Dogs

TCM Case Study: Canine Hemangiosarcoma

by Dr. Judith Andrews and Dr. Lia Andrews

Disclaimer: Though we are acupuncturists we are not veterinarians and thus cannot legally practice on animals in CA. This is our persona experience with our pet.

Lola, a ten year old shepherd/rottweiler mix developed bloating that would come and go for a few days. We gave her digestive herbs. She was her usual crazy self so we casually took her to the vet for what we assumed was a digestive issue. After initially finding nothing wrong with her, the vet discovered that Lola was suffering from internal bleeding. They operated on her immediately. It took two vets and several hours of surgery to stop the hemorraging and remove her spleen. A subsequent biopsy showed that she had hemangiosarcoma, a type of cancer that affects the blood vessels of the spleen and heart causing them to rupture. It is a very aggressive cancer and there is no Western treatment for it.

The vet didn’t think Lola would make it through the night due to the blood loss. We took Lola home and began treating her with nutrition and herbs, and decided to put her to sleep when she showed us a sign.

That first night we made her a liver congee traditionally used for postpartum women after c-section. She was extremely thirsty and this formula also helped her to retain urination.

Liver Congee with Herbs recipe video
1 cup Fresh (Huai) Shan Yao (Chinese yam, Rhizoma Dioscoreae) or 12g of dried Shan Yao, chopped
¼ cup Yi Yi Ren (Job’s tears, Semen Coicis)
½ cup white rice (broken rice is best)
5 pieces of Fu Ling (poria, Sclerotum Poriae Cocos)
6 pieces of Lian Zi (lotus seed, Semen Nelumbinis)
6 Bai Guo (gingko nuts, Semen Gingko)
¼ cup Qian Shi (foxnut, Semen Euryales)
½ lb organic liver, chopped
4-5 cups of water

Preparation:
1. Rinse all dried medicinal herbs with hot water and soak in water for 45 min.
2. Wash pork liver and cut into cubes.
3. Place all ingredients into a crock pot or rice cooker. Cook for 6 hours or overnight.

After a few days of this congee Lola’s tongue was a healthy pink (it had always been a little pale, and had turned blue-tinged white after her operation). She ate congee four times a day. After the first week we alternated different protein (chicken, fish, organic liver), added vegetables and seaweed, and alternated the herbs (we dropped the gingko and Qian Shi and often added Gou Qi Zi (go ji berries) and Ling Yan Rou (longan berries).

Lola’s Supplement Schedule:
Yunnan Paiyao – 1-2 capsules, 2 x a day
Supreme Defender – 1 capsule, 2x a day
Avogen – 1 capsule in the morning

Dosage was based on Lola weighing 80 lbs. Yunnan Paiyao was the primary herbal treatment. It both moves Blood and stops excessive bleeding. Blood regulators are key to any cancer treatment, but more so with a cancer that affects the blood vessels. If she became Blood deficient (pale tongue), we would lower the dosage. Had we known she was bleeding internally we would have given her the little red pill before her surgery.

Supreme Defender was an economical and practical way to administer important immune-boosting herbs used in cancer treatment: Ling Zhi (reishi mushroom, Ganoderma), Dong Chong Xia Cao (cordyceps), and Huang Qi (astragalus, Radix Astragali). Other herbs we could have added are Yun Zhi (Coriolus versicolor) and Ren Shen (ginseng, Radix Ginseng).

Avogen is a an avocado extract that has shown promise in pre-clinical trials for cancer cell inhibition. It is a Western supplement, but its ability to restore the extracellular matrix also places it in a Jing tonic category.

Lola’s Progress
Lola was healthier than she had ever been for 3 months after the operation. She woke up one morning with labored breathing that declined rapidly. We knew it was her heart and had her put to sleep before she could suffer any more. Though we were only able to extend her life by 3 months, we consider it well worth it. She would not have survived that first night without the liver congee, and her quality of life would have been poor on chemotherapy. With this treatment she had an excellent quality of life until shortly before her death.

The Gift of Lola

I tried to find a picture of her where she did not look goofy, but couldn’t find one. I think this represents her well.

Every death is different, just like every birth. Lola’s breathing is labored. She is having trouble walking. She won’t eat. Normally an attention whore, she wants space. I know it is time.

I feel a peaceful white presence. I have felt this before when someone was near death. I cry because I miss her already. I will not see her little eyebrows, or wake up to her stealing food off the counter. I will not be able to feel her fur or smell her scent. And, at the same time, for her I feel peace.

Lola gave me the gift of redemption. I have lived with animals all my life and never have I felt such peace at the end.

She was perhaps the most challenging dog I ever had. She was big and hyper. I cannot count how many times she threw me on the ground during walks, or the bizarre items she would collect in her bed, or the constant indiscriminate need for attention (whether for good or bad you could not ignore her). Others would remark what “good people” we were for keeping her.

What they did not know was that she was our blessing. As a small puppy she had locked eyes with my mom in the pet emergency room. We had brought our other dog there and Lola was brought in by a good Samaritan. She had been hit by a car, her pelvis broken, yet she did not make a sound. (I later found out my mom quietly paid for her operation or else she would have had had to wait for a vet to volunteer.) Lola was put under the care of the humane society, but my mom gave them her information and said she would take her if she was not adopted. Lola recovered and was adopted and returned, twice. She had set her sights on my mom.

She was a quirky yet healthy dog until the age of 9. One day her belly started getting swollen. Her appetite went down a bit, but otherwise was her normal crazy self. We took her to the vet assuming she had digestive issues. They discovered her spleen had burst and she was bleeding internally. It took two vets and hours of surgery to remove her spleen and patch her up.

I prayed for her with all my heart and asked forgiveness for not understanding her. I promised that if she lived I would fully accept her as she was.

Lola had lost “gallons” of blood so the vet was surprised to find her walking around hours after surgery. They predicted she would not make another 24 hours due to the degree of her anemia. We took her home and made her liver congee, a postpartum recipe, and gave her herbs (I will post a case study on this later). She rebounded unbelievably. Lola had signs of Blood deficiency all her life (dryness and issues with her coat and skin, a pale tongue, timidity, etc). Here she was displaying a vitality like never before. She was like a puppy, despite the fact she was diagnosed with visceral (spleen and later heart) hemangiosarcoma.

I delighted when she stole bread off the counter or pulled on her walks. She was back!

I am grateful I was given 3 months to love her with an open heart. She taught me on a profound level not to fear cancer (which is how my last dog passed). Lola lived at least as long as she would have if she had undergone chemo, only in this case with an excellent quality of life. She had no discomfort until the last few hours of her life.

More than this, she gave me the opportunity to redeem myself and be the guardian she deserved. I had not been a bad owner, I had simply not recognized how amazing she was until the last 3 months of her life. Thank you for letting me see you, Lola.

TCM Case Study: Canine Hemangiosarcoma

TCM Case Study: Canine Hemangiosarcoma

The Gift of Lola

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