A lowered immune system is one of the most common problems afflicting today’s dogs and cats. The condition is often manifested through skin allergies, sensitivities, compromised ability to fight off infections, and cancer. Cancer is perhaps the best reflection of lowered immune defenses.
Every person’s or animal’s immunity deteriorates as the body ages. As it deteriorates, it doesn’t always catch everything it should, which is what happens with cancer.
Cancer is the result of damaged cells in the body. They can arise from any tissue anywhere. When immunity is working correctly, it easily identifies these damaged cells and destroys them. When it isn’t working well, these cells slip by and grow locally or spread throughout and metastasize.
This is why cancer rates go up as a human or pet ages. This is why we are seeing more cancer in our dogs and cats. They are simply receiving better medical care than they once did and are living longer and better lives.
For our pets’ health, the best course of action is to keep all systems functioning well throughout their lives. Feeding high quality food, providing plenty of exercise, and giving supplements aimed at boosting immunity all help.
If a pet does develop cancer, especially in older age, this is a time when supplementation becomes a vital part of the treatment. But to only treat the cancer is a mistake that often occurs. Unfortunately, conventional cancer treatments often kill off the patient’s immune system. Many times the victim doesn’t actually die from cancer but from a compromised immune response that cannot fight off an infection such as pneumonia.
Supplements aimed at immunity support combined with supplements for cancer care are the preferred way to go. These can be used alone or combined with conventional, allopathic attempts to treat cancer – like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. They work in a synergistic way.
For example, medicinal mushrooms like maitake, reishi, and shiitake are ingredients in immuno-modulators like Primalix Immune® Herbal Extract, Functional Food DropsTM which balances cat and dog immune systems. Medicinal mushrooms are proven cancer fighters. In fact, Japan has officially recognized them as a proven and essential part of successful cancer treatment, and many studies have been conducted to demonstrate their efficacy.
Other herbal components like dandelion root stimulate appetite and act to boost the absorption of nutrients. While herbal supplementation is a big part of immuno-modulation, it is also a vital element when dealing with cancer patients who often experience lack of appetite and weight loss.
Cancer should be thought of as an invader in a pet’s body. We can take aim and try to kill it, but if we don’t also work to stimulate the pet’s own immune defenses, our course of treatment might not be too effective. Working to treat cancer goes hand in hand with immunity boosting. Supplements like Primalix Immune® and Primalix C-Care® act together to reinvigorate the immune system and fight off the cancer.
Supplementation should always be discussed with your holistic veterinarian, and should be part of a healthy lifestyle that includes high quality food, exercise, and lots of human affection.