How important are complementary therapies for pets with cancer? My dog, Dallas, was recently diagnosed with bone cancer. I still want to do chemotherapy but thought something to boost her immune system would be helpful.

Cancer is one of the more common diseases that bring owners to seek complementary therapies. As is true with people, pets with cancer can benefit from proper supplementation and nutritional support.

Here’s the way I look at it: If your pet has a bad immune system, no matter how much chemotherapy is given, the prognosis is very poor, and the pet is unlikely to improve. After all, though chemotherapy can quickly kill cancer cells, ultimately the immune system must clean up what’s left and prevent the cancer from regrowing and spreading.

I have found a lot of success by combining a conventional approach with a number of complementary immune-boosting supplements. I also use a detoxification protocol at the start of therapy, prescribe an anti-cancer diet, stop vaccines, minimize other chemicals and treat any other diseases that are present.

I encourage you to talk with your doctor about a similar approach. I believe that Dallas will have a better chance at recovery if you use an integrative approach such as the one I recommend and use on my patients.

— Dr. Shawn P. Messonnier is a veterinarian and pet care advocate.