• Complementary Medicine - Complementary medicine means it is used along with standard medicine.
• Alternative Medicine - Alternative medicine is used in place of standard treatments.

For people, complementary and alternative medicine may include dietary supplements, megadose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas, acupuncture, massage therapy, magnet therapy, spiritual healing, and meditation. And, you will see that many of these therapies have now been utilized for our companion animals as well. Major categories of CAM therapies, that have utilized for dogs, include:

• Alternative Medical Systems — These medical systems are built upon complete systems of theory and practice, and have evolved apart from and earlier than the conventional medical approach used in the United States. Examples are Acupuncture, Homeopathy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Energy Therapies  —  These involve the use of energy fields. They are of two types. The first is Biofield therapies, such as Reiki or Therapeutic touch, which are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven. The second is Electromagnetic-based therapies, such as magnet therapy, which involves magnetic fields.
• Nutritional Therapeutics  — These involve an assortment of nutrients and non-nutrients, bioactive food components that are used as chemo-preventive agents, and the use of specific foods or diets as cancer prevention or treatment strategies. Examples include dietary supplements, antioxidants, and coenzyme Q10.
• Pharmacological and biologic treatments  — These involve off-label use of prescription drugs, complex natural products, vaccines, and other biological interventions not yet accepted in mainstream medicine. Complex natural products are also included here, such as an assortment of plant samples (botanicals), extracts of crude natural substances, and un-fractionated extracts from marine organisms used for healing and treatment of disease. Examples include herbs and herbal extracts, mixtures of tea polyphenols, and shark cartilage.

We believe there is power in combining all available medical methodologies. Both eastern and western medicine have valuable insights and contributions which can be effectively utilized together in a cancer treatment regimen. Our experiences involved the pairing of surgery with Chinese herbal medicine and a nutritional organic diet.  This 2005 article by Joe Demers in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association does a great job of pulling all of this together: A Holistic Approach for the Treatment of Cancer.

It is important to understand that there are some caveats to integrating many varying therapies. Natural does not automatically mean safe and/or effective. And, herbals need to be prescribed and monitored through a qualified holistic veterinarian. It is always best not to try and create your own herbal formulas or decide which to use on your own as Western and Chinese herbs should not be combined at the same time, and there are differences in the quality of herbals from different companies.

Nutrition & Organic Cancer Diet — We have had much success with our organic cancer diet, its effects also showing themselves in improved vitality and coat appearance. In fact, we continue to use this antioxidant-packed diet for our non-diagnosed Golden as a preventative-type action.

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine — This type of therapy is one best combined with other forms of treatment.

Using Supplements — Supplements can be utilized very effectively. However, the guidance of a holistic veterinarian is warranted in this regard.