Pet Care : cats
Nutrition for the Cancer Patient
Cancer is a disease that most of us are familiar with. We are either survivors or know someone who is a survivor or someone who lost the battle with this dreadful disease. Most of the cancers that affect people can also affect our beloved furry companions. As dogs and cats live longer and longer, they are more likely to develop cancer.
Recently, investigations into dietary effects on the survival of pets battling cancer have been made. There is some interesting study about certain cancers and how they are affected by nutrition.
Pets with cancer often develop a condition called cancer cachexia. This simply means that the pet is losing body condition despite adequate calorie intake. Pets that are undergoing chemotherapy may not feel very well and may not eat as well as they should. Chemotherapy in pets is much different than it is for humans. Much lower doses are used so they don’t lose their hair and are seldom ill with vomiting. Keeping pets that are ill (no matter what is causing their illness) in good body condition helps them recover more quickly.
Composition of the diet plays a role in this equation. Cancers are most able to use carbohydrates as an energy source, so low carbohydrate diets are best for cancer patients. Diets are made up of protein, fat, moisture, ash, fiber, and carbohydrates. In traditional pet foods, carbohydrates make up the biggest percentage of the diet. If we lower the percentage of carbohydrates, we must add higher percentages of some other category or categories. We don’t want to raise the ash or fiber, so this leaves protein, fat, and moisture. Most dry pet foods are less than 10% moisture to help prevent mold from developing in the bag. So, raising the moisture is not really an option either. Protein and fat are typically the two nutrients that are present in higher quantities. This helps the patient by restricting carbohydrates that are available to the cancer. Increasing the fat content helps provide more calories to the pet to help prevent cancer cachexia. Fat is also the nutrient that cancer cells are least able to use for energy.
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for keeping many systems of the body in ideal condition. These important substances are known to inhibit the growth of tumors and enhance the body’s ability to fight the cancer by stimulating the immune system. Many pet foods contain ratios of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids of 5:1 to 10:1. Recommended for cancer patients is a ratio as low as 3:1. Therefore, a supplement of omega-3 fatty acids may be required.
Arginine is an amino acid that is essential for cats and conditionally essential for dogs. This means that cats must obtain arginine from their diets, while dogs require it in their diets only in certain situations. Cancer may just be one of those situations. Arginine enhances the immune system by stimulating T-cells (one of the types of cells that is responsible for attacking foreign invaders). The mechanism behind this is not very well understood. Arginine may also suppress tumor growth, like omega-3 fatty acids.
Vitamins may affect cancer as well, particularly the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. The Vitamin A family may be responsible for impeding the cancer’s ability to develop new cells. Vitamin C is a water- soluble vitamin that has been studied extensively. Despite the numerous studies, there is little scientific proof that vitamin C is as effective as many people believe. Vitamin E is the most promising of the three vitamins, with scientific proof that it interferes with cancer and enhances the immune system.
Minerals have beneficial and detrimental effects on the cancer patient. Selenium and zinc have the ability to block the development of cancer in rodents. Iron is required by most cancers to grow and multiply. So, restricting iron intake may help slow the process.
It is critical to provide the patient with adequate calories and nutrition to maintain body condition. This may not be possible without other methods of feeding (besides oral). Tubes can be placed into the esophagus, stomach, or directly into the small intestine to provide nutrients directly to the gastrointestinal tract. This is especially true in cases of mouth cancer or facial cancer. Working closely with a veterinarian to develop a treatment plan is critical. Focusing on nutrition is just as important as the surgical or medical treatments that are involved.
Please note that this information does not replace professional veterinary care. It is solely for educational purposes. Your pet's medical condition should be evaluated by a veterinarian before any medical decisions are implemented. If there is a potentially life-threatening emergency involving your pet, take your pet to a veterinarian or veterinary facility immediately.