Raw milk and chemo (dog)?

June 28, 2005

I am going to ask this on some dog lists, but I think that I'll have a

better chance of getting an answer here.

I have seen the warnings on raw dairy products cautioning people on

chemo (and the sick, young, immunocompromised, etc) to avoid raw milk

products. I've always thought it was ridiculous, especially since my

raw milk, Organic Pastures, tests out cleaner than pasteurized milk.

But my dog Raven has osteosarcoma and is currently undergoing

chemotherapy. It suddenly occurred to me that I have no real idea why

raw foods are proscribed for those on chemo - I've just been assuming

it had to do with immunesuppression but you know what they say about

assumptions.

Raven is drinking copious amounts of raw milk (Organic Pastures is

grass fed as well as organic and raw, although I'm not positive that

they dont' do some seasonal supplementation with grains) and eating

some raw cheese (some grass fed, some organic, but not all... but it

is all raw). These are the two foods she most wants, and she wants a

LOT of them. She'll take some cod liver oil from time to time, nibbles

on raw beef and calves' liver but not much, shows minimal enthusiasm

for most other foods, even other dairy foods such as cottage cheese,

kefir, and yogurt. What she wants is raw milk, by the gallon.

Any reason anyone can think of for her not to do this? I tend to want

to let her eat what she wants, because my dogs have been raw-fed their

whole lives, have almost never had grains, and I do trust her

instincts. I just want to get some feedback on this from people who

aren't part of the Food Safety Cabal. <G>

Thanks!

Christie

Caber Feidh ish Deerhounds

Holistically Raising Our Dogs Since 1986

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