A Path With Paws

The main focus of Chinese medicine is on treating the animal, the cancer is secondary.

Why did the cancer get there is in first place? Because of a longstanding imbalance in the body. In western medicine we would say that the immune system malfunctioned.

Why? Usually because of diet, genetics or environmental factors.

The job of the practitioner is to look at an animal as a whole being. I usually take about 30-60 minutes just to get a full history on my animals I treat for cancer. With the whole history I am treating the whole animal and not just the cancer. This is why the animals I treat often times feel better than before their cancer diagnosis after we start treatment

So why do I write articles that look like cook book recipes?
Many times the same cancers come from the same deficiencies. For example squamous cell carcinoma is almost always going to come from an animal who is having dampness/inflammation issues. Mast cell tumors almost always are in animals who have blood deficiencies. So you can cook book some of these cancers and get it right most of the time.

However the best is to find a veterinarian with training in Chinese medicine who can look at your animal and guild you to what is the best protocol for them. Them and not their cancer. I realized that some of you live in places that it is not a possibility in which case I am hoping you can use my guilds with your animal’s primary vet to come up with a treatment protocol.

So on to the Chinese Medicine!

Traditional Chinese medicine also known as TCM uses a system of metaphors to describe disease and come up with treatment methods. As odd as it can seem to a newcomer to this art, the system works.

This system was developed long before anatomy was known as well as it is today. In fact when TCM was first developed there was a ban on dissection and most of what was known about anatomy was learned on the battlefield by those who treated the wounded. Because of this many of the Chinese organ systems are different then the western ones. For example in TCM the spleen is considered the main organ of digestion even though we know today that the spleen really has very little to do with digestion. Even so the points in acupuncture, which correspond to the spleen, often treat digestive disorders and the herbs for digestion are often considered spleen tonics.

It would be really easy for me to give you 1000 pages or more on Traditional Chinese Medicine but really I want to talk about cancer and how it related to Chinese medicine and how you use Chinese diagnosis to figure out what herbs and supplements to give an animal.

The two most common Chinese diagnosises for cancer are.

Phlegm nodules/dampness and blood stagnation.

In addition you can have cancers that get into the realm of triple burner obstruction and blood heat but those both end up connected to one of the first categories. Blood heat is when the blood congeals and produces toxic heat and triple burner obstruction often is related to both phlegm obstruction and/or blood stagnation. More about those later.

In addition there are many minor imbalances which make the body predisposed to cancer.

Spleen deficiency leads to phlegm build up that leads to phlegm nodules.

Blood deficiency leads to problems with blood movement which leads to blood stagnation.

Many of these lesser patterns are also from poor diet, genetics or environmental factors.

So what do you need to know?

• Phlegm nodule cancers tend to be inflammatory. They are hot and painful and grow fast. They are usually very locally invasive but can also spread.

  These cancers are lymphoma, osteosarcoma, anal gland tumors and squamous cell carcinoma. There are many other phlegm cancers.

  Most of these animals have had some kind of inflammatory disease in their history. They are more prone to being gassy. They may have been or are overweight. They have more of an excess personality – they are outgoing and have a lot of energy but not always stamina. They may be prone to digestive upset usually with phlemy diarrhea or vomit. If they have infections they are usually hot and severe. They may have multiple lipomas. Often times as these animals get older they become more deficient in both personality and physically but when you look back at their history it tells a different story.

  These cancers do best with herbals like Hoxsey like formula and Si Miao San. They may also do well with Xiao Chai Hu Tang and its sister formulas because long time dampness can lead to triple burner obstruction. See below for more info on TBO.

• Blood stagnation cancers are the cancers that are caused by abnormal blood flow. They may also have an inflammatory component to them although usually it is milder than with the straight phlegm/dampness cancers.

  Cancers like mast cell tumors, hemangiosarcoma, many of the liver tumors, thyroid tumors, and salivary gland tumors tend to be blood stagnation cancers.

  These animals have a history of blood flow issues and blood deficiency. They may be a little timid. They are prone to dry skin and maybe dry eyes. They may have had infections in the past but they are usually mild. They may have back pain or weaknesses or shifting lameness. If they have skin tumors they are usually small and benign and hang off the skin. They may also have digestive upset but usually it is more liquid diarrhea or stomach pain. They may be sensitive to stress.

  These cancers are best treated with Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang and its sister formulas, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang, and single blood moving herbs like curcumin.

  In addition chemotherapy and radiation can cause blood deficiency and stagnation so I often use these formulas in animals receiving these treatments even if the cancer being treating is a phlegm nodule cancer.



• To make things harder many cancers are mixed with some components of blood stagnation and some of phlegm/dampness. Leukemia is a good example, usually I use blood movers like Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang with dampness herbs like Hoxsey. After all this cancer is in the blood stagnating it but also has a damp component to it. Sanshedan ChuanBeiye and Artemisinin can also help with these mixed cancers.
• Some cancers lead to or are caused by triple burner obstruction. Hemangiosarcoma is the best example of this or many other abdominal tumors fall into this category including many of the lymphomas I see. For these cancers I always use Xiao chai Hu Tang or one of its related formulas and then also treat the original pattern that lead to the TBO either with acupuncture or additional herbals.

  A little more on Triple burner obstruction

  The triple burner in Traditional Chinese Medicine runs down the center line of the body.

  There is the upper burner which includes the lungs and heart, middle burner with the spleen and liver, and lower burner with the kidneys and urinary bladder. If the triple Burner is obstructed, yin and yang cannot meet and there is a separation of yin and yang in the body. The yin or water of the kidneys needs to come up and cool and mist the lungs and heart, and the yang or fire of the heart needs to descend down and spark the fire of life of the kidneys.

  When yin and yang come together you get life. Both these functions happen by passage through the triple burner along the centerline of your body. If these functions cannot happen, the upper body gets hotter and the lower body gets weaker. If yin and yang cannot meet then the body stops working.

  Here is another way to look at it. If you look at yang as the chemical reactions in the body which fuel life, and yin as the antioxidant response that makes sure no harmful products are left behind, you can understand how these two relate. You need both for life and you need them to work together. Without the yin antioxidant response we become toxic, without the yang fueling the body we become weak and deficient. If either of these functions stop we are in trouble.

  Triple burner obstruction will lead to death – sometimes very quickly, if the obstruction is complete and sudden and sometimes over a longer time, if it happens slowly.
  Triple burner obstruction commonly manifests with excess conditions in the front of the body such as coughing, vomiting, anxiety, headache, and/or panting and deficiency or weak conditions in the back of the body such as hind leg weakness and incontinence. There is usually some kind of obstruction in the middle of the body such as a tumor in the liver or spleen, bloated abdomen or back pain.

• Bleeding cancers can be very deadly. Most bleeding cancers are from blood stagnation. In hemangiosarcoma one of the largest issues is that the blood stagnation leads to bleeding so I always work with herbs that address this, the main one being San Qi (pseudoginseng) usually in both the form of Yunnan Baiyao and in added San Qi to the formulas I work with. For bleeding cancers Yunnan Baiyao is very important.

Usually I work with 4-6 supplements/herbals in dogs with cancer and 1-3 in cats with cancer.

Complicated? You bet! Impossible? No

This is why I strongly recommend trying to find a veterinary herbalist in your community to work with. Each animal is different; each animal needs a slightly different formula combination. I often have animals I am treating with the same cancers who are on different protocols. The best results come from using the right formulas in combination with acupuncture.

In some animals we will change formulas as the symptoms and cancer changes as well. Sometimes what worked at first will stop working or we will need to add something else. If you have a practitioner you are working with they can hopefully catch these shifts early and make changes before it is too late.

See How to find a good holistic vet

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

It’s not every day you celebrate your 19th birthday and that is especially true if you are a dog. Tomorrow Casey Thomas will be turning 19 years old, making him the oldest little guy I have worked with so far.

Casey is a sweet little old man, with greying whiskers and fuzzy black feet. He can still be quite feisty, after all he is a terrier. He likes his short walks down the block although sometimes they are more about sniffing than walking and sometimes he asks to be carried back home. He doesn’t hear and see like he used to anymore but he is well loved and cared for. He loves to snuggle with his mom and aunt and likes to eat with his family, preferring to eat what they are eating these days and that is perfectly fine.

He pulled through a major bout of pneumonia this past year and we thought we might lose him but he is back to going strong. He loves his acupuncture, although hates the needles going in, that is when his feistiness comes up, did I mention he is a terrier. However acupuncture makes him immediately perk up and feel better. You can see the spring come back into his step.

Casey is well over 100 years old in human years. I hope I’m as healthy and loved as he is when I reach that age.

Happy Birthday!

My friend and colleague Donna Kelleher just put out a new book on her healing journeys with animals called, The Proof is in the Poodle. This book follows the lives of five animals: A bedraggled poodle-mix named Sampson, an opinionated terrier named Smudge, a rescued horse named Tino, a golden retriever named Jasper and a striped tabby cat named Tinkerbelle.

Although animal rescue and herbal medicine are continuous themes, the author explores the notion of healing, discovering that animals need inspiration to achieve optimum health. The book also follows the life of the author through hard-learned lessons and an unwavering dedication to animals as well as her mentor, a neighborhood herbalist. Readers come away with a new insight into the world of holistic veterinary medicine and new skills to improve the wellness of their own beloved animal companions.

Many of you may know Donna from her book The Last Chance Dog: and Other True Stories of Holistic Animal Healing. Donna is considered one of the pioneers of holistic medicine for animals worldwide. I was lucky enough to start up my practice in West Seattle right after she had moved away and was able to step into a very supportive community of animal people who were open and excited to embrace holistic medicine. If you have not read Last Chance Dog, I highly recommend it!

I just ordered Donna’s book and am looking forward to reading it and I promise to post a review soon! With this book Donna is also self publishing for the first time. Self publishing allows an author to keep more of the income generated from a book and also gives them more freedom to follow their own vision. To order Donna’s book go to her website The Proof is in the Poodle .

These days Donna has a holistic veterinary practice in Bellingham, Washington.

I often get the question, “how do I prevent cancer in my dog or cat?”

This is always a hard question to answer. There are so many factors involved in the development of cancer that even doing everything we can to avoid it, animals can still get cancer.

In addition cancer forms when multiple control processes in the body fail. There are many things we still do not understand about both why cancer forms and how to treat it effectively. I am certain that in the next fifty years we will understand a lot more and with the new gene and stem cell therapies that are emerging we will look back on how we work with cancer now as barbaric and ineffective.

Cancer is a breakdown of the immune system and the processing and chemical/hormonal systems in the body that regulate cell growth. Every day cancer cells form in our body and our immune system immediately finds them and destroys them. In addition there are chemical and hormonal processes in our body which stop cells from becoming cancerous. These processes make it so cells age and die naturally as new cells take their place. In cancer this does not happen. The signals for cells to age don’t work and cells rapidly divide and reproduce.

We know that there are genetic factors involved in cancer. This is especially apparent in the purebred dogs. The Bernese Mountain dogs are the most likely breed to have cancer. I have never meet one who did not die of cancer, which is a shame for such a beautiful and kind dog. Most get cancer before their eighth birthday. They are closely followed in percentage of cancer cases by the Golden Retrievers and Boxers, who also are very prone to cancer.

Toxins and pollutants also have a role in cancer. BPA in plastics has been linked to cancer. Estrogens in our water supply may also contribute. We know there are industrial chemicals in the environment and pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals lead to cell damage and chemical abnormalities in the body, which can cause a failure of signals that stop cells from becoming cancerous or in a weakened immune system.

So with all these factors, what can we do to prevent cancer in your animal companions?

• In my opinion the number one thing you can do to help your animal friend is to feed the best diet possible. I prefer raw diets of high quality meat but a good home cooked or canned diet can also be great. If you feed canned food make sure the company which makes the food is not using BPA coated cans. If you can’t afford anything but dry feed a high quality dry food with high protein. Consider adding cancer fighting foods to their diet See Diets for Cancer – you are what you eat a fighting cancer machine.
• Avoid exposure to pesticides, herbicides and other toxins. Make sure you don’t use chemicals on your lawn, and when you are out walking your dog try to avoid the lawns that are too green and weed free. Be careful what chemicals you use in your home. Do not use harsh cleaning chemicals around your animal.
• Only use flea medications if needed unless your animal has a flea allergy. Yes these are also pesticides and the jury is still out on how toxic these products are to your animal friend. I feel like it is becoming too common to just put animals on year round flea treatment even when it is not needed. If you do use flea medications use the least toxic ones possible and avoid products with multiple ingredients.
• Avoid over vaccination. I do believe in vaccination but I believe the current vaccine schedules are more than is needed. There are studies confirming the links between vaccination and certain types of cancer like fibrosarcoma. While the correlation is harder to prove with other cancers there does seem to be association between over vaccination and certain cancers like hemangiosarcoma and leukemia. See To vaccinate or not to vaccinate that is the question part 1 cats and part 2 dogs.
• Keep your animal from becoming overweight and make sure they get exercise. Overweight animals are more prone to both cancer and inflammatory disorders such as asthma, inflammatory bowl disease, diabetes and Cushings disease. Exercise helps promote good blood flow and a healthy immune system.



• Do not smoke around your animal. There are studies that show that second hand smoke significantly increases the risk of cancer in your animal by three times the rate of animals in non-smoking households.
• Depending on the source of your water consider using a water filtration system. Some water contains toxins, hormones, and heavy metal contamination.
• If you have an animal at high risk of cancer because of breed or because of factors you can not control consider some extra anti-cancer tools
  1. Add supplements to their diet to help control cancer like Cod Liver Oil, extra vitamin A and D, IP-6, Coenzyme Q10 and/or mushroom supplements like MUSH Medicinal Mushroom Blend or Host Defense MyCommunity
  2. Work with an acupuncturist or holistic vet to do treatments to help correct any imbalances early or to do occasional detox treatments. This can be done with acupuncture, herbs, homeopathics or other therapies.
  3. Get regular check ups to catch cancer early and when it is treatable.

Is there more cancer in our animals then there used to be?

It is hard to tell. I believe a lot of cancer used to not get diagnosed. It was the ain’t doing right dog in the backyard that wasn’t taken to the vet, the cat who just wandered off one day.

We definitely do a lot more diagnosing these days and with it catch more cancer then we used to. However I think our world has also become more toxic, with chemicals and pollutants. Our cats and dogs are down on the grass, sniffing, eating, licking their feet. Our animals are on our couches and beds that have flame retardant chemicals on them, they are eating foods that are becoming more unhealthy, they are being treated with more pesticides then every. So it is hard to say if there is really more cancer or that we are just doing more to diagnose and treat it then ever before.

There is no way to completely avoid the risk of cancer but there are ways to decrease the risk. Many of these suggestions also can help avoid the risk of other chronic diseases and help animals have more energy and vitality as they age.

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

Usually I tell folks I can tell if a skin tumor is benign by how it feels. Most benign tumors are easy to roll around, in other words not attached to any deep tissue. They tend to grow slowly and if they are under the skin they are fairly smooth. You can get some really ugly bumpy benign tumors on the skin surface. The exception to these rules is the mast cell tumors, which tend to feel like benign tumors but are really cancerous.

Mast cell tumors contain histamine and it is common to see a large amount of swelling if they get hit or injured. Often times this is when they are diagnosed. In large tumors this release can be dangerous and can cause anaphylaxis. Usually with small tumors this is not an issue.

This article is about small grade 1 and 2 mast cell tumors of the skin. For internal mast cell cancer and grade 3 tumors see Mast Cell tumors grade 3 and internal mast cell cancer

There are certain breeds of dogs who are very prone to these tumors, the number one breed being Boxers.

If you can remove a mast cell tumor of the skin usually you are in good shape if it is a grade 1 or 2. These tumors are slow to spread to other areas of the body. The grade 3 ones can be more problematic as they are faster to spread. Your veterinarian may use an antihistamine during surgery to avoid any chance of anaphylaxis, especially if the tumor is larger.

Mast cell tumors that grow in the skin are usually related to issues with blood flow. If there is not proper blood flow to the skin the immune system is not getting there and there is not enough vigilance against these tumors forming. These animals often will also have other issues with dry skin, skin inflammation or itchiness but not always.

Most dogs that have mast cell tumors in the skin will go on to form more with time. With enough of these growths the chances of getting a grade 3 seem to increase so it is best to try to treat the underlying blood flow issues early.

While I always used to recommend removal of these tumors, I have now seen more and more that I have been able to get rid of through herbal treatments, especially with combined topically and internal application. These days I often try an herbal approach first. That being said, I still feel like quick removal of these tumors and initiating steps for prevention of more is a good option.

The two most important tools I use for treating mast cell skin tumors are

1. Up the meat in your dog’s diet and make sure it is good quality protein. If possible consider a high protein raw food. This helps reduce inflammation in the skin and improve blood flow. See Diets for cancer.
2. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang – this formula helps to move blood out to the skin and enhance the immune system’s response to cancer. Constant vigilance! More and more I feel like small tumors can be treated with this formula both used externally and internally. While I used to always recommend surgery, now I like to see if I can get rid of them with this herbal first. Please click on the formula name above to learn more. Also when treating any tumors topically check in with your vet first as mast cell tumors can cause a sudden release of histamine. I have never had a histamine issue with using it topically in one of my patients but the potential is there.

In addition I will sometimes use the following

• Acupuncture – can help to move blood to the skin and boost the immune system
• Mushrooms – Chinese mushrooms such as shiitake, maitake, cordyceps, and reishi can help stimulate the immune system and have a strong anti-cancer effect. I prefer the My Community Host Defense Mushroom Blend from the high quality company Fungi Perfecti.
• Artemisinin – can help to kill off cancer cells when they form
• Cod liver oil – the omega fatty acids in fish oils help to stimulate the immune system, work as anti-oxidants and reduce inflammation.

Georgia’s Legacy just put up a great article on Mast Cell Tumors that talks quite a bit about the grading. Please read Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs.

Also see for the story of one of the dogs I worked with.

Back to Holistic and Integrative Approaches to Cancer

It is very common for cats and dogs who have cancer to loss weight even when they are eating well. This is because the cancer is stealing their nutrients and not allowing the body to have what it needs. Weight loss in the face of a healthy appetite and proper nutrition is called cachexia.

There is a simple protocol I use to address this issue if it isn’t just an issue of appetite.

1. Add in Cod Liver Oil or Fish Oil at 2-3X recommended dosage. I prefer the Nordic Naturals Pet Cod Liver Oil. Cancer can not use fat and Omega 3 oils help to reverse cachexia.
2. Feed 1-2 tablespoons of canned sweet potato or pumpkin at every meal for the average sized dog. Use a teaspoon for cats. This helps with digestion and helps them use the nutrients in their food better.
3. Add in 1-2 eggs a day for the average sized dog or part of an egg for cats. Eggs are a very good source of 100% digestible protein. They can grow a baby chicken from two cells to a whole animal – pretty amazing when you think about it. Cooked or raw is fine. You can hard boil a dozen at a time and keep them in the refrigerator to make it easier.
4. Consider feeding multiple meals a day or increase the amount of food. Feed grain free food if possible. This can help and probably seems obvious but doesn’t normally work on its own without using the above additions.
5. There are some other herbal formulas that can help but they differ from animal to animal, so consider seeing a veterinary herbalist if the above doesn’t work.

If appetite is an issue then I recommend working with a holistic vet with acupuncture and herbs or consulting with your animal’s regular veterinarian about appetite stimulants and anti-nausea medications.

If you happen to walk down Forest Street,
There is a Golden Retriever you’re sure to meet.
She might surprise you with an aggressive Hello,
But with a stuffed animal in her mouth she’s a sweetheart you know.
Her name is Maggie and she was born a Taurus,
Stubborn and proud she came to live before us.

-Jeff Leach

Written in memory of Maggie Rose by her loving human dad. Maggie has inspired people and animals all around the world with her story. We will all miss her. Please click on Maggie’s name to read her story.

Thank you Kathy Crabbe for using creative commons to license your beautiful art so I could share it here.

I’ll be on vacation in the sun of Mexico for the next week until February 20th. While I am away I will not be approving comments or visiting the forums.

Even without me there is a lot of information on this website, please explore. Thank you for visiting!

Part of why I started Path With Paws was to be able to spread information to all the corners of the world. It is so touching for me to hear the stories of animals who have done well because of information I have been able to provide or stories I can share. It is truly a small world out there on the Internet. I have received emails and comments from people on every continent.

Today I received a photo of a dog named Binny from Canada. Binny’s people found some of the information on bone cancer I had posted and decided to go ahead with amputation for Binny and herbal treatments. I think you can see from the photo that Binny is quite happy with three legs. Her mom says “she was already feeling better then before the surgery at the end of the 1st week post op. She is just great now.” I hope that Binny is able to have a long and happy life full of many days of play and fun!

I hope because of dogs like Binny that others will be able to help their animals when cancer is diagnosed. There is nothing that compares to reading stories of real animals living with cancer.

Thank you for letting me share Binny’s photo!

By the way, here is Binny’s extended family enjoying the snow!

It makes me want to move to the country and have a herd of dogs and cats!

Prostate cancer wasn’t originally on my list when I began this book, as it is rare and I hadn’t treated a dog with it before. However I recently started treating a very energetic lab named Joey who has prostate cancer. He is one of the most rambunctious, friendly dogs I have met and oh so strong. His coat shines, his eyes sparkle, and he has the most powerful tail I have encountered. I swear he could fuel my whole house with it.

There is no way you would know he has cancer if you met him and he was diagnosed almost three months ago.

In dogs, prostate cancer is highly aggressive with the prognosis after detection often times being less than a month. Prostate cancer is fast to spread and also in a delicate area of the body. As the cancer grows it can block the urethra making peeing impossible. This is a disease of neutered male dogs, the one cancer that is more common in fixed dogs.

There are no good western treatments for prostate cancer in dogs. Surgery is usually impossible because of the location and the early spread of this cancer and radiation and chemotherapy add little time to a dog’s life. Because of this and the effectiveness of herbal therapies with this disease, holistic treatments are a good option.

A while back there was a product on the market to treat prostate cancer in people called PC-SPES. This herbal combination actually helped quite a few people but was taken off the market because of problems with contamination. I am not suggesting that you should use this product or some of the others that have replaced it but I do think it is worth considering the ingredients. It contains some of the same ingredients as in one of the main herbals I use for cancer, Xiao Chai Hu Tang and reishi mushrooms which are known to be quite effective again cancer.

This is my protocol against this deadly cancer (follow links for more information about herbals and links to buy on amazon.com or other places)

1. Acupuncture every two weeks if possible, every week if there are significant clinic signs. It is important to keep these guys peeing and acupuncture can help and also slow down the cancer.
2. Xiao Chai Hu Tang – this is a great herbal for cancer especially when there is an obstruction in the abdomen like you get with an enlarged prostate. This formula will also help keep cancer out of the lungs
3. Artemisinin – this compound helps to slow down cancer and prevent spread.
4. Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang – cousin to Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang for the lower abdomen, this is a very effective formula for prostate and urinary bladder cancer, especially when they manifest with bloody urine. I add San Leng and E Zhu to mine for extra cancer fighting ingredients.
5. Mushrooms – these really help with prostate cancer with their direct action against cancer and their ability to strengthen the immune system. I like Reishi, Shiitake, Cordyceps, and Maitake. Make sure you use reishi for prostate cancer. These can be added to food or given as a supplement.



6. Hoxsey like formula – This formula can be especially helpful in dogs with excess personalities and lots of energy. Do not use it in dogs that are old, thin or very sick.
7. Diet for cancer – this is a most for any animal with cancer – see Diets for cancer in cats and dogs

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Joey has already exceeded my main expectation which was to keep him happy and pain free. I don’t know what the future holds for him but I know he enjoys every day he is here and the more days we can give him the better.

As with all advice on this website please check with your dog’s primary veterinarian before starting any treatments or herbals.

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