products and environment available is an absolute must, especially if they are more susceptible to disease or cancer.  Most products we use for our baby (an 80-pound Boxer) are human grade as the standards are much higher. You can read more about Beau’s story here if you haven’t been following it.

Beau, our 13 year old Boxer, was first diagnosed with a mast cell tumor when he was around 5 years old.  Boxers have a strong predisposition for cancer which I didn’t realize until he was diagnosed.  Our vet was able to remove the tumor and from that point on we put him on a protocol similar to one I  would suggest for my (human) clients.  If you are considering owning a boxer (they actually own YOU), or any dog, this is what I would recommend helping reduce the risks of cancer and disease.

Beau’s Food Blend:
(fed twice daily)

• 1 part Taste of Wild dog food dry. Taste of the Wild is a Protein based food, not a grain based.
• 1 part Taste of the Wild dog food canned food  OR
• 1 part raw and cooked beef, turkey, chicken free of hormones or antibiotics
• Raw Goat milk (purchased a share from a local farmer).  This is a complete food and full of natural probiotics.  There are many amazing health benefits to raw goat milk as it is even used as a substitute for breast milk when a mother can’t breastfeed or needs to supplement.
• Coconut Oil  1 Tablespoon (coconut oil absorbs into the body best with protein)

Beau receives the following general supplements in his food blend twice daily:

• 1 dropper full of Animal Maintenance Formula (Pure Herbs)
• Juice Plus Fruit and Vegetable blend capsules (Open capsules and sprinkle over food)
• Fish oil capsule (human grade)- He would chew like a dog treat and/or
• 1 VSCLR enzymes from Loomis (to break down the food to enable him to better assimilate)

The following are Chinese Herbs from our holistic vet are specific to Beau’s needs.  Thank you to the caring staff at Ark Vet, including Dr. Margie Garrett, Leslie and vet tech, Laura.

• Hindquarter weakness blend – Tonify Kidney, strengthen back and hind limbs, move Qi, relieve pain
• Xin Yi San – nasal symptoms caused by nasal tumor
• Jin Suo Gu Jing – kidney & liver support (crucial for all cancer and disease)
• Gui Pi Wan – supports the spleen

Water:  Reverse osmosis or purified water (never straight tap water due to chlorine and other chemicals)

Morning Snack

Green Smoothie: (whatever I drink, he drinks excluding grapes which are toxic to dogs).

He drinks 2-4 ounces typically.  Mix in Vitamix: 8 oz water, 1-2 cups of greens typically kale, spinach, chard, or romaine with carrots, celery with berries, and apple. Dogs need the live enzymes, phytonutrients, and probiotics that raw produce offers.

Snacks throughout the afternoon:

• Raw green beans, zucchini, apples, or banana – basically anything I eat, he eats. Note: grapes, onions, raisins, and pecans are toxic to dogs.
• Organic fruit, apple with nut butter or pear
• Occasionally, organic yogurt (plain, unsweetened) or organic cottage cheese.

Misc. Needs:

From hygiene to pet ailments, we’ve managed to find plenty of good natural alternatives and procedures that helped. Here is a breakdown of how we naturally care for our dog, Beau:

• • Shampoo:  Organic (human) baby shampoo. If it is good enough for your baby, it’s good enough for mine.
  • Flea/Tick repellant:  We finally succumbed to a more conventional flea/tick product called Revolution as in 2012 we had fleas for the first time ever.  Revolution is safer than the other two conventional flea/tick products on the market.
  • Toys: We purchased human/baby toys as the standards were higher.  Dog toys, especially plastics, were avoided because of the materials, chemical colors/dyes, etc. Especially for the first three years when Beau ATE every toy we gave him!
  • Fitness/ Exercise: Sick animals often do not get the level of activity they require, the remedy for us was Hydrotherapy Treatments – Beau walked in the underwater treadmill for 15 minutes every 7-10 days.  This helped tremendously to rebuild lost muscle in his hindquarter area.  Laura, his Vet Tech, is fabulous and helped acclimate him to the process.
  • Stress Relief: We own an infrared dome and infrared pad.  He loved the pad but the Dome scared him (not sure why) so it was hard to get him under it.  The pad is good but only emits one-third of the microns versus the dome.  We placed it primarily on his hindquarter area to reduce stress.
  • Vaccines:  We would give him only the required minimal dose for rabies according to our holistic vet’s recommendations.  We so appreciate our vet supporting us in our decision to keep him free of unnecessary toxins.

We also take great care to limit his exposure to cleaning and household toxins   Your dog’s nose is super sensitive so protect them by NOT using toxic chemicals in your home.  Think about their feet touching the floor and what they eat from it.  Avoid Swiffer cleaners, air fresheners, or plugs ins as they are toxic to pets and humans.  My motto is, if I can’t eat it or drink it, I’m not cleaning with it!

Although this process may seem extreme to most, we treat our animals with the same love and respect we would treat anyone that came into our home.  Our pets are worth the time, effort, and few extra dollars spent based on the love and happiness they provide.  If you agree or have questions about our protocol, please comment below.

• Part 1 of the Beau Series: A Mom and Her Dog
• Part 2 of the Beau Series: Sleeping with Darth Vader.
• Part 3 of the Beau Series: Beau’s Holistic (Anticancer) Lifestyle
• Part 4 of the Beau Series: All Dogs Go to Heaven: Goodbye Sweet Beau
• Part 5 of the Beau Series: 42,038 Memories: Ode to our Beau – Part III of Beau’s journey