Magic Mushrooms – Cancer Support for Pets December 19, 2012

Solgar’s Reishi, Shiitake, Maiake Mushroom Extract

Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake mushrooms are terrific for supporting the immune system in a dog or cat that has cancer.

The polysaccharides (a large carbohydrate molecule) in these mushrooms have immunostimulating and antitumor activity.  Mushrooms can also increase the body’s resistance to disease, enhance vitality, and improve response to everyday stress.

 

Shiitake mushrooms contain a polysaccharide known as lentinan.  This mushroom is very popular in Japan and China and is considered an elixir of life.  In Japan it is commonly used as an addition to conventional cancer treatments and studies have shown that patients receiving lentinan have longer survival times, better immune system function, and better quality of life.  Some mice studies have also shown this mushroom to be useful in cancer prevention.

 

Maitake mushrooms contain B-glucans which have antibacterial and antitumor activity.  There have have be studies that have shown improved bone marrow health which is vital in natural cancer treatment.  This enhanced immune function comes about from activating macrophages which function to attack foreign material in the body including cancer cells.  T-cells and natural killer (NK) cells are also enhanced and these cell types can directly destroy cancer cells.  Another interesting property of this mushroom is that it can decrease the toxicity of a common chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin.

Note: Caution should taken if using this mushroom in a diabetic pet as it can increase insulin levels and decrease blood sugar levels.  Use Maitake mushrooms in these patients is still beneficial but should only be used under veterinary supervision. 

 

MediHerb (part of Standard Process) is one of my favorite companies because of there excellent quality control and research.  Their product is called Ganoderma & Shiitake and is an excellent choice for mushroom therapy.  This product is only available through medical professionals

Other products that I use in my practice are Vetri Science’s Maitake-DMG Liquid™ and Solgar’s Reishi Shiitake Maitake Mushroom Extract Vegetable Capsules.  The Vetri Science mushroom product is great for my patients like cats that don’t tolerate taking pills because of its liquid formulation.  The Solgar product utilizes both whole mushrooms and mushroom extracts.

 

The dosage I use depends on the type of cancer and the overall health of my patient. A typical safe starting does in any case is around 10mg per pound.  Other than the potential for Maitake mushrooms to decrease blood sugar, I don’t typically see any side-effects from using mushrooms. The biggest thing to watch for are GI problems like vomiting or diarrhea.

 

I hope that this information may prove useful to you and your pet.  Please call Marmalade & Mobile Vet at  (856) 375-1314 if you’d like to schedule an appointment for your pet for alternative cancer treatment or cancer support either with or without chemotherapy.

 

Peace, love, and plenty of tail wags~

Jennifer Forsyth, VMD

Robo Jerry (I know he looks real, but Jerry is a really a high tech robot) March 9, 2012

 

Just in case you’ve been wondering where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing this past week …

 

"Robo Jerry" - a life-like dog CPR robot

 

I was at the Penn Conference attending lectures on cardiology, ophthalmology, pain management, and emergency medicine.  The best part was Robo Jerry!  I had a lab this afternoon where I got to practice my life saving CPR skills on a robot named Robo Jerry.  I participated in two cardiac arrest scenarios: the first “dog” was an older German Shepherd Dog that collapsed from heart disease and the second “dog” was a one year old Pitbull that was hit by a car.  I was able to  perform CPR, inject life saving drugs, charge up the defibrillator paddles, and yell “clear.”  And all on a life-like mannequin that has a heart beat, breathes, and has a pulse.  Very cool!

 

You’ll be happy to know that both of my “dogs” were resuscitated successfully 🙂

 

peace, love, and plenty of tail wags ~

Why I Blog January 12, 2012

I’m starting this blog to help pet owners improve the quality of their pet’s lives by improving their health through the use of holistic medicine.  I’m looking forward to connecting with my clients on a regular basis and helping them to help their dogs and cats live healthier lives through natural means.  I will be posting my some exciting stuff in the future about my views on vaccines, what I feed my dogs, simple home remedies, and of course photos.