How Canine Biologics’ supplements and wild-caught salmon oil help dogs with cancer
Wild-caught Alaskan salmon oil is a great addition to the diet of any dog. It supports the hormonal changes that soothe and relieve flaky and itchy skin. It reduces arthritic pain. It relieves allergies. It helps to give your dog a silky coat.
That's because fish oil is an abundant source of omega-3 fatty acids. These are specialized kinds of fat that originate in the blue-green algae that feed marine life in the cold waters of the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. They are increasingly concentrated as you move up the food chain, and there are especially high concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in salmon.
DHA is a building block of cell membranes in growing tissues, while EPA is a building block of the hormone a dog's (or a human's) body makes to regulate inflammation. Dogs, like humans, can't make DHA and EPA on their own. They need to get these essential fatty acids from their diet - and getting DHA and EPA is especially important for dogs that have cancer.
Why wild-caught Alaskan salmon oil?
The DHA and EPA in wild-caught Alaskan salmon oil perform a very important task in dogs that may have had a less than optimal diet most of their lives. They bring the immune system back into balance.
Omega-3 fatty acids aren't the only fatty acids that a dog's immune system needs. The canine immune system also needs omega-6 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are important materials for the hormones that regulate inflammation. Omega-6 fatty acids are building blocks for the hormones that initiate inflammation.
Inflammation isn't always a bad thing. It's the immune system's main tool for fighting infection. A problem arises when there's too much inflammation because the diet contains an overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids, out of balance with omega-3. Grains that are used to make dry dog food are loaded with omega-6 fatty acids.
A dog's body needs equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Dry dog food delivers about 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon oil helps restore the balance.
How omega-3 fatty acids help dogs with cancer
Getting omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in balance again isn't a cure for cancer. Your dog will need the best veterinary oncology care available. Diet is supportive, not curative.
A Canine Biologics diet and the best veterinary care work together to give your dog a happy, active life for as long as possible in several well-documented ways:
- One of the problems in both canine cancer and canine cancer treatment is loss of appetite. Dogs just don't want to eat. The tasty, nutritious food and supplements from Canine Biologics are designed to stimulate your dog's appetite so that your dog wants to eat more.
- Omega-6's and omega-3's are frequently out of balance in obese dogs. If your dog had a weight problem before developing cancer, it is especially important to offer salmon oil supplements.
- Excessive omega-6 fatty acids help tumors become more aggressive. They consume healthy tissues around them to build their own blood supply through the process of angiogenesis. Tumors that build their own blood vessels can drain nutrients needed by the rest of the body and send cancer cells into the bloodstream.
- Dogs with cancer lose muscle mass because they don't exercise as much. They also lose muscle mass due to the process of cachexia. Cancer cells need specific amino acids to make copies of themselves, so they break down heathy tissues to get them. Omega-3 essential fatty acids counteract both types of muscle loss.
- Some kinds of chemotherapy, like doxorubicin, may be lifesaving but also highly toxic to heart tissue. Omega-3 essential fatty acids help protect the heart muscle from chemotherapy damage without interfering with treatment.
Essential fatty acids often get out of balance in dogs that have been fed commercial dry dog food for many years. If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, however, a special canine cancer diet is required. Canine Biologics’ three-part approach to nutrition – human grade food, high-quality supplements, and wild-caught Alaskan salmon oil – can help your dog live as happy and active as possible.