Large organizations that are planning to sponsor a study in the field of human oncology have a number of distinguished cancer centers to approach when seeking potential collaborators for clinical trials. In the field of veterinary oncology, however, California Veterinary Specialists' Angel Care Cancer Center and its allied research foundation, The Special Care Foundation for Companion Animals, shine brighter than all the rest. They are literally overloaded with inquiries from prospective study sponsors and others who want Angel Care Cancer Center personnel to evaluate new developments that are designed to improve or enhance the practice of veterinary oncology.

Careful screening of these inquiries has allowed veterinary oncologists Drs. Gregory K. Ogilvie and David Proulx to focus on only those projects that hold the highest promise for leading to a significant advancement in the diagnosis, treatment or management of veterinary cancer patients. Their goal is to develop only those therapeutics and diagnostics that will enhance quality of life and win the fight against cancer in pets and people with this horrible disease. The diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities at Angel Care Cancer Center's main hospital in Carlsbad, California are comparable to, and in many ways superior to, those that are available at the finest human cancer centers in the world. (It is a sight to see -- to catch a glimpse, click on the video link at the bottom of the home page at www.cvsangelcare.com.)

Dr. Ogilvie's full curriculum vitae (a biographical summary of one's education, special training, achievements, awards, publications and other professional credentials) contains enough pages to fill one of those big binders I used to hate carrying to school. When it comes to veterinary cancer care, he wrote the book. In fact, Dr. Ogilvie has coauthored three outstanding reference books with Dr. Antony S. Moore -- Managing the Veterinary Cancer Patient: A Practice Manual, Feline Oncology: A Comprehensive Guide for Compassionate Care and Canine Oncology: A Comprehensive Guide for Compassionate Care. Dr. Ogilvie has been exploring the therapeutic potential of nutrients to treat veterinary cancer patients since 1984 and has published over 100 scientific articles on the subject.

The safety of Poly-MVA was already well established when the Poly-MVA study began at Angel Care Cancer Center in 2004. That record of safety remains unblemished as the only Poly-MVA-associated negative effects reported in the Angel Care study have been related to the taste. The taste problem is usually solved quite easily by mixing the liquid supplement into the patient's food or by pouring the supplement over a small amount of yogurt or ice cream.

Quality of life (QOL), the centerpiece gem of any study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of any complementary modality for cancer patients, can be measured with a set of QOL parameters (appetite, energy, behavior patterns, etc.) that are recorded and documented over time. A significant number of pet owners were happy to cooperate with this aspect of the Poly-MVA study by completing QOL surveys and returning them to Angel Care Cancer Center. Although many of the survey responses are admittedly based on the clients' subjective impressions, an impressive 86% of respondents felt that the supplement improved their pet's quality of life. The patients that were most likely to be benefited by Poly-MVA included the dogs or cats that had a diminished quality of life prior to treatment.

The patients receiving Poly-MVA along with standard treatments for their cancers tended toward improvement with respect to the objective parameters (weight, anemia, liver function, kidney function, etc.) that have been monitored by the professional staff at Angel Care. Dr. Ogilvie, a scientific purist of the highest caliber, cautions that there will always be some patients responding much better than others in any study, but even he seems to be impressed by the overall trend that has been observed so far.

When asked if he would recommend the use of Poly-MVA for veterinary cancer patients, Dr. Ogilvie responsed:

"Since starting studies with Poly-MVA, I have not personally benefited in any way financially in its use. In fact, we calculate a significant loss as we spend our time rechecking patients and collecting and cataloging data. I am, however, substantially rewarded daily by the many stories of enhanced health and wellness of my patients and of the lengthened time the animals have had with their familiesand the richness that this incredible relationship brings to their lives. I would not be involved in Poly-MVA research if I did not believe it would help the majority of my patients experience an improved quality of life. As for any benefits related to longer survival times, more formalized studies are needed before any definitive statements can be made regarding a statistically significant difference in survival."

Dr. Ogilvie's work with Poly-MVA has been strictly limited to its potential use as a supportive modality for veterinary cancer patients. Using the supplement for general health and wellness, as many pet owners do, is an entirely separate matter that is not related to the Angel Care Cancer Center study.

According to the dosage recommendations posted on the Poly-MVA for Pets website (http://www.polymvaforpets.com), when the supplement is used for routine wellness purposes, the recommended dose is one-fifth of one milliliter (ml) per five pounds of body weight, twice daily. (If a dosing dropper is requested when the product is ordered, it will be included at no charge.) For pets with compromised immune systems, such as those undergoing certain forms of chemotherapy or radiation treatments, the recommended dose according to the website would be one ml per five pounds of body weight, twice daily. Higher doses may be appropriate in certain circumstances. Pet owners with questions pertaining to dosage can call 1-866-765-9682 to be referred to a veterinarian who is familiar with Poly-MVA.

In addition, I would like to share with you one veterinary cancer case that, while not related to Dr. Ogilvie's work, happens to be particularly interesting. The patient, Chewie, an affectionate Chow Chow, is owned by a renowned board certified (human) cardiologist and nutritionist, who is author of several books and has been widely published in medical journals.

As a national speaker with an extensive following that includes readers, subscribers and other physicians, this cardiologist is one of the few people with a travel schedule as demanding as my own. Much of his writing is completed while he is traveling, including the following account of how Chewie was diagnosed with cancer. In his own words:

"Like most pet owners, I really love our three dogs. They are very important members of our family. And just as it is with our children, we get upset when they - the pets - have an upset with one another. Such was the case one day in September of 2005; my two beloved Chow Chows had a vicious run-in with one another over a Milk Bone. The older Chow, Chewie, took the brunt of it. Her mouth was bleeding, and it was the next day before she calmed down enough for me to be able to get a good look at her injury. I felt so badly when I saw that one of her back molars was hanging loose in its socket.

I took Chewie to her veterinarian, who agreed that the tooth would have to come out. As poor Chewie was prepped for surgery that morning, the vet asked if I wanted to be called should there be any unforeseen issues. "Just treat her as you would if she were your dog," I replied. What could go wrong? Then I headed out for my own office to see my own patients.

When it came time to pick Chewie up on my way home, the vet had bad news for me. Something unforeseen had indeed happened. While Chewie's mouth was relaxed and open, they had noticed a lesion on her tongue. You see, Chewie's very ladylike about panting, so we'd never noticed anything. Later, when we scrutinized an old photo of Chewie for a few minutes, we did see that the small round change in color had been there.

Because I had given him permission to use his own best judgment that day, the vet scraped the suspicious lesion on Chewie's tongue to get a tissue sample (a surgical biopsy), and awaited my permission to send it out to the lab. Our precious Chewie was in sorry shape that night. Her mouth must have been very sore, because she didn't eat for days, no matter how we coaxed and coddled her with pureed versions of her favorite foods.

The biopsy of the suspicious lesion was indeed positive for melanoma. The vet explained that because Chows have purple-pigmented tongues, melanomas in that area are not uncommon for the breed. He then suggested a surgical resection that would include an area around the tumor. That would mean literally cutting off a very large portion of Chewie's tongue. My heart sank. Dogs do so much more than lap up food and water with their tongues; they also express their joy, love and affection with them!

Had I been given the option, I would not have even approved disturbing the lesion for the biopsy. I would have just assumed the worst, and treated my sweet pet conservatively. After all, who knows how long that lesion had been there, how aggressively it was progressing or whether it was progressing at all? Why rip it open and put her through the agony?

There was no big decision to be made. We already knew what we wanted for our dog

We decided against putting Chewie through more pain for a procedure that might ultimately make her unable to enjoy the time we had left with her. I started her on Poly-MVA right away, along with other nutrients to help her immune system keep her melanoma at bay. That was over two and a half years ago.

Our Japanese friend Chizuko takes good care of our dogs when we work and travel, and she follows Chewie's anti-cancer regimen, too. I get a kick out of how she refers to the Poly-MVA as the 'soy sauce for the Chew Chew.' She can't remember (or pronounce) the name of the liquid dietary supplement that's been helping Chewie, so the nickname helps us communicate about it with a chuckle and a smile.

We sneak the "soy sauce" in Chewie's food twice a day. And let me tell you, feeding a Chow is just like feeding a cat; they're very fickle and very fussy. Just a half teaspoon at each meal has been enough for our 46-pound-runt-of-the-litter. (The first month, I gave her a "loading dose" by giving her four small meals a day, each with teaspoon of "Poly" for a grand total of 2 teaspoonfuls a day in order to get her blood level of Poly-MVA up.)

Chewie was ten years old when her melanoma was diagnosed. A veterinarian friend across the state informs me that he's yet to see a Chow Chow live longer than twelve years. Our soon to be twelve-and-a-half-year-old Chewie, whose tongue lesion does not appear to have changed since the day it was discovered, is still full of life and still bringing joy into our lives!"

I hope you enjoyed reading this narrative as much as I did!

It is important to note that patients with other diseases have also responded when Poly-MVA is used as an adjunct to therapy. Dr. Nita McNeil, a prominent veterinarian who practices in Mustang Animal Health Clinic in Oklahoma, was kind enough to provide the following report regarding her clinical experience:

Preliminary Veterinary Clinical Results with Poly MVA

We use a unique blend of conventional and holistic medicine in our Integrative Veterinary Medicine Practice. Poly-MVA is a valuable addition to our practice and when it muscle checks to be appropriate we use it. Poly-MVA was developed for cancer and we find it to be beneficial in cancer to varying degrees depending on the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer, the health and age of the animal and the willingness of the owner to commit to the therapy and food changes necessary to reverse a degenerative process. Using the muscle testing as a determination for possible use of the Poly-MVA, we have also found that there are various other diseases that respond, sometimes remarkably, to the Poly-MVA. The following is a short list of the use of Poly-MVA in our practice.

Lucenda, a two-year-old spayed female Chow, presented 9 months ago for routine examination. We found a 2 centimeter black raised roughened mass on the left side of the tongue. The owner was unaware of its existence or duration and wanted to begin a natural treatment in case it turned out to be cancer. We began the Poly-MVA orally and continued for three months with little change in the lesion on the tongue. The owner took weekly pictures to evaluate the mass. At the beginning of the fourth month on the Poly-MVA orally, there was a slight roughening of the surface of the mass at which time we opted for surgical referral. A biopsy revealed a malignant melanoma and a hemiglossectomy of the tongue was performed. The surgery was uneventful and Lucenda is doing very well six months post op. She continues to check for and receive Poly-MVA on a maintenance level.

Jane, a-fifteen-year old spayed female Corgi, presented 1 year ago with lethargy, hair loss, inapetance weight loss, and depression. Her thyroid levels were very high (>15) and a thyroid biopsy confirmed thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer in dogs can be difficult to treat with conventional medicine and the prognosis is usually poor. Jane's owner opted to pursue a natural alternative instead of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. We began Jane on Poly-MVA and she immediately felt better. She began to eat better, put on weight and have fun again. One year after her diagnosis, Jane has a high normal thyroid test and seems to feel great. Her owner says she has her spark back. She loves her daily walks, and her attitude, appetite and hair have completely returned to normal. Jane continues to take the Poly-MVA three times a day.

Jake, a nine-week-old, 1 pound puppy presented with severe dehydration, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Jake was unvaccinated and Parvo virus positive. He did not respond to conventional therapy and was getting weaker by the hour until we began a continuous drip of intravenous Poly-MVA diluted in normal saline. He recovered uneventfully once the Poly-MVA treatment was initiated.

MooMoo, a seven-month-old, unvaccinated, male domestic longhair cat presented with his 3 siblings with dehydration, weight loss, severe diarrhea and some vomiting. The white blood cell counts were very low and a positive parvo virus test indicated panleukopenia virus. The worst of the four cats died within minutes of admitting. The second worst symptoms were exhibited by Moro, who was weak, dehydrated, very thin and had severe diarrhea. We immediately began intravenous fluids to normalize the electrolytes and intravenous Poly-MVA. The other two cats only showed mild symptoms and were started on oral Poly-MVA. All three cats recovered uneventfully and continued on the oral Poly for three weeks.

Penny presented three years ago with periodic episodes of severe muscle spasms and pain that would totally incapacitate her for 3 days every 6 months. She had been to numerous other veterinarians without significant improvement. We began by acupuncture, dietary change, herbal and nutritional supplementation, and chiropractic manipulations. The results were not optimum and Penny continued to have episodes of pain. The painful episodes were decreased in intensity yet still a part of her life. It was only when we began Poly-MVA with Penny that she became symptom free and has been so for 2 years now. Penny's owners are very happy with the Poly and will continue to use it to maintain her in a state of health.