Today I would like to post on a topic from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
Many dogs are afflicted with cancers that are associated with bleeding, like internal hemangiosarcomas. Sometimes the treatments for cancer (many chemotherapy drugs) may increase bleeding tendencies.
So it would make a lot of sense that providing a supplement that helps the body stop bleeding might help our four legged companions. Especially nice would be something that can be given in a capsule at home.
Although it seems that we lack this in our Western system of veterinary medicine, let’s remember there is more to healing than what we may have been exposed to. My alma mater is the number one-ranked vet school in the nation, and I was not aware of the following until I started my own studies after graduation.
Yunnan baiyao, also called yunnan baiyao, is “The white medicine from Yunnan province.” This is a well-known treatment in China. In TCM, most of the items used are blends of different components. Yuannan paiyao is no exception.
Some of the ingredients include various yam roots, ox gall bladder, pseudoginseng, sweet geranium, and more. The precise recipe is a guarded secret in China.
It is believed to work by activating the platelets, which are the small blood components that help make blood clot. Blood clots are the first step in a scab. They are like little plugs or corks in the way they stop hemorrhage.
Yunnan paiyao taken by mouth has been shown to decrease liver bleeding in lab animals. Similarly, it has been shown to decrease bleeding times in ponies who took it orally. The same was shown for rabbits. It also works when the powder is applied to a bleeding surface.
Yunnan paiyao should be used only after consultation and in cooperation with your dog’s veterinarian. Here is some data.
How much to give? The following dosing is a bit rough. These are general guidelines:
- For dogs under 10 lbs, give 1 capsule by mouth one time a day.
- For dogs from 10 to 30 lbs, give 1 capsule by mouth two times a day.
- For dogs above 30 but less than 60 lbs, give 2 capsules two times a day.
- For dogs above 60 lbs, give 2 capsules three times a day.
Do not give Yunnan paiyao on an ongoing basis. It is best to give it on alternating days, or for a 5-day on, 5-day off cycle that repeats. There is some possible evidence that this medicine may elevate liver markers if given daily for prolonged periods of time.
There is an excellent pdf available online, called “Yunnan Baiyao-Where’s the Clinical Evidence?”
for those who would like more detail.
Yunnan paiyao can be purchased on line, in herb stores, and in Traditional Chinese Medicine locations.
For more tools to help fight dog cancer that you may have not heard of, get a copy of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.
Best to all,
Dr D
One of the difficulties dog lovers have is in getting good data about dog cancer. Sometimes questions surface after your visit to the vet or oncologist, and you may not be able to reach your dog’s doctor.
Logically, the internet is a good place to start.
You will find lots of information about dog cancer on line. However, not all of it is true, and some may lead to incorrect conclusions.
These conclusions can create false hopes by appealing to the need for a good outcome. Other times, deliberate paranoia or even intentional hysteria geared towards product sales is the goal.
You would be surprised what you find.
Suddenly, I have noticed a crop of Dog Cancer Survival Guide imitations popping up. Although it is flattering, I am concerned. None are written by an actual vet, although one “Doctor” is a chiropractor (for people). I mean, I have absolutely nothing against chiropractors (I have gotten my back worked on before), but…
It would be funny except that concerned dog lovers are taking advice that may not help, and could even harm.
I just read an article on the CBS News Health page about dog skin cancer. It was very surprising, considering the source. There were a few points that were quite misleading that should be cleared up.
For example: “.. mast cell tumors, are fatal if untreated…” This is not necessarily true. Here is an abstract supporting the fact that some are dangerous and some are not. There are very few grade 1 mast cell tumors that are fatal if left untreated. (Mast cell tumors are graded from 1 to 3, with some of grade 2 and all of grade 3 being particularly dangerous. For more on mast cell tumors, check out this week’s webinar by clicking here).
Here’s another excerpt from the same site: “Mast cell tumors:…the hormones estrogen and progesterone may also affect cancer growth.” This states that estrogen and progesterone affect mast cell tumor growth. Not true. This abstract shows that there is no link between estrogen receptors and mast cell tumor behavior in the dog.
This same “information” in the CBS News Health site suggests that spaying a female dog would be beneficial to dogs with mast cell tumors, to remove these hormones. False.
On the other hand, these hormones have real-life, measurable effect on mammary (breast) cancer in dogs which is well documented and common knowledge. Spaying does influence mammary tumor development in the dog.
So please be careful what you read!
All my best,
Dr D
Many dog lovers are coping with a diagnosis of canine mast cell tumor. Just yesterday afternoon I was removing a very large one from the body wall of Big, a 10 year old, 105 pound, much-loved mixed breed.
The day before his surgery, Big started to throw up. He became quite sick, and would not eat. His tumor, which was about 5 inches in diameter, had started getting very painful, red and inflamed.
Luckily, tumor is now out and Big is on his way to happier days.
One of our strategies is to help Big with his nausea. I was explaining to his owner last night that the mast cells in the tumor secrete a substance called histamine, which is the same stuff that causes a bee sting to become red, swollen and painful.
These high histamine levels now in Big’s bloodstream cause the lining of the stomach to produce excess acid. When you have a belly full of acid, it feels awful and you may start vomiting.
So in dogs with any signs of decreased appetite, nausea (licking lips a lot, salivation), vomiting, or loss of energy with mast cell tumors, we always want to address this acid issue.
There are several approaches. We definitely want an antacid. Cimetidine (Tagamet) is a good choice, as this drug has not only antacid effects but also some nice, documented anti-cancer effects. Tagamet is available over the counter at most locations where non-prescription human medications are sold. Like many drugs we use in veterinary medicine, it is labeled for human use.
Fresh ginger is always a nice supplement to use in dogs with nausea, and has been shown in papers to help in human medicine with both http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15281225?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed" target="_blank">anti-cancer effects and helping nausea. Many big-box grocery stores will carry ginger root, and some health food stores do as well.
Many clinicians advise famotidine (Pepcid), which has a good antacid effect, but no anticancer effects. You can get Pepcid AC over the counter at most places where non-prescription medications for people are sold.
In cases where there is no other option and the vomiting is very severe, a drug called Zofran (odansetron) can be used. It is rather expensive, and its use is on the new side. It does help though for cases where the stomach upset is really bad. It is a prescription medication.
If there is diarrhea, which reflects inflammation of the intestine (lower down the digestive tract than the stomach), misoprostel (Cytotec) should be considered. This drug stimulates the protective lining of the intestine and decreases inflammation of the intestinal wall. This is a prescription medication.
Slippery elm, which is from bark of the slippery elm tree, is a good supplement that can be added for diarrhea as well. It acts as a natural bandage, coating the lining of the intestine and helping soothe and heal. Slippery elm is available on-line and at health food stores.
Branched chain amino acids can also be added as a part of the arsenal. These supplement the other approaches by providing the building blocks to rebuild the lining of the intestine. Branched chain amino acids are available in health food stores and supplement outlets.
Probiotics can always be added to help a bit with diarrhea. A probiotic is a bacteria which helps restore the normal amounts of healthy bacteria in the intestine. We need these bacteria, and so do our dogs. These can be purchased at supplement outlets and health food stores.
Lastly, plain old liquid Pepto Bismol helps a lot with diarrhea as well, and is available over the counter too.
For more information and specifics on these items, you can find more details on dosage and use in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide and through discussions with your vet or oncologist.
All my best,
Dr D
One of the biggest ironies I have encountered are carcinogenic chemotherapy drugs.
Sound odd to you? Well, I don’t blame you! When I first found out about it I was shocked. Medication used for fighting cancer actually increasing the odds for cancer later?
Now, before everyone gets reactionary, we have to temper this topic with the big picture. Chemotherapy has helped a lot of dogs live longer lives with good life quality. Let’s not forget that reality.
The problem is that this is an area of medicine where the treatments used can, at times, have real-life and quite severe side effects. This is simply a reality of conventional cancer care and needs to be accepted as the current state of affairs.
I discuss how to lessen chemotherapy side effects in detail in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide if you are interested in this topic.
Take cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), a common chemo drug used in dogs. The truth is that this medication is a known human carcinogen, and the same was found in rodents. Here is some information on the topic.
Cisplatin is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” and is carcinogenic in lab rodents. Here is more for your review.
So what does one do with this information? How are we supposed to feel okay about the use of these drugs?
Well, the age of the dog has to be kept in mind. While nobody knows the exact timing of a possible cancer developing after exposure to these drugs, it likely takes a while. Although I cannot give real data, a guess could be 1-2 years or more.
So it would make sense that in a young or middle aged dog, one might reach for different chemo drugs, especially if a life expectancy may be more than one or two years after the cancer.
These are very tough decisions as nobody has a crystal ball. However, as your dog’s primary health care advocate, you should be advised of all the facts.
All my best,
Dr D
In the last post, we examined those cases where a dog lover might want to protect dogs prone to certain skin cancers with sunscreen and indoor living.
However, these are the minority. The vast majority of dogs actually benefit, in a real way, from some direct sunlight. Here’s my argument…
Sunlight exposure in people is linked to lower rates of prostate cancer, breast (or mammary) cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer and more. In total, 18 different types of cancer were found to have significantly lower rates with sunlight exposure. 18! That’s a lot.
There is now a movement, at least from those in the know, for public health recognition of the beneficial effects of sunlight on cancer development. This means the human database of medical info needs to be updated. Those in the know hail from SUNARC, or the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center in San Francisco. Read more here.
But what about dogs? Is there a link?
Dogs are used as models for human cancers now frequently. As a matter of fact, the molecular similarities are huge. The National Cancer Institute formed The Comparative Oncology Program (COP) a few years back, which is a research program using dogs as models for human cancer due to their similarities.
Given all of this, I have drawn medical information from the human research and applied it to dogs to good effect. This is another area where dog lovers can do even more for their pets.
How does sunlight work to decrease cancer rates? The way sun is believed to help is by boosting active levels of vitamin D in the body. The amount and efficiency of vitamin D activation by the sun is much higher than taking vitamin D3 pills by mouth.
On top of it all, what dog does not like to be outside for a while? Talk about a life quality positive!
Nobody has thus far determined exactly how much sun is needed. It varies in human literature based on ethnicity and location. But it is clear that not a lot is needed. Some estimates are about 15-30 minutes just a few times weekly.
This amount is enjoyable and tolerable for almost any dog (except those loungy couch potato canines, you know who you are!)
A word of caution: some dogs can get hot and even get heat stroke in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The dogs who are especially at risk are those with longer coats (like the Samoyed, Husky, Chow, etc) or those with “pushed in” faces (brachycephalic breeds like Bulldogs, Pugs, Pekinese, etc.).
Always give your dog access to cool water and shade, and if your dog has a long coat or a “pushed in” face, it is best to be there with your pooch to keep an eye out for overheating.
For more on activating Vitamin D, check out The Dog Cancer Survival Guide.
Best to all,
Dr D
