BRUNZI'S BEST, INC.

DOGGIE DIVINES

RR1 Box 63
Garrison, N.Y. 10524
(845) 734-4490

Brunzi is my beloved golden retriever on the Doggie Divines label. Although I have been privileged to share my life with several wonderful doggie companions, never have I had a closer bond than that I have with Brunzi. Perhaps that's because we have been inseparable since his puppyhood, when he accompanied me daily to work. Or perhaps it's because he has been an incalculable source of solace, helping me cope with divorce, with the loss of my sister to cancer, and with the loss of my father to the same dread disease shortly thereafter. Whatever the reason, Brunzi has always been my "doggie soulmate," and I was filled with horror and fear when I learned that he, too, had cancer.

In October of 1992 I was devastated when I received a biopsy report on a lump that had been removed from Brunzi's face. The lab report said "Diagnosis: squamous cell carcinoma; Prognosis: guarded." I couldn't believe my eyes - I read that report over and over, each time with mounting anxiety. The thought that I might lose my "little boy" at 5 years of age - in the prime of his life - was unbearable to me.

So I immediately took him to the vet. Not just any vet, but the chief oncologist at a prestigious veterinary hospital. After examining Brunzi and reviewing the lab report, he recommended a course of therapy that involved surgically removing all seven lumps that were on his body, implanting small metal disks at each incision, and administering pin-point radiation at all cancerous sites. (The reason for the metal disks was to precisely identify each site to radiate). The oncologist told me that Brunzi would need to be anesthetized and radiated approximately 3 times a week for 6-7 weeks, and that I could expect ulcers to develop internally and externally at all radiated sites. Furthermore, because the original tumor had been removed by cryosurgery, he wanted to excise additional tissue surrounding the site because, he assured me, there was absolutely no way that all of the cancerous cells had been removed and he guaranteed that the tumor would grow back within 6 months if left untouched. He told me I should bring Brunzi in for treatment as soon as possible, and he warned me against any delay. He outright dismissed my inquiries about any alternative treatment.

Needless to say, I was even more devastated after I left the hospital. I love Brunzi dearly, and I couldn't bear to subject him to the pain and horror associated with this treatment -- a treatment that held no guarantees for his survival. I knew that his life was literally in my hands, and that if I made the wrong decision he could die.

Please understand that I was not predisposed to look kindly upon "alternative" health care. I come from a very conventional background - I was trained as a research scientist and was surrounded by conventional-approach colleagues in the pharmaceutical industry in which I worked for years. So it was with great fear and trepidation that I considered an alternative form of treatment for Brunzi's cancer.

Now, in retrospect, I thank God that I chose to follow the path "less traveled by" (to borrow a phrase from Robert Frost). Before subjecting Brunzi to the protocol recommended by the oncologist, I took him to a holistic veterinarian, Dr. Marty Goldstein. When I told Dr. Goldstein that I planned to surgically remove all of the lumps on Brunzi's body, he asked some very straightforward questions: "Suppose you remove all these bumps - you still haven't addressed the underlying cause. Why did Brunzi develop these cancerous bumps in the first place? And what's going to stop him from growing 7, 14, or 50 more cancerous bumps just like the ones you want to remove?" Dr. Goldstein went on to explain that all living beings have cells with the potential of becoming cancerous, but these cells don't take control and become "cancer" if the body's immune system is functioning properly. He said cancer is a secondary condition stemming from a suppressed immune system.

What caused Brunzi's immune system to function poorly? Probably a variety of factors - genetics (Brunzi had allergies and even mange as a young puppy - both are considered to be immuno-suppressive diseases), poor nutrition (dog foods made from pesticide and chemical-laden crops, with preservatives, additives, and meat from diseased and dead animals that are considered to be unfit for human consumption), and possibly even over-vaccination.

Dr. Goldstein's approach was a multifaceted one, designed to enhance Brunzi's debilitated immune function. He put Brunzi on a variety of glandular, enzymatic, vitamin and mineral supplements, based on his metabolic nutritional analysis. He monitored Brunzi's progress through analytical blood testing, and put Brunzi on a 2-week course of immuno-augmentative therapy (IAT). In accordance with his advice, I also changed Brunzi's diet. Whenever possible, I cook fresh foods for him, using organically grown grains (mainly brown rice and millet), raw organic vegetables (carrots, garlic, watercress, cauliflower, broccoli, squash etc. that I put in the food processor to create a vegetable "mash"), free-range hormone- and antibiotic-free chickens (cooked and uncooked), and organic yogurt and eggs. When I occasionally use dog food, it is a super premium dry dog food, and I've continued with his food supplement program as the vet recommended.

But what about snacks? Brunzi demands treats everyday, yet despite the overabundance of "all-natural" and "gourmet" dog biscuits on the market, none of them were made with organic ingredients. Furthermore, many "all-natural" dog snacks (and dog foods) actually contain numerous hidden additives and ingredients not listed on the label.

So off to the health food store I went and started cooking my own organic treats. They were such a hit that I started cooking them for my friends dogs, and the requests for more kept pouring in. I met many other dog owners who were as concerned as I was about the health of their "kids," so I decided to go full-time into the organic dog biscuit business. In honor of my little boy, I named the company Brunzi's Best, because we are dedicated to bringing the ultimate health snack to the canine community.

There's an Italian expression, "Mangia Buona" - it means "eat well." Brunzi wholeheartedly endorses this philosophy, except he prefers to "Mangia Bone-A."

Carol Marangoni, Ph.D.

P.S. Brunzi never received radiation, chemotherapy, or additional surgery. He is retested approximately every 6 months, and his supplement regimen is modified accordingly. He is also routinely tested for immune function (IAT retesting), but has not needed to repeat this course of treatment. It has now been four years since Brunzi's cancer diagnosis, and he has never been in better health. Although he turned nine in May, he's still running around the yard like a puppy, chasing his sister "Chaos" and wearing his golden retriever "happy face". And he now has a very important job: he is a therapy dog who visits his old folk friends at a local nursing home several times a month. They love him dearly, and he plans to continue his visits well into the 21st century.