Raisin's story

"I'm sorry but the news is not good".  This is always the most difficult of conversations to have with any owner but worse when it is unexpected.

Raisin was an 11 year old Beagle, who up until June 2014 had been very healthy.  Unfortunately, in June Raisin had a couple of bouts of unexplained lethargy with a fever and when he again fell ill early July, an abdominal scan revealed a bulging bleeding tumour in his spleen.  Due to the risk of fatal haemorrhage, Raisin was admitted for a splenectomy (removal of his spleen), an organ he could live without.  He made an uneventful recovery but the pathology report from the tumour did not make good reading.   This was an aggressive sarcoma with a poor prognosis and a median survival time of approximately 3 months.  

Following a discussion with one of the Oncology team at Glasgow Vet School,  who felt that chemotherapy would not extend Raisin's survival time, it was the moment to discuss with Raisin's owners what options, if any, they had available.

This was where a holistic approach came in. Realistically there was no more that conventional medicine could do to aid Raisin, however having attended a number of holistic conferences in USA over the last few years, I am treating more and more terminal cancer cases with a mix of diet, supplements and my own speciality Homeopathy.

Most cancer cases benefit from a change of diet, even if it is just trying to increase the digestibility and the quality of the ingredients, but in the main to reduce the carbohydrate levels (that includes treats also) as cancer cells rely on carbohydrates as fuel to multiply .  That is one of the reasons why Cancer is the scourge of the developed world - we all eat too many carbs!

Depending on the type of cancer, I use various supplements including anti-oxidants, omega 3's and other immune stimulating herbs.  Care must be taken however with supplements as some can act against others and some may enhance the effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in those patients undergoing conventional cancer treatments.   It is very important to let your oncologist know if you are taking any supplements before starting treatment, they may advise you to stop.  However there is an increasing body of evidence that supplements, used correctly, can often have anti-angiogenic properties (this is decreasing blood supply to tumour cells thus slowing their growth) and increase apoptosis (natural cell death).

The main treatment for me is the use of Homeopathy - as a registered specialist with The Faculty of Homeopathy.   I have trained for years and have now treated a number of different types of cancers.  Some of these cases were similar to Raisins case that is not suitable for conventional treatment or too highly malignant to benefit from chemotherapy.   For some,  the cost of chemotherapy was prohibitive and some owners opted for holistic treatment as the first approach.  In all the cases I have treated, I have seen an improvement in the animals quality of life and increased energy without any of the side effects (which can be severe) of conventional treatment.

I do not profess to cure cancer but with a balanced approach,  I see mean survival times in most cancers as good if not better than a solely conventional approach.

Raisin regained his old energy after his surgery and starting treatment, so much so, that 4 months after his op his owner was asked while walking in the park "what age is your pup",   Raisin continued to do well until 5 and a half months following diagnosis when he suddenly developed a hindlimb lameness which progressed within a couple of days to severe spinal pain.  On closer examination, a diagnosis of metastasis (tumour spread) to his spine was made and there was only one option available.  Raisin was allowed to go gracefully just before Christmas.  

Although his owners were devastated to lose him they were glad he had a good few months of quality time, still able to go out for walks and be a close companion to his friend Candy at home. 

This is why at Glenbrae Vet Clinic we offer an integrated holistic approach to treatment using the best available from both conventional and complementary therapies and we aim to treat your pet as an individual so that we can have the best outcomes for everyone.