About Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM

Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM, the “Dog Cancer Vet” of www.dogcancerblog.com has been deep in the trenches of canine cancer for over a decade.

Deeply disturbed by the skyrocketing cancer rates in man’s best friend, Dr. Dressler has been preoccupied — his wife Allison would say “obsessed” — with finding cancer treatments that really work in real dogs — and go beyond chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

Why? Because the treatments he learned in veterinary school are sometimes toxic to dogs and don’t succeed as often as they should.

Dr. Dressler’s rigorously scientific “Full Spectrum Approach” to dog cancer includes not just the traditional treatments from veterinary medicine … there’s more, retrieved from every corner of the globe.

Written with a “show me the proof” attitude from a graduate of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine — which U.S. News and World Report names the best veterinary school in the United States — Dr. Dressler’ comprehensive guide to dog cancer is Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation.

If you’re reading this, you probably feel about your dog the same way that Dr. Dressler feels about his dog: “He’s my best friend.”

Dr. Dressler’s love for dogs began in his childhood on the tropical island of Maui, Hawaii. His mother, Lucy, founded the Pacific Primate Sanctuary in 1984, and filled their home with animals of all shapes and sizes, including many dogs.

Dr. Dressler’s especially close connection to dogs is obvious to his clients on Maui. As a traditional veterinarian, he didn’t really understand how many of them were dying of cancer until he “woke up” one day to the crisis. His client, Glenda, had just heard the news that her golden retriever, Max, had osteosarcoma.

As Dr. Dressler gave his “standard speech” about the options and outcomes, he realized that he had virtually nothing of real value to offer this beautiful dog and his amazing owner.

That night Dr. Dressler dedicated himself to researching canine cancer beyond what he’d been taught at the best vet school in the country.

“I’m Going to Break Out of the Vet School BOX!”

Dr. Dressler with his “best, most loyal, truest friend” Bogart.”I’m Going To Break Out of the Vet School BOX!”

Dr. Dressler uses traditional treatments in his own clinic, and he uses them with “eyes wide open” — acutely aware of their risks, and side effects, and how to use them wisely.

And he also includes many more treatments—including some from the frontiers of human medicine — in his treatment plans.

Dr. Dressler “Wakes Up” to the Problems with the “Big Three”

In human cancer, the goal is to cure the disease. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are deployed with speed and full force to get the job done.

Many cancer patients have heard: “We’re going to bring you to the brink of death before we can bring you back.”

The “Catch 22″ for dog cancer is that we can’t tell our dog about how bad it’s going to get before they get better. We can’t get informed consent for the potentially painful and toxic side effects of treatment.

Since most dog lovers — and most vets — could not bear to see their dog get so sick, in dog cancer the goal of treatment is palliation, or making things better, rather than cure.

So even if chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery do cure dog cancer in theory, they rarely do in practice.

“There Must Be a Better Way…”

Dr. Dressler knew in his heart there had to be a better way to approach dog cancer.

He set out to find it. He called other vets:

• Traditional vets
• Oncologists
• Lab Researchers
• Holistic vets

…his phone bills looked like the vet listing in the yellow pages.

He talked to scientists on the frontiers of human cancer research, even setting the alarm for 3AM to call the best minds on this and every other continent. Spin the globe and you’ll see how far his research took him—from America to Germany, France, Korea, Japan, and beyond.

He talked to herbalists, healers of all kinds, and nutritionists.

He read endless papers and abstracts and scoured the scientific literature. He pored over conference proceedings.

He found treatments well beyond chemotherapy, radiation and surgery—treatments that were backed up with actual scientific proof.

As he researched, he started to apply what he learned in his hospital. And to his amazement, he saw results.

Unexpected results. (You can read about these and more on the What Readers Say page.)

“No Matter What You Have Heard, Your Dog Does Not Have an Expiration Date.“

-Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM

“Become Your Dog’s Primary Healthcare Advocate”

Dr. Dressler believes that empowered and knowledgeable dog lovers are the best “team leaders” when it comes to cancer care. His mission is to give the best information in the clearest, most easy-to-comprehend format. He is relentlessly practical and down to earth in his approach to his work.

When he sat down to write The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Chemotherapy, Radiation & Surgery, he wrote as if he were speaking to his own clients… and included everything they should know about dog cancer… that he typically can’t tell them in a 20-minute consult.

A typical office visit leaves the vet little time to really address your questions in detail. And there is so much to know about dog cancer!

• Treatment Options — what’s the best course for my dog?
• Side Effects — how are the treatments going to affect her?
• Diet — do I need to change what he eats?
• Supplements — what nutritional supplements should I use to treat cancer?
• Cause — how did this happen in the first place????
• Life Expectancy — how long do I have with my dog?
• Pain — is my dog in pain, and will it get worse?
• Cure — is there any hope at all that my dog will recover?

The answers to these questions are complicated. So much depends upon so many factors — it’s no wonder most veterinarians give vague answers like “We don’t really know what causes cancer.”

Dr. Dressler used to tell his clients the same thing. That is, until he gave Glenda and Max the dire news, and realized that he should know.

Dr. Dressler used to box after college. He is also a Black Belt in American Kickboxing, a Black Belt in Competitive Karate, and a step away from a Black Belt in Jujitsu. He’s kind of a tough guy. As his sense of frustration and powerlessness in the face of cancer grew, his fighter’s instincts took over — and motivated him to powerful action.

Ditching his conventional approach to treatments — ingrained from veterinary school — to “open his eyes” to what else might work in supporting cancer treatment, he approached his research with a truly scientific mindset.

Investigate. Pay attention. Be logical. Stay focused on what is really important.

What’s really important to Dr. Dressler is your dog’s comfort and healing… and your own hope for a positive outcome.

No matter how sunny your disposition, a cancer diagnosis can bring the clouds. It’s downright scary news.

Unfortunately, our emotional state can directly affect our dog. In fact, many dog experts agree that our emotional state is linked to our dog’s emotional state.

Dr. Dressler provides several tools for managing your emotional state… so you don’t unintentionally make things harder on your dog.

Best of all, when you read about the cutting edge treatments he has unearthed (more about those below), you will likely start to feel better.

“There Is Real Hope for Your Dog!”

Dr. Dressler uncovered effective techniques from the frontiers of medicine that can be applied to your dog’s case, at a fraction of the cost of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

(With few terrible side effects.)

Dr. Dressler takes a “show me the proof” stance. That’s why Full Spectrum Cancer Care considers all possible treatments for your dog, as long as they meet as many of the following criteria as possible:

• Scientific studies supporting their effectiveness
  
• A very strong theoretical background for effectiveness
• A very strong historical, common use that supports effectiveness
  
• Minimal side effects or ones that are tolerable for the dog

When it comes to treating the cancer itself, there are many options beyond chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

In fact, Dr. Dressler has found in published (human!) cancer research that some cutting edge agents have been showing great promise in eradicating the signs and symptoms of cancer.

These treatments are readily available and affordable. They also provide kind, gentle support for the dog.

(You can see before and after pictures on the What Readers Say page.)

“Don’t Just Fight Cancer… Support the Whole Body”

One of the most important arsenals in Dr. Dressler’s mindset is that a normal healthy immune system has a “cancer patrol” whose only job is to remove cancer from the body… completely naturally!

In other words, the dog’s body is wise and knows how to deal with cancer, if it is not overwhelmed. Knowing about how to support your dog’s immune system is an important part of Full Spectrum Care.

“Change Your Dog’s Diet, Change Your Dog’s Body”

The importance of what your dog eats is emphasised in the Full Spectrum Approach to cancer care. Dr. Dressler shows you the ideal cancer patient diet and gives advice on how to get your dog on it with minimal stress or stomach upset.

Dr. Dressler’s “Cancer Diet” is a basic recipe that can be customized with lots of different tasty foods to appeal to even the most finicky eater. Combine these amazing, healthy foods with the recommended plant-based supplements, and your dog will “become what he eats.”

“Stress Is Your Dog’s Unnatural Enemy”

If your dog lived in the wild, she’d have to deal with “natural enemies” like hunger and wolves. You may assume that because your dog is fed regularly, has shelter and companionship, she is “stress-free.”

Even the most pampered pooch has to deal with “unnatural enemies” in their environment. Everything from plasma television screens to overhead power lines to bright lights late at night to poor quality nutrition to our own stressful emotions can affect our dogs.

There is a field of science called psychoimmunoneurology — that says that stress in the mind and emotional system has a direct impact on the body. A familiar example of this in humans is ulcers, which can be a direct result of excess stress.

And stress in the body can make it harder to heal from cancer.

Dr. Dressler’s investigations turned up many tools — some familiar, some new — that have been shown to reduce stress and elevate your dog’s mood and self esteem.

Caring for the mind-body connection is one of the most important things you can do for your dog.

“How Did This Happen?”

Dr. Dressler’s natural compassion makes it easy for him to provide you with the vital information you need to know about how to protect your dog from cancer and how to help prevent it in the future.

One of the first questions many dog lovers ask is, “How did this happen in the first place?”

We hear about many problems in our environment these days. Sometimes it can seem like “everything causes cancer.”

And vets, when asked, often say, “We don’t know.”

The truth is that many factors can increase risk. Dr. Dressler goes over the many risk factors in detail—so that you can help your dog now and keep her shielded from future toxic factors.

“Not All of My Veterinarian Colleagues Are Comfortable With My Full Spectrum Approach”

Dr. Dressler identifies himself as a very traditional veterinarian who takes a Full Spectrum Approach to Cancer. And because the information in this book is “news” to many traditional vets, you may feel resistance from your own over some of his recommendations.

In fact, even some “holistic” vets are uncomfortable with Dr. Dressler’s approach, because it’s not “anti-medicine” enough, or because he doesn’t agree with them about the effectiveness of certain therapies.

Dr. Dressler understands. He has certainly felt “resistance” as he has encountered new information!

Dr. Dressler has backed up all of his strategies with actual scientific proof — or it didn’t make it into the book. The vast majority of vets are glad to get this new information. If yours isn’t… you might want to ask yourself why.

Joining with your vet to make a Full Spectrum Cancer Care plan produces the best possible care for your dog and makes use of every possible avenue of cancer treatment.

“This Is Not a Magic Bullet”

Dr. Dressler’s too practical and scientific-minded to ever say that everything he recommends is going to work for every dog. That’s just not possible. But his gentle, no-nonsense, compassionate and friendly manner make his Dog Cancer Survival Guide:

1. Comprehensive… you’ll find traditional treatments, cutting edge cancer research from the frontiers of laboratory science, vitamin and supplements that can help, mind-body therapies, diet plans, and hundreds of lifestyle recommendations.
2. Cutting edge… few vets are doing as much hands-on research into cutting edge treatments — with few or no side effects — as Dr. Dressler.
3. Written for dog lovers, good for vets… the language in this book is as direct and easy to understand as possible. However, if you want to share the information with your vet they will be able to get more of the “science” from the text for their professional consideration.
4. Balanced between logic and heart… Cancer is a tough subject, and the information in this book can be hard to read. Dr. Dressler’s compassionate approach and many tips for how to deal with stress help you to keep an even keel in potentially stormy seas.
5. Structured for step by step decision making… with a strong belief that research and understanding comes before decision making, Dr. Dressler structures the book to address the most pressing issues — your first conversations with your vet, getting a second opinion, and managing your overwhelm — up front. Then he moves through the material in a seamless way.
6. Empowers you to become your dog’s Primary Health Advocate… No one knows your dog like you do. No one — not Dr, Dressler, not your vet, not your mother, not your best friend — knows better than you do what should be done for your dog’s cancer. Right now you just lack the information you need. When you empower yourself with Dr. Dressler’s deeply researched, up-to-date information and use his stress management tools to keep your head clear, you are set up to make the best possible decision for your dog.

“Make Your Choices Based on Full Knowledge”

If you go through Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation and then approach your dog’s cancer with the Full Spectrum Cancer Care tools, you will set yourself up for making the best choices for your dog.

And if you think we’re wrong, and you read through the book and get the email newsletter, join the community and post on the forums… and don’t feel it gives you the best possible, actionable information… and the tools you need to make confident choices about your dog’s cancer… we will give you 100% all your money back, and then some.

“My Hawaii Veterinarian Medical Association License Is VE408 and I’m a Member of the American Veterinary Medical Association”

Dr. Dressler runs a full-time veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii. He cares for dogs (and plenty of other beloved pets) day in and day out. The rest of the time he spends thinking about dog cancer and how to help dog lovers fight it.

If you want to get a copy of his comprehensive labor of love Dog Cancer Survival Guide, you can download it right now:

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