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From Pat Little on August 4, 2000 ...
I wanted to write about a treatment for hip displacia. I had a 10 year old Lab who went completely lame in both its back legs. I took her to a vet hospital that used alternative treatments. The vet who treated "Lady" gave her a chiropractic adjustment. Amazingly, she walked out of the hospital on all 4 legs. That was in November of 1999. Every few weeks I took her back for another adjustment. Unfortunately, "Lady" passed away in January from cancer, but I will always be grateful that I was able to take her on walks up until the day she passed. The December 1999 issue of "Dog Fancy" magazine discussed chiropractic treatment. The American Veterinary Chiropractic Association phone is (309) 658-2920, you can call them to find out a practitioner in your area. Jan replies... Thank you Pat, I have also seen acupuncture make a huge difference.
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From Heidi on September 4, 2000 ...
Dear Jan, My wonderful dog companion of eleven years has developed a growth on the bottom left side of her gum. I am not interested in a traditional western approach for treatment, so at this point I don't know whether it is cancer or not. I have been using two Twinlab products, Seastatin and Cell Boost with IP-6. I was told these products work together to help shrink tumors. At first I could see it was helping but now the growth seems to be getting larger, to the point that the gum is being separating from her bottom left canine. I was thinking about trying another approach or something in addition to what I'm already doing -- perhaps flax seed oil and essiac. Do you recommend the Missing Link product? Heidi Jan replies... Hello Heidi, It seems to me you need to know what it is that you are dealing with, and you can't find out without some veterinary help. Your dog might have an abscess, which is fairly easy to fix but will just get worse if it isn't treated. She could end up with infection throughout, if that is what it is and it is left untreated. I would find a holistic vet. The best of all worlds is a holistic vet who also uses methods of conventional medicine like surgery when necessary. I have had things removed by a vet and then I pursued the herbal things on my own. I have had lumps removed from dogs that never came back. Some of them were malignant and some not. As a rule, I only strike out on my own when there is nothing reasonable left a vet can do. If it is cancer, flax seed oil + cottage cheese sometimes works. See the page at http://home.online.no/~dusan/diseases/cancer/cancer_dr_budwig.html, which discusses flax seed oil mixed with cottage cheese for humans. Using cottage cheese or yogurt is vital because it contains the right proteins to activate benefits of flax seed oil. The best site about flax seed oil is at http://www.barleans.com. For dogs, adjust the amount of cottage + flax seed oil according to the dog's size. If a 120 pound dog needs 1T of oil in 1/4 cup of cottage cheese three times a day, people should reduce the amount based on the weight of their own dog. Also, I have never used it myself, so I am reluctant to get specific. What I like about it is that I am pretty sure it will do no harm. The August 2000 issue of Whole Dog Journal has an article about it (in the hard copy subscription edition, not the website) and people can read that and make up their minds about cottage + flax seed oil. I would also try essiac and some other things. Co enzyme Q-10 needs to be given with fat so it could be added to the flax seed oil and cottage cheese. Pycnogenol is good and I like Red Clover and Blue Violet, mixed half and half, in capsules or as a steeped tea. I do not know anything about "Missing Link" products, only that it is a company at designinghealth.com with nutrition and health products for humans and animals. Jan Heidi wrote back...
Jan, I am concerned about the risk of anesthesia and the risk involved in introducing air to the growth, which I understand can cause the growth to spread more rapidly. If I choose surgery, there is very little possibility that the entire growth can be removed. I am not comfortable with the risks involved in surgery or even further manipulation knowing that the outcome is uncertain. That's why I'm not comfortable with a traditional western approach. I was not specific in my first email to you and I apologize for the confusion it caused. Thank you for your concern and your knowledgeable suggestions. Sincerely, Heidi So Jan said... Dear Heidi, I apologize too! It is not at all unlikely that someone might not consult a vet first, but I will not assume that in the future. I have gotten some pretty strange letters, although that is no excuse. With your permission we would like to leave your letter on the page so people will understand the importance of starting out with a vet.
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From Susana on September 5, 2000...
My airedale terrier has an adenocarcinoma in his nose. He had 2 bleeding episodes before the diagnose, a nose X-ray and endoscopy were made before the last word. The veterinarian suggested surgery. I asked the vet about risks of the surgery, I know from my research it is not an easy operation! They have to open the nose cavities to take out the tumor, with no guarantee of success. They said is not a metastasis problem because of the type of tumor, and after surgery they forecasted a 6 month of life period or maybe longer with radiotherapy. I would like to avoid such a traumatic surgery! I want to try an alternative therapy like Ojibwa Tea of Life or another option. I'm in Argentina right now with my pet and I want to take him to Canada with me, but I want to improve his quality of life with no surgery before returning to Canada. Also if alternatives work, I would like to know prices and shipment policies. Would appreciate your help, he's experimenting some breathing difficulties so would like to admininstrate him something as soon as possible. Thanks, Susana Lamy Jan replies... Dear Susana, In Vancouver you should be able to find a good holistic vet that could help you. This must be a very difficult situation for you. Having help makes a huge difference. Here are two holistic vet I found on the Altvetmed page at http://www.altvetmed.com.
Teya Kealy, DVM
Mark Liepmann DVM Is he a full size Airedale and how old is he? If you took him to Canada now, could you have him indoors, how healthy is he otherwise? Ojibway Tea of Life is essiac, dry mix or bottled. You can also get a dry essiac mix herbs from Blessed Herbs or get the herbs separately from Gaines Nutrition. With good wishes, I hope you can find a way to heal your boy. Jan |
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From Shelley on September 6, 2000...
Hello! I was trying to gather info on essiac tea and have run into conflicting information. My little Moonbeam, a 7 year old Papillion, has something wrong with the back of her brain. She will be having an MRI today to determine if it is hydrocephaulus, GME, or a mass at the front or back of her brain. It was suggested to me to look into essiac tea for her, however, she has a history of kidney disease which has been controlled by a change in diet. I would appreciate any information you can offer. Thank you! Shelley Jan replies... Because of the oxalic acid in 2 of the herbs, Sheep Sorrel and Turkey rhubarb, essiac is generally not recommended for use by people or pets with a history of kidney disease or kidney stones. I looked into the subject and these letters were the result. I think the biggest concern with essiac is the possibility of kidney stones in those who are prone to them. If your dog turns out to have a mortal cancer it might be worth it anyway. It is one of those hard things we each have to decide for ourselves. You also might try the cottage cheese + flax seed oil remedy. Jan |
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From Carla on September 12, 2000...
My 3 y/o German Shepherd, Thunder, was just diagnosed today during spinal surgery with a probable neural sheath fibrosarcoma. We were hoping for just a herniated disc. I am looking for any help to possibly slow down the tumor growth. The vets give him "few months to a year". I have read many of the stories on your site about essiac. What is it and where can I get it? What is your opinion about Shark Cartilage? Carla Jan replies... I am sorry about your Thunder. If you are going to get essiac I would get the mix from Blessed Herbs. I don't like keeping essiac tea for more than a few days, so I only make a pint at a time. You can add red clover and blue violet right after the reheat and steep it for 10 minutes before you strain and refrigerate it, I like those two added herbs. If nothing else, essiac tea should help him feel better and keep his appetite. A proper treatment with shark cartilage is very expensive, $80-140 a pound for the good stuff and you have to use a lot of it. At 120 pounds, my Sven needed about 45 grams a day. It was very hard to get it down him, it was too late when I started it, so there was not enough time left for it to work -- if it would have worked. There is information about it at http://www.lanelabs.com, this is probably the best brand. Shop around for a good price, there is a great deal of price variance for Benefin. I don't know what else to say about shark cartilage other than that, do the research and make your own decision. I don't think I would do it again, but I give 6 grams a day of it to my current old girl Dane because she has mast cell cancer. That is not enough for the kind of cancer you are dealing with. If you can find a holistic vet they might be a lot of help -- it is pretty lonely without a vet to help. Jan |
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From Don on September 13, 2000...
My dog of 11 years had 3 tumors on her stomach. I took her to the vet, who removed them and sent them off for pathology. The report was that they were malignant. Three months later another tumor surfaced on her side. It was about the size of a quarter and protruded about 1/2 inch. I started her on Flor-Essence. One month later the tumor was the size of a dime, another month and the tumor couldn't be found. I took her off Flor-Essence at that time, however I should have continued for at least a month more, because a year later another tumor was found again. This tumor was about the size of a dime when I started her on essiac tea again. I bought this tea in bulk from Herbal Healer in Arkansas and mixed it myself. It has been 3 weeks now and the tumor is about the size of a pea. I will keep her on essiac one month after the tumor is gone. Lots of people have tried essiac tea, some with good results, some with poor results. Anyone who tries this tea should buy from sources with a good reputation. P.S. I am not associated with anyone who stands to gain financially from essiac tea. Jan replies... Don, it is always good to hear a "success" story, let us know how your dog gets along. |
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From Jan A. on September 18, 2000...
Can you give my a dosage recommendation for giving essiac tea to my cats? One has been losing her fur. The other one has a small lump. I just want a general guideline for quantities for my cats, maybe based on their weights. Thanks. From Wendy on September 18, 2000... Can you tell me what dosage to give cats and where can I purchase essiac in Canada? Jan replies... John and Mary came up with dosage for their cat Snowflake by figuring a 125 lb. human dose was 2 ounces twice a day, they reduced it from there. According to letters, cats seem to be responsive to essiac. As for Canadian sources, see Products and Prices. I personally think that bottled essiac tea doesn't keep long, and you are not going to be using much at a time, so I would recommend getting the dry herbs (or a dry herb mix) and making a small quantity at a time for your cat. Good luck to you both. Jan |
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From Susan on September 19, 2000...
I just found out a few minutes ago that what appeared about a week and a half ago to be an infected front toe is spindle cell sarcoma. Our Dane is 10 years old and crippled with arthritis. She puts a lot of weight on that front foot and I'm afraid the surgery will seriously affect her ability to walk. We started the essiac tea yesterday, but now we have to decide to do surgery to remove the toe. Do you have any feelings about surgery? I sometimes feel it just puts them through more pain with the result being the same, or it may even hasten the progression of the cancer. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We live in Arizona, but I can't seem to find a good holistic vet locally. Jan replies... Your situation is a hard one. Spindle cell sarcoma is fast and vicious. The two year survival rate is fair if every single cell of it gets cut off and there is no contamination of even a single cell left. Most of the time I think it is pretty hard to get it all. Even an amputation will not guarantee it. When Sven had his lump removed (spindle cell sarcoma) we knew some of it was left. The lump never grew back but the cancer eventually spread everywhere, including the bone. I know someone here who lost two danes to soft tissue sarcoma, those lumps were partially removed and the two dogs lived only two months without all the herbal stuff Sven had - which is described on the pet page. I have no idea, of course, which things worked. If I was doing it now I would also make more changes in diet than I did then. I would probably cook fresh food entirely for him. I would give coenzyme Q-10 and IP6 and the flax seed and cottage cheese regimen. I think given the age of your girl if she was mine I would first of all try to find a holistic vet and see what they recommend. If you can't find one I would do as much research as you can and bolster her as much as possible with herbal treatments and other natural things, and treasure every day you have with her. I would do this whether or not you decide to have the surgery. I used to be very comfortable with removing lumps and I have had some very good luck with it sometimes, but I am not so sure anymore, especially about this kind of cancer, and about an old dane like my Greta was. Whatever you decide to do, know that you are making the best decision you can and taking the best care you can. I guess what I am trying to say is it isn't your fault. Good luck and please let me know how it goes with your Dane. Jan |
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From Diane on October 16, 2000...
First, thank you for this site. It has so much helpful information. My cat has hemangiosarcoma, a malignant aggressive tumor. I am trying Flor-Essence but having trouble getting it into her. I've tried mixing it with tuna and a little canned cat food but she's too finicky (my other cat doesn't seem to mind). I've read that they should take it on an empty stomach but that's just not going to happen with her. I can't use a syringe because she's too strong and squirmish. My question is, is it really necessary that she take it on an empty stomach? I think I can get it into her if I mix it with more cat food but does that make the herbs less effective? I tried to give her 2 tsp. a day, one in the am and one at night but she refuses it. Thanks for your help, Diane Jan replies... I think that it is better to give essiac to them in their food than not at all, and that the stress of forcing it into them may be worse than putting it in their food. Did you have her wrapped securely in a towel with only her head out when you used the syringe? Hemangiosarcoma is so vicious that anything that will ease her in the rest of her life is a great thing. I know for sure that essiac improved Sven's life even though he got it in his food. His coat improved, his attitude improved, and his appetite stayed great until the day he died. I also think he lived a lot longer with less pain. I think the war I would have had trying to force it into an empty stomach would not have been worth it. I am pretty sure I would have given up on it altogether. Good luck with your girl. |
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From Susan on November 4, 2000...
Do you know whether essiac would be helpful for a dog with
cushing's syndrome or other endrocrine type diseases?
Thanks, Jan replies... In "All You ever Wanted to know about Herbs for Pets" the Tilfords say herbal therapy for Cushings disease is limited to support of organs and systems that are stressed. They recommend dandelion root, burdock, garlic and nettle to support an overtaxed liver and digestive system and to replace potassium lost from frequent urination. Astralagus can help buffer adrenal responses to stress. Kelp is good for maintaining iodine and other trace mineral levels essential to adrenal function. They say to avoid licorice and borage leaf and any other herbs that stimulate adrenal activity. Burdock is one of the two main ingredients in essiac, but I would just give the burdock, maybe with the other things recommended above, along with whatever other therapy your vet is using. Friends of mine have a very old dog with this problem, they have spent a fortune keeping him alive. This last year they stopped the drug destroying the pituitary gland and he has done well without it. He is failing now -- but he is also 15 years old. I talked to a holistic vet who had some luck along with a conventional vet in supporting a dog with Cushings disease. It might be worth your while to try to find one of those. |
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