So often lately, I hear from people who have lost their dogs to cancer at very young ages (like 3, 4 and 5 years of age), and not just Bernese, but all breeds of dogs. There definitely seems to be an increase in cancer among canines, despite all the advances in veterinary care.

This is an alarming trend and it makes me want to know WHY and what can we do to slow this trend down? I have been doing a lot of reading, anything I can find on the subject, and this reading has given me a lot of ideas. I have always recommended trying to keep toxins and chemicals out of our dogs' environment. We try not to allow anything on or near our property that contains any kind of chemicals.

If you want a healthy dog, don't allow any lawn care products that may contain chemicals to be used on your property. We try to keep cleaning products at a minimum: a 30% bleach solution will kill most viruses, microbes, protozoa and bacteria. Simple Green is a great, all natural product that smells good, too. A strong jet of hot water from the hose and a scrub brush will loosen and wash away most surface dirt. Clay or other natural kitty litter helps lift liquid messes so they can be removed.

Pure drinking water is a must. Many municipalities chlorinate their water supplies, and we don't recommend giving chlorinated water to your pet, or drinking it yourself. If your water is chlorinated, get a filter. You and your dog will be healthier.

I have been reading a lot of information from holistic veterinarians about the possible connection between vaccines and cancer and other health issues. There are articles relating human vaccines with serious health issues these days, as well, such as a possible link between autism and vaccines, cancer and vaccines, AIDS and vaccines, etc. Many of the vaccines we always gave our dogs annually probably stay in the dog's system for 3 to 7 years and do not need to be boosted annually. Many of the vaccines we always gave our dogs have been found to be ineffectual, as well, so we shouldn't be vaccinating our dogs with them anyway. We have been trying to cut down on the vaccines that we do give our puppies and what we recommend to our puppy owners.

2 of the puppy vaccines that we really DO need to give are Parvo and Distemper. The Coronavirus vaccine has long been suspected as being ineffectual. Likewise, the Lyme vaccine is suspected of not being very effective and we have never given it. If you know your dog well and it picks up Lyme Disease, it will be very obvious to you and the treatment for it is usually quickly effective and with less side effects than the vaccine has. We don't recommend giving young Bernese the Leptospirosis vaccine, because it frequently causes an anaphalactic reaction and we tell people that if your veterinarian feels it is a problem in the area, then wait until the dog is a year of age before vaccinating against it. So we can try to AVOID things that may cause cancer.

Along with that, we should ensure that our dogs are HEALTHY and have the natural resources to help combat the bad nasties that try to invade their systems. Along with fresh, clean, pure water, feeding a good, healthy diet containing vitamins and minerals necessary to strengthen and support the immune system so it can fight off bad things is also important. Start off with a good food that doesn't contain artificial ingredients or preservatives. An all natural raw food diet is good for those that have the time, energy and knowledge to prepare it correctly. We believe that supplementing any food with an excellent overall health supporting product like Nature's Logic All Food Fortifier will help keep your dog in good health. Nature's Logic All Food Fortifier contains all natural, healthy ingredients that provide all necessary vitamins, minerals and probiotics. It is just great stuff!!

Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants - they are good for our dogs as well as for ourselves. Give them natural sources for these vitamins or give them supplements if you don't think their basic food is providing enough, or give them something like the Nature's Logic All Food Fortifier. Antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids are also extremely good for the canine system to help fight off bad things. The Nature's Logic North Atlantic Sardine Oil is great stuff, also, and an all natural source of these important supplements. Dogs love the taste of it, and it is pure and human-grade, so it doesn't contain any toxins that other fish sources might contain. Although we are obviously partial to the Nature's Logic products, many other companies manufacture products that are helpful in supporting and boosting the immune system, such as the PHD products, NK-9 Immune Support, and Pet Naturals of Vermont products. That is the reason we carry them on our website.

If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, don't give up, try to fight it naturally by boosting your pet's immune system. There has been a lot of discussion about the benefits of bovine colostrum and Transfer Factor in helping to fight disease. I first read about Transfer Factor in The Whole Dog Journal a few years ago and have used it on a couple of older dogs with non-specific failing health issues. There have been reported cases where tumors have actually shrunk in animals taking Transfer Factor and many holistic veterinarians feel it can prolong lives. It is certainly worth trying in the face of a cancer diagnosis.

My musings have run dry for the moment, but there is certainly a lot more to be said on this subject. I would welcome any comments, questions or anything anyone else has to say on this subject.

Here is something I knew but, as a lay person, could not find the right words to say. I frequently receive emails and newsletters from holistic veterinarians and from The Rabies Challenge Fund (Kris L. Christine, Founder, Co-Trustee, THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND, www.RabiesChallengeFund.org) and I recently received an email which said something that is VERY IMPORTANT for all dog owners to know:

"Because the rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions, it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such as autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are linked to rabies vaccinations.

Rabies is a “killed” vaccine and contains adjuvants to enhance the immunological response. Mercury (Thimersol) is commonly found as a preservative in killed, adjuvanted veterinary vaccines such as Rabies, Leptospira, and Lyme. The combination of mercury with adjuvant components (aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate) are of considerable concern because of the reactive properties of aluminum, when in contact with mercury. Reactivity with aluminum is so acute that mercury may not be packed in checked or carry-on baggage on commercial airplanes, and there is currently a petition to Congress Petition to Congress, Removal of Aluminum Additive in Vaccines Resolution and Petition, citing as cause for removing aluminum in human vaccines that: "The combination of mercury plus aluminum is far worse than the sum of the two toxicities added together. The synergistic toxicity could be increased to unknown levels."

In 1999, the World Health Organization " classified veterinary vaccine adjuvants as Class III/IV carcinogens with Class IV being the highest risk," and the results of a study published in the August 2003 Journal of Veterinary Medicine documenting fibrosarcomas at the presumed injection sites of rabies vaccines stated, “In both dogs and cats, the development of necrotizing panniculitis at sites of rabies vaccine administration was first observed by Hendrick & Dunagan (1992).” According to the 2003 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines, "...killed vaccines are much more likely to cause hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., immune-mediated disease)."

A clarification on the Postmarketing Surveillance of Rabies Vaccines for Dogs to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy referenced in the story. Only the 246 adverse reactions to the rabies vaccine reported directly to the Center for Veterinary Biologics by the public, veterinarians, and pet owners had 72% of the dogs receiving other vaccines or drugs at the same time as the rabies shot. That is not stated to be the case further on in the report where they discuss the 10,000 adverse reactions reported by the rabies vaccine manufacturers, 65% of which were in dogs.

If the 6,500 of canine adverse rabies vaccine reactions reported by the vaccine manufacturers represents "only about 1% of serious events are reported to the FDA,” then that would translate into 650,000 if all reactions were reported."

NO, there is no simple solution, but we can do some things to ensure we are not exposing our dogs to cancer causing things. Cancer seems to be so prevalent these days in many breeds of dogs. What can we do to AVOID cancer? Some simple but important ways are:

Feed a good, clean diet, with few to no preservatives, additives, or other suspect ingredients.

Give your dog filtered, or pure, clean well water. If you live in a municipality, please avoid giving your dog chlorinated water. Use a pure bottled water, if necessary. Chlorine is bad for people too, no matter what public officials have to say about it, so don't drink it yourselves!

Limit the vaccines you give your dog to only those that are necessary. See the below info from the Rabies Challenge Fund and you will be absolutely SHOCKED at what some vaccine adjuvants contain (mercury & aluminum). Adjuvants are what the vaccine components are mixed into, and our pets are being injected with the adjuvant as well as the immunology components.

Avoid all the TOXINS you can - don't use lawn chemicals, cleaning chemicals, etc. - and try to avoid letting your dog breathe in any kind of fumes or smoke in the environment.

Give your dog plenty of regular exercise.

If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, give your dog Transfer Factor!!