DOG OF THE MONTH B
illy is my name
and I’m a handsome fellow hop- ing to meet you. I’m a hurricane refugee given shelter from the storm by the Austin Humane Society. I am both house- and crate- trained and am an active guy. T ey are treating me great, but I sure would like my own home.
To learn more about Billy or other pets to adopt, email Adoption@
AustinHumaneSociety.org or visit
AustinHumaneSociety.org. To donate, visit
AustinHumaneSociety.org/give.
natural pet
Cancer-Free Pets Five Ways to Help
Keep Them Healthy by Karen Shaw Becker
can do you good CHANGE
Join the Natural Awakenings Franchise Family
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For more info, visit:
NaturalAwakenings.com
eterinarians are seeing cancer in more and younger pets these days than ever before. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, approximately one in four dogs will develop cancer at some point in life, including almost half of dogs over the age of 10. But taking practical steps can help lower a pet’s risk.
Don’t allow a dog or cat to become overweight. Studies show that restricting the number of calories an animal eats prevents and/or delays the progression of tumor development across species. Fewer calories cause the cells of the body to block tumor growth, whereas too many calories can lead to obesity, which is closely linked to increased cancer risk in humans. T ere’s a connection between too much glucose, increased insulin sensitivity, infl am-
mation and oxidative stress, all factors in obesity and cancer. It’s important to remember that fat doesn’t just sit in a pet’s body harmlessly—it produces infl ammation that can pro- mote tumor development.
Feed an anti-infl ammatory diet.Anything that creates or promotes infl ammation in the body increases the risk for cancer. Current research suggests cancer is actually a chronic in- fl ammatory disease fueled by carbohydrates. T e infl ammatory process creates an environ- ment in which abnormal cells proliferate. Cancer cells require the glucose in carbohydrates to grow and multiply, so work to
eliminate this cancer energy source. Carbs to remove from a pet’s diet include processed grains, fruits with fructose and starchy vegetables like potatoes. Keep in mind that all dry pet food (“fast food”) contains some form of potentially car-
cinogenic, highly processed starch. It may be grain-free, but it can’t be starch-free because it’s not possible to manufacture kibble without using some type of starch. T e correlation between consuming fast foods and cancer has been established in humans, so it’s wise to
24 Austin Area Edition
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