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 30 pounds. Dogs over 30 pounds receive 100mg twice a day. Dogs over 100 pounds receive 200mg twice a day. I send people to Amazon  these days.

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.

Comments are closed on this article please refer to the link above to find more articles about cancer and how to find a holistic practitioner near you.

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
• Chai hU Jia Long Mu Li Tang
• Hoxsey-like Formula for dogs and cats with cancer (also Cancer Detox Support)
• Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang – Supporting the Lungs Against Cancer
  • Ge Xia Zhu Yu Tang – treating liver tumors
  • Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang – treating tumors of the lower abdomen
• 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 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.

(I finally have a company, Modern Herb Shop I trust, that sells Sanshedan online. I have tested there product myself and it works well. If you life in a city with a Chinatown or international community, you can also find it there. )

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
• Infrared light therapy can be very helpful for these kitties and can be done at home. Infrared light helps to improve blood circulation into the kidneys and wake up kidney cells that are still alive but don’t have enough blood flow. See my article Infrared light therapy for instructions on how to use this therapy.
• 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. If you can’t find someone to help you the base formula Liu Wei Di Huang Wan can be used. This formula is now available in powder form that can be made into a tea from my etsy shop Kingdom of Basil

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
We do not see much inflammatory kidney disease in cats and most of it is in cats younger than 10 years old. 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.

It can be hard to tell these cats from deficient kidney kitties as there is much overlap in symptoms. 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. And these cats tend to be younger, usually the old thin kitties are not inflammatory.

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. 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.

One of the most frustrating problems in veterinary medicine is the chronically itchy dog or cat.

So how can be get these guys so they are comfortable without getting stuck in the constant swing between steroids and antibiotics and without spending a small fortune?

Lets look at what is going on.

Why do dogs and cats itch?

Most itchy animals are allergic to something, be it food, plants in the environment or some other thing in their world such as dust, molds, or chemicals. The hard part is finding out what it is and even harder being able to do something about it. I have a number of dogs in my practice who are allergic to humans, dust, or grass which are all impossible to eliminate from their world.

Allergies produce inflammation in the body. In people this often presents as nasal congestion, in animals the most common way inflammation presents is through the skin.

So if they are allergic to something we can not eliminate this is an impossible problem, right?

No, there is hope.

Most animals and humans have some mild allergies or sensitivities. Most of the time we do not have any problems from them but if we are suddenly exposed to everything we are allergic to all at once or a very large amount of something we are allergic to we have a reaction. This is because we only have a reaction if the inflammation in our body reaches a certain threshold. Below that threshold nothing happens.

But my dog is allergic to everything and always itchy. How do I possibly get his body to be below the allergy threshold so he doesn’t itch?

Through using a diet that reduces the inflammation in his body! This means we need to feed a diet that is not processed, doesn’t have grain and takes a little longer to get absorbed and assimilated through the gut. A slow assimilation assures that there are not large spikes of nutrients and proteins that come into the body all at once and overtax the pancreas and liver creating inflammation.

Most commercial diets are too high in grains and carbohydrates and too processed for our companion animals. They create inflammation which overtaxes the body and leads to not just skin inflammation but also other inflammatory conditions such as colitis, pancreatitis, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and ear infections.

In addition many of these diets are not high enough in protein causing a decreased blood reserve in the body in some of these animals which leads to the skin not being properly nourished and a cycle of chronic skin infections which produce more itching.

Commercial high grain processed diets often make our animals overweight. Fat reserves in the abdomen cause more inflammation in the body, by producing free radicals, adding to the problem.

So what are the steps needed to raise the allergy threshold and stop or eliminate the itch through diet?

1. Cut all grains out of your dog or cat’s diet. If for some reason your animal can not tolerate a no grain diet add in small amounts of brown rice or whole oats.
2. Feed the least processed diet possible. Raw is best. From my experience I get the best results when I put animals on raw diets. If your animal can not tolerate raw or you can not feed it for some reason then home cooked or good quality grain free canned is best. If for some reason you can only feed dry, feed Orijen brand. The folks at Orijen have made their food so that it has a lower glycemic index and is processed by the body slower than other dry foods. (Remember if you feed raw to make sure it is frozen first) .



3. If your dog or cat has more itching along the top of their back and on their sides add in a fish oil supplement. Fish oil helps to decrease the itch and heal skin lesions.
4. Find a veterinary Chinese herbalist to work with in your community. Chinese herbs can work with the body to help to decrease the allergy threshold even more than with diet alone. Most of the animals I work with are on a program of Chinese herbs and diet change.
5. Nettles extract can help with itching. Make sure you use a good quality alcohol based extract. Nettles needs to be given at 0.2ml per 5 lbs of body weight and works best if given at this dose three to four times a day. Nettles not only helps directly to decrease itch but also works over time to desensitize the body to allergens helping to reprogram the immune system.
6. Eliminate anything you can that you know your animals is allergic to. If they flare up with certain foods or chemicals in your house get rid of those things.
7. Make sure there are no fleas! These buggers make even the normal animals itchy but can quickly push an allergic animals over the edge

Remember that resolution of itching can take a long time. Many animals, especially the ones with severe skin disease, take up to a year to get better.

Please also see part two Treating Severe Skin Disease Herbally.

It is sad to see our beloved animal companions get old and even harder to see them start to loss their mind. In many dogs the first sign of this is anxiety in the evening or throughout the night, although dementia or cognitive dysfunction syndrome can manifest in many different ways.

Not all dementia has an anxiety component to it and not all anxiety in older dogs is from dementia but the two often go together.

So what causes dementia in older dogs?

There are four main causes of dementia or cognitive dysfunction syndrome.

1. Free radical formation Free radicals harm healthy cells in the brain.
2. Hypoxia to the brain In other words there is not enough blood getting to the brain.
3. Alterations in neurotransmitters There is too much or not enough of certain necessary neurotransmitters in the brain. You need neurotransmitters to have your neurons or brain cells function together.
4. Neural infiltrates such as B amyloid and lipofusion These infiltrates destroy healthy brain tissue, similar to alzheimer’s disease in people.

In Traditional Chinese medicine (or TCM), anxiety in older animals is caused by too much heart fire related to the kidneys becoming deficient as your dog ages. Kidneys are considered to be the water element and as we age the kidneys get deficient and water in the body system decreases to a point that it allows heart which is a fire element to flare too much and cause anxiety especially during the heart peak hours of 11pm – 1am.

According to TCM, another issue is that older animals can become what is called yin deficient. Yin holds the yang at night so we can sleep. If there is not enough yin, the yang is not held and sleep doesn’t happen.

Sometimes these problems are reversible if caught early but even when they are not, there are things you can do to help slow down the progression of the disease and help with symptoms. Usually in spite of everything we do, dementia is progressive and eventually gets to the point that nothing helps anymore. This process can happen quickly or occur slowly over a number of years.

Here is a list of some things that I have found can help your older dog with dementia or anxiety. Please check with your veterinarian to come up with a plan that is safe for your dog.

1. Walking is the most important thing you can do for your older dog. Walking just ten minutes twice a day can significantly increase brain blood flow and reverse symptoms of dementia from hypoxia. Plus it can help prevent muscle atrophy and help with arthritis.
2. Ginkgo Biloba does three important things. It helps increase blood flow to the brain by vasodilation , it helps regulate dopamine in the brain and it helps prevent amyloid deposits. I dose ginkgo at 100mg per 50lb of dog or more. I sell a powdered herbal formula called Brain and Heart Support Formula through my etsy store Kingdom of Basil which can be added to food. In animals with picky appetite you can also use the Animals’ Apawthecary Hawthorn Plus
   which contains hawthorn and ginkgo. Another option is to use the product Senilife
   which contains ginkgo and other antioxidant ingredients (see Peggy’s comment in the comments section). I find ginkgo can help slow the progression of dementia
3. Fish or Cod Liver Oil and other antioxidants help prevent and repair free radical damage and stimulate brain function. In addition Fish Oil also help with arthritis and dry coat problems in older dogs. I dose Fish Oil at 500mg per 40 lb of dog. I prefer the Nordic Natural Cod Liver Oil. Extra vitamin B and E can also help these dogs.
4. SamE helps increase dopamine function in the brain, stimulates brain function and works as an antioxidant. It also helps with joint pain and liver function which many older dogs have problems with. I dose SamE at around 425mg per 50lb of dog. I prefer to use the dog product Nutramax Denosyl.
5. Remove any compact fluorescent or fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lighting can cause a high pitched hum that humans can not hear but dogs and cats can. Older dogs loss their high frequency hearing last so even almost deaf dogs can still hear very high frequency noises. In addition fluorescent lighting can affect brain function and can cause headaches. See The danger of compact fluorescent lighting.
6. Get rid of the dry food. Many older dogs do better on home cooked food or canned food. I don’t recommend switching an old dog to raw food if they have not been on it before. From a Chinese medicine view, dry food is too processed and dry for an older dog who already is kidney deficient.


One of my patients, Luna wearing a T shirt

7. 5.Wearing a T-shirt, Thundershirt, or Anxiety Wrap can help your older dog if they have problems with anxiety. It sounds weird I know, but it actually does work.

   It is based around the ideas from Tellington TTouch of using an ace bandage. See the article Put an ace bandage on my dog?. Wearing the shirt enhances your dog’s sense of their own body and makes them feel more confident in their movements and behavior. You can use a snug fitting human T-shirt, a Thundershirt, or an anxiety wrap. I have found however that if your dog has a lot of arthritic pain the anxiety wrap is too hard to put on, so try the Thundershirt or a T-shirt in that case. This is also an idea that can work in young dogs with anxiety.

8. Melatonin can help old dogs sleep at night. Sometimes older dogs can get confused between night and day and end up sleeping all day and then pacing and panting at night. This can make it very hard for us humans to sleep also. Giving Melatonin in the evening can help regulate night and day for these guys and get everyone a better night’s sleep. I dose Melatonin at 3-4mg per 50lb of dog.Many brands of Melatonin contains xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. Make sure your brand does not!
9. Small meals more often and right before bed are sometimes better for these older dogs. A small meal of wet or cooked food right before bedtime can help get these dogs through the night and help them sleep better.
10. Acupuncture can help decrease anxiety especially at night time by treating the yin, kidneys, and heart fire. In addition acupuncture can help with arthritis pain, weakness, and kidney function and help your dog age more gracefully as they get older. I often combine acupuncture with Chinese herbs for these dogs.
11. Reiki can help to relax older dogs and calm anxiety. Reiki is a nice calming way of helping improve health and well being as animals age.



12. Bach Rescue Remedy and other flower essences can help with anxiety and fear. Flower essences are homeopathic in nature and very safe for older animals. Rescue Remedy is the best know but there are many lines for treating a variety of behavior and emotional issues.

    You can dose flower essences by putting 3-4 drops in your dog’s drinking water every time you change their water. It’s ok to use flower essences in the water even if other animals drink from the same dish.

13. Other herbal medications are out there for helping with anxiety in older dogs.

    Making a tea or tincture from hops leaves can help calm some older dogs. You can also buy hops leaves and sprinkle them in your dog’s food. Animal Apawthecary makes a Tranquility Tonic that if used at their recommended dosage is safe in most animals. I also have a formula I make and sell in my store, Kingdom of Basil, which helps to treat anxiety in older dogs and also contains ginkgo to help with brain function called Calm and Peaceful Formula. Also see my article Helping anxiety in an old friend – calm and peaceful formula.

    I recommend consulting with a holistic veterinary to decide on what is right for your dog.

    Some of the calming herbals can be dangerous if used incorrectly or in the wrong animal.

    To use Chinese herbs correctly you should consult with a veterinarian with a background is Chinese herbal medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine.

14. Western Drugs are always an option. There are may drugs that help with anxiety and can be given if the natural alternatives do not work or are not enough. There are also drugs out there that help with dementia such as Selegiline (Anipryl). Most of the western drugs like the herbs are not cure alls but can help make things better.
15. Some dogs are anxious because they are painful . This is an important thing to rule out before assuming there is a dementia component.

    If your dog is not on pain medication have them evaluated by your veterinarian. If they are on pain medication talk to your vet about increasing the dose or trying something else if there may be a pain factor. Dogs can’t always tell us when they are in pain and pain certainly can cause sleep disturbance and anxiety.

16. Talk to your dog about the change in their position in the house. Many dogs especially the herding breeds take their job of watching the house very seriously. As they get older and can not do it the way they would like to anymore they can become quite anxious. Explaining that your accept them in their old age and making changes to help them, can ease anxiety. See the article Love me for who I am today.



17. 13. Take care of yourself!. This is very important when you are caring for an elderly or sick animal. To be a good caregiver you need to be healthy and well rested.

    If you have a dog that is anxious at night and you are not sleeping consider putting them in a different room than you sleep in, crating them if they are ok with crating, or finding another solution. If you get sick because you are not taking care of yourself you will not be able to care for them.

    It may seem mean to kick them out of your room but it is kinder than letting them sleep with you and being a grumpy caregiver. I had to do this with my old dog Jake and it actually ended up with us both sleeping better. Before we slept in separate rooms, his anxiety made me anxious, which made him more anxious and by the morning we were both a mess.

Dementia and anxiety are some of the most frustrating and painful problems I see in older dogs and can be very difficult to deal with. Be gentle on yourself and your dog companion and try to find a healthy way to work with these problems for everyone in the household.

When dementia progresses to a point where you beloved companion is no longer present and enjoying life or in pain sometimes the greatest gift we can give them is to help them to go through euthanasia. This is not an easy decision to make and there are no set guilds that tell you when it is time. This can differ from dog to dog. The best we can do is to look into our hearts for what is right.

Also see Follow up to Dementia and Anxiety in Older Dogs – Sadie’s Hospice Care.

Please join me in the Path With Paws forums for more discussion of dementia and with any questions.

So what do I feed my cat? And how do I change their food?

Anyone who has been owned by a cat knows that changing their food can be one of the hardest projects to undertake. Of course there are those cats who will eat anything but they are rare.

So how do you choose what to feed your cat and how do you find something they will eat?

Many of these rules you will recognize from my dog food article but cats are still cats and there are differences.

Here are some rules of thumb to follow with the kitties:

I hope this information helps. Do the best you can with it and try to have fun! After all, you know your cat better than anyone else!

Helpful links
Dog Aware’s dog food page More information than you could ever use about dog food!. While this is a dog site much of the information on it is also relative to cats.
Born Free’s What’s Really In Pet Food A great article about pet food companies and processing.

Books about cat food and diet
Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
The Whole Pet Diet: Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats
The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care
Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purr-fect Health
Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food
Not Fit for a Dog!: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food
Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative

Update – Since writing this article I’ve gotten to participate in a great thread of questions about it on the West Seattle Blog. Please check out the post How to pick a good cat food where I also explain how to figure out the exact amount of food your cat needs.

Also see How do I pick the best food for my dog’s health?.

Gone are the days when we jumped at the chance to get a three cans for a dollar deal on Alpo at the local grocery store and a bag of Kibbles and Bits. Most dog folks know that feeding good quality food can be one of the most important decisions you can make for your animal friend. These days many people who come to my clinic are already feeding a high quality food.

So how do you choose?

While there are no set answers to this question, here are some rules of thumb to follow:

Helpful links
Dog Aware’s dog food page More information than you could ever use about dog food!.
Born Free’s What’s Really In Pet Food A great article about pet food companies and processing.

Books about dog food and diet
Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
The Whole Pet Diet: Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats
The Healthy Dog Cookbook: 50 Nutritious & Delicious Recipes Your Dog Will Love

Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food
Not Fit for a Dog!: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food
Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative

Also see How do I pick the best food for my cat’s health?.