By Elizabeth McKinstry, VMD
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine
(TCVM), including acupuncture and Chinese herbs, can help pets when
conventional therapies have been exhausted. TCVM often works by strengthening
the patient and its immune system, enabling it to overcome a variety of
problems, including cancer.
Sydney was a spayed elderly cat with quite a
few problems. She was positive for Feline Leukemia Virus, had hyperthyroidism,
and suffered from a chronic upper respiratory infection. On top of all of these
maladies, she had a malignant mammary gland (breast) mass. This had been
surgically removed with “clean” margins, but unfortunately the mass had regrown
by the time Sydney presented for TCVM several weeks later.
In Sydney’s case, she was started on two
Chinese herbal formulas and injected with vitamin B12 in the appropriate
acupuncture points. One of the herbal formulas stimulates the cat’s immune
system, builds muscle tissue, increases energy and inhibits mutation. The other
works to “soothe Liver Qi,” “move blood” and shrink masses. These herbal
formulas and acupuncture points were selected based on Sydney’s specific TCVM
pattern and can be different for each cat with mammary cancer.
At the two-month check-up, the tumors had
totally disappeared and her chronic upper respiratory infection had also
cleared for the first time in two years! Sydney was continued on both herbal
supplements for the next year and the cancer did not return. She gained weight
and had a beautiful shiny coat!
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are a growing
alternative to conventional therapies, especially when the goal is to improve
the quality of life of the whole patient.
Dr. McKinstry practices Traditional Chinese
Veterinary Medicine by appointment on certain Saturdays at Wilmington Animal
Hospital.
