Have 7 yr old german shepherd with anal sac apocrine gland…

Hi,

First, I want to point out that I am NOT A VETERINARIAN, and therefore not qualified to give health advice regarding a dog. Everything I say should be discussed with a veterinarian prior to treating your pet with any of my suggestions. It would be better if you could find - through your vet or friends - an acupuncturist or herbalist who has expertise in recommending herbs for dogs.

That aside, Chinese veterinary medicine is very similar to Western veterinary medicine, in that each of them use people medicine to treat animals. Treating cancer with herbs is a highly specialized subspecialty of herbalism. In China cancer is treated with a combination of western and herbal medicine. Choice of herbal formulas is dependent on the stage the patient is at, what western medications and treatments they are receiving (or about to undergo), and their other symptoms -- like diarrhea, low appetite, headaches, nausea, weakness, fatigue, etc. Additionally, an herbalist takes a patient's pulse and looks at the tongue, so it is important that an herbalist see your dog in person.

You didn't mention if your dog's surgery was considered successful - if all the malignant tissue was excised, or if they could not get it all, or if there's a high risk rate for further growth (sadly, I think this type of cancer is considered insidious and aggressive, but again, I am not a vet). Treatment for controlling growth of a tumor vs. recovering from an operation would be very different.

The same Chinese medical approach that is applied to any other disease is also applied to cancer. The practitioner will talk to you about how it all started, get a good history, a full list of medications and procedures and develop a diagnosis. Chinese diagnoses sound odd, things like: Heat and Fire toxins, Phlegm/Damp Accumulation, Yin/Yang Disharmony, Qi and Blood Stagnation, etc., but each diagnosis means something very specific to a practitioner and guides the choice of herbal formulas. It would be irresponsible of me to recommend specific formulas or herbs, since the wrong formula could do more harm than good.

One thing that all the diagnoses would imply is the need to keep the digestive tract strong (Spleen Qi). The herbs that directly nourish Qi would not be appropriate since they might also nourish the cancer. Instead, one of the best ways to accomplish this is through food. This means eating only very healthy or organic foods (antibiotic and growth-hormone free, grain-fed beef, free-range chicken, etc.) that are deeply nourishing to the body. If you can make your own pet food for a while, or feed a very high quality diet with no additives or preservatives this will help.

Acupuncture and moxibustion can also help cancer patients, if your dog will sit still for this!

I really wish you all the best of luck with this. I am a huge animal person, and love my animal companions very deeply. They become such a part of your life and its very hard when they're sick. Don't forget to take care of yourself -- feed yourself well and engage in whatever activities help you alleviate stress. Its ok to ask for whatever support you need - your pet is a member of your family and many, many people will understand that.

I realize I couldn't be very specific with my answers but I hope I have helped in some way. If you feel satisfied with my answer please go ahead and click "accept." My goal is to provide a professional and thorough answer for you.

Sincerely,
Anaya
Flower of Life Acupuncture & Herbs