Breathing Through Cancer – holistic herbal therapies to control lung metastasis in dogs and cats
When I diagnosed my sixteen year old cat Basil with lung cancer last year, I had one prayer. I had already lost two cats in my life to cancer in the lungs and I could not deal with losing another one. Watching my babies suffer as they struggled for breath towards the end of their illness was unbearable. I just couldn’t go through it again.
Please, please don’t let him die struggling to breathe.
While Basil did die from his cancer spreading, I was able to keep him breathing well throughout his illness with a few herbals. I was extremely sad to see him pass, as not only had he been my companion for 16 years, but was also one of the most amazing wise sage cats I had ever met. He was clearly ready to go and even the best medicine can not keep us here when we decide it is time to move on.
While most animals with cancer do die of cancer, there is a lot we can do to keep them from suffering and help them to live a good life in the time they are here. Often times that time becomes much longer than we believed was possible. See Lou’s story – Prognoses are only as good as the paper they are printed on.
Usually if a tumor is found us veterinarians will recommend taking a Xray of the lungs to see if it has spread there.
Many cancers spread to the lungs, and often times by the time cancer has been found it is already in the lungs. Generally this gives a poor prognosis, usually somewhere around the lines of three months. However, there are ways to prevent the growth of lung nodules and even reverse the size of the ones that are already there.
One of the best ways is to use herbal formulas. Often times these are combined with drugs to help control lung disease.
From my experience there are three very important herbals that support reversing cancer in the lungs.
Click on the names of the formulas to learn more about them.
- The first and most important comes in a little vial and is called Sanshedan ChuanBeiYe. I use this formula for any cancer in the lungs or that has the potential to move to the lungs.
- Xhu Fu Zhu Yu Tang is good at moving blood away from cancerous tumors in the lungs and chest, leading to better lung capacity and a shrinkage of tumors. I usually make mine up with E Zhu and San Leng which are extra cancer fighting ingredients.
- Xiao Chai Hu Tang is another formula I often use for lung metastasis. It also helps to kill cancer cells other places in the body and can reverse symptoms that often times lead to death.
In addition some other things to consider
- Acupuncture – I highly recommend treating these guys weekly or every other week. From my experience acupuncture can significantly slow down cancer growth.
- Prednisone – I know, I know it’s a drug not an herb. However I need to mention that prednisone will work as a mild chemotherapeutic against many cancers. If there is any respiratory distress this may be a good drug to use. Check with your vet to see if it may help your cat or dog.
- Please also see the sections on individual types of cancer as they are written. There are other supplements I will use for animals with lung involvement depending on the type of cancer. Especially consider Artemisinin for lymphoma, osteosarcoma, and other cancers that fall under the heading of phlegm nodule cancers.
All these herbal formulas can safely be used with chemotherapy or radiation with the exception of Artemisinin. Artemisinin can not be used for a month after radiation therapy.
Please consult with your veterinarian before using these herbal formulas or changing your treatment plan.
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