Question Details
Intestinal Mast Cell Tumor In A Dog
by
Kelly.Chandler
-
June 18, 2018 View Case Report
Replies
by
naturevet
June 22, 2018
Hi Kelly,
You don't mention what treatment was in play other than the coconut oil-turmeric-black pepper combination that produces the improvements by day 31. Was it just that? Or are there drugs on board?
My first instinct, given the slippery-wiry pulse, red tongue, reluctance to eat a processed diet, and the presenting GI signs would be to recommend Si Miao San. It is my first choice for GI malignancies, and its benefits would be even more likely if you drained Damp and cleared Heat with an acupuncture treatment and saw the pulse improved.
I have put dogs with poorly differentiated MCT into remission with Si Miao San and Hoxsey-Like Combination together, even when it has already met'd to the lymph nodes. Since Hoxsey is not a GI formula, I'd start with SMS first and see what happens. Note that SMS is even more likely to work if the dog was managed successfully post-op with anti-inflammatory drugs.
The only finding that is inconsistent with trying Si Miao San is the tolerance of the supplement she is on, but I would still be tempted to give it a try and see what happens.
I'd also explore a whole food vegetarian diet for the dog, since she is leaning that way herself. Note that a lot of dogs that are believed to only be tolerant of a vegetarian diet (if that is the case, and the owner is not just imposing their own lifestyle choice on the dog) turn out to handle meat just fine, when it is given in real food format. That being said, any foods that the dog has shown a clear and irrefutable intolerance to should be avoided.
The higher fiber and less accessible nutrients of the fruits and vegetables are likely less pro-inflammatory than the kibble, and thus less aggravating to an inflammatory tumor like a MCT, making her feel better and causing her to seek them out. A real-food meat-based diet (vs. using whole grains) would be an even bigger step in that direction. If the dog completely stabilizes and does very well on SMS, I would venture to say any food sensitivities are in abeyance, and that meat could be explored instead of whole grains. At that point, risk of tumor formation would go down further.
Hopefully all this helps you out. Please let us know what happens
Steve
You don't mention what treatment was in play other than the coconut oil-turmeric-black pepper combination that produces the improvements by day 31. Was it just that? Or are there drugs on board?
My first instinct, given the slippery-wiry pulse, red tongue, reluctance to eat a processed diet, and the presenting GI signs would be to recommend Si Miao San. It is my first choice for GI malignancies, and its benefits would be even more likely if you drained Damp and cleared Heat with an acupuncture treatment and saw the pulse improved.
I have put dogs with poorly differentiated MCT into remission with Si Miao San and Hoxsey-Like Combination together, even when it has already met'd to the lymph nodes. Since Hoxsey is not a GI formula, I'd start with SMS first and see what happens. Note that SMS is even more likely to work if the dog was managed successfully post-op with anti-inflammatory drugs.
The only finding that is inconsistent with trying Si Miao San is the tolerance of the supplement she is on, but I would still be tempted to give it a try and see what happens.
I'd also explore a whole food vegetarian diet for the dog, since she is leaning that way herself. Note that a lot of dogs that are believed to only be tolerant of a vegetarian diet (if that is the case, and the owner is not just imposing their own lifestyle choice on the dog) turn out to handle meat just fine, when it is given in real food format. That being said, any foods that the dog has shown a clear and irrefutable intolerance to should be avoided.
The higher fiber and less accessible nutrients of the fruits and vegetables are likely less pro-inflammatory than the kibble, and thus less aggravating to an inflammatory tumor like a MCT, making her feel better and causing her to seek them out. A real-food meat-based diet (vs. using whole grains) would be an even bigger step in that direction. If the dog completely stabilizes and does very well on SMS, I would venture to say any food sensitivities are in abeyance, and that meat could be explored instead of whole grains. At that point, risk of tumor formation would go down further.
Hopefully all this helps you out. Please let us know what happens
Steve
by
Kelly.Chandler
July 9, 2018
Hi Steve,
I confirmed that the only treatment this dog has had post-op is black pepper/turmeric/coconut paste. No antiinflammatories were given. She presented with diarrhea and inappetence and was treated with metronidazole so that might have had some anti-inflammatory effect I guess but she had a poor response to that, and a palpable abdominal nodule/mass, which is how she ended up in surgery. Interestingly the surgical report says the bowel appeared normal with the nodules just being on the mesenteric border of the bowel. The pathologist says intestinal MCT is most likely. The biopsies were punches from the nodules, however, and the bowel itself was not biopsied. Does that change your thinking at all?
Kelly
I confirmed that the only treatment this dog has had post-op is black pepper/turmeric/coconut paste. No antiinflammatories were given. She presented with diarrhea and inappetence and was treated with metronidazole so that might have had some anti-inflammatory effect I guess but she had a poor response to that, and a palpable abdominal nodule/mass, which is how she ended up in surgery. Interestingly the surgical report says the bowel appeared normal with the nodules just being on the mesenteric border of the bowel. The pathologist says intestinal MCT is most likely. The biopsies were punches from the nodules, however, and the bowel itself was not biopsied. Does that change your thinking at all?
Kelly
by
naturevet
July 11, 2018
Hi Kelly,
I guess I'd still proceed with the SMS and see what happens. Start with a small amount and give a low dose, as I'm not sure what you mean by 'poor response' to metronidazole. Are you talking about side effects? Or did it just not work? If the latter, then I'd try SMS, since it is anti-cancer whereas metronidazole is not, and would therefore potentially work where the drug did not.
If there were side effects to the metronidazole, I'd need to know what they were before saying whether they should try the SMS
Steve
I guess I'd still proceed with the SMS and see what happens. Start with a small amount and give a low dose, as I'm not sure what you mean by 'poor response' to metronidazole. Are you talking about side effects? Or did it just not work? If the latter, then I'd try SMS, since it is anti-cancer whereas metronidazole is not, and would therefore potentially work where the drug did not.
If there were side effects to the metronidazole, I'd need to know what they were before saying whether they should try the SMS
Steve
by
Kelly.Chandler
July 11, 2018
Hi. Sorry I was not more clear. She did not improve with metronidazole. She remained inappetant and diarrhea persisted. However, the turmeric/black pepper/coconut oil capsule has turned those signs around so not sure what more to expect with adding SMS.
I have some Kan Essentials four marvels on hand. I’ll see if she wants to start with that.
Kelly
I have some Kan Essentials four marvels on hand. I’ll see if she wants to start with that.
Kelly
by
naturevet
July 11, 2018
Yes, I guess I'd start there. Hopefully she has some symptoms - pulse, tongue, active points - that you can track to see if it's working
S
S
by
Kelly.Chandler
August 3, 2018
Hello. I have treated Gigi with acupuncture three times. Tongue red, pulse varies but tends to wiry. Points today Gv20, an shen (not much response in pulse), Bl 20, 40, Sp9 to drain damp. Bl 20 makes pulse feel more relaxed. She is on Si Miao San tablets, 500 mg, 1 BID. She is doing well, appetite great, energy great. We are planning an ultrasound to monitor the nodules and I will let you know what we find.
by
naturevet
August 3, 2018
Thanks for the update!
S
S
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