A Path With Paws

It is that time of year again when the best thing I can imagine is curling up on the couch with a pile of cats and a good book. Fall always brings out that hibernation side of me.

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for cozy animal mystery books. Usually these involve libraries, peaceful small towns and extra smart cats and dogs with deep connections to their people. While I love great literature, (just finished the Grapes of Wrath) I find by the time my day is done I just want a book that makes me feel good and makes me laugh a little.

Over the years I have come to have a few favorite series and I wanted to share them with you.

Chet and Bernie Mysteries by Spencer Quinn
I just discovered this series and am really enjoying it. Chet is a very smart, think border collie x 10, mutt dog who joins his person Bernie the private detective in solving crimes in their community. These books are narrated by Chet and I love that the author has left Chet a dog and not made him a human. He gets distracted, loves food, and has the normal dog loyalty that we cherish in our own companions. Chet has a great sense of humor and Bernie is both tough and compassionate. I find myself wishing for a sidekick like Chet! Dog On It is the first book in this series.

Joe Grey Mysteries by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
This is my favorite mystery series. It mixes talking cats and mythology and makes you laugh. Tom Grey is just a normal tom cat until he witnesses a murder and discovers that he can not only talk and read but can also think like a human. After initially being quite disturbed by this development he puts this new skill to good use by ordering smoked salmon from the local deli and billing it to his person Clyde’s credit card. He soon discovers another cat in his town who has the same abilities as he does. Together they work to ferret out clues to the murder and call in anonymous tips to the police. Throughout this series Shirley weaves in ancient Celtic mythology and introduces us to other cats who has this special ability. The first book is Cat on the Edge and I would recommend reading these in order if possible as there are human stories the carry on throughout the books. This is a long series so if you enjoy it you are in for a treat.

Cat in the Stacks Mysteries by Miranda James (actually written by a man)
This is a newer series and a little slower paced then the first two. It is set in a small town in Mississippi and centers around Charlie the new librarian and his cat Diesel. Diesel is a smart Maine coon as large as a dog who walks on a leash and goes everywhere with Charlie. As in most of these series there is a murder and Diesel and Charlie end up trying to figure out what is going on. This one is definitely on the cozy side and although a little old fashion in its tone still a lot of fun. The first book is Murder Past Due and so far there are only two books written.

Mrs. Murphy Mysteries by Rita Mae Brown
This is the series that got me started on reading these animal mysteries. Rita Mae Brown is a fabulous author and is able to weave wonderful tales in her books. Mrs Murphy, Pewter (who are both cats) and Tucker the corgi help their mom Harry the postmaster solve murders in their small town. The animals in these stories really come in life and I also enjoy the humans involved with them. If you can put aside the fact that in this very small town it seems like any newcomer is set up to die these books are a lot of fun to read. The animals always end up saving the day in the end!

There are many books in this series and up until the last two they were all wonderful. Lately Rita seems to make her books more about politics and less about the animals you will grow to love so I recommend stopping before Cat of the Century. The first book is Wish You Were Here.

Magical Cats Mysteries by Sophie Kelly
This is another series focusing on a librarian. Kathleen moves to a small town and ends up with two stray cats, Owen and Hercules. Little does she know that they have magical abilities to disappear and walk through solid walls. My favorite part of these books are the people in them and the town where it feels like everyone will help anyone in need. This series like Cat in the Stacks is more on the cozy side but I enjoyed it all the same. The first book is Curiosity Thrilled the Cat.

Dixie Hemingway Mysteries by Blaize Clement
This series doesn’t involve animals solving mysteries but does involve a petsitter in the Florida Keys who always seems to be in the middle of crime. Dixie used to be a sheriff’s deputy but gave up the job and now takes care of pets for a living. This series is faster paced and has many new and returning colorful characters. The animals add to the background of these stories but don’t have any magical abilities or any direct involvement in the crimes she is trying to solve. Still a lot of fun. Definitely read these in order starting with Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter.

If you have other favorite mystery series please share them with me. I’m always looking for new ones. Hope you enjoy these!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

A feral cat is a descendant of a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild; the offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.

Almost 13 years ago I took my first job out of veterinary school at what is now the Seattle Humane Society. We had a program where feral trappers would sometimes bring us in cats, we would spay/neuter them and then send them back with the trappers. This was my first introduction to the world of Trap/Neuter/Return also known as TNR.

In my first few months, I met a woman named Pamela who would come in with two to four cats at a time. I got to talking to her one morning and she was concerned that there was one more cat she needed to trap. She was worried that she would manage to trap it that evening and then wasn’t able to drive it in the next morning because she had another commitment. I looked down at her address and discovered that she lived two blocks from my house and offered to take the cat with me in the morning. And so begin my journey into learning about what Pamela did in her spare time.

For a few years Pamela trapped cats, I drove them into work and fixed them and then drove them back in the evening. It’s been 10 years since I quit my job at the Humane Society, however Pamela’s work has not only continued but she has moved far beyond the occasional two or three cats. She now has an organization that she runs called FCAT (feral cat assistance and trapping) and with volunteer help is able to spay/neuter almost 1000 cats a year. That is a pretty impressive number when you consider that one breeding pair of cats can be responsible for producing over 2000 offspring in four years. Most of these are ferals, however she will help anyone who needs a cat (or in some cases a dog) fixed.

She also tames the feral kittens she finds while trapping and adopts them out to good homes. My sweet tuxedo boy Tug was one of her feral kittens and you wouldn’t know it today as he is the official greeter of anyone entering our home. In addition she talks to people from all over the country to try to help set them up with feral trappers in their area or to give advice about trapping and caring for these feral cats.

This is hard work but she feels like this is her mission to help these cats that are forgotten.

Each year in the United States between 3-4 million animals are euthanized in shelters. Many of these are feral cats or the offspring of feral cats. In my shelter work it became clear that pet overpopulation could not be ended until the feral populations could be controlled. Trapping and killing doesn’t work (that is a whole article in itself). People like Pamela are helping to reduce this number every day.

Today on feral cat day, Pamela is bringing sixty cats in to be fixed at the Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project. This means that in four years there will be 120,000 less cats born. It’s amazing what one person’s actions can achieve.

Today we honor Pamela, her dedicated volunteers, and all the people out there making a difference in ending pet overpopulation! Thank you!

For more information about feral cats see

• Pamela Staeheli’s site FCAT
• Alley Cat Allies
• The Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project

Will you consider making a donation to one of these great groups in honor of Feral Cat Day?

The good news about squamous cell carcinoma is that it is very slow to metastasize; the bad news is that is locally very aggressive, eating through anything in its path. In addition because this cancer commonly occurs in the mouth, there isn’t a lot of space to easily remove it. While I see more squamous cell carcinoma in cats it also occurs in dogs.

White cats and black dogs

Most squamous cell carcinomas occur in the mouth. However it is also a common cancer on the ears and noses especially of white or light colored cats who go outside in the sun. Another very common spot for squamous cell is in the toes of dogs especially black toed dogs.

Squamous cell often starts with chronic irritation of infection. On the ears of cats it is often from repeated sunburn. In the mouth it is many times secondary to tooth issues and infections.

The prognosis with squamous cell carcinoma is very good if you can remove the whole tumor but unfortunately this is many times not possible. Without removal, the prognosis is pretty poor and these animals experience a lot of pain if it works it way into the bone. However there are therapies that can slow things down and significantly improve quality of life.

I am going to break this article into three sections and talk about squamous cell in toes, in the mouth and then a section on the other places squamous cell can form and a little about cats. Follow the links for more information about herbals and therapies.

Squamous cell on the toes of dogs

Most squamous cell carcinomas start on the toes as a broken nail or a non-healing infection in the nail bed. Often times a few rounds of antibiotics are prescribed before the cancer is diagnosed. I have only seen squamous cell carcinomas in black furred toes, however it is possible to get the disease in dogs of other colors also.

In some dogs squamous cell causes infection secondary to the cancer and is some animals it is chronic nail bed issues and infections, which cause it to develop.

The treatment of choice is to remove the toe as soon as the diagnosis is made. If the whole tumor can be removed then this is almost always curative.

Many dogs will be done at this point and can live normal lives however I have had some dogs who go on to form multiple cancers in other toes, usually this is because their immune system is not working correctly and also most likely has a genetic component.

Occasionally surgery is not an option to remove the toe because of poor health or heart conditions and then other treatments need to be used.

I treat a wonderful happy Gordon Setter named Hudson, known to most of those who love him as Huddie. He has lost three toes to this disease and also has Cushings disease, which makes his immune system not as strong as a normal dog.

With Hudson we have developed the following protocol, which I recommend for any dog who has had multiple squamous cell carcinomas in the toes.

1. Remove toes as soon as diagnosis is made
2. Artemisinin – I have found artemisinin to be very effective in slowing squamous cell down.
3. Mushroom supplements – these help to strengthen the immune system and have anticancer properties. I recommend a supplement with a combination of Maitake, Shiitake, Reishi and Cordyceps mushrooms.
4. Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang – this herbal helps to move blood down into the toes and extremities and also has some strong anti-cancer herbs.
5. In Hudson’s case we also have him on long-term antibiotics. It seems like his squamous cell started with chronic nail bed infections that could not be cleared with antibiotics once they took hold. As much as I would prefer not to use long-term antibiotics, in his case I believe they are a good precaution. This is not a recommendation I make in every dog.
6. Acupuncture – we know Hudson has a weak immune system so we try our best to strengthen what is there with monthly acupuncture.
7. Cancer diet – see Diets for cancer in cats and dogs

So what about the dogs where toe removal is not an option? Here are some options

1. These guys need pain control. Squamous cell is a very painful disease once it gets in the bone. Many times a multiple drug approach is needed
2. Artemisinin – see above and link
3. Acupuncture – can help to slow down progression of this disease and help with pain. If there is active cancer treatment should be at least every two weeks.
4. Xian Fang Huo Ming Yin – this can be a powerful formula for treating active squamous cell carcinoma in the toes but should be used with caution, as it is very cooling. Never use this in a very debilitated, weak or cold dog and always check with a holistic vet before using it. (no article up yet).
5. Hoxsey like formula with boneset or its gentle cousin Cancer Detox Support – this can also be a very powerful formula against squamous cell, like XFHMY this formula is very cooling. See link for more information. Boneset should be added to this formula to control bone pain.
6. Antibiotics – many times there are secondary infections in these dogs. Antibiotics are often needed.
7. Prednisone – this western drug can help slow this cancer down although it also has some side effects. Talk to your vet about if it is a good option for your dog.
8. Cancer diet – See Diets for cancer in cats and dogs

So on to Squamous cell carcinoma in the mouths of cats and dogs.

This is a horrible place to get a squamous cell carcinoma. The only way to get a cure is to remove a fourth of the jaw if it is in the lower jaw and there is no such option if it is in the upper jaw. Because this disease is so painful many animals will not eat and that is usually the factor that ends up ending their life. That being said I have seen animals do well for about a year after diagnosis, with integrative treatments. Usually dogs do a little better than cats, who usually don’t make it a year. This really varies animal to animal and involves being able to medicate an animal with a painful mouth.

How can we help these animals with squamous cell in the mouth?

First let me start off by saying in cats I often times just rely on injectable antibiotics, steroids and pain meds plus acupuncture. The amount of pain with oral administration of herbals is not worth any benefit we get from my experience. Occasionally I recommend oral pain meds as well. Below anything oral is mainly for dogs.

1. Consider removing part of the lower jaw if it is in that area. I know it is a large and very harsh sounding surgery but these animals usually do quite well. This surgery is not for everyone so if you can’t do it there are other options below.
2. Prednisone – I know it is a western drug and yes it has side effects but it really slows things down and also stimulates appetite in the process. This is one place I highly recommend considering it.
3. Artemisinin – this herbal can really help slow things down. I treated a little Pomeranian named Panda who lived quite well for over a year on just Artemisinin, antibiotics as needed and pain meds.
4. Acupuncture– can help with appetite, pain and slow this cancer down. Usually treatments need to be no more than two weeks apart.
5. Hoxsey like formula with boneset – can help to slow this cancer down and help with bone pain.
6. Pain medication – these animals need pain control!
7. Antibiotics as needed. Having squamous cell in your mouth is like having a giant ulcerative wound open sometimes even up into the nasal passages. Antibiotics are sometimes used long-term and sometimes just as needed.
8. Soft food and a cancer diet. These animals need to eat so give them what they will eat and use appetite stimulants if needed. Use very soft, easy to swallow foods. If they will eat a cancer fighting diet even better. See Diets for cancer in cats and dogs

Squamous cell other places in the body

Squamous cell can also arise other places in the body. The ear pinnae of white cats are a very common place and also the tip of the nose. Many people will make the decision to remove the ear pinnae and get a cure. For the nose usually a few radiation treatments is curative. Usually squamous cell on the pinnae or nose is slower moving then in the mouth and sometimes if the cat is old the decision will be made to just leave it. When squamous cell occurs other places, surgical removal is the treatment of choice if at all possible. If surgery or radiation is not an option then the treatments above can be used.

An extra note on cats

In many cats giving more than three drugs or herbs can cause side effects and reduced appetite. Depending on how many western treatments a cat is on usually I only recommend adding in two or three herbals and focusing on diet and acupuncture to supplement their effects.

Some cats cannot tolerate anything going in their mouth if they have cancer there in which case I only treat with acupuncture to try to make them have quality of life while they are here. If only one thing can be given it should be pain medication as this is a very painful disease.

As with all articles on this website please check with your animal companion’s veterinarian before starting any herbals or supplements. This disease more than any other of the cancers I have talked about really needs an integrative approach to treatment involving western drugs and interventions.

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

I’m off to my yearly Qi Gong retreat at Karme Choling in the hills of Vermont. I’m looking forward to long days of Qi Gong and good home cooked food.

Qi Gong has been an amazing thing for me. I discovered Eva Wong, my qi gong teacher, when she came to Seattle to teach a weekend workshop about five years ago. At the time I had some major health problems that were making it so I could only work about 20 hours a week. I was exhausted, couldn’t sleep, my digestion was a mess and nothing seemed to be helping. I left that weekend feeling better than I had in a couple years. The more I did Qi Gong the better my health became.

I’ve made sure to do a program with her every year since and my health has greatly benefited. As I have moved through some of the more advanced levels of qi gong and talked to other people who have been practicing this art, I’m heard some amazing stories. There was one woman who was so crippled with rheumatoid arthritis that she could barely walk. After about a year of qi gong she was not only better but the blood tests for this disease were coming back almost normal. She could walk, move her hands again and function like a normal person without pain. Other people with chronic injuries or illness also had seen great improvements in health.

Qi Gong works similarly to acupuncture with the energy or qi that flows through our body. It helps to align and remove blockages in this system of energy. In addition it helps to align the body with the mind. Also see What is Daoist Qigong?

Eva teaches all over the world. She now has a few other teachers that also teach the style of qi gong she practices. Here is her website if you are interested, Daoist Qi Gong There is a list of places and times qi gong is taught on the website but it is usually incomplete. Eva teaches almost exclusively at Shambhala Centers, to find one near you use this tool Find a shambhala center. You do not have to be a member of shambhala to take her classes. I have found that about half her students are not.

This year John Rockwell, one of her teachers, will be in Seattle to teach the first two levels of qi gong on November 19-20th. If you are interested in attending contact the Seattle Shambhala Center

I’ll be back October 11th and will be out of computer and phone range while I am away. See you then!

Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is one of the formulas I take myself when I’ve been under too much stress and my adrenals are a little deficient. It has a deep root flavor with just a hint of citrus – yum!

In my practice, this is the main formula I use for chemotherapy support. Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang helps to support digestion, the immune system, blood cell counts, and adrenal function in the body and at the same time has some strong anti-cancer herbs.

So what is in Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang?

• Huang Qi – Astragulus
• Bai Zhu – Atractylodes
• Gan Cao (sometimes Zhi Gan Cao is used instead) – Licorice
• Ren Shen – Ginseng
• Chen Pi – Tangerine peel
• Dang Gui – Chinese angelica root
• Chai Hu – Bupleurum
• Sheng Ma – Black cohosh

In 2007 a study was done out of the University of Minnesota by K. HWa Choi DVM. This study looked at dogs being treated with chemotherapy (including doxorubicin) for lymphoma and the side effects from treatment. It was found that dogs administered BZYQT had much less diarrhea and vomiting then dogs getting just chemotherapy. They also did much better than dogs getting chemotherapy and western drugs to control vomiting and diarrhea. In addition the dogs on BZYQT had better appetites. BZYQT also significantly raised white and red blood cell counts. Overall the dogs getting chemotherapy and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang did much better than dogs just getting chemotherapy or those being treated with western drugs for the side effects.

Not bad for an herbal therapy!

There has also been some success in the herbal veterinary community with this herbal to help manage hemangiosarcoma.

So how does it work?

Bupleurum has some amazing cancer fighting abilities. Bupleurum can induce apoptosis or cell death in cancer cells and inhibit cancer cell growth and division. Many studies have been done on this plant especially for lung cancer.

Many of the herbs in this formula work in pairs. Astragulus and ginseng strongly support the immune system and have direct anti-cancer effects. Ginseng and licorice support adrenal function. Dang Gui with Huang Qi stimulates the bone marrow to increase blood cell production. Licorice and tangerine support digestion.

This formula also works to increase peripheral circulation and can help to prevent some skin and nail inflammatory disorders. Many animals with deficient immune function also do well on this formula. I also often use it to support animals with deficient adrenal function (Addison’s disease). Some of its other uses are for incontinence and prolapse.

In Chinese medicine terms Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang lifts up sinking qi, supports the liver and spleen and tonifies lung qi.

When do I use this formula?

Any dog or cat getting chemotherapy which includes the drug doxorubicin also known as adriamycin should be on this formula. This drug is one with the most potential for side effects and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang can help reduce these.

I also use it for dogs or cats on other chemotherapeutic agents who are having side effects or problems maintaining cell counts.

In addition I will sometimes use this formula in very debilitated animals to help them gain strength and balance. I currently have one dog I treat who has a weakened immune system and is prone to getting nail bed infections that turn to cancer. He had lost three toes to this process before we found a protocol which included his formula.

How is Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang dosed?

I usually dose it twice a day and use powdered whole herbs in my patients. I use 1/8 teaspoon once or twice a day for cats and small dogs, 1/4 teaspoon twice a day for dogs up to 25 lbs, and 1/2-1 teaspoon twice day for larger dogs. For tea pills use 2,4, or 8 twice a day for the above sizes of animals.

If I am using a tincture I use 0.2ml per 5lb once a day.

Many companies will substitute Codonopsis (Dang Shen) for ginseng (Ren Shen). If at all possible use a product that has ginseng as it is a much stonger and more powerful herb than codonopsis.

You can now buy Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang from my etsy store, Kingdom of Basil

As with all articles on this site, please check with your animal’s vet before starting any herbal treatments.

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

My herbs came today!

And I immediately had to tear open the box and take a look and smell. Tug my one year old kitten helped me with this process. He also likes the smell of herbs and insists on helping me down in the pharmacy when I make up formulas. His help often ends up with me taking longer to make something but I’m glad he is excited about it and I appreciate the company.

I was able to take an herbal class from Jeremy Ross this past weekend. He has been an herbalist for about thirty years and has a very unique way of working with western herbs in a Chinese way. Since I work manly with Chinese herbs this was very exciting. I feel like I have some new tools to work with in some of the animals I treat. So of course I had to go online to my favorite Western herbal store, Mountain Rose Herbs and once I got started I just couldn’t stop.

Being in an herb store for me is like a kid in a candy store.

“Look at what they have, oh I have to order some of that!”

It’s good to have something to get that excited about!

Beautiful story in the Daily Mail from a few days ago about the surviving rescue dogs of 9/11.The 9/11 Rescue Dogs – Portraits of the last surviving animals who scoured Ground Zero. There are only 15 dogs who are still living who were involved with the rescue work.

These photographs are from a book coming out by Charlotte Dumas which can be pre-ordered called Retrieved.

I am lucky to work with some of the most amazing animals and their people and get to be part of their lives. I love those I work with, they grace my life with their presence.

However there is also great sadness in my work. Most of the animals I work with are old and they reach a time that they need to pass on. We are blessed to be able to help them with this passing. Mixed with the sadness of their passing is joy for who these incredible animals have helped us become and the love they have shared with us which we hold in our hearts forever.

Over the years I have received a wonderful collection of beautiful photos and reminders of animals I have loved and worked with. Many of these animals had great lives and many have stories to tell. People often times sent me photographs of their animals when they were young and I am able to see a glimpse of these stories.

This week I learned that a sweet little dog I treated named Tyler passed away. Tyler was one of those amazing older dogs who still seemed like a puppy to me. He had this soft curly hair like a puppy and a sparkle in his eyes when he would come in. I’m not sure exactly what his mix was but he also had a face that just made him look young. We weren’t completely sure about his age but he was at least sixteen, possibly older when he passed away. It was clear that Tyler was loved from seeing him with his mom Jen. You could see the love that would pass between the two of them when they looked into each others eyes.

With Tyler’s passing Jen and her husband Alex put together a beautiful slide show of Tyler’s life. I have never seen something so moving and that so shows the bond between a dog and his people. It is clear in these pictures who Tyler was and how important he was to Jen and those who surrounded her. Jen shared with me that as Tyler got older one of her wishes was for him to see their first child be born, as Jen put it, “having our two kids meet one another, even if only briefly..” Tyler fulfilled that wish and then passed on. The last photograph in the slide show is labeled Complete Family.

Life is a journey and that journey is made richer by those we share our lives with. It is clear everyone who Tyler touched had a richer life because of him.

Jen gave me permission to share her photographs and Tyler’s journey with you. There are almost 130 photographs here, all of them amazing. You can see them on the slideshow below or if you want to see larger photos with captions you can click on the photo of Tyler below the slideshow to go to the flickr page and arrow through.

I hope that you are as touched as I am by these.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/manzanabaum/6088441764/in/set-72157627535789268/

Much of the year I am so booked up that I am not able to take new patients but my assistant Diane knows just the right thing to say to make me sneak in an extra special one. “Lena, there is this amazing dog I meet at the clinic who was just diagnosed with cancer, is there any way you think we can work them into the schedule?”

I can’t say enough about the power of acupuncture for animals with cancer! Of all the work I have done with this disease I am still amazed at how well acupuncture can help these wonderful animals live with cancer.

I love being able to make animals feel better and it brings tears to my eyes to be able to help the people I work with have their beloved animals for longer. Currently I have a number of animals who are living, and living well, more then a year out, with cancer that should have taken them in a matter of months.

When I first became an acupuncturist I took over doing acupuncture for an amazing dog named Rooney. Rooney had been diagnosed with bladder cancer about 4 months before I meet her and she was supposed to be gone within three months of her diagnosis, even with the chemotherapy she was getting. I started treating her every week and over that time was blessed to get to work with one of the most amazing dogs I would ever meet and her wonderful moms. Rooney was not supposed to live but she made it almost three years with chemotherapy and acupuncture. She was rarely sick during that time and she lived a very normal dog life up until her last month. See Rooney’s Wisdom.

Rooney is unusual in that I only worked with acupuncture with her and not herbs. For most of the animals I treat I recommend an integrated approach that combined acupuncture, herbs and often times some western treatments as well.

The wonderful thing about acupuncture is that there are not major side effects like with chemotherapy, surgery and even some of the herbs I use. Because of this, it can be used in some of the most sick and old animals. Although I find it works best if it can be started before an animal is severely debilitated.

So what are the main benefits of acupuncture?

• Increased longevity – almost all the animals I treat for cancer end up living much longer than the normal prognosis, usually at least double prognosis time. In some animals this ends up being years beyond prognosis. For a treatment with no major side effects this is pretty amazing.
• Increased well being and energy – acupuncture can increase energy and help to regulate the hormones in the body. Cancer can make animals feel sick – acupuncture helps to reverse this. This is the most important benefit I see with acupuncture treatments. Animals are happy again and people feel like they have had their beloved companion returned to them.
• Decreased pain – cancer can be painful. Acupuncture can significantly reduce that pain and help to reduce side effects to some of the pain drugs. I had a dear little bunny I treated who had a very painful spinal tumor. With acupuncture every two weeks we were able to keep him happy for about six months.



• Immune system support – cancer is a failure of the immune system. Acupuncture stimulates the immune system so that it can fight the cancer better.In some animals, I have actually seen tumors shrink with just acupuncture alone.
• Increased blood circulation – to the cells you want to get blood. There is some thought that acupuncture can help to pull blood away from cancer cells and give it to the parts of the body that need it. Often times with cancer the body ends up without enough nutrients and energy because the cancer takes it all. Acupuncture helps to reverse this.
• Increased appetite – some animals with cancer feel so sick that they don’t want to eat. Acupuncture can help to stimulate appetite.
• Chemotherapy and radiation support – both these therapies are very hard on the immune system and body. Acupuncture helps to keep white blood cell numbers up during these therapies and helps decrease the side effects. If white blood cells drop too low, chemotherapy needs to be stopped. Acupuncture can usually raise blood cell numbers within a week.

How often should an animal with cancer be treated?

I recommend scheduling acupuncture treatments at least every two weeks. In some very sick animals I will recommend weekly treatments and I usually start with weekly treatments for a few weeks. I have a few animals I have treated every three weeks and I had one dog who did very well with monthly treatments but over all I have found animals do much better with weekly or every other week treatments. The acupuncturist you work with may have different experiences.

Where do I find a veterinary acupuncturist to treat my animals?

The best tool I have found is through the International Veterinary acupuncture Society’s website. Find a veterinary acupuncturist in your area.

I should note that all good veterinary acupuncturists are not on this list. I’m not because the certification program I went through is not recognized by IVAS. In addition someone being listed just means they are certified by IVAS or one of its recognized programs, not how experienced or good they are. Ask around in your area to see if there is someone that is highly recommended. Ask your vet, at the local pet store, at the dog park, at the local groomer or among friends and co-workers or search the Internet.

When is the best time to start acupuncture?

Now! Really as soon as possible is best. It is much easier for me to keep an animal from getting sick then try to make them better after they are very ill.

My normal vet or oncologist says I should not do acupuncture or alternative medicine with my animal? What should I do?

Most vets I have worked with are very open to what I do. In my state and in most states you need to be a veterinarian to do acupuncture on animals. I think that helps us have more support from the mainstream vet community. Since most vets don’t have training in acupuncture or herbal medicine sometimes they just need a little communication. I am always happy to talk to someone’s regular vet or oncologist if there is a conflict when I am working with their animal. Hopefully your veterinary acupuncturist will be willing to also. While I am not always as current on western treatments for cancer, I am usually much more current on the herbal studies and the studies about combining western and alternative medicine.

Should I use acupuncture with chemotherapy?

Yes! I have found that animals getting acupuncture with chemotherapy not only do better with fewer side effects, but also live longer.

But I don’t want my animal to suffer longer? What if acupuncture helps then to live longer but they are miserable during that time?

I have found that the animals I treat with acupuncture live well and die fast when it is their time. The quality of life while they are alive is usually quite good and they are happy. I have found that when it is time to go they tend to get sick quickly and the passing seems to be easier for both the people involved and the animals because it is so obviously time for them to pass on.

What if I can’t find a veterinary acupuncturist in my area?

While I do think acupuncture works better than acupressure, I think there is a lot of benefit to acupressure and it really can make a large difference in an animal’s health. See if you can find someone who does acupressure treatments or learn yourself. I will publish an article in the near future about how to do acupressure for cancer.

Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute has a tool to find a practitioner and offer classes in acupressure.
Find an animal acupressure practitioner.
There are also many good books out there on acupressure. Focus with stimulating the immune system and working with lung, kidneys and spleen. Here are some of my favorites:
Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats and Dogs
Acu-Cat: A Guide to Feline Acupressure
The Well-Connected Dog: A Guide to Canine Acupressure

I think there will come a time in my life where we will look back on some of the harsher treatments we use for cancer as being somewhat barbaric. Many of the new treatments emerging work by getting the body to fight cancer itself. There was an amazing article I just read about using modified white blood cells to get rid of leukemia. New leukemia treatment exceeds wildest expectations. Acupuncture fits nicely in with some of these emerging new therapies.

Acupuncture supports the body and helps it to do what it should have been able to in the first place, fight cancer. Most importantly it helps to support our animal friends in their journey through cancer treatment. It helps them to live and love living and gives us more time with them. For me there is no greater joy than seeing that sparkle come back into a dog’s eyes that says I choose life!

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