A Path With Paws

If you have had a dog you have probably had to deal with diarrhea at least once. Dogs love to find things on the side of the road and eat them quickly before we can take them away. Just last night I was fighting Alli over an old hot dog bun she had found in the bushes across from the 7-11. To her it was the greatest delight ever, to me it was a night with an itchy dog.

While Alli tends to get itchy from finding random things to eat, a lot of dogs will get diarrhea. This is not always a bad thing if it only lasts for a day. Diarrhea is the body’s way of getting rid of bad things fast. I always say better out than in. However sometimes the diarrhea continues. This can be a great formula for getting it under control fast. Also see my article Natural solutions to treat acute diarrhea.

So on to one of my favorite herbals, Zhi Xie San is a great anti-diarrhea formula. I learned this one from my wonderful acupuncture teacher, Richard Panzer, and it works like magic in many dogs.

It contains six simple yet effective ingredients
Shan Yao (chinese yam)
Yi Yi Ren (job’s tears)
Ge Gen (kudzu root)
Fu Ling (poria rhizome)
Bai Zhu (atractylodes rhizome)
Mu Xiang (costus root)
Lian Zi (lotus seeds)

Shan Yao is a great anti-diarrhea herb. In addition to this formula I often add a little of this to any formula that is moving if I am using it in a dog prone to diarrhea. Shan Yao is a tonic which helps with digestion, in addition it is a qi tonic and one of the herbs that makes this formula safe to use in older and sicker animals. Bai Zhu is also a qi tonic which helps support digestion and pairs well with chinese yam.

Yi Yi Ren has so many uses, it is good at draining dampness and often used for arthritis and cancer in addition to diarrhea. Ge Gen also has actions to help stop diarrhea and adds in the ability to expel pathogens. Fu Ling is also a great drainer of dampness, in addition its sweet nature helps with digestion.

Mu Xiang helps with food stagnation and treats pain in the gut. It helps relieve straining in the intestine and helps to regulate the other herbs in this formula. It makes sure that the other herbs which drain dampness do not hurt digestion of lead to stagnation in the gut.

Last is lotus seeds, these are often used in malas but they also have uses in herbal medicine. Lotus seeds help to support the digestion of the body and stop diarrhea. They also can help with anxiety and calm the spirit of the heart. They are said to lighten the body and slow aging. Not a bad addition.

This formula has a wonderful almost white color and it is light and soft to the touch. It feels to me like it could work as a sponge to soak up liquid and in fact that is what it does in the body. It is a great alternative to kaopectate or peptobismol.

I have used this formula in a number of animals however I do not use it if there is a lot of blood in the diarrhea or if there are know parasites. In many chronic inflammatory bowel disease cases this formula can help but often I use different formulas depending on how animals present.

Now available in my etsy shop Kingdom of Basil.

Today I did a refill of a custom formula for a beautiful yellow lab named Mali who I have been working with for almost five years now. Mali had both ankle surgery and a fracture of her front leg when she was younger and has some arthritis issues secondary to that. She is now 10 years old and slowing down a little. In addition, like most labs she is prone to inflammation both in her skin and joints. About a year ago her people switched her to raw food and that has really helped with the inflammation.

Arthritis in Chinese medicine is considered a combination of damp, wind and usually cold that has gotten in the joints. Do you notice that people and animals with joint issues are often times worse when it rains or in the cold of winter?

In addition there can be a blockage of blood flow to the joints which increases pain and leads to further degeneration because there is not enough blood flow to repair damage. With herbs we attempt to address all this, decrease pain and promote healing. Most of my dogs with arthritis are also on an acupuncture protocol. The herbs support this and make it so my acupuncture treatments hold longer.

Mali’s formula contains:
Bai Shao
Dang Gui
Yi Yi Ren
Yan Hu Suo
Du Huo
Gui Zhi
Chuan Xiong
Hong Hua
Du Zhong
Cang Zhu
Huai Niu Xi

Bai Shao, peony root and Dang Gui, angelica root, are a great combo for any animal with arthritis. They both work with blood to increase blood flow into the joints, and have a secondary ability to help with pain. In this case I also add in Chuan Xiong to help with increased blood production and flow. Many animals I will also add Rehmannia or Shou Di Huang. In Mali’s case because she is prone to inflammation I leave it out.

Yan Hu Suo or corydalis is a wonderful blood mover which helps with pain.

Yi Yi Ren (job’s tears), Cang Zhu (Atractylodes), and Huai Niu Xi(Achyranthes Root) all help with inflammation and dampness both directly and in the case of Cang Zhu by also helping digestion. They help to pull inflammation out of the joints.

Gui Zhi(cinnamon twig) and Du Huo (a different angelica root) help to release wind from the joints. These two also help with joint issues and pain. Du Huo helps support tendons and has a very strong smell that some people do not like.

Hong Hua, safflower flowers, I add in to invigorate the blood, to help with her vitality and make sure the blood flows smoothly in her body.

My final ingredient is Du Zhong, eucommia bark, which is a yang tonic but also helps support tendons to keep them elastic and flexible. If you look at the bark it is held together by what looks like stretchy elastic. I love when function can be seen in an herb.

This is one of two formulas Mali is on, the other being a qi tonic which helps prevent stagnation in her middle. The pair of the two work well together because qi moves blood. If you are using a blood tonic and feel like it is not working as well as you would like often times pairing with a qi tonic or moving the middle with something that works with triple burner obstruction will make a large difference. In Mali’s case we are using a modification of Xiao Chai Hu Tang as her second formula.

Herb deliveries are always fun. While the western herbs are usually more colorful and pretty, the Chinese herbs smell the best. This order included cinnamon, ginger, honeysuckle flowers, bupleurum, and ginseng to name a few.

Some of my cancer formulas are heavy on ginger, bupleurum, cinnamon and ginseng. Honeysuckle is good for cooling and detox and most often found is my formulas for itchy skin and inflammation.

Almost all my Chinese herbs come from a company called Spring Wind. Spring Wind is awesome!

Andy Ellis who started the company is extremely careful about the herbs he brings in from China. Everything is tested to make sure it is free of contaminates, pesticides, and toxins and is what it actually supposed to be (aka the right species). You may be able to find herbs for cheaper but I am happy to pay more to be sure my herbs are good and my animal patients are going to be safe.

There are sometimes that I can not get certain herbs because he can not find a good source. Most recently there was an issue with all the cicada casing being contaminated with pesticides. Go figure! We are so lucky to have such an amazing herb company is our community.

Spring Wind has a wonderful line of skin products and ointments for humans, they are after all a human company. Check it out!

Many animals with cancer go under surgery to remove the primary tumor or as much of it as possible. Sometimes this is a fairly simple procedure if it is a small skin cancer which is being removed however in other cases surgery can involve removal or internal organs and can be much more extensive.

Even with the simple surgeries, surgery and anesthesia are hard on our animal friends. This is often even more difficult with cancer because most of these animals are already older. But there are things you can do to help them recover faster and more comfortably.

This article is written for my cancer book but also applies to any animals undergoing surgery or anesthesia.

As always, check with your veterinarian before using any supplements.

1. Arnica
   Arnica is a homeopathic remedy which helps with bruising and trauma. Over the years I have been amazed and impressed at how much difference this very safe remedy can make in healing. I have seen incisions heal in half the time and dogs have very little bruising and swelling in situations you would normally expect to see it.

   I always recommend Arnica for all my animal patients who have to undergo surgery or any other procedure that there will be tissue or bone trauma. Because it is a homeopathic remedy it is very safe ever for old and debilitated animals.

   I use the Arnica 30c pellets and dose them at 2-5 pellets (usually 2 for cats/small dogs and 5 for large dogs) the morning of surgery, the evening after surgery, and then three times a day for three days. Because the pellets are so small they can safely be given the morning of surgery.

   Arnica can be bought at most health and supplement stores and online, click on Arnica above to go to the Amazon.com page.

2. Acupuncture
   I highly recommend an acupuncture treatment right after surgery or anesthesia. Acupuncture can help with clearing anesthesia from an animal’s system and decrease the chance of them having a hard recovery. Acupuncture can also help ease pain and speed healing.

   If possible acupuncture can be performed the day of surgery after an animal has woken up. Many times this is not possible because of the hours acupuncturists work and I end up treating most animals the day after surgery.

   Acupuncture can also help dogs and cats who have had bad recoveries to anesthesia in the past and and make it possible to perform dentals or surgeries on these sensitive animals.



3. Yunnan Baiyao
   While I don’t recommend Yunnan Baiyao (also called Yunnan Paiyao) for all animals undergoing surgery or anesthesia, it is still one of my most important herbal formulas. I mainly use it in any procedure or surgery where there is a concern about bleeding. This includes many tumor removal and abdominal surgeries. I have seen this wonderful herbal formula save animal’s lives before.

   Please see my article, A Magic Vial of Yunnan Baiyao and the wikipedia article.

   I usually dose Yunnan Baiyao at one capsule twice a day for a few days before and after surgery for your average sized dog. Cats and small dogs, I use the powder and put about a 1/8 of a teaspoon in their food twice a day. I reserve the red emergency pill for when an animal is already actively bleeding or when there is a very great risk of a bleed out during surgery.

   Yunnan Baiyao can be bought in most international districts and by clicking on Yunnan Baiyao above to go to the Amazon.com page.

4. Reiki
   If one of my animals need to undergo surgery I always give them a reiki session before to get them into a good place for surgery. I usually work with a local practitioner, Rose DeDan, who also does animal communication. She is able to help explain what is going to happen and put their body in the best possible place for surgery and/or anesthesia.
5. Pain medication
   Enough can not be said about pain medication. Make sure your veterinarian gives your animal pain medication before surgery and sends you home with something you can give at home. Nothing is worse then seeing our animals in pain and not being able to do anything about it. Pain medication is a most for all surgeries
6. Companionship and love!
   You are the safest person to your animal. They want to be with you after surgery and they want to feel loved and cared for. If possible consider taking a day off work after their surgery or plan your animal’s surgery or procedure on a Friday when you can be home with their afterwards..



7. Somewhere healing to recover
   It is so important to have somewhere safe, quiet, warm and soft to recover after surgery. Anesthesia can make the senses more sensitive and many animals get headaches coming out of surgery. Often times the drugs used also make our animal friends disoriented. Make sure that there is no access to stairs and nothing to fall off of. Keeping lights dim and sound to a minimum also helps. Sometimes classical music played softly will help relax our friends. If you have a highly stressed animal consider using a lavendar spray product in the environment or a pheramone spray such as Feliway for cats and D.A.P. Dog Appeasing Pheromone Spray for dogs
8. Bach Rescue Remedy
   This product is a very mild flower essence that can help with the stress of recovery. It is very safe and gentle. Often times we human caretakers can also use a littlePut a few drops in your animal friend’s drinking water, on their lips or on the inside of their ear.The pet or human rescue remedy tinctures can be used. Do not use the pastilles as they contain xylitol which is toxic to dogs.

I hope these simple suggestions are helpful! I know they have helped many of the animals I work with and my own beloved animal companions.

Return to Integrative and Holistic Methods of treating cancer.

Today I am starting a new feature called, What I Made Today, to showcase some of the herbs I work with and talk about the process of being a Chinese herbalist.

Today I made a very cool little formula from Jeremy Ross called Astragalus 1. If you don’t know about Jeremy, he is an English human herbalist who worked with western herbs using Chinese theory and if you get a chance to take a class from him when he is visiting, go for it! He’s a great teacher and a funny guy and he is very supportive of having about half of his classes be full of holistic vets.

If I have to be truthful, what keeps me from diving into western herbs more is that I love the Chinese way of working with herbs. There is much more synergy between the herbs in Chinese medicine and it is more like making a lovely healing stew of herbs than just adding a bunch of herbs together. It is more about how they mingle with each other.

So I have started to work with some of Jeremy’s formulas and have added about thirty western herbs to my collection. Still a lot of roots like is Chinese medicine but the western herbs seem lighter to me.

Astragalus 1 is a formula for animals or people who have had recurrent infections and been on multiple antibiotics. It not only helps to fight the infection and get rid of the pathogen but it also boosts the immune system and heals and supports the gastrointestinal system. Antibiotics can cause a lot of damage to the gut especially if used long term and that can lead to not just gastrointestinal issues but also other immune system problems such as allergies, inflammation, and weakened immune function. This is also a very safe formula and can be used in cats and dogs.

So what is in this formula?

• As you might have guessed from the name, Astragalus is the main ingredient. Astragalus’ main function is to strengthen the immune system. Being a tonic, it can also help with fatigue and mental function. Astragalus is what gives this formula its main boost.
• Licorice is added into this formula to support the adrenal glands and sooth the digestive tract. I could write a whole article about the benefits of licorice but I’ll stop with these two main functions. In Chinese medicine licorice also helps the other herbs to work together with each other.
• Next is the pair of Echinacea and Goldenseal. These two herbs are strongly anti-microbial. Goldenseal because of its bitter nature helps with digestion and can sooth and help heal gastrointestinal irritation. Echinachea is not only anti-microbial but also anti-viral,is an immune stimulant, and is an anti-inflammatory. I use a combination of Echinachea purpurea which works more with the immune system and Echinachea angustifolia which is more anti-inflammatory. These two herbs take the above tonics and add to them to expel pathogens and reduce inflammation that may be blocking the way.
• To this is added the pair of Gentiana and Agrimonia which are both bitter digestive tonics and help to repair the gastrointestinal system and leaky gut.
• Fenugreek is included in this formula for its anti-inflammatory actions and its ability to help with gut pain. It is also considered a digestive tonic and adds a little warmth to the digestion.
• Last but not least is ginger. Ginger is a wonderful digestive tonic and soothes the gut. It also has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. It is anti-inflammatory and it helps to move the other herbs into the gastrointestinal system.

So to sum up in simple terms
Astragalus boosts the body and immune system
Echinachea and Goldenseal expel pathogens and clean up the inflammation that is blocking the way
Gentiana and Agrimonia heal the gut and use their bitter properties to stimulate digestion
Fenugreek comes in and gives digestion a warm spark to start up again
Ginger cleans up any infection that is left and continues to warm and move the gut properly
and Licorice makes everything work better together and makes sure the adrenals are functioning and the animal/person has normal energy

Cool little formula!

Look at the great yellow color when it is ground. Many yellow herbs contain berberine which is highly anti-inflammatory and helps kills bacteria and viruses. In this formula the goldenseal is which herb is berberine rich and responsible for the yellow color. In the Pacific Northwest Oregon Grape is a good and plentiful substitute. This is especially important as wild goldenseal is now under CITES regulation and has become an endangered species because of over harvest.

By the way if you want this formula you can special request it on my etsy store Kingdom of Basil.

I have always had a dream to have an herb shop. I picture a little brick storefront with large front windows full of plants. When you walk in the smell of herbs meets you at the door. For those of you who have never walked into a Chinese pharmacy it is hard to explain the wonderful delight of so many flavors mingling together.

Someday I will have this shop and run a healing practice full of wonderful acupuncturists, naturopathic physicians, massage practitioners, and other healing workers for animals and people in the rooms behind it. We could have classes in the evenings on herbs and healing and support groups for those who have recently lost animal companions. Maybe a library for those who want to come in and look through books.

I wonder if it could be a third place for those with companion animals? Somewhere that folks could meet up.

But most of all it would be full of my herbs. My pharmacy has grown to almost 300 herbs over the years and I would love a place to show them off. Can you imagine dog treats infused with herbs for health? Chocolates for humans with calming herbs such as lavender in them? Tinctures for when our animal friends have to go under anesthesia. Ground herbs to mix in homemade food of older dogs.

Two days ago I opened the first version of this business. I have always been one to start small and create from there. So this business is on etsy.com which allows people to display their talents and homemade items. Please come and visit me at Kingdom of Basil online. Someday I hope to see you in my beautiful Seattle shop!

I’m about to take a three week vacation. Over the next week I will be working hard to see all my animal clients and then gone until mid-September.

This coming week and while I am away posting will be light or non-existent and comments and emails will go unchecked. Hope you are all enjoying the summer and thanks for visiting!

Note:This article is about hemangiosarcoma of the spleen and abdomen. For information about hemangiosarcoma of the heart click here.

I have to say I always have considered hemangiosarcoma the hardest cancer to work with. It is highly aggressive, it can rapidly progress to the point where it causes sudden bleeding and death, and it is not very responsive to herbs or chemotherapy. After a few really hard to treat cases who died long before I wanted them to, I felt like giving up.

Recently I attended a lecture by Dr. Steve Marsden, one of my favorite herbalists, and my whole view on hemangiosarcoma changed. He has a new protocol that he is using for hemangiosarcoma and it is working in some animals. It is not a cure all but it makes it so some of these guys have really good quality of life, live longer and are far less likely to bleed out, even if you leave the primary tumor alone.

The first dog who I got to treat with this protocol just passed away when I first wrote this article, and while I will really miss his wonderful happy golden retriever love of life, I am so happy we were able to make his final months better.

Wilbur was rescued by a local massage therapist I work with when he had active end stage hemangiosarcoma. She was told we would be very lucky if we got a month, most likely we would only get a couple weeks. He made it over three months from that end stage point, without any surgery and he was happy and active up until the very end.

In the past I feel like I was lucky if I could get over three months with early diagnosed hemangiosarcoma even if we did surgery to remove the spleen. That is how aggressive this cancer is. And from my experience there is not a good western option for treating it.

Since writing this article, I have since seen mixed results. I still have dogs who only get three months and because of herbal supply issues I’ve had to change my protocol

Steve has taken dogs over a year with his protocol even without surgery and that is very impressive. I have not had a dog I’ve been able to take over a year in my practice yet. I hope I will someday! I do have a cat who is three years out from hemangiosarcoma diagnosis without tumor removal and happy and healthy (as of 7/2017). She is also 18 years old!

So how do we treat this?

I am going to stop here and say you need a holistic vet on board. I use Vit A/D at a dose that can cause kidney failure if not used correctly. This needs to be used under the management of a veterinarian. But first…

To remove the spleen or not to remove the spleen.
I always, always pushed spleen removal in the past because I found most dogs did not make it past a month if you didn’t. The tumors would rupture and they would bleed out and die. Many made it much less time. My thoughts are changing on that a bit because of Wilbur and having a protocol which actually seems to prevent bleed outs. I would still say that in a healthy dog where it appears the bulk of the cancer is in the spleen, that spleen removal is the way to go. However in the very old, the very debilitated, or in those that have cancer in multiple organs I am starting to lean against it. This is of course going to be something to discuss with your vet and any other caregivers involved in your dog’s life.

Here is the protocol I use. Thank you Steve Marsden!

1. Acupuncture – every two weeks or more often. This keeps everything moving, helps with discomfort, slows down the cancer and boosts the immune system.
2. A cancer diet – See Diets for cancer in cats and dogs
3. Yunnan Baiyao – not only does it control bleeding but also seems to slow this cancer down. I double the dose for dogs with hemangiosarcoma
4. Chai Hu Jia Long Mu Li Tang or the root formula Xiao Chai Hu Tang which I use quite often for cancer. I use Chai Hu Jia Long Mu Li Tang for animals who run very hot and Xiao Chai Hu Tang for the majority of dogs.
5. IP6 – this supplement is important in stimulating the immune system’s natural killer cells to destroy cancer tissue. It is an antioxidant and has effects in inhibiting cancer cell growth and division. Not much research has been done in humans with this supplement but a lot of cancer studies have been done in animals.
   I dose dogs at 800-1600mg twice a day when I use this supplement.
6. Turkey Tail or I’m Yunity mushroom supplements have been show to increase survival times in dogs with hemangiosarcoma. I use Turkey Tail but the studies were done on I’m Yunnity’s product. I find I’m Yunnity is about 3-4 times the price of the best Turkey Tail you can buy.

More then any other cancer I work with I think this is the most important one to make sure you have a good holistic vet on board. I know, I know I have said that a few times already. Please see my article How to find a good holistic vet.

So how do we prevent this cancer? I don’t know that we know for sure. There is definitely a breed/genetic componant especially in golden retrievers. I urge my clients with golden retrievers to follow cancer prevention tips in How to Prevent Cancer. I also have had my golden retriever dog parents adding in 1/4 teaspoon of an herb called Red Root once a day. This herb helps with splenic congestion and lymph node drainage. It makes sense to me that it might help prevent this cancer but only time will tell.

As with all articles on this blog please check with your animal’s veterinarian before making any changes in their care or adding any supplements or herbals.

Back to Integrative and Holistic Treatments for Cancer in Cats and Dogs.

This article is dedicated to beautiful Wilbur – may you be young and free of cancer where you are now.

So Ali has been laid up after getting a deep laceration over her wrist. The poor girl had been with bandage and e collar for over a week and boy was she getting tired of it. On Tuesday I finally took her sutures out and she was super excited, bouncing up and down and wanting to go for a walk. Well my husband Adam came home at that exact moment and out the door Ali went…and out the gate, which was not closed all the way.

My newly freed dog was running down the street and when I called her name she would turn and look back but then keep on going, tail and head held high. “Catch me if you can.”

We live a few houses from a fairly busy arterial and she was heading that way. “She wouldn’t cross that,” I thought, but no, I saw Ali look both ways and then bounce across the street.

That’s when I realized, “she’s heading for the Mud Bay.”

I should have been suspicious because earlier on a walk Ali spent some time figuring out that if you step on the walkway in front of the Safeway doors they open. She was doing some research on how you open doors.

And she loves Mud Bay. They have nice people who have very yummy food and Ali loves food. And she often gets to pick out her own treat when we go in. Often if we go for a walk and get to the corner where the Mud Bay is, she will try to drag me down there.

Ali did not actually make it to the Mud Bay that day, someone was able to stop her for me a few steps away. At least now I know if she bolts out the door again, I can just go and collect her at the Mud Bay counter. Of course we will do our best to avoid it all in the future by being more careful with the gate.

Yesterday I walked Ali up to the Mud Bay and she happily picked out a long chew stick and carried it all the way home in her mouth, head and tail held high and everyone we passed smiling at her.

And she is now completely free of bandage and e collar and so much happier.

Ok let’s start with dogs first since they are the easiest.

• Many dogs will happily eat herbs or pills in their food. This is especially true if they eat wet food. If your dog is on just dry food then consider adding enough wet to hide the pills or herbs in.
• If they will not eat pills in food, Greenies Pill Pockets are the way to go. They are little treats with a hole in the center to hide the pill in.
• Another way to give pills is with a little treat food such as peanut butter, cream cheese, a slice of luncheon meat or a piece of hot dog. Push the pill into the center and make sure it is wrapped with food.
• For powder herbs I often have people put them in capsules and then use one of the above techniques. You can buy flavored capsules from Capsuline.com, which many dogs will eat straight. See Capsuline flavored pet capsules
  For small/medium dogs (miniature poodle and larger) a size “0” capsule works best. For medium to large dogs (sheltie and larger) I like “00”. Very small dogs usually need a “2” size capsule and cats need a “3” or “4”.
• There are many capsule making machines out there and believe me they make a huge difference when you are stuffing many capsules. My favorite is the The Capsule Machine. It comes in a “0” and “00” size, works well and is about $25-30.
• Liquids and compounding can come in handy. These days compounding pharmacies can make just about anything in a liquid with a meat flavor. If you are using herbs see if there is a glycerin tincture variety, which is sweet, and many dogs take well. Tinctures work especially well in small dogs.
• In some dogs just pushing the pills down their mouth is the fastest and easiest way to give a medication.

Now on to the cats!

• While I have meet cats that will eat pills and herbs in food, most will not. If your cat has a hearty appetite give it a try.
• Cat who like treats will sometimes take Pill Pockets.



• If your cat needs herbs and you can find a glycerin tincture that is usually the way to go. If not capsules with powdered herbs or tea pills are often the best choice.
• For drugs, if there is a long lasting injection available I highly recommend it. I think cats often do better with injections because they are less likely to upset their stomach and then you do not have to give something once or twice a day.
• Once again most drugs can be compounded into liquids, which have a meat flavor. Sometimes these are easier to give to cats, however some cats are easier to pill, once the pilling technique is learned.
• Some medications can be compounded into a form that can be rubbed on the inside of a cat’s ear and absorbed through the skin. Talk to your vet about this option. The down side to this kind of medication is that sometimes it is hard to get a proper dose this way.
• I find pilling cats by hand to be the easiest if you need to give pills however some people prefer a Pill Gun which pop the pills into the back of the mouth. Many people prefer to rub the pills in butter before giving them so they slide down easier and have a pleasant taste.

Here is a good video on how to pill cats
How to Pill a cat