Quotes from the Book

“You may have heard ‘there’s nothing we can do,’ or ‘the only options are chemotherapy and radiation.’ You may have heard your dog has one week or two months or six months left. It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard. No one has a crystal ball, no matter how many letters or credentials line up after his name.” (page 5)

“Your individual dog does not have an expiration date, and there is plenty you can do to help.” (page 5)

“As your dog’s guardian, you acknowledge that you are in charge, that only you know your dog as well as you, and that no one else (not even your vet) can truly know what is best for you and your dog.” (page 16)

“The clearer your mind and heart are, the easier you learn. The more you learn about cancer and how to treat it, the wiser the decisions you will make about your dog’s treatment. The calmer you are, the more likely your dog will be calm, too.” (page 22)

“Remember, cancer is not an immediate death sentence. Cancer is a living process that happens in a living body.” (page 42)

“Apoptosis is a clear pattern we can examine for clues, as most normal body cells undergo apoptosis, most cancer cells evade apoptosis, and most experts agree that getting cancer cells to undergo apoptosis would be a good thing. For these reasons, boosting apoptosis levels in the body is an important theme in Full Spectrum cancer care, no matter what the diagnosis or tumor location.” (page 70)

“Because the increased cancer risks from spaying and neutering are serious, guardians should consider the big picture when evaluating the timing of these procedures.” (page 85)

“We don’t yet know whether [canine] infant vaccinations actually increase the overall cancer rates – but the question is certainly worth closer examination.” (page 88)

“In my experience, the dogs who live the longest and have the best quality of life are the dogs whose guardians take this ‘matter of fact,’ pragmatic approach to treatments.” (page 90)

“Your love for your dog can be a tremendous asset for you, motivating you to make high quality decisions.” (page 104)

“Dogs do not have much time; we should move with a sense of urgency and be assertive. When fighting to stay alive, we cannot always do things perfectly or follow all of the conventional rules. We vets and oncologists should allow increased leeway for treatments which may help – and if it feels right to the guardian, we should go for it.” (page 106)

“It’s not as simple as ‘free radicals are bad for dogs with cancer.’ In fact, some cancer treatments actually use free radicals to kill cancer cells (certain chemotherapy drugs, radiation, Apocaps, and artemisinin, to name a few).” (page 186)

“The dog cancer diet is made up exclusively of foods that encourage healthy cells and discourage cancer growth.” (page 193)

“An all-raw diet is actually not good for dogs with cancer.” (page 195)

“Once you’ve taken care of your dog’s physical needs with conventional treatments, apoptogens, immune-boosters and an excellent diet, it’s time to turn your attention to optimizing her brain chemistry.” (page 213)

“Although we cannot control our dog’s state of health, exercising what choices we do have can help us look back on this time with no regrets.” (page 276)

“Everyone has a voice inside that, if listened to, gives the best direction.” (page 276)