My question is about a 10 yr old, F/S, golden retriever. She was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma on her left cheek, Nov/09 by a local specialist oncologist. I started her on Hoxey-like formula at .2ml/5lb of dog bid. This dog has been treated with Si Miao San previously with hot spots and abdominal rash successfully. The owner had continued the Si Miao San. She was already on the BARF diet and I also started her on the Vitamin A/D and the dog is also on a fish oil. She was rechecked by the oncologist Feb/10 and the tumor has completely resolved and he commented that the histopath was good and this tumor doesn't usually respond this way but acknowledged that the dog was on some alternative therapies. The dog has recently developed increased thirst, some inappetance and a bit of vomiting. The owner switched to chicken and rice and I saw the dog yesterday.Her pulse was thin, easy to compress and better with BL 20 and BL23. She has bilateral yeast otitis and twitches when she likes down but not when she sleeps. No chance in caudal mandible and no regrowth of tumor. I had owner discontinue hoxey and took blood sample which shows elevated BUN 12.6 (9.2), Creat l80 (l4l), Ca 3.93 (2.83) and urine SG l.010. Would greatly appreciate your thoughts on where to go from here, thanks.
Question Details
Osteosarcoma
by
Kathleen
-
March 18, 2010
My question is about a 10 yr old, F/S, golden retriever. She was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma on her left cheek, Nov/09 by a local specialist oncologist. I started her on Hoxey-like formula at .2ml/5lb of dog bid. This dog has been treated with Si Miao San previously with hot spots and abdominal rash successfully. The owner had continued the Si Miao San. She was already on the BARF diet and I also started her on the Vitamin A/D and the dog is also on a fish oil. She was rechecked by the oncologist Feb/10 and the tumor has completely resolved and he commented that the histopath was good and this tumor doesn't usually respond this way but acknowledged that the dog was on some alternative therapies. The dog has recently developed increased thirst, some inappetance and a bit of vomiting. The owner switched to chicken and rice and I saw the dog yesterday.Her pulse was thin, easy to compress and better with BL 20 and BL23. She has bilateral yeast otitis and twitches when she likes down but not when she sleeps. No chance in caudal mandible and no regrowth of tumor. I had owner discontinue hoxey and took blood sample which shows elevated BUN 12.6 (9.2), Creat l80 (l4l), Ca 3.93 (2.83) and urine SG l.010. Would greatly appreciate your thoughts on where to go from here, thanks.
Replies
by
naturevet
March 19, 2010
Hi Kathleen,
It's always nice to hear about another osteosarcoma that makes it into remission. I had several cases back when I first stumbled onto Hoxsey, but success with it is not consistent. Glad it's still happening occasionally.
It sounds, however, like we need to switch gears and use tonics as opposed to cooling draining treatments. The weak pulses and renal azotemia suggest we need a Kidney tonic of some kind. Thirst means at least the upper burner is hot, if not the whole animal. Loss of appetite suggests the lower burner might be cold. How much vitamin AD is she getting. We should probably be stopping it entirely if the dog has renal issues including hypercalcemia, and if the tumor appears resolved.
As for whether the vitamin AD promoted renal hypercalcemia, it depends on duration and dose. It generally needs to be given once daily to every few days for a couple of years to effect that, so if that hasn't been the dosing regimen for this dog, then it might just be naturally occurring renal azotemia. Often, supplement induced hypercalcemia presents as a Triple Burner obstruction as well, which this dog is not.
From a western point of view, a urinalysis is valuable here, to rule out infection and to identify urine protein creatinine ratios. If there is an infection, it needs treatment, and Rehmannia based formulas pair well with the antibiotics both to mitigate their adverse effects and also increase immune presence in the renal pelvis. If the urine pr/cr ratio is normal, or at least below 2, then a renal lesion calling for an anti-inflammatory approach such as Minor Bupleurum or San Ren Tang afford is inappropriate, and Rehmannia-based formulas are even more strongly indicated. So I'd do a UA to complete your data set.
Meanwhile, I think it's safe to start with Ba Wei Di Huang Wan (Rehmannia Eight) to tonify the animal's Qi, which may have been depleted by so many cooling formulas. If the animal improves with fluid support (tried that yet?), then that also suggests Rehmannia formulas will be helpful.
Hope this advice proves useful. Congratulations again on bailing the animal out of a difficult diagnosis.
Steve
It's always nice to hear about another osteosarcoma that makes it into remission. I had several cases back when I first stumbled onto Hoxsey, but success with it is not consistent. Glad it's still happening occasionally.
It sounds, however, like we need to switch gears and use tonics as opposed to cooling draining treatments. The weak pulses and renal azotemia suggest we need a Kidney tonic of some kind. Thirst means at least the upper burner is hot, if not the whole animal. Loss of appetite suggests the lower burner might be cold. How much vitamin AD is she getting. We should probably be stopping it entirely if the dog has renal issues including hypercalcemia, and if the tumor appears resolved.
As for whether the vitamin AD promoted renal hypercalcemia, it depends on duration and dose. It generally needs to be given once daily to every few days for a couple of years to effect that, so if that hasn't been the dosing regimen for this dog, then it might just be naturally occurring renal azotemia. Often, supplement induced hypercalcemia presents as a Triple Burner obstruction as well, which this dog is not.
From a western point of view, a urinalysis is valuable here, to rule out infection and to identify urine protein creatinine ratios. If there is an infection, it needs treatment, and Rehmannia based formulas pair well with the antibiotics both to mitigate their adverse effects and also increase immune presence in the renal pelvis. If the urine pr/cr ratio is normal, or at least below 2, then a renal lesion calling for an anti-inflammatory approach such as Minor Bupleurum or San Ren Tang afford is inappropriate, and Rehmannia-based formulas are even more strongly indicated. So I'd do a UA to complete your data set.
Meanwhile, I think it's safe to start with Ba Wei Di Huang Wan (Rehmannia Eight) to tonify the animal's Qi, which may have been depleted by so many cooling formulas. If the animal improves with fluid support (tried that yet?), then that also suggests Rehmannia formulas will be helpful.
Hope this advice proves useful. Congratulations again on bailing the animal out of a difficult diagnosis.
Steve
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