Having your dog diagnosed with cancer can be heartbreaking. While there are treatment methods available, you know that your dog is suffering along with them. And you only wish there was something more that you could do to help your dog out. Thanks to the development of cancer specific diets, there are some dog cancer diet recommendations that can help your dog in his fight against cancer.
What a Dog Cancer Diet Should Consist of
The best dietary recommendation for a dog with cancer is to feed a diet that is low in sugar and carbohydrates, and has lots of digestible proteins and a maintained level of fat.
While it is not probably common knowledge, the fact is that cancer cells feed on sugar. Complex sugars and complex carbohydrates can have a devastating effect on a dog with cancer. The sugar in complex carbohydrates provides energy for the cancer cells to grow and multiply. Any food that has a high level of glucose, like bread and pasta, is off limits. So, maintaining a diet that is low in sugar is vital to your dog's fight against cancer.
Your dog also needs a good supply of digestible proteins. Because some dog's can have difficulty digesting proteins, their diet needs to consist of those proteins which are digestible, such as beef or chicken. Protein is a slowly digested nutrient which supplies energy to your dog. When your dog is fighting cancer, he needs the additional protein to help maintain his energy level.
A sufficient amount of fat in your dog's diet is equally important. Fat contains nutrients that are vital to your dog in his condition. And because cancer cells cannot use fats for energy, the benefit of an increased fatty diet goes to your dog. Some of the nutrients that fats can carry include Vitamin A, Vitamin D and Omega-3. Omega-3 is crucially important to your dog because it has the ability to stop the growth of cancerous tumors. Fish is an excellent source of Omega-3.
Cancer Specific Foods and Supplements
When buying food for your dog with cancer, it is important to buy a food that is cancer specific. Because many of the general kibble foods that you would buy for your dog are high in glucose, carbohydrates and grains, you need to make sure that you are supplying a food that is made for the dog that is fighting cancer. Those normal ingredients are fine for a dog under normal conditions, but they can be very harmful to a dog with cancer.
Science Diet makes a product called n/d Canine. It is a canned food that is made for dogs with cancer. It is high in protein, low in carbohydrates and provides the essential nutrient Omega-3. This Science Diet food is specific to dogs with cancer that are undergoing treatment.
Additionally, if you fear that your dog is not getting enough essential nutrients from his food, you can also try feeding supplements. Supplements of various different vitamins and nutrients are readily available at any pet store.