Protect your pet. (petcare).

Learning that a beloved pet has cancer can be as traumatic as hearing the same news about a relative--but don't despair. There are many alternative therapies and approaches available for pets with cancer, in addition to conventional surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. And new treatments for even the deadliest forms of canine and feline cancers are on the horizon.

For example, anti-angiogenic drugs, first used on humans in 1992, show great promise as cancer treatments for both humans and pets. These drugs contain organic and synthetic molecules that restrict the growth of blood vessels on which tumors rely for nutrients. In some cases, researchers have been able to completely halt the spread of cancer using anti-angiogenic drugs.

A growing number of pet owners are turning to alternative cancer therapies such as the use of herbs, acupuncture, touch therapy, homeopathy and naturopathy. Although there's little scientific data to support these modalities, they can ease pain and provide comfort for your pet.

More importantly, however, there are steps you can take while your pet is still healthy to significantly cut cancer risks.

For starters, spaying and neutering can greatly reduce the risk of cancer in dogs. Female dogs spayed before the first heat cycle have only half the risk of mammary carcinoma of those spayed after the first heat cycle. And neutering male dogs by the time they're a year old virtually eliminates the risk of testicular cancer.

Perhaps one of the best preventative measures is to carefully consider what you feed your pet. Many commercial pet foods contain inferior ingredients, including meat from diseased animals and the dregs of the rendering business. In addition, the ingredients in commercial pet foods are loaded with hormones, antibiotics and chemicals to ensure the products' long shelf life, and many are highly carcinogenic because of them.

If you can, cook for your pet. If you don't have the time, you can feed your pet a high-quality commercial food that contains only human-grade--and preferably organic--ingredients. (See "Bone Appetit," BN August 2002, p. 32.)