What are Tumors?

Finding any sort of lump or bump on your pet can be a very scary moment, and often the first thing that comes to mind is that dreaded word “cancer”. While it is always a good idea to have worrisome lumps checked out buy your pet’s veterinarian, keep in mind that not all lumps are tumors and not all tumors are cancerous.

Tumors are abnormal growths of body tissue and they can either be classified as cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). Cancerous tumors can spread at a rapid rate and can metastasize to other areas of the body. Common malignant tumors in pets include mammary gland tumors, mast cell tumors, oral tumors, malignant melanoma and fibrosarcoma. While hearing that your pet has a malignant tumor can be devastating, the good news is that with early detection and prompt treatment, even some of the more serious tumors can be successfully treated.

Benign tumors on the other hand are less serious as they generally stay in one place and do not have the ability to metastasize to other areas of the body. However, some benign tumors can grow to mammoth proportions and when they are left untreated they can eventually cause serious complications.

One of the most common tumors seen in vet rooms is lipomas which are benign soft tissue tumors composed of fatty tissue. Usually found under the skin, these growths are painless and in many cases completely harmless to your pet.

What Causes Tumors?

Tumors occur when there is a problem with the way in which cells of the body divide. Cell division is a strictly controlled process, with new cells being created to replace old cells, and damaged cells, dying so that they can be replaced. However, when this balance is disturbed, a tumor can develop.

While a clear cause of a tumor is not always known, there are a few known contributing factors. Among these are a lowered immune system, obesity, genetic problems, and excessive exposure to sunlight. Poor diet, environmental toxicity and exposure to toxins such as cigarette smoke have also been known to cause tumors.

Diagnosing Tumors

Whatever the suspected cause, all foreign growths found on your pet should be taken seriously and a trip to the vet is necessary. Your veterinarian will examine your pet and the tumor, if it is an external one, and may ask you a number of questions about other possible symptoms.

After this, your vet may suggest a biopsy which is usually necessary to determine if the growth is cancerous. Depending on the case, this can be done with either a simple needle biopsy, or by having the tumor removed and biopsied post-operatively. Once a definite diagnosis has been made, your veterinarian can advise what treatment options would best suit your pet.

Help for Tumors

The treatment of tumors depends entirely on the type of tumor and the severity. Small benign tumors such as lipomas that are not growing and are not causing your pet any discomfort may simply be monitored regularly, while other tumors require swift surgical removal and possibly further treatments if the tumor was cancerous.

Conventional Treatments

• Surgery – Many tumors whether malignant or benign require surgical removal either to prevent any cancerous cells from spreading to other areas of the body or in the case of benign tumors, to prevent excessive growth and damage to surrounding tissue.
• Chemotherapy – If the tumor is found to be malignant then chemotherapy may be recommended. This type of treatment involves administering doses of certain chemicals that are highly toxic to fast developing cells thereby killing off cancer cells in the body.
• Radiation – Also used when dealing with cancerous tumors, radiation therapy works by killing cancer cells and shrinking the tumor. Radiation therapy works by destroying cells in the area being treated by damaging their DNA or genetic material thus making it impossible for these cells to grow and divide.

Natural Remedies

Our domestic pets do not have access to all the herbs and natural ingredients necessary for healthy immune systems, and so it is up to us pet owners to provide these for our pets. While tumors are serious and often require conventional treatments, there are many natural ingredients which have immune strengthening properties and which have the ability to cleanse the system and support healthy cells in the body.

• Echinacea purpurea is a well-known herb that acts as a tonic for the immune system and lymphatic system. Other herbs with immune supporting properties include Astragalus membranaceous, and Mistletoe, while Milk Thistle and Indian ginseng both act as restorative and revitalizing tonic herbs.
• Thymex is great for dissolving fatty tumors although it needs to be taken for several months. My human patients say that the lump tingles after they take it. Since lipomas are thought to be low-grade staph infections, it would make sense that a product stimulating the thymus gland would work to get rid of these over time.

Because tumors are often surgically removed, the medicinal qualities of homeopathic ingredients such as Arnica (30C) and Calendula (30C) can go a long way in assisting the swift recovery of your pet. These natural ingredients work by supporting the body’s own natural restorative functions while having a tonic effect on the skin, bones, muscles and connective tissue.

The Natural Way

Thankfully you can put in place strategies to support healthy immune functioning and protect your pet from some of the risk factors of urban living. These include:

• Make sure that your pet has plenty of clean, filtered water. Cats can be fussy drinkers and may only want to drink from a running tap, out of your glass of water or from rain puddles.
• Ensure your pet is eating a balanced, high-quality diet with plenty of raw and unprocessed food, (preferably organic), and avoid onions and chocolate, as they can be toxic to animals.
• Try and limit the use of pesticides and herbicides and make your house a no-smoking zone. Your pets need to have healthy lungs as well – and the whole household will benefit.
• Talk to a holistic vet before immunizing your pet every year. Conventional over-vaccination may stress the immune system unnecessarily, leading to negative side effects.
• Food and water bowls should be made of glass, stainless steel or porcelain and not plastic. Wash your pet’s water bowl and food bowls regularly using hot water. Make sure to rinse them well, so not to leave any harmful chemical residue behind.
• Exercise, exercise, exercise! A good ball throwing session in the park or a catnip mouse ‘seek and destroy mission’ will benefit your pet, as a fit, healthy pet is less likely to develop illness.
• Provide your pet with the herbs he would usually eat in the wild. These could include liver-cleansing herbs like Milk Thistle and Dandelion, and immune system tonics like Echinacea and Astragalus.

Not all tumors can be prevented, however by promoting a healthy life-style in your pet and by following a few precautionary measures the chances of some tumors as well as other cancers can be reduced. Keep your dog on healthy eating.

List of Natural Alternatives:

Natural antioxidant and immune system remedy for dogs and cats to boost immunity and flush toxins for complete cellular health.

• Strengthens immune system function
• Promotes a healthy appetite
• Supports healthy energy levels and vitality
• Maintains health in all organs, tissue and cells
• Supports healthy waste and toxin elimination
• Easy to administer vege capsules
• Safe for cats and dogs

C-caps contain a combination of especially selected herbs known for their immune tonic properties, ability to support vitality and health and for cleansing and purifying actions. Each supports health in all cells, tissues, and organs in the body. Many of these herbs have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and subjected to clinical research.

Natural herbs for both humans and animals.

• Ligaplex II - Keeps hip tendons and ligaments in place.
• Cardio plus - Great for congestive heart failure and making heart murmurs go away.
• Riboneucleic Acid - Keeps brain “electric” for testing and helps thyroid stimulating hormone convert to the active form.
• Organic Minerals and Whole Desiccated Adrenal – For testing or deep thinking.
• Albaplex - Natural form of amoxicillin that can be taken for months with no adverse side effects and no damage to the gut flora that usually results in yeast infections. Great for dissolving sebaceous cysts and clearing up chronic bladder problems.
• Antronex - Natural form of antihistamine.
• Arginex and Renatrophin PMG - Wonderful for cats with progressive renal failure. I’ve kept a lot of cats alive for more years than they should have been with this product. These types of supplements taste pretty good to animals, so it’s not too much of a hassle to get them to take them.
• Bio-Dent - Great product for tightening the teeth in their sockets, for pyorrhea (inflamed and infected gums) and for making the teeth strong.
• Cal-Amo - Used for recharging the lymphatic system and alkalizing the body.
• Cal-Ma Plus - Protomorphogens for broken bones and bone deformities. It contains whole desiccated parathyroid to draw the calcium into the bones much more effectively than taking calcium supplements by themselves. This is a miracle product. There was a case where a puppy had a broken bone in its front foreleg. One bone had been damaged (the ulna on the inside of the leg), but the other bone (radius on the outside) had not been damaged. As the leg grew, the damaged bone would not grow and the healthy bone grew twice as long causing the leg to curl inward. Just 2 months of this supplement completely repaired and straightened out the leg.
• Catalyn - Great overall natural vitamin made of whole foods and used often with other supplements.
• Cataplex E2 - Great for those with heart problems and chest pains that come and go. Acts as a natural nitro glycerin.
• Cataplex GTF and Paraplex - Great protomorphogens and cytosol extracts for supporting those with diabetes. It really helps to stabilize the blood sugar levels and helps some to cut back on their cravings. The herb Gymnema is also a good supplement to help with sugar cravings.
• Chezyn - Great for eye problems, especially for the repair of retinal degeneration. I’ve helped many people repair detached retinas with this product as well. Also used to repair a cerebral aneurysm and an aortic aneurysm.
• Choline - Great for liquefying the bile coming out of the gallbladder. It clears up belching, hiccups, and nightmares.
• Collinsonia Root - Wonderful product for those with hemorrhoids. Also see the hemorrhoid exercise that Edgar Cayce channeled while he was still living.
• Cyruta Plus and Folic Acid B-12 - Wonderful products for healing those aged and wise bodies that bruise easily. Folic Acid B-12 is also good for pregnant mothers.
• Hypothalamus PMG - Great protomorphogens for those people whose memory has been damaged after car accidents or falls that involve head trauma. The theory is that it repairs the fraying of the hypothalamic stalk. Also good for vision problems (like double vision).
• Immuplex - Great for upper respiratory problems in cats. Give about 1/2 capsule/day.
• Inositol - Good brain sugar. Specifically feeds the brain stem.
• Min-Chex - Wonderful for animals (and people) who have Petit Mal seizures.
• Min-Tran - Very effective natural tranquilizer.
• Oculotrophin PMG - Protomorphogens that help with glaucoma. (Note: Acupuncture is a good backup.)
• Okra Pepsin E2 - Coats the stomach for those with peptic ulcers.
• Parotid PMG - These protomorphogens help to process and remove chemicals from the body, especially those cases where the palms are bright red.
• Pneumotrophin PMG - A note about lung glandulars and protomorphogens. Some people will respond to these with a mild bronchitis or allergic reaction. This is common for this particular glandular. Pneumotrophin is used for emphysema and lung damage, but when used for asthma we need to start out with smaller doses and work up to a larger dose over a period of weeks.
• Prostate PMG - Prostate protomorphogens to help repair any kind of prostate damage including benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer.
• Spleen PMG - A protomorphogen great for repairing the immune system. Has been used successfully in treating Lupus.
• Symplex F - Wonderful support for women during perimenopause, menopause and for those seeking natural hormone replacement therapies. Symplex F contains extracts of pituitary to keep those hormones balanced, as well as thyroid, adrenal and ovarian tissue protomorphogens.
• Thymex - Great for dissolving fatty tumors although it needs to be taken for several months. The lump tingles once the pill has been taken. Since lipomas are thought to be low-grade staph infections, it would make sense that a product stimulating the thymus gland would work to get rid of these over time.
• Thymus PMG - Thymus protomorphogens excellent for stimulating the body’s own immunity. Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in cats is thought to be incurable… Not with this product.
• Thytrophin PMG - Thyroid protomorphogens help to repair the thyroid gland and is especially good for Hashimoto’s and Graves disease as it repairs the gland and acts as a decoy so that the body’s antibodies glom onto the product and not the body’s thyroid hormone.
• Wheat germ oil - Treats infertility in both men and women. It helps dilate both the fallopian tubes and seminiferous tubules allowing connection of the sperm with the egg.