Good nutrition goes hand in hand with quality of life. Indeed, good nutritional support has been shown in people and in animals to not only improve quality of life, but also length of life by enhancing the beneficial effects of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy while at the same time reducing the side effects of these therapies. You can play a key roll in enhancing your pet's quality of life by providing good nutritional support. 

The first question many people ask is, "What do I feed my pet with cancer?" The answer is quite simple: anything your pet will eat! But if your pet will eat, then you and your veterinarian should develop a dietary plan that will benefit your special pet. While the ideal cancer diet for the pet is not known, there are some simple concepts that can be followed: 

 Provide a diet with good aroma and taste.

 Minimize simple carbohydrates (starches and sugars).

 Provide a diet that has high quality protein sources (meat, fish).

 Whenever possible, consider enhancing the levels of n-3 fatty acids, such as DHA. Read more about DHA in our educational DHA brochure. 

Treating a Finicky Appetite

 Providing a variety of fresh foods that are very tasty and smell good to dogs and cats. Warming the food to just below body temperature can enhance the appeal of many foods. Cats are intermittent eaters; hence, food should be available to them throughout the day. 

 Work with your veterinary health care team to prevent and treat any discomfort. A pet that is painful will often not show interest in eating. 

 Work with your veterinary health care team to prevent and treat nausea. 

 Work with your veterinary health care team to prevent and treat dehydration. A dehydrated pet will often have a poor appetite. Your veterinarian may teach you how to administer fluids under the skin to prevent or to treat dehydration. 

 When the above has not worked, consider the addition of appetite stimulants as prescribed by your veterinarian.

 Do not change the diet at the same time as chemotherapy, or as other drugs are administered if these drugs have the chance of causing nausea. This results in "food aversion" where your pet may associate the uncomfortable feeling with the food rather than the true culprit, chemotherapy, or other drugs or procedures.

When oral intake is not possible, assisted tube feeding is a great option to enhance both quality and length of life. This method also ensures you can give medicines, fluids and nutrition without worrying if your pet will eat or not. Assisted tube feeding is the placement of a small tube into the esophagus (in the neck), stomach (gastrostomy tube) or intestine (jejunostomy tube) to allow the non-painful administration of food, water and medicine. The key is to begin this assisted tube feeding before significant weight loss is observed. These assisted tube feeding techniques should be considered as a great way of preventing any decline in your pet's health and should be used early in the course of your pet's disease. You must be an advocate for your pet: Don't hesitate to contact your veterinary health care team to discuss the importance of nutritional care of your pet. 

The Internet and other sources of information are brimming with promises of the health benefits of a wide variety of dietary supplements. Most are unfounded and unproven, but your veterinary health care team welcomes discussion of any treatments that may help your pet. We strongly urge you to discuss any and all treatments or supplements with your veterinarian before you administer them.