As a holistic veterinarian trained in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), I’ve seen firsthand how this ancient system of care can dramatically improve the lives of our pets, especially when they’re struggling with chronic illness, cancer, or age-related decline.
Chinese medicine isn’t just about treating symptoms. It’s about restoring balance and supporting the body’s natural ability to heal through food, herbs, and intentional lifestyle choices. Whether your pet is living with cancer or simply aging gracefully, TCVM offers tools that modern medicine often overlooks, without harmful side effects.
Here’s how this 5,000-year-old approach can change the way we care for our dogs and cats.
How I’ve Used Chinese Medicine to Support Dogs with Cancer
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is a holistic approach to animal health that adapts the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine for use in pets and other animals. TCVM focuses on restoring balance within the body by addressing the root cause of illness rather than just treating symptoms. It includes several key therapies such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, food therapy, and Tui-na (a form of therapeutic massage).
Central to TCVM are concepts like Qi (vital energy), Yin and Yang (the balance of opposing forces), and the Five Elements theory, which links organ systems to natural elements and emotional states. Practitioners of TCVM evaluate patterns of disharmony in the body to tailor treatments to each animal’s unique constitution and condition. This approach is often used alongside Western veterinary medicine to support chronic disease management, enhance recovery, and promote overall wellness in pets.
One of the most powerful examples of Chinese medicine in action came from a dog in my care diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a fast-moving bone cancer. Instead of going through amputation or chemotherapy, the client opted for herbs, cooked food, and palliative care. That dog lived 18 months post-diagnosis with an excellent quality of life.
I’ve supported dogs like her with a combination of TCVM, medicinal mushrooms, full-spectrum hemp extract, and diets that do one key thing: feed the pet, not the cancer. We focus on supporting immune function, reducing inflammation, and preventing the body from sending resources to the tumor. That’s what Chinese medicine does so well, it doesn’t target the disease alone; it strengthens the terrain so the disease can’t take hold.
Why Conventional Veterinary Medicine Isn’t Always Enough
I’ve spent over 30 years in veterinary medicine, and while conventional care has its place, it’s far from perfect. Too often, pet parents are told there’s no hope, or worse, that euthanasia is the only humane option, when there’s still time to explore holistic strategies.
Unfortunately, many vets don’t ask the obvious question when a pet defies the odds: What did you do differently? This lack of curiosity and openness is frustrating, but it’s also why I’m so committed to teaching pet parents how to advocate for their animals and seek out integrative solutions.
Chinese Herbs: Thousands of Years of Observations
Chinese herbal medicine is based on observing how the body responds, not just biochemically, but energetically. Herbs are chosen to support vital functions like:
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Tonifying blood and Qi (energy)
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Moving stagnation (especially important in tumors and chronic disease)
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Cooling or warming the body based on constitution
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Draining dampness, which often presents as lipomas, inflammation, or digestive upset
I’ve used herbs like Yunnan Baiyao for bleeding cancers, turmeric for blood stasis, and custom formulas tailored to the dog’s pattern of imbalance. These aren’t random supplements, they’re strategic, rooted in diagnostic frameworks that have guided care for centuries.
How Mushrooms Fit Into TCVM
Medicinal mushrooms like reishi and turkey tail have long been used in Chinese medicine, especially for cancer support. Their value lies in their ability to modulate the immune system and interact with the endocannabinoid system, helping to regulate inflammation, pain, and abnormal cell growth.
Unlike conventional chemo drugs that target just one pathway of cancer, these botanicals can influence all 12 known cancer pathways, working synergistically to:
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Block tumor growth
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Slow metastasis
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Encourage apoptosis (cell death)
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Restore immune balance
Used appropriately, they enhance quality of life and can extend it significantly in serious cases.
Food Therapy: Nourishing the Body the Right Way
Food therapy, in my perspective, is the foundation of holistic pet health. It’s the idea that food isn’t just fuel, it’s medicine. The concept stems from Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) and functional medicine, where we use specific ingredients and recipes to address imbalances in the body, support immune health against disease and overall well-being. It’s about tailoring a pet’s diet to their unique needs, whether they’re dealing with a specific health issue or simply maintaining good health.
The basic principle is that the right foods can heal the body, while the wrong ones can harm it. For example, in TCVM, we look at food in terms of its energetic properties, warming, cooling, or neutral, and use these to balance a pet’s constitution or address specific health concerns. For instance, a dog with arthritis (often linked to cold and dampness) might benefit from warming foods like lamb or ginger, while a dog with anxiety might thrive on cooling foods like turkey or cucumber. Food has energetic properties, such as:
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Warming proteins like chicken and lamb for cold, sluggish pets
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Cooling proteins like turkey and white fish for hot, inflamed pets
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Neutral foods like beef or pork for general support
Learn more about food energetics in our blog.
As pets age, I often see them become less tolerant of raw or freeze-dried food. Cooked food is easier to digest, especially for senior dogs whose spleen (in TCVM, the primary digestive organ) may not be as strong as it once was.
In fact, I created The Original CrockPET Diet® for exactly this reason. It’s a flexible, home-cooked food template you can personalize for your dog’s constitution, symptoms, and life stage.
Functional Medicine: Preventive, Personalized, and Practical
TCVM works beautifully alongside functional medicine, which looks at the whole picture, genetics, lifestyle, environment, and diet, to identify root causes and prevent future illness.
For example, if I’m working with an 8-year-old Labrador (a breed prone to arthritis, skin conditions, and cancer), I might:
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Include beef and kidney beans in the diet to tonify blood and kidneys
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Add joint-supporting herbs to maintain mobility
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Recommend rotating proteins and vegetables based on the season and energy needs
Functional medicine is about building resilience so your pet stays healthier, longer.
Food Temperature and Gut Health: Why It Matters
Many chronic issues, skin allergies, behavioral changes, GI problems, stem from poor gut health and inflammation. Cooling foods (like turkey, duck, and leafy greens) are often helpful for hot, itchy dogs. Warming foods (like lamb, oats, and squash) may benefit cold, lethargic pets.
It's important to observe your dog: Are they always hot or always shivering? Do they crave heat or cool surfaces? Their preferences help guide food choices.
And don't be afraid to rotate foods. The more variety your dog and cat receives, within their energetic needs, the better their nutrient profile and gut diversity will be.
You Are Your Pet’s Best Advocate
One of my greatest joys is empowering pet parents to take control of their pet’s wellness journey. If you’ve hit a wall with conventional options or you're simply looking for better answers, there are other paths.
Whether you're facing cancer, chronic illness, or just want to help your senior dog age gracefully, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine offers deep, time-tested wisdom to guide you.
You know your pet better than anyone. And with the right support, tools, and knowledge, you can become their best healer.
Ready to get started with food therapy and whole-body healing?
Grab your copy of The Original CrockPET Diet® Cookbook and start cooking for your dog with intention.
Need expert guidance? Schedule a consultation to build a personalized wellness plan for your pet.
