Cancer Fighting Toppers

Broccoli Sprouts

Benefits: Broccoli sprouts contain sulforaphane, which works as both an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that may prevent and slow the growth of cancerous tumors. Broccoli sprouts also help your dog excrete toxins that could damage cells.

Serving Size:

• Small dog (< 20 lbs): ¼-½ tsp
• Medium to large dog (> 21 lbs): ½-1 tsp

Frequency: Limit to a few times per week. Avoid overuse, especially in dogs with thyroid conditions, due to goitrogenic in high amounts.

How to Serve:

• Purchase fresh, organic broccoli sprouts or grow your own at home.
• Chop finely and mix into food raw for maximum sulforaphane benefits.
• You can lightly steam if your dog is extremely sensitive, but raw is ideal.

Important: Introduce slowly to avoid gas or bloating.

Turmeric

Benefits: As the most well-researched anti-cancer herb, turmeric has shown the ability to disrupt the development, growth, and spread of cancer in cells. Turmeric also has anti-inflammatory effects so it is often utilized to help reduce pain in conditions caused by inflammation.

Serving Size: ⅛-¼ tsp for every 10 lbs of body weight or 15mg-20mg per pound of body weight.

Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.

How to Serve: Your dog’s body doesn’t easily absorb turmeric and its active compounds, including curcumin. Using a recipe, such as Golden Paste, can increase the bioavailability by heating curcumin, adding black pepper, and combining it with a healthy fat, such as coconut oil.

Turkey Tail Mushrooms

Benefits: Turkey tail mushrooms have the power to fight infections, boost weak immune systems, and combat malignant cell growth in pets. When dogs with a highly malignant cancer were given a compound from turkey tail mushrooms it slowed the cancer growth resulting in longer survival rates.

Serving Size (Wellness Dose):

• Mushrooms: 1 tsp of cooked mushrooms per 10 lbs of body weight once daily.
• Powder: ⅛ tsp of Real Mushroom’s Turkey Tail extract powder per 10 pounds of body weight once or twice daily.

Frequency: Mushrooms need to be given regularly over long periods of time for their best effect. Even small amounts like a single mushroom serving a week has been found to improve health in human populations.

• For Wellness: If your intention in providing the mushrooms to your pet is for wellness and general good health, the above daily dose given regularly over a long period of time works just fine.
• For Health Conditions: If your intention is to help your pet through a health crisis, Dr. Rob Silver recommends administering 2-4x more than the wellness amount. Start with a lower dose and gradually increase it over time to the desired amount appropriate for your dog.

How to Serve: You can serve your dog mushrooms 3 different ways:

1. Using store-bought mushrooms, wash then cook them thoroughly to make them digestible for your dog.
2. Buy dried mushrooms, soak them in water for several hours until soft, then cook them.
3. Sprinkle Real Mushroom’s Turkey Tail extract powder directly onto your dog’s regular meals.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Chop the fresh mushrooms up finely to better allow them to cook through and make them more bioavailable for your dog.
2. Cook at 300-400° F for at least 10-15 minutes. The longer, the better.
3. Cooking mushrooms in soups, stews, and sauces where they are simmered for long periods of time is best to prepare them for optimal absorption and effectiveness.

Important:

• Do not feed your dog wild mushrooms as they may be toxic.
• Dogs can safely eat any store-bought mushrooms that are also safe for you to eat.
• Store-bought mushrooms must be cooked because it can be difficult to digest in raw form.

Kale

Benefits: Studies show the antioxidants in dark leafy green vegetables like kale act as protective agents and help your dog’s body defend itself against disease. They stop harmful molecules from damaging the DNA that could lead to cancer. The vitamin C in kale also works as a protective substance and helps block cancer-causing compounds from developing.

Serving Size:

• Small dog (< 20 lbs): ½-1 tsp
• Medium dog (21-50 lbs): 1-2 tsp
• Large dog (> 51 lbs): 1 tbsp

Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.

How to Serve:

• Kale is on Environmental Working Group’s The 2025 Dirty Dozen™ list. It’s best to buy organic.
• Wash and remove stems.
• Steam or blanch to make it easier for your dog to digest.

Blackberries

Benefits: The dark pigments that give blackberries their color have inflammation-fighting abilities important for preventing and treating cancer. These berries provide powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage and contain ellagic acid that blocks pathways in the body that might lead to the development of cancer.

Serving Size: 2-3 fresh or frozen berries per 20 lbs of body weight.

Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.

How to Serve:

• Blackberries are on Environmental Working Group’s The 2025 Dirty Dozen™ list. It’s best to buy organic.
• Wash and chop as they may present a choking hazard for smaller dogs.
• Feed as a healthy treat or directly on food.

Bell Peppers

Benefits: Bell peppers contain important vitamins that have anti-cancer properties, such as vitamin E that reduces inflammation and vitamin A that protects the body from harmful substances that can damage cells. They also contain natural compounds called carotenoids and phenols that work as protective shields against cell damage, which may help prevent cancer.

Serving Size:

• Small dog (< 20 lbs): ¼ of a bell pepper
• Medium dog (21-50 lbs): ⅓ of a bell pepper
• Large dog (> 51 lbs): ½ of a bell pepper

Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.

How to Serve:

• Wash, cut out the seeds and stem, and chop into smaller pieces.
• Dogs can eat bell peppers raw, but cooking them breaks down their cell walls to enhance antioxidant absorption.
• Cooking them too long, especially by boiling or steaming, can lower their vitamin C levels.

Decaf Green Tea

Benefits: Tea extracts, particularly from green tea, and the polyphenols they contain have been proven to stop tumors from forming and growing in various organs when tested in animals. 

Serving Size:

• Small dog (< 20 lbs): 2 tbsp
• Medium dog (21-50 lbs): ¼-½ cup
• Large dog (> 51 lbs): ½ cup to 1 cup

Frequency: Limit to 2-3 times per week.

How to Serve:

1. Bring 3 cups of filtered water to a near boil.
2. Add 1 tea bag and steep for 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove tea bag and wait for tea to cool.
4. Add appropriate serving size to dog’s food.

Important: Tea must be decaf. Caffeine is toxic to dogs.

Broccoli

Benefits: All forms of broccoli contain sulforaphane which has been well-researched for its cancer fighting benefits. Compared to the broccoli head, the stalk actually contains double the amount of this health-protective compound.

Serving Size:

• Broccoli head: 1-2 florets per 20 lbs of body weight.
• Stalk: ¼ tsp per 10 lbs of body weight.

Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.

How to Serve:

1. Wash, chop, & allow to sit for 90 minutes before feeding to increase the sulforaphane content.
2. Cook the broccoli to make it more easily digestible for your dog.

Watercress

Benefits: Watercress is a leafy green vegetable that contains antioxidants which helps repair damaged cells, eliminates harmful chemicals in the body, and lowers the risk of cancer. It is ranked by the CDC as the #1 “Powerhouse” vegetable based on its nutrient density and bioavailability of nutrients.  

Serving Size: 1 tsp per 20 lbs of body weight.

Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.

How to Serve: Wash, finely chop, and add to bowl.

Wild Blueberry Powder

Benefits: Feeding blueberries to your dog may not only slow down aging, but they also contain important cancer fighting phytochemicals, anthocyanosides and resveratrol. Anthocyanosides are one of the most potent antioxidants and resveratrol helps reduce inflammation. Wild blueberry powder contains higher doses of these powerful antioxidants.

Serving Size:

• ¼ tsp per 10 lbs of body weight.
• For the most accurate dosage, follow instructions from the brand you purchase from.

Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.

How to Serve: Sprinkle Dr. Kendra Pope’s recommended wild blueberry powder directly onto your dog’s food.

Maitake Mushrooms

Benefits: Maitake mushrooms are known for strengthening the immune system, which is essential for overall health and may assist the body in naturally fighting against malignant growths.

Serving Size (Wellness Dose):

• Mushrooms: 1 tsp of cooked mushrooms per 10 lbs of body weight once daily.
• Powder: ⅛ tsp of Real Mushroom’s 5 Defenders Mushrooms complex powder per 10 pounds of body weight once or twice daily.

Frequency: Mushrooms need to be given regularly over long periods of time for their best effect. Even small amounts like a single mushroom serving a week has been found to improve health in human populations.

• For Wellness: If your intention in providing the mushrooms to your pet is for wellness and general good health, the above daily dose given regularly over a long period of time works just fine.
• For Health Conditions: If your intention is to help your pet through a health crisis, Dr. Rob Silver recommends administering 2-4x more than the wellness amount. Start with a lower dose and gradually increase it over time to the desired amount appropriate for your dog.

How to Serve: You can serve your dog mushrooms 3 different ways:

1. Using store-bought mushrooms, wash then cook them thoroughly to make them digestible for your dog.
2. Buy dried mushrooms, soak them in water for several hours until soft, then cook them.
3. Sprinkle Real Mushroom’s 5 Defenders Mushrooms complex powder directly onto your dog’s regular meals.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Chop the fresh mushrooms up finely to better allow them to cook through and make them more bioavailable for your dog.
2. Cook at 300-400° F for at least 10-15 minutes. The longer, the better.
3. Cooking mushrooms in soups, stews, and sauces where they are simmered for long periods of time is best to prepare them for optimal absorption and effectiveness.

Important:

• Do not feed your dog wild mushrooms as they may be toxic.
• Dogs can safely eat any store-bought mushrooms that are also safe for you to eat.
• Store-bought mushrooms must be cooked because it can be difficult to digest in raw form.

“Maitake Mushrooms are considered one of the tastiest and most coveted of all of the edible gourmet mushrooms. Some of the mushrooms can grow to weigh 50-100 pounds! The beta glucans in this mushroom are especially branched, which improves their ability to supercharge the immune system.” – Dr. Rob Silver