Great Dane With Osteosarcoma Questions

[vhayes]

Our Great Dane Taj was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma the end of December, but we were told he probably had it for quite some time. I was originally giving him Essiac Tea, and the Budwig cottage cheese/flax oil protocol as well as some antioxidants. Taj stopped walking completely a week and a half ago. His good leg gave out from under him and he just wasn’t able to support his weight. He already had hind end weakness before he was diagnosed with Osteo in his front leg.

I thought we were at the end when I found information on Artemisinin and began treating him. We have also had an Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Vet give him two acupunture treatments with light therapy which have also helped. I shared several Artemisinin links as well as the Artemisinin information on your website with her. We are both interested, based on your experience with Artemisinin, how you know the Artemisinin is working?

Do you use any tests (like X-rays or bloodwork) or just clinical signs. If you monitor clinical signs what do you look for? Do you have any suggestions to help us evaluate how Taj is responding?

The changes I have seen are very slight and gradual but a defininte improvement from his starting point. (He’s been on the Artemisinin for 8 days). He seems to be more comfortable and the pain less severe, but he is still not interested in walking and looks pretty pathetic to anyone who didn’t see how bad he was.

Taj is 150 lbs and receiving 5 caps Artemix (combination 40 mg Artemur, 50 mg Artemisinin, 50 mg Artesenuate per capsule). Based on recommended dosage of 1-2mg per lb of body wt based on Artemur. Given with Butyrex and Vit D3 to help absorption. Also will be starting K9 Transfactor (along with K9 Immunity) The Trans Factor has Transferrin which is supposed to help the Artemisinin.

I was also very interested in your article on Xiao Chai Hu Tang – herbs to fight cancer – reversing triple burner obstruction. Would this herbal remedy be something I could use in combination with the Artemisinin? You don’t specifically mention that it would help with Osteosarcoma, but I’m wondering it it would possibly help in combination with the artemisinin. Taj did have hind end weakness before we found out about the cancer, perhaps Triple Burner obstruction is an underlying cause or secondary issue. How and when would I dose the Xiao Chai Hu Tang with Artemisinin if you think this would be something we should add.

Thank you so much for your help. It was very impressive to see you have had a good deal of experience with Artemisinin. Most Vets are not yet familiar with it and there is very little information available from practitioners who have such extensive experience treating animals with it.

Thank you!!!

[Lena]

I think the best test of something working is slight improvements and a slowing of the decline that you see with osteosarcoma. Every animal has a different progression so it can be hard sometimes to tell. I have never just used artemisinin in a dog with osteo so I can’t tell you for sure that it was the thing that helped but I have found the animals I have treated for cancer without artemisinin have not done as well so I almost always use it these days.

I’ve had many, many dogs on Xiao Chai Hu Tang and artemisinin together and there is no interaction between these two. If I treat osteosarcoma with lung mets I use Xiao Chai Hu Tang but luckily most I treat before we see lung mets.

I hope Taj does well!

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