A Path With Paws

When I did shelter work years ago we hated pet stores, absolutely hated them. Pet stores sold animals, many from puppy mills and sometimes sick animals. They didn’t spay or neuter. They sold animals to people without any guidance, often these animals had worms or even worse broke with distemper or parvovirus when people would get them home. People would get these animals and not be able to deal with them and drop them at the shelter and we would kill them because there were too many. You can see why we hated them so much.

We talked about getting the legislator to ban the sale of animals in store, we tried to get people to boycott these stores and we told them how wrong and bad they were and nothing changed. People still bought animals from pet stores and we still killed them when they were brought to us.

But one day someone asked what if we figured out a way to partner with them and in doing so either increase their profits or at least not hurt them. We figured out that the best way to do that was by approaching them and talking to them, figuring out what they wanted and what we wanted and finding common ground. Instead of seeing them as evil we joined forces.

Today in Seattle there are very few pet stores that sell animals but many pet stores have cages that are used by local rescue groups and shelters to showcase animals up for adoption. People adopt animals in the pet stores but from the rescue groups and then buy their new pet supplies from the store. Who does want a new color and bowl for their new little love? The stores makes money, fewer animals die. Everyone wins.

On to herbs and animals –

In the veterinary community there is a huge concern about people treating their animals with supplements and herbs without the guidance of a practitioner. This is not because we do not want people’s animals to do well but for the exact opposite reason, that we fear that harm will be done that hurts these animals.

The truth is there are plenty of people giving out information that are not trained in herbal medicine or veterinary medicine. It makes me cringe to think of some of the things I have read online that are simply not true and even worse, harmful. If we as the veterinary community do not share information on the safe use of herbs and supplements someone else will and the chance of harm or the wrong supplements/herbs being used for the wrong conditions goes way up.

There are many places where there are simply no holistic vets. Do we insist that someone drive a sick animal 4-5 hours each way to see one? Move to a larger city? Not have access to something that could help their animal?

We need to realize that people self diagnosing and treating animals with herbs is not going to go away no matter how much we fight it. So let’s stop fighting.

What if we tried a different approach by making sure that people have access to safe herbs and good information about how to use them? What if we gave them, with that, references to vets in their area who worked with herbs and supplements?

There is a fear if we “give out free information” people will not come and see us, our business will die out. I view this as sharing not giving. When I have people contact me through my herb store with questions about using herbs I always recommend they find a holistic vet – if they don’t have one close I try to help as much as I can without crossing the line of treating without seeing an animal. But what I have found is that about 50% of those people I talk to go out and find a holistic vet to work with, even if they order herbs through my store. People want someone to trust, they want safe access to herbs, and they want someone to guide them. Just like with the shelters and pet stores, we are on the same side, we want people’s animals to do well, and people want their animals to do well. When we freely share information we are introducing more people to our holistic veterinary community and bringing in more business not turning it away. We share information and people share their animals with us.

Most of our best herbal mixtures are restricted to veterinary or practitioner use only, yet formulas that have the same herbs but are maybe contaminated with pesticides or have other purity issues are readily available. Why are we complaining about herbs not being safe let making it so the safest ones are not readily available to everyone? What would happen if we made access to herbs open to everyone (except very dangerous herbs like the aconites and ephreda)? What if we developed herb formulas that were similar to the formulas with potentially dangerous herbs that could be used without toxicity?

What if we became one group with one goal? What if we followed the lead of the shelters and opened up communication with the places selling herbs for pets? What if veterinarians, herbal companies and people with animals they love worked together, sharing information? What if we made it our mission to make sure our animal companions and their people had the best access possible to information and safe herbs? What if we shared what we know so that it can expand out beyond the few animals we can see, beyond our local community and out into the world?

I’m off to my every two year 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 seven 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, 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.

I’ll be on my way early the morning of the 23rd and back in Seattle a little over a week later. My etsy store will be closed while I am away.

Ok, so I went a little over your head with that last article and the cancer your dog or cat has isn’t listed in this book. Don’t worry here are some questions that may help.

Usually I use 3-6 herbals/supplements in dogs and 1-3 in cats

For all cancers (except hemangiosarcoma) consider artemisinin

• • Is your dog or cat older (over 10) or weaker?
    Consider the following
    I often pair one of these
    Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (lungs, upper abdomen, and head/neck), Ge Xia Zhu Yu Tang(middle abdomen) or Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang(kidneys and below)
    with one of these
    Xiao Chai Hu Tang (cats and dogs) or
    Chai Hu Jia Long Mu Li Tang (if your dog runs hot and pant a lot or have anxiety)
  • Is there a chance that your animal’s cancer will cause bleeding?
    Consider Yunnan Baiyao
  • Does you dog run hot but is under 10 and not weak? Consider Si Miao San and/or Hoxsey(for cats I often use these formulas even if they are cold)
  • Does your dog run hot with lots of panting but have hind end weakness?
    Consider Chai Hu Jia Long Mu Li Tang
  • Does your dog/cat have a history of mulitiple –itises i.e. diseases that are inflammatory, examples are pancreatitis, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, colitis, otitis?
    Consider Si Miao San
  • Is the tumor is where you can see it – is it ulcerative, oozy, inflammed, bleeding or infected?
    Consider Hoxsey
  • Is their cancer in the middle of the abdomen i.e. liver, spleen, pancreas, or intestine?
    Consider Xiao Chai Hu Tang or Chai Hu Jia Long Mu Li Tang paired with Ge Xia Zhu Yu Tang (low risk of lung mets) or Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang(high risk of lung mets)
  • Is the cancer very aggressive and fast moving?
    Hoxsey and Xiao Chai Hu Tang
  • Is the cancer in the lungs or likely to go to the lungs?
    Consider Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang, Xiao Chai Hu Tang and SanSheDan ChuanBeiYe

• Is the cancer in the lymph nodes?
  Consider Hoxsey and Xiao Chai Hu Tang
• Is the cancer in the blood?
  Consider Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
• Is your animal anemic?
  Consider Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
• Is your animal getting chemotherapy?
  Consider Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang and/or Coenzyme Q10 and/or milk thistle
• Is your animal getting radiation?
  Consider Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang and/or SanSheDan Chuan Bei Ye and/or milk thistle

For more about the herbals listed above see Herbal Treatments – plants holding cancer at bay

This formula is very similar to Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang and treats the blood stasis tumors of the liver. I often times pair it with Xiao Chai Hu Tang. I do not use this formula for tumors that originate in the spleen as those are usually hemangiosarcoma.

• Tao Ren (peach seed)
• Dang Gui (angelica root)



• Hong Hua (safflower flowers)
• Chi Shao (red peony root)
• Zhi Ke (bitter orange)
• Chuan Xiong (lovage root)
• Gan Cao (licorice root)
• Mu Dan Pi (tree peony root)
• Yan Hu Suo (corydalis)
• Xiang Fu (cyperus)
• Wu Yao (lindera root)

I usually add San Leng (scirpus rhizome) and E Zhu (turmeric) to this formula to enhance its effect against cancer. Studies done on these two herbs show that they have a significant effect in inducing apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.

I dose this one the same as Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. Usually twice a day.

Available through Kingdom of Basil.

This formula is very similar to Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang and treats the blood stasis cancers. However this formula works better for cancers in the caudal abdomen. The main cancers I use it for are tumors of the adrenal glands, kidneys, prostate or bladder. It has a wonderful smell to it as it contains the culinary herbs fennel, ginger and cinnamon.

• Tao Ren (peach seed)
• Dang Gui (angelica root)



• Hong Hua (safflower flowers)
• Chi Shao (red peony root)
• Chuan Xiong (lovage root)
• Mo Yao (myrrh)
• Gan Jiang (ginger)
• Xiao Hui Xiang (fennel)
• Yan Hu Suo (corydalis)
• Rou Gui (Cinnamon bark)
• Pu Huang (cattail pollen)

I usually add San Leng (scirpus rhizome) and E Zhu (turmeric) to this formula to enhance its effect against cancer. Studies done on these two herbs show that they have a significant effect in inducing apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.

I dose this one the same as Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang.

Available through Kingdom of Basil.

The internet has made us closer together and further apart. There is so much information out there but it can be from anyone. Luckily there are many good folks who are sharing information to help but there are also many opportunities to make money easily.

So how do you find the information you need, how do you decide which direction to turn?

First off if you can find a holistic vet to guide you, that will help a lot. When I work with clients not only am I treating their animals but I am holding their hand along the way. We work together, I listen to them, they trust me, I trust them. I am a counselor, a hospice worker, a vet, and part of their circle of care. The internet can never replace this.

On to supplements offered on the internet – which ones? How do you decide?

There are many, many supplements out there that treat cancer. Why is there so many? Because we do not have a cure for cancer – there is not one safe treatment that works most of the time. That being said there are many things that can extend life, help our animals feel better and in rare cases cause remission.

Let me first say that anything that claims to be a cure all and is expensive I avoid. There is no cure all out there. If it cures cancer, diabetes, makes the paralyzed walk again, brings back youth, etc it is probably too good to be true. Is there things that can help with all of this – sure but not cure them all. Beware of false claims especially anyone who claims they can cure cancer.

Second, remember herbs are not very expensive. The most expensive herb I use is $180/ lb but that is unusual. So an herbal supplement should not be hundreds of dollars a month. Beware the expensive mixtures out there. Expensive does not equal effective.

Look at who is writing the information you are reading. Is it from a vet? Is it from an herbalist? Is it from someone who has had a dog or cat with cancer? What is their experience with cancer? How many animals have they treated or worked with? Do they have stories of actually animals they have worked with or treating with outcomes?

There are some excellent sites out there developed by people who have had dogs and cats with cancer. These people have had first hand experience about what it is like to navigate the path of cancer. Keep up on the research, check sources and talk to the experts. They have excellent information that goes far beyond just what they learned from their own dog who fought cancer. Others just have information from one dog or cat they have who did well against cancer and can be very helpful but are maybe not the main resource you could use. Most of these sites, both big and small, are run from the heart and while some do make money, it is not the main reason they offer this information. They offer it in the hope that it will help prevent suffering for both animals and the people who love them.

There are excellent vet sites out there as well although many just offer western options for treating cancer. Don’t ignore the western information – gather everything you can.

There are a few of us holistic vets that offer information. The reason I started Path With Paws was because I found I could help animals with cancer but I was only one person and had to turn people away from my practice. This gives me a space to share what I have learned in my years of practice with anyone with internet access. I put off starting my herb store online for a long time but found that it was hard for people to find good quality herbals. I got a lot of requests to buy herbals but did not have the manpower to handle that without the online store. So Kingdom of Basil was born.

There are other holistic and integrative vets out there who have similar websites and sometimes products or stores.

While the internet is great there is nothing that replaces actually knowing and seeing an animal. I have many folks who contact me to say that their holistic vet is suggesting a different treatment protocol than what I have talked about. That is ok – there is not just one way to treat cancer. There are many paths. They have actually seen your animal and probably know better than I do what they need.

Most importantly trust your intuition, if something feels right for your companion explore it more, if you reach a site online that feels wrong turn away.

For my growing list of resources see Other Cancer Resources.

Return to Integrative and Holistic Methods of treating cancer.

I have the best job in the world except for on the days when I want to go become someone’s secretary, when I would do anything to not have to be a responsible adult anymore. These are the days that I can no longer deal with one more animal I love dying, one more person I care about losing their best friend.

A long time ago I was told about the basket. The basket is where you put your own emotions, your own problems while you work. It is a common thing for anyone in a health profession. Every morning I get up and I put my own problems in the basket, I put my sorrow for the lovely golden retriever and the Irish setter with the great sense of humor who I both knew for six years who recently passed away, I put my fears over if the 16 year old dog I am seeing that morning will be here next week, I put my worries about if I will be able to help the little dog newly diagnosed with cancer, I put the frustration and unfairness of seeing so much death, I put the guilt from when I can’t help. It all goes in the basket.

They say at the end of the day you take that basket down again and you face everything you have put in it. But you know the truth; most days I can’t face it. Most days I go from work to being a mother to my son, to feeding and loving my four feline companions, to supporting my partner, to making sure we are all feed. Most days by the time I get to a point of taking down the basket I decide I would rather bury myself in a good book and ignore it all.

People talk about compassion fatigue. When I worked at the shelter we had workshops on this. You know when you are the one sticking the needle in and killing healthy cats and dogs while trying to save as many as you can there is a lot of that. We all suffered from it. Some days I would go home and lock myself in the bathroom and cry my eyes out but the next day I would get up again, pick myself up and go back to work. I believed that the good I was doing outweighed what we had to do everyday. I still believe that. But there are still nights I have nightmares about all the animals who died at my hand.

My work now is different. I no longer have to see animals die because we have too many. I know it happens, just not in front of me. I no longer allow myself to be the one holding the needle in the end. The last euthanasia I did was almost six years ago and with it came up every animal I had put in the basket while I was at the shelter and I vowed that I couldn’t be the person holding the needle any longer. I learned sometimes if you fill it too high the basket will overflow when you don’t want it to.

I know it is the time of year when this always comes up for me. I know once we get to summer things will get better again. Less animals die in the summertime. Fall and spring are the hardest for me, for them.

I have people ask me why I don’t see more animals, why I only work four days a week. I think what they don’t realize is I need time to get the basket down, I need time to be sad, I need time to not have to keep it together. I need time to curl up in a little ball if I need to or go down and sit by the sea. I need time to love my family, be a mother, be a partner. In doing this I am able to be more present in everything I do.

And in this all, the basket is really quite helpful. Because of it, when I am at work, I am able to be there fully.

Let me tell you about my work. I love the animals who I work with, I don’t know how to explain how much they touch my heart and teach me. But the part you may not know about is I also get to meet and know some of the most amazing people, people who know the true meaning of love. I feel like I become part of their family and they become part of mine.

I have watched children grow up, I watch people navigate through career changes and jobs, I get to hear about the joys and sorrows in people’s lives, I hear about people’s dreams and what they want, I see people grow and change alongside their animals. I see the incredible love that passes because a dog, a cat, a rabbit and their loved human family. I hear when they feel all alone and feel like no one understands how hard it is and what they are going through and their friends say, “its just a dog.” It and not he or she. I get to see the best of people, I see their love, I see how much they care, I see their true essence of who they are shine through. My heart opens every day as I see the care and love people give their animal companions.

My work is about loving and sadness, joys and losses, miracles and death. Most people only touch death a few times in their lives. I touch it daily. Sometimes I feel alone because of this. The key is in learning how to touch death and still stay alive inside. The danger is in closing down. I know it is better to feel like I can’t do this anymore than to feel nothing. I know that feelings pass and change. I know that after every hard week or day there are easier ones. After every difficult appointment there is someone who makes me laugh, some dog who kisses me on the face, a pug who comes in dancing, a poodle who comes in laughing, a mutt with the funniest ears and expressions. Of course let’s not forget the cats who spring up on the couch and declare that they are king of the universe for that hour as we blink at each other and pass cat kisses back and forth. I ask myself how could I possibly not do what I do. I would miss all this so much. This is what keeps me going day after day. This is what gets me up in the morning.

So it’s strange that the same thing that makes me think I can’t continue is the same thing that makes it so I can continue. It is what I get every day from those I love and work with both human and animal. In love is sorrow, in sorrow is love. This is the risk we all take in loving.

Sometimes I just need to remember that I am human.

I can’t save everyone, there are too many animals for me to help them all, I can’t be two places at once and sometimes it’s ok to lose it, to let the basket overflow. Sometimes it is ok to cry especially when I have loved. After all there is always a fuzzy being there to lick away my tears and make me smile. And in this comes healing.

Did I mention that I have the best job in the world?

Cancer has become one of the most rewarding diseases that I treat as a practitioner. Strange isn’t it. It is a horrible and debilitating illness and if we can someday find a cure for it I will be ecstatic. But early on I found that in spite of the grave prognosis that was given, these animal with cancer wanted to live and they wanted to share that spirit of living with the people who they loved.

I found that in most of these animals I could do something to ease pain, to prolong life and to bring hope to those who are the caregivers for their lovely animal companions. In the end all the animals I treat with cancer will die but not always of cancer and meanwhile begins the dance of embracing life, of loving every day on this earth.

And in embracing life fully I found that these dogs and cats didn’t progress into death. Once we have embraced death fully there is nothing left but to live. And live they did – the first three dogs I worked with, after I became an acupuncturist, all lived beyond two years when they had been given a prognosis of months. That gave me the inspiration to learn more. And to practice more and to believe that these incredible dogs and cats have something inside of themselves that we could harness and open to help make them better.

There were of course animals I could not help. Cancer has a life of its own and sometimes it is simply too strong, it is too late or the animal is too weak to fight it. Every time I couldn’t help tore at my heart. None of us can stop death, I know that but I always hold out hope.

But more times then not, I felt like I could make a significant difference.

As I became more known as a practitioner, I found that my practice was often full and I could not help all the animals that I wished I could. I was turning people away who had animals who were dying. And so this book came to life. I thought that if I had knowledge that could help, I needed to make it available to anyone who wanted it

And so I began a couple years ago downloading my brain. Here is the result. I hope that this book can act as a guide and a tool for vets, herbalists, and those people who live every day with animals they love. I hope this book can help dogs and cats to live longer, fuller lives with cancer.

Embrace life, love fully, and never give up hope.
Best wishes,
Lena McCullough, DVM

To read more go to Holistic and Integrative Methods of Treating Cancer in Cats and Dogs

I have heard from a number of people lately that Yunnan Baiyao also known as Yunnan Paiyao with ox bile should not be used in dogs. This seems to have been started from a post by a human chiropractor who has written a book on dog cancer. My understanding is that cow gallstone is part of all yunnan baiyao even if it is not labeled on the package. The exact formula is closely guarded and in spite of having ingredient lists now available it is still not known, so really none of us know exactly what is in it.

There is no reason that this product or other products that contain ox bile or ox gallstone in dogs should not be used. If you have an ethical dilemma to this that is a different argument. Us holistic vets have been using this product for years. I am sorry there is misinformation out there that may be getting in the way of people using a product that could be helping their animals.

I don’t use a lot of supplements and single herbs in treating cancer.

Why?

Personally I have found that more complex herbals work better in my hands. I feel like you get more bang from the combination herbals and more synergy between the herbals. I can give 4 herbals and end up with 30-40 herbs working together. See Herbal Treatments – plants holding cancer at bay

If I pick out single supplements and herbals and combine them I loss a lot of the synergy. It is also easy to get overwhelmed with supplements – I’ve had dogs come in on a whole shopping bag of them. As I remove them from the protocol one by one, people will ask me, “what is wrong with that one, isn’t it good?”

Sure its good. It is rare that someone comes in with their dog on something harmful. However we can only give them so many things and I want the things that work the best, that are going to help the most.

So here is my very short list of single supplements and herbals that I use with some of the dogs and cats I work with.

• IP6 – I first was introduced to IP6 by my acupuncture teacher Richard Panzer. He used a lot of it combined with Coenzyme Q10. He got very good results when he combined these with acupuncture and other herbals. I still use a lot of IP6 especially for dogs with hemangiosarcoma. It is very safe and you don’t need to know Chinese medicine to use it.Inositol Hexaphosphate, also known as IP6 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 cats at 400mg two times a day and dogs 800-1600mg twice a day when I use this supplement.

  Here are some articles on IP6

  The holistic vet on IP6

  IP6 cancer research

• Coenzyme Q10 I often pair with IP6. I use it for any cancer in the heart. I also use it for boxers and breeds prone to heart issues and dogs with active cardiac disease and murmurs. It is a must for any of the chemo drugs like doxorubicin which are know to cause heart damage. CoQ10 has been shown to reduce cardiotoxicity (toxicity to the heart) in people on the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (adriamycin) in clinical studies.Coenzyme Q10 is an enzyme made by the body and found in the membranes of many tissues. CoQ10 has effects in stimulating the immune system and works as a strong antioxidant. In animals and people with cancer it has been shown that levels of CoQ10 are lower then in normal individuals. There is some evidence that CoQ10 can increase cancer survival times.

  Reduced levels of CoQ10 have been found in animals and people with heart issues. CoQ10 can help to protect the heart, lower blood pressure and help with repair to the heart.

  I dose CoEnzyme Q10 at 200mg per day for dogs and 50mg per day for cats.

  Here are some additional articles on CoQ10

  Coenzyme Q10 pharmacological and biological treatment

  Cancer Topics – Coenzyme Q10

• Vit A/D – I used to not be a vitamin pusher but I have seen some very good results with using very high doses of Vitamin A and D in animals with cancer, especially hemangiosarcoma. I use an once a week dosage and because the dosage I use can cause kidney damage and failure I always pair this treatment with either Xiao Chai Hu Tang or Chai Hu Jia Long Mu Li Tang. I do not recommend treating with high doses of these vitamins unless you are under the care of a veterinarian with some knowledge of these treatments. I am happy to give the dosage I use out to vets if they want to contact me.
• Fish Oil – if you can add Fish Oil to your animals food I start to consider this food and not supplement. Fish oil has some nice anti-cancer effects and can also help prevent cancer cachexia (weight loss in spite of good appetite). The Omega Fatty Acids in fish oils act as anti-oxidants and help support the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body. I like the Nordic Naturals brand.
• Medical Mushrooms are amazing in their abilities to help the body fight cancer and stimulate the immune system, the Chinese have been using these for years.
• Mushrooms also help with giving animals added nutrition when they need it, such as when they have cancer or are going through chemo.

The best mushrooms to use for an animal with cancer are maitake, shiitake, reishi, turkey tail and cordyceps. A combination can be used or focus on one.

I recommend at least 300mg of mushrooms be given daily for every 50lb of cat or dog. More in fine

My favorite company is Real Mushrooms.

• Milk Thistle – prevents oxidative damage to normal cells and helps to support the liver in detoxification of chemotherapy drugs. There are studies that show that Milk Thistle not only protects normal cells but also enhances the outcomes of chemotherapy drugs, i.e. it helps them work better and kill cancer cells more effectively. I mainly use milk thistle during chemotherapy or when there is liver malfunction or damage. See National Cancer Institute’s Page on Milk Thistle and Sloan Kettering Cancer Center article on Milk Thistle.
• Last on my list is Curcumin. Curcumin can help with some of the more blood stagnation cancers. Studies have demonstrated its anti-cancer actions. I don’t often prescribe it but will often leave dogs on it if they come in taking it already. In highly aggressive cancers I usually do not use it as occasionally it can cause them to spread faster.