Through the years the herbal treatment Artemisinin has been discussed in our community (see “What’s All this Talk About Artemisinin“), but not often. Most oncologists and vets don’t have enough familiarity with this treatment to recommend it to their patients, but one vet who does is Dr. Lena McCullough of A Path With Paws.
We love Dr. McCullough’s approaches to fighting pet cancer with herbs and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as well as acupuncture. Her website, A Path With Paws, is a renowned resource about holistic care for dogs and cats with a focus on cancer care. We’ve been honored to have her as guest on this Tripawd Talk Radio episode.
Artemisinin Facts from a Natural Medicine Vet
Recently we discovered some pawtastic information that Dr. McCullough wrote about using Artemisinin to fight dog and cat cancer:
Artemisinin is the second most common herbal I use to fight cancer in animals and it is extremely safe in almost all cases. — Dr. Lena McCullough
In her blog post, “Artemisinin — When Cancer Cells Kill Themselves,” she shares the facts about using Artemisinin for pet cancer care. For example, she says that Artemisinin:
- is useful for both dog and cat cancers
- works best against bone cancers, squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma and lymphoma.
- has no side effects that she’s seen, other than clearing up bad breath in animals
- works best if there is a break from it every two weeks
Artemisinin cannot be used in animals undergoing radiation therapy. ” If your animal is undergoing radiation you must wait a month after the last treatment of radiation to use this,” she warns.
As a holistic veterinarian who uses Artemisinin in her daily practice, Dr. McCullough sure knows her stuff when it comes to this herbal therapy. To learn more about how Artemisinin works, what dosages to give dogs and cats (it varies by weight) and other interesting inormation, hop on over to the artesminin article at A Path With Paws and let Dr. McCullough know that Tripawds sent you.
Recommended Reading
Dog Cancer and the Malaria Drug Artemisinin
Tripawds Nutrition Blog: What’s All this Talk About Artemisinin?
The Tripawds Downloads Blog: Ancient Chinese Herb Cures Cancer?
Tripawds Amazon Blog: Practical Information About Artemisinin for Dog Cancer
Hello. My yorkie has been diagnosed with plasmacytoma. Tumor was removed from her mouth, but she is 15 years old. We are looking for alternative treatment to chemotherapy/ radiation. Would artemisinin be an option for her and this type of cancer?
Ivette, sorry about your pup. That is a good question for a natural medicine vet, we just can’t answer it. If you’d like help finding one check with the AHVMA. Best wishes to you both.
Hello,
I am interested in knowing more about the treatment of osteosarcomas with Artemisinin.
My dog is a 9yr old Australian shepherd. just a few weeks ago i discovered an oral mass. A CT was done and the results showed a mass that fills both nostrils and is now protruding through the roof of his mouth. It has been growing very quickly and the pathologists all lean towards it being an Osteo.
I started him on a variety of Standard Process Supplements as soon as I discovered the lesion in his mouth (I used to be a vet rep for the company). propolis, turkey tail mushroom and an anticancer diet which includes the Budwig Protocol. He has had two injections of vincristine, pred prn, cephalexin. He is due for another chemo treatment tomorrow and the doctor has recommended the possibility of doxyrubicin. I have mixed feelings about this drug.
I would love to know more about the Artemisinin. Is it something that I can do on my own? Does my vet have access to it? How does it interact with chemotherapy drugs?
Basically…..anything you can tell me I would greatly appreciate!
I love my boy Finnegan and so want to help him.
Thank you!
Annette
Hello Annette. Sorry to hear about your Finnegan’s diagnosis. What we know about Artemisinin is listed here and unfortunately there isn’t much out there to go on. When we learn more we will let you know and if you learn more be sure to update us OK? It sounds like you are doing all you can to fight this cancer, you are a great parent. I’m curious if your vet has mentioned the possibility of stereotactic radiation therapy for your dog? I thought I had read that it can work well in situations like this. You may want to inquire.
Does it not bother anyone that Holley Pharmaceutical artemesinin has maltrodexin in it?? I never seen anyone address this or point this out.
Good point! Thanks for sharing. This is exactly why we always recommend consulting with a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist whenever it comes to any supplementation for pets.
Hi there,
My old feral Boots has squamous cell carcinoma. He has FIV so I’m not keen to put him through any radiation or chemo. Could you advise me on a good Artemisinin product in South Africa that I could use for him?
Kind Regards
Vivian
Hi Vivian. Sorry to hear about Boots. We can’t recommend any products unfortunately, your best bet is to contact a vet through the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation. I hope you find something that works great!
Thank you for your quick response. What is better for administering artemisinin?
Tablet/powder form or liquid form? Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time
Regards
Vivian
Hi Vivian, you are welcome. Honestly I can’t tell you the scientific answer to that but I think what it comes down to is, what will your pet tolerate? What is easiest for them to get into their system without protest? That’s the direction I would take.
I started my 17 year old cat with osteosarcoma of the mouth on IP6 two weeks ago. Last week, I added Artimisinin. So far I don’t know that it has helped or not. I find that it is very bitter for him to take. He has trouble swallowing capsules at this point. Usually I put it in a syringe with yogurt and/or some fish oil. I accidentally got some in my mouth via my hands, so I know how bitter it is. He takes 50 am and pm – 3 hours after his meal. Not sure if it needs to be 3 hours distance from the IP6. Also would this affect his bladder? He used to get crystals and has had a couple instances of peeing outside the box since starting. Is there anything else that would help the potentcy?
Hi Michelle, sorry to hear your cat has osteosarcoma. I would definitely reach out to a veterinarian with experience in Artemisinin in cats, since we are not experts. Also you may want to consider electrochemotherapy or intralesional chemotherapy as alternatives. Paws crossed your cat has many more happy times ahead!
I’m looking to purchase artimissinin in the U.S. for my dog relapsing from a protozoan parasitic disease called leishmaniasis. I’ve been researching articles stating it works as an anti malaria drug and also an alternative to treat leishmaniasis. Unfortunately the products I’m looking are in Spain or elsewhere. I tried looking up Holley pharmaceutical but they are out of business. Is there any reputable location in the US that sells online?
Thanks
R
Raquel, I’m so sorry I cannot answer that. If Holley is out of business there is probably a good reason for it. Please don’t buy anything until you look into working with a holistic-minded vet who can guide you on treating this condition. Hope your doggie feels better soon.
I am overseas i.e. not in north america. can i just give 500mg of plain artemesinin powder only. it might take weeks for artemix type products to reach. the pup is 40lbs currently. also this dose has to be maintained for daily or periodically, thx all !!
@amit I’m so sorry but we cannot give out dosage information as we are not vet experts. Please consider consulting long distance with a holistic vet who can guide you. Just because something is “natural” doesn’t make it safe. The wrong amount could cause serious problems.
Will Artemisinin help shrink a benign liver tumor? We have kept our dog healthy (she almost died from liver failure over a year ago) with fairly high dose of milk thistle. She is a 14 year old dalmatian.
Sorry to hear about your pup Suzanne. Keep in mind that with any kind of therapy or supplement there are no guarantees. I would not rely on Arte to treat your dog’s tumor. This is the time to turn to your veterinary oncologist for help finding well-studied treatments that can help your girl fight this cancer. Best wishes to you both.