"Vitamin B12 is a specific cancer preventative and is best found in the herb Comfrey"

anyone know if the above is true??

Gemsx

Sorry don't know if it is true but will ask brackens cancer vet when I see her next month.  She did tell me to make sure bracken has as selenium and a dark green vegetable in her meals each day.

Which specific cancer is it supposed to prevent?

Haven't heard of this relating to cancer, but I have used cold comfrey tea as a compress for swellings (humans and dogs)
Lorna

i give all mine vit b and that didnt stop rush and harley from dieing from the big c in april 2002

oh im sorry briedog! i think ive seen pics of rush and harley, beautiful, im so very sorry.

i just heard it from someone and thought great, but i didnt know what to think so i thought id ask you lot.

Gemsx

its supposed to prevent all kinds, but if thats true, we wouldnt keep loosing our best friends.
i can only suggest it might reduce the chances??

Be *very* careful of comfrey - although it has a good historical use for broken bones (hence its name 'bone-set') and skin slow to heal, these same qualities may precipitate cell change in the body which in turn may create favourable conditions for cancer. Personally, I would never use comfrey on myself or anyone else - it's best in the hands of a professional experienced herbalist. :)

Jo

I agree with the other Jo - I used it on a fractured Jaw in a young pup, and the bones went crazy - they certainly healed, then were overstimulated to such an extent that the jaw bones fused, and the poor pup couldn't open his mouth.   He needed a 4 hour operation to free the bone.

This was quite a long time ago now, but it made me very wary of home cures .

As far as cancer is concerned,  I know it's heart-breaking, but unfortunately you have to acknowledge that with our present knowledge you make our friends comfortable for as long as you can, then have to be very brave at the end.

I lost my beloved Birdie to synovial sarcoma last Thursday, and am still reeling.   It was months before a diagnosis was made (it's an unusual cancer), and it's particularly hard on us, as it seems to be  intermittant , and she had very good days, which we remember.    She was helped with homeopathic treament under strict supervision, but there was no cure. :-(

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

So sorry to hear about Birdie, Jo. Every dog owner in the world knows what you're going through.  :(  :(

I'm extremely interested in the field of herbalism, but like you would be very reluctant to experiment with any but the most common home remedies - mainly because herbs etc can be incredibly potent and are certainly not a soft option. There is a lot of interesting research out there on the effectiveness of natural substances for preventing/combating cancer - (ie shitake/maitake mushrooms) but as far as I'm aware the only clinical trials held have been in relation to the disease in humans, not on animals. Unfortunately, the big drug companies (who fund most of today's research) are not interested in anything they can't patent, so testing the efficacy of herbs isn't their number one priority.

It'll happen though!

Take care Jo - sending some positive vibes your way. :)

Thanks for the vibes Jo - it does help to think someone else is with you!

I've mostly used homeopathy myself, in conjunction with conventional treatment for problems as and when necessary and providing there is no contra-indication for its use.

I'm sure that you have to be even more careful of interactions with herbal remedies, and would be interested to hear of any recommended books/work recommended on herbal treatment of canine ailments.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Hi Jo

Can't help on the book front I'm afraid (at least not for canine-related problems) - so if you ever come across one let me know!

Jo

Hi 2 Jo`s :) Juliette de Bairacli Levy is a pioneer of herbalism, used to write for Our Dogs & went to court to stop one of her books being banned! The Complete Herbal Handbook for Dogs, The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm & Stables & The Illustrated Herbal Handbook are some of the books she has written., along with her well used & very successful, Cure for Canine Distemper & Hard Pad.  She is a renowned breeder of the champion, world famous Afghan hounds, named *Turkuman*. She promotes Natural Rearing. I`ve put a few links about her below if you want to read more.

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m2465/4_31/74583518/p1/article.jhtml
http://www.ddavids.com/juliette.asp
http://www.julietteoftheherbs.com/juliette.htm
http://www.tvguide.com/movies/database/showmovie.asp?MI=43960

Christine, Spain.

Thanks Christine, only just seen this post. V interesting!

Jo

I've got to be honest - I've heard about a million and one different supposed "miracle cures" for cancer, or preventatives - truth is there is no proof that they work. I have had people email me left, right and centre offering us miracle cures for Ruby who is dying of cancer, and I'm beginning to find it pretty offensive considering we know she's dying no matter what we do. I might just be tetchy though! No offense intended to Gems.

Had to come back to this post - cant edit it so am replying to myself (first sign of madness :D ). Wanted to amend my original post to say that those who offered us supportive help and ideas for treatment not cures were very much appreciated - there were quite a few and we will be forever indebted. I didnt want my post to look like I was slating alternative therapies at all (because we're actually using several! the post did come across as meaning that, so wanted to change it) - I was meaning the term "miracle cure" can be offensive. Now the same offer of the same help with "possible help" replacing the words "miracle cure" I can understand and be thankful for. It just upsets me that people (including me) can really get their hopes up on something that might well be thought to help cancer patients, but not be a "miracle cure". There is no "miracle cure" for cancer. :(

I heard from my chiropractor today that Vitamin B17 is a fantastic preventative for humans and dogs.