My enterprising neighbor and colleague Bob sent me a June article from The Globe and Mail about the increase in cancer in both wild and domestic animals, and there were several very important points made in the article with regard to our dogs:

Between 1975 and 1995 the incidence of bladder cancer in dogs examined at veterinary teaching schools in North America increased six-fold. … When researchers interviewed the owners of Scottish terriers with bladder cancer, they found that dogs whose owners had used phenoxy acid herbicides on their lawns were four to seven times more likely to have cancer than dogs whose owners had not. The "cancer in dogs" studies reveal the multi-factorial nature of cancer. Bladder cancer in dogs is linked to the use of insecticidal flea and tick dips, but more so if the dogs were obese, and lived near another source of pesticides. Dietary protection is important, too. In the terrier study, the researchers found that when the Scotties ate green leafy vegetables three times a week, there was a 90% reduction in their risk of cancer.

Being the pacifist that I am, I’m also a staunch opponent of pesticides of all kinds (since their sole purpose in life is to kill). We are blithely contaminating our entire planet with these poisons. And just look how harmful they are to dogs (and to all living creatures).

On the other hand, look how healthful greens are! Greens are the ideal food for us and our dogs. Why? Because they're packed with antioxidants, especially kale, which, believe it or not, is kind of sweet-tasting, in case you haven't had it. There are many ways to get greens into Fido, even if he’s picky. You can sauté them in coconut oil, blend them in the blender with broth, steam them and mix them with whole wheat pasta or brown rice, etc.

If all else fails, you can give him spirulina tablets in a wad of wet dog food, peanut butter, or mashed potatoes. Spirulina is the ultimate green—a type of one-celled organism cultivated indoors in tanks and just bursting with nutrition. OK, so in powder form it looks like pond scum. So what? Just mix it in the blender with bananas, a little water, and a little coconut oil and you will have an ultra-nutritious and luscious (albeit very green) smoothie for yourself and your dogs. Five of my dogs lap it up every morning—five out of six can’t be wrong!