I met Pernod a few months back when he visited my Integrative Practice in Sydney, Australia.
His dedicated family were looking for more medical options for him after a malignant hemangiosarcoma diagnosis and poor prognosis.
His family were quite medically literate and were not wanting false hope. I presented them with the available evidence and the knowledge base from world pioneers in Nutrition, Veterinary Oncology and Herbal Medicine, like Dr Steve Marsden, Dr Erin Bannink, Dr Jean Dodds and Dr Barbara Fougere.
We discussed that more research was required but there were herbs and supplements that were emerging in western biomedical science that might just give Pernod a chance for a healthy lifespan. We were all clear that the natural approach we were taking may not be effective, but the conventional standards of care did not have much to offer for him.
We spent hours consulting getting to know Pernod's medical history and personality and what his family wanted for him.
We designed a sustainable and achievable care plan that encompassed nutrition, nutritional supplements, traditional chinese herbs and western herbs. We discussed stress management and environmental medicine, cleaning his environment of toxins. We agreed to factors of his quality of life which we would continue to monitor and evaluate as his health care team.
Some of the big players in his holistic care include Coriolus Versicolor (an Asian mushroom) with some preliminary evidence from Washington State University, Yunnan Bai Yao, a chinese herbal blend, again with some anti-cancer activity demonstrated against canine haemangiosarcoma cell lines in the laboratory, bilberry extract, a high omega, anti-inflammatory diet, and a customised chinese herbal formula (containing Bupleurum and Curcumin) designed to meet his individual herbal energetics.
Pernod is exceeding expectations and is an ambassador for change to how we can bridge the gap between science and tradition and incorporate plant based therapies (phytotherapy) into standards of western medical care.
There is much work to be done and I am excited to be involved. I am constantly inspired by both the simplicity and complexity of nature. While statisticians and clinicians alike would say Pernod is one case (n = 1, not statistically significant), he is also another case, building on the evidence and knowledge base for some of the substances above. Most importantly, he is a loved family member. He gives me hope and motivation to continue exploring and learning about medicine, and how, as health care providers, we can provide more options.
To read more about Pernod from the perspective of his dedicated family please click here for a link to his wonderful blog, I hope you enjoyed your Sashimi, and proud of you for sharing with your little sister, Anise.
“223 days ago, on the 16 February, my world crumbled. I received the worst possible news a pet owner can get. My wonderful little bichon Pernod had a 5cm tumour on his spleen which he was haemorrhaging in to and he had the brutally aggressive haemangiosarcoma. They had made the decision while he was under for the biosopy to remove his spleen and the tumour. Even with chemo, his predicted life span was a couple of months.”
I dedicate this blog to all the wonderful families, like Pernod's I have met and worked with as an Integrative Veterinarian, your generosity, selflessness and insights are priceless. Thank you all for allowing me to be part of your families.
Note: There is no one sizes fits all approach to holistic medicine; I find it works best when tailored to the individual patient, based on their families philosophy and resources. If you think your pet would benefit from a holistic second opinion contact my practice, All Natural Vet Care, we may be able to consult with you, or if further afield find a more local integrative/holistic practitioner through our global network of veterinarians.