I wanted to share this case as an example of what is possible when we support the natural healing ability of the body rather than just attacking a disease or symptom. I hope you enjoy sharing her journey.
Meet Lacey:
Lacey presented as a 10 year old border collie mix with a recent cancer diagnosis. She had recently undergone surgery to remove a growth from her right hind leg. The biopsy had revealed an adenocarcinoma that was potentially aggressive with a high likelihood of regrowth and/or spread to other parts of the body. The conventional options of chemotherapy and radiation were not appealing to Lacey’s guardian and she asked me if I would begin ozone therapy on her instead.
At this point in my career, ozone therapy was something that I had heard about, but had no formal training in, nor did I know how to use the equipment or which treatment protocols were best for a cancer patient. I told Lacey’s Mom that I needed to learn more before I would feel comfortable treating her. She proceeded to tell me that she had already spoken to her human physician, who happened to use ozone therapy on her patients and asked if I would be able to visit her clinic and learn the protocols that she was using. In addition, if I agreed to treat Lacey she was willing to purchase the necessary equipment.
Well, I certainly could not refuse such a remarkable opportunity, and felt that I was clearly being guided to learn this modality. I made an appointment with the practice in Boulder and headed up to learn more. After spending time learning about the equipment they used and watching the technician administer the ozone treatments, I was comfortable enough to begin using ozone therapy on Lacey.
There are different ways to give ozone, and I used several on Lacey in order to provide her with the greatest chance of success.
First, there was a blood treatment, where I drew blood from Lacey’s leg, mixed it with ozone and re-injected it into her muscle. Next was rectal, which means administering the ozone gas directly into the rectum. This helps support gut health and detoxify the liver. Finally, I injected ozone directly under the incision site to help prevent regrowth. To learn more about ozone therapy, see this page on my website: https://ahavet.com/ozone/
In addition to the ozone therapy, Lacey was fed a raw diet with immune building supplements and received homeopathic remedies from a homeopathic veterinarian. I always believe in using multiple modalities to treat cancer; there is never a magic bullet in any case.
I treated Lacey twice a week for one year, at which time there was no sign of regrowth and Lacey was thriving!
At this point, we began to decrease the treatment frequency, but I still saw Lacey and monitored her progress. Today, Lacey is 15 years old, 5 years after a diagnosis in which conventional medicine gave her 6 months to live.
You may be wondering why therapies such as ozone are not widely available in veterinary medicine. Why is it that some veterinarians are open to using treatments that are not ‘mainstream’, but most are not? This is of course, an individual decision, but I will share my point of view and describe my path in this direction.
I have found that there are many very effective and safe therapies that are not necessary considered mainstream, but are also backed in science. In my 30+ years of practice, I have seen pets get sicker and sicker as time goes on, indicating that we need to be looking for different approaches. I only use modalities that are backed in science and that other practitioners are using so that I can learn from their experiences. After my introduction to ozone therapy with Lacey, I continued to research its usefulness in pets, and proceeded to get more formal training and certification.
Lacey is a perfect example of the benefit of using multiple treatment modalities that are not mainstream. She was given 6 months to live based on conventional medicine, and is now 5 years out and thriving! Isn’t that what you would want for your pet.? Now, I can’t promise that every case will have an outcome like Lacey’s, as there are always many variables, but why not give your pet every possible chance for the best outcome?
Integrative medicine is about providing options that conventional medicine does not offer. For cancer patients, conventional medicine offers three choices: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. All of these typically offer only short-term results and devastating side effects in the long run.
My approach starts by supporting the natural healing ability of the body with proper nutrition, then adding in supplements and herbs based on the needs of the individual pet. Finally, I use targeted treatments to treat a specific condition, such as ozone and mistletoe. The exact treatment options that I choose will vary with the needs of the pet, along with the time and budget allowances of the guardian.
The best thing about this way of practicing is that I never run out of options, there is always another path to try.
This approach to healing is nothing new, and has actually been around for much longer than the modern-day pharmaceutical approach of treating symptoms rather than the whole pet. Many alternative modalities have become over-shadowed by the interests of medical corporations, big pharma, and the pet food industry.
I chose this path because it allows me to provide better options that result in longer, and healthier lives for my patients.
Happy Holidays!!
Dr Judy