A Path With Paws

In my time as a holistic vet, I have gone from treating animals who are dying of cancer to treating animals who are living with cancer.

Why is this?

Because these animals are living!

They are enjoying life and waking up each day without any attachment to having cancer. They don’t know that they have cancer and because of that they can truly live.

I have often found that if we can catch the cancer early these wonderful beings can have longer lives then we ever imagined. On average I have found with using integrative and holistic treatments, we can double their prognosis time. In many we can more than double it. That’s not bad considering most of the dogs and cats I work with are over the age of 10 years.

So how do you decide what to do for your animal friend? Do you do surgery? Find a holistic vet? Look into chemotherapy? Or do you just take extra time and love them and let them be?

You want your friend to get better. Best of all would be if you could make the cancer go away completely but you also don’t want him/her to suffer. Quality of life is very important and the last thing you want is for the last few months of their life to be full of pain and misery.

Where do you turn?

1. Find a holistic vet and a western vet that you trust.
   Come to a balance of traditional and holistic. I have found that the animals who do best are getting treatment and advice from their western vet and their holistic vet. Consider seeing an oncologist (cancer specialist) to learn about all your options, even if you are against doing chemotherapy.

   Sometimes that means surgery and acupuncture. Sometimes it is herbal therapies with prednisone. Sometimes it is chemo with acupuncture and herbs to help with side effects and keeping appetite and immunity up. This is not a place to either/or. Use everything that is available. You don’t have to choose between the two.

   That being said it is very important if you are combining treatments to find a western vet who is open to you working with a holistic vet and a holistic vet who is open to western treatments. In some cases they are the same person who practices both modalities. However many of us who have taken the holistic route don’t practice much western medicine. I prefer my clients to work with a western vet who is up on all the latest cancer research.

   I am lucky to have a wonderful western vet who has a special interest in cancer treatment working very close to my clinic. Dr. Tim Kraabel, of Lien Animal Clinic, is an amazing veterinarian and while he is definitely a western vet he is extremely supportive and open to the treatment options I offer. We have worked together on many cancer cases and I feel like when my animal clients have Tim on board, we can get amazing results. He does chemotherapy with with an emphasis on quality of life. He is very honest about the prognosis of various cancer treatments and very supportive of not just the animals but also the humans involved in the journey of living with cancer.

   How do you find a good vet?

   Word of mouth is the best place to start. Ask around if you don’t already have someone you trust. Many times pet food stores will have recommendations. Ask your dog’s groomer or a local dog walker. Post a question on a community blog. IVAS has a list of vets certified in acupuncture and herbal medicine but there are many holistic vets not listed on their site who are good (I’m not listed). Also see my article How to Find a Good Holistic Vet to Work With.



2. Acupuncture is great for animals living with cancer. If you have the money to do it, I think every animal with cancer should get acupuncture. I treat most animals I work with every one to three weeks.

   I once went to a talk given by a veterinary oncologist from a major university. Even though he was a western vet, he mentioned that he always recommended acupuncture along with his chemotherapy and radiation. He said that those animals just did better. I have found the same to be true. Not only can it help to slow down tumor growth but it improves quality of life through increased energy and appetite and less pain.

   I have had some animals who I have treated with acupuncture alone who did much better than any prognosis, sometimes by a year or more.

   In cats, who often do not do well on multiple medications, acupuncture is a very good option.

   Most cats and dogs like acupuncture because it makes them feel a lot better. I also find that acupuncture sessions are a good time for me to catch up on any new problems that are happening and those routine check ins help us catch problems earlier.

   Please also see my article Acupuncture for animals with cancer – stoking the healing power within.

3. Don’t over-supplement. Eating is the very important. The Chinese say that eating and sleeping are the two most important things to getting better.

   I’ve had animals come in to see me on 20 different supplements with poor appetites. No wonder, there was no more room in their stomachs for food with the sometimes 50+ pills they were getting a day. The first thing I usually do is take away most, if not all of the supplements and get them eating.

   Beware of any supplement over $100 a month that claims to do miracles or any supplement that claims to cure a whole list of diseases. There are many of these advertised online. Many animals come to me on they miracle supplements. I have found that even if they have good ingredients there are usually cheaper and better supplements out there.

   I usually pick between two (for cats) and six supplements/herbals to use in most of the animals I work with. It is not that there are not other good things out there but I want to focus on the herbals/supplements I know well and have seen work.

   Be careful to not over do it with western medications as well and remember that if your animal is on certain herbals or getting acupuncture you can sometimes get by with a smaller dose of western drugs like prednisone.

   Get help from your holistic or western vet if your animal is not eating. There are many ways to stimulate appetite in both modalities.

4. Surgery can be helpful if there is a good prognosis (or if there is a very bad prognosis without it). This is such an individual decision with so many factors involved, it is hard make recommendations on it.

   However here are some general thoughts. Remember that I don’t have your animal’s case in front of me and there are some cases that will not follow these pieces of advice.

   I always recommend surgery for animals with osteosarcoma/bone cancer if it is in a leg and the animal can walk on three. See Maggie’s story, Sometimes three legs are better than four.

   This cancer is very painful and you can greatly improve their quality of life with an amputation. I find that natural treatments work well if the leg can be removed. If there are money issues I think amputation is the best place to put your money. Imagine the pain of a broken leg – now imagine feeling it all the time. Sometimes the tumor cannot be removed. In that case pain medication is very important.

   Splenic tumors also need to go. They are very prone to bleeding and usually will kill an animal quickly if not removed. I recommend risking this surgery in almost all cases.

   I usually find if we can remove the main tumor the success of treatment goes way up. If there is a primary tumor and no other detectable cancer and your animal is in good health and the surgeon thinks they can remove all or most of it, I will recommend removal. It is hard to get rid of large tumors with natural methods alone.

   If the cancer is in multiple places I usually recommend against surgery. It is risky and usually doesn’t help the prognosis.

   If your animal is very old, sick or debilitated I do not recommend surgery, as the recovery is too difficult.

   With tumors in the chest I usually recommend against surgery unless the prognosis is very good. This is a very difficult surgery and many animals have a hard time recovering. If there are lung mets at diagnosis I am almost always against surgery

   From my experience, cats don’t always do as well with surgery involving the abdomen or chest as dogs. Keep that in mind when making your decision. That being said I always recommend removing or debulking fibrosarcomas in cats.

5. Chemotherapy can be very helpful in fast moving cancers. If your animal has a good prognosis for cure and can handle it I often recommend it.

   Lymphoma is one cancer that responds very well to chemotherapy. It is so fast moving that the natural methods usually do not have enough time to kick in. I have found the best prognosis with lymphoma to be in using a combination of chemotherapy, acupuncture and natural herbals/supplements.

   Look into the prognosis on the chemotherapy cure rate for your animal’s cancer. If they have a great then 50% prognosis of getting a year or more it might be worth it. If it only buys a few months, it is probably not worth it.

   Most animals do quite well with chemotherapy. They don’t get as sick as us. Also remember if you start chemo and it makes your animal sick you can decide to stop it.

   If possible do acupuncture with chemo. It can really help to support the immune system and reduce any possible side effects plus there is some evidence that it can make the chemo work better.

   I do not recommend chemo for the very old and debilitated or those animals who are very sensitive to drugs.

   Another consideration in putting an animal through chemo is that there will be some exposure to the chemo drugs through your animal’s urine. If there are pregnant women or small children in the household this can be a significant issue. If your animal has incontinence issues this can also be a problem as it can be dangerous to have urine contaminated with chemo drugs throughout your home.



6. Find your own path and follow it. Listen to all the experts, do your own research, make your own decisions with your animal in mind.

   I had a client awhile back with a beautiful dog Jezebel who had a nasal carcinoma. According to western medicine she had 0% chance of remission. Her person decided to do surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, they could not get the whole thing. We did weekly acupuncture and a handful of herbals/supplements.

   The main western treatment for this cancer was radiation. The problem was that it would cause a lot of discomfort, scarring and possibly some nerve damage to her face. The recommendation was four treatments of radiation. He looked into the research on the radiation and found that there had been comparisons between not doing radiation and doing four treatments but no studies on doing less than four treatments. He also found that the main damage to the nerves and scarring came from the forth treatment. Usually the first two treatments were ok and the third cased mild discomfort. With that information he decided to do three treatments and skip the forth. (He also did a short course fairly non-toxic chemo drug).

   The cancer never came back. She ended up dying of old age complications. Now if he had done all four treatments most likely the cancer would not have come back either but she would have been left with permanent scarring and discomfort. He chose to follow his own judgment based on all his options and research and his dog greatly benefited.

   There are many options out there. Many are not written up. Do what is best for your companion.

7. Always take your animal’s health and temperament into account.

   If they are very old and sick don’t push chemo and surgery. If they get extremely stressed going to the vet chemo or radiation may not be a good option especially if the prognosis is not glowing.

   I have even had some animals who got stressed enough from coming for acupuncture that we decided it was not worth it.

   I have seen chemo be pushed on the very old and sick without good results. Remember even if the prognosis is good, it may not be for your animal if they can not handle the treatment.

   Often times these debilitated and sick animals do much better with holistic treatments then western ones.There are many herbals I can use that work very well against cancer and actually help older animals feel better at the same time that they work to kill cancer cells.

8. Radiation can help in some cases but it is very stressful on the body because of the anesthesia.

   Radiation can be a good option for fibrosarcomas, osteosarcoma that cannot be amputated and some other tumors but your animal will need to be under anesthesia for every treatment. If a few treatments are all that is needed and the prognosis is good it is definitely something to consider.

   Usually for a good cure rate you need to surgically remove as much of the tumor as possible before radiation. Except to treat pain in osteosarcoma I usually do not recommend radiation unless the tumor can be mostly or completely surgically removed.

9. Money does come into it. As much as we all wish it didn’t, it is the case for many of us. Cancer treatment is expensive. I’ve had many clients who have spent more than $10,000 a year to treat their animals.

   Do what you can. Sometimes being home with your animal and spending time with them is more important then working overtime to afford chemo. A good veterinarian will help you come up with a plan that fits your budget.

   Often times herbal treatments are cheaper than chemo. I have seen animals do very well on some of the cheaper herbals. Using just Sanshedan and Artemisinin in a 50lb dog costs less than $100 a month. Many times searching online can yield larger discounts on some of the cancer products and online pharmacies often have cheaper prices for western drugs.



10. There is no right answer. The most important part of my job as a holistic vet is helping people find the right path for their beloved companion. This is often done by combining all the knowledge we have and what they know and feel about their animal.

    Every animal is different and that needs to be looked at. Go with your gut, seek advise from those you trust and know that there is no way to know for sure what the outcome will be when you are dealing with cancer.

Most importantly remember to just appreciate every day they are here. I learned that lesson well from a dog named Rooney, who lived with cancer for three years and inspired me to start this blog.
See the story Rooney’s Wisdom

Return to Integrative and Holistic Methods for Treating Cancer in Cats and Dogs

What if you had an herbal extract that could fight cancer safely even in those animals who were very sick and old?

Artemisinin is the second most common herbal I use to fight cancer in animals and it is extremely safe in almost all cases.

Artemisinin is an extract from the herb sweet wormwood and was originally used to treat malaria. It is currently under study by Dr. Henry Lai at the University of Washington for its effects against cancer, especially breast and bone cancer.

So how does it work?

Cancer cells take up more iron then normal cells. Artemisinin is attracted to these high iron cells and selectively goes to them. Once inside the cancer cells it reacts with the iron causing free radial formation which kills the cancer cells.

Also see
UW licenses potential cancer treatment derived from ancient Chinese folk remedy
Ancient Chinese remedy shows potential in preventing breast cancer

K9 health support also has a great page with links to articles and research on Artemisinin
Dog Cancer Treatment Options

Because it selects for these cells with high iron it is very safe to use in all cases but one. If your animal is undergoing radiation you must not use this herbal. Radiation blasts cancer cells, which spreads their iron into neighboring cells. In this case, Artemisinin can hurt the normal cells as well. If your animal is undergoing radiation you must wait a month after the last treatment of radiation to use this.

I have found Artemisinin to be very impressive for keeping tumor growth in check and for preventing spread of cancer in my animal patients. While I usually use it in combination with other herbals I have had some cases where I have used just this herbal and nothing else.

I find it works best against bone cancers, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma and lymphoma. However I have used it for a number of other tumors as well. When using Chinese Medicine classification this herbal works better against the phlegm nodule tumors. This is also an herbal which may be effective for brain cancers.

I have yet to see a side effect from this herbal beyond that its antibacterial effects can make bad breath better. In fact I occasionally use this for animals with very bad breath who are too ill for dental work.

I dose Artemisinin at 50mg twice a day for cats and dogs under 25 pounds. Dogs over 25 pounds receive 100mg twice a day. Dogs over 100 pounds receive 200mg twice a day. I recommend the online company Holley Pharmacy for purchasing Artemisinin. I have found their customer service to be good, their product to work, and they usually have a special of some sort going.

The studies have shown that Artemisinin works best if there is a break from it every two weeks. I recommend that this herbal is giving for 11 days then stopped for three and then restarted in 11 days on, 3 days off cycles.

As with everything, please check with your animal’s vet before using this product.

Return to Integrative and Holistic Methods for Treating Cancer in Cats and Dogs.

This post will be in development for awhile as I publish articles on the individual herbal supplements I use. Please check back as it grows.

Herbals formulas are my primary approach to treating cancer in animals along with acupuncture. I have to admit I am not a huge supplement person. Yes you can give Vit A, E, C, etc and they help but I find you get so much more from the herbs that I always gravitate towards them. That is not to say that there is only one way to treat cancer. I know other practitioners who get good results from various supplements.

I get the best results with treating cancer when I can individualize formulas for a particular animal. This means taking a full history and treating not just the cancer but other underlying deficiencies in that animal. This also helps me to determine what herbals are more likely to cause side effects with a particular animal.

This cancer book takes a more cookbook approach to treating cancer. Why do I bother to write this if it is more affective to look at each animal individually?

• I have found there are certain deficiencies that produce certain cancers, for example many animals with lymphoma are prone to Chinese disease patterns that include damp heat or phlegm issues. This type of cancer generally is linked to these issues. Because of this I can usually guess at a deficiency or pattern just from the type of cancer an animal has. These articles are based on this assumption.
• There are many places in the world where finding a holistic practitioners are difficult or impossible to find. This book can help to bridge that gap.
• I consider most of these formulas to be fairly safe and they can be stopped if an animal does develop side effects.

If you live in an area with good veterinary herbalists or holistic practitioners I highly recommend you find one of them to work with. Even if you find a holistic practitioner who is not as familiar with herbs as I am, they can still help you individualize a protocol for your animal. Bring them my articles.

I also hope these articles help your western vet know what your dog or cat is on so that they understand what the herbals are doing. By all means send your vet the links to these articles or have them contact me if they have questions.

So below are the most common herbals I use for treating cancer –

• Sanshedan Chuanbeiye – toxins in small amounts to fight cancer
• Artemisinin – when cancer cells kill themselves
• Xiao Chai Hu Tang – herbs to fight cancer – reversing triple burner obstruction
• Hoxsey-like Formula for dogs and cats with cancer
• Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang – Supporting the Lungs Against Cancer
• A magic vial of yunnan baiyao – stopping bleeding
• Si Miao San – slowing down cancer and inflammation
• Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang – Chemotherapy herbal support

Also see Integrative and holistic approaches to cancer for the index of my book on cancer. As it is in development more sections will become available.

For a long time now I have been frustrated that I am only one person. Part of the year I have to turn clients away and the most frustrating times are when I have to turn people away who have animals with cancer.

I often get calls and emails from folks out of the area with animals with cancer. Sometimes I am able to turn them on to someone who can help them in their area but sometimes they are far away from big cities and holistic vets.

So after much thought I have decided to embark on a journey over the next couple years to bring the information I have to anyone who may want it. I am going to begin to write a book on treating cancer in dogs and cats.

My plan is to post what I am writing on the web in small sections and then in the end to pull all the information together into a book. However I want this information to stay open source so everything will also remain on my website for viewing.

Like many of the articles I write I will try to provide information that is easy to use and navigate. While I think it is still ideal to find a holistic vet to work with if you have a dog/cat with cancer, I want to make this information usable by anyone. I am also hoping that this will be a book that can be used by western veterinarians to aid in both the treatment of cancer and in understanding therapies used by holistic vets.

Here is my proposed chapter index – My plan is to write it in order of importance and fill it in as I go along – more will become available over time:

Integrative and holistic methods for treating cancer in dogs

A little snake bile and cyanide can go a long way…..

If you are treating cancer.

SanSheDan ChuanBeiYe is one of my primary herbals I use for cancer treatment. It is a Chinese product marketed for use as cough syrup and contains three herbal/animal ingredients in a sugar solution. The primary ingredient in SanSheDan is apricot seed or Xing Ren. It also contains fritillary bulb (Chuan Bei Mu) and snake bile.

Many of my clients refer to it as snake oil but it really does work.

It is especially helpful for animals with cancers which tend to migrate to the lungs. I always use this in my osteosarcoma dogs but also use it for treating many other cancers.

In fact, I have not found a better product for keeping cancer out of the lungs. If we can catch the cancer before there are detectable lung mets on X-ray, this product will usually keep it that way.

In Chinese medicine terms this formula is directed towards the lungs. The snake is moving and helps to move the apricot seed into the lungs and keep things open. The apricot seed is a lung tonic and helps to open up the lungs and kill cancer cells. The fritillary gets rid of phlegm in the lungs and reduces nodules.

Apricot seed contains a bound form of cyanide. This form of bound cyanide is much more toxic to cancer cells then normal cells.

This supplement in the first of a series I will talk about where toxic compounds in small amounts can lead to better health if used correctly.

Taken in recommended dosage I believe this herbal to be extremely safe. However it should not be overused – more is not better and in large dosages this product can kill. It also should never be given to pregnant or reproductive animals who may become pregnant.

In small animals I dose this supplement at 1ml per 10lb of body weight per day. In most dogs of average size I dose it at one vial (10ml) twice a day. If they are much over 100lb I will increase that to 1-1/2 to 2 vials twice a day. Because it comes in glass vials with a straw for sucking it out, you need a large needle and syringe to remove it. Often your vet is willing to provide this. It can be given in food or squirted directly into your animal’s mouth.

I have never had an animal have a negative reaction to this product at this dose.

If you life in a city with a Chinatown or international community, the best place to buy it is at a Chinese herbal store. It can also be ordered online through many sites but is more expensive. Bought at a Chinese herbal store the cost to treat a large dog is usually about $20 a month. Online the cost is closer to $50/month.

As with all health advise given on this site, please check with your animal’s primary veterinarian before using this product.

Return to Integrative and Holistic Methods for Treating Cancer in Cats and Dogs.

Food sitting in a dish uneaten does not help a cat get better.

In other words, the best food left uneaten does nothing.

Yet many cats with kidney/renal disease are put on a low protein diet such as Science Diet’s K/D diet that they will not eat. And from my experience cats with renal disease should not be on K/D or other low protein kidney diets to began with.

Many cats get kidney failure as they age, yet western medicine does not have a good treatment to reverse or prevent this disease. The most common treatments involve a low protein diet and subcutaneous fluids.

So what do I recommend for cats with renal disease, if you know they do not have inflammatory kidney disease (explained later in this article)?

A high protein canned or home cooked diet made with good quality protein. I recommend using Instinct, Weruva, or Go/Now grain free if you use a commercial diet. Raw food is ok if they will tolerate it and are not severely sick.

What high protein?!
But my vet said I need to feed low protein!

Here is one of the commonly sited studies on PubMed that proves that high protein does not make kidney disease worse in cats.
Protein and calorie effects on progression of induced chronic renal failure in cats

So let’s talk a little about what is going on with renal disease and why I recommend the diets I do.

From a Chinese Medicine view we have two main types of renal failure, inflammatory and deficient/ischemic.

Deficient or ischemic kidney disease

This is the more common type of renal failure. These guys are usually thin, not great eaters and may or may not be vomiting. The inflammatory cats may also shift to this after you get the inflammation down.

I really hate to see these guys on K/D or low protein.

In this form of renal failure there is not enough blood going to the kidneys and the cells are dying from ischemia (lack of oxygen). They may also have renal hypertension (high blood pressure) which causes even more damage. Many of these cats are also anemic making the problem even worse.

These cats need protein both to increase blood flow and blood volume (you can’t make blood without protein) and to repair the damage to the kidney cells (you can’t repair cells without protein).

And yes many of these cells are not dead and can be repaired once you improve blood flow.

• I recommend a high protein canned food such as Instinct, or grain free Weruva or Go for these guys.
• I highly recommend acupuncture for deficient cats. They not only feel better, eat better but often we can reduce their kidney numbers or get them back to normal
• I also often put these cats on a Chinese formula containing Shu Di Huang (also known as rehmannia). Shu Di Huang formulas help repair kidney cells, lower kidney numbers on blood work and lower blood pressure. It is best to find a holistic vet to help you determine the best formula, the wrong formula can make things worse. If you can’t find someone to help you, it is often better to not give anything.

I’ve had many cats convert back to normal through diet, acupuncture and herbs.

From my experience, if they stay on K/D, I can not convert them back. They need to be on high protein if they have this type of kidney disease to improve numbers. If they are inflammatory we get rid of the inflammation and then put them on high protein even if the numbers are normal to keep them stable and out of renal failure.

Although it is not my favorite approach, I have maintained cats with ischemic renal disease on dry Orijen or high protein/no grain diets. If somehow they have to be on dry I always go with a high protein. They tend to stay stable on high protein dry and sub-Q fluids. I also find sometimes you need a little dry in the old guys. My old cat Basil needs a little dry to maintain his weight because he just didn’t eat enough canned.

So why does my western veterinarian recommend a low protein diet?

We do know that high phosphorus can be bad in renal disease. There is higher phosphorus levels in protein so it is hard to get low phosphorus without doing a low protein diet. So low phosphorus has translated into low protein. My experience has shown me that the higher phosphorus doesn’t seem to cause as large an issue as the low protein does in cats with kidney failure.

Inflammatory kidney disease
In inflammatory kidney disease, there is inflammation in the kidneys that causes the the kidneys to not function well and reduces the blood flow to the cells.

These cats tend to vomit a lot but still have a fairly good appetite. They almost always have a high cholesterol on blood work and tend to have kidney numbers that are just barely elevated. They also may have a history of inflammatory bowel disease, elevated liver enzymes, chronic pancreatitis or vomiting.

Usually with acupuncture and herbs we can clear this stage up in a month or two. If it is mild and recent their kidney numbers may go back to normal. If they have had it awhile we then see the ischemic renal disease underneath.

These guys should not have high protein but also should not have high grain (which causes inflammation).

• I recommend a normal to moderate protein canned food such as Avoderm, Pinnacle or Nature’s Variety Homestyle. High protein increases blood flow which will cause more inflammatory cells to go to the kidneys, we don’t want that but also we need some protein to maintain the cells
• I also recommend acupuncture for these cats to reduce the inflammation and support the kidneys
• For inflammatory kidney disease herbal treatment can be amazingly effective. Usually I use a formula called Xiao Chai Hu Tang but it is best if you can work with a holistic vet to determine the most appropriate formula.

So what do I do if I can’t figure out if my cat has inflammatory or ischemic kidney disease?

• 1. Find a holistic vet who can help to make that determination.A holistic vet can also help you get your cat on an appropriate herbal formula and do acupuncture to help support the kidneys .
• 2. If you can’t find a vet to work with, feed a moderate protein canned food.

What can I do to prevent kidney failure in cats who are currently healthy?

• 1. Do not overvaccinate. We now know that the FVRCP causes many cats to have antibodies against their own kidneys. See the article To vaccinate or not to vaccinate that is the question.
• 2. Do not feed your cat a dry food only diet. Make sure your cat is on a high protein, good quality diet of canned food, home cooked or raw food. Cats on dry food only diets are always in a mild state of dehydration. Long term this dehydration can hurt their kidneys. See How do I pick the best food for my cat’s health.