Mistletoe Therapy
Known for its immune-boosting and anti-cancer properties, mistletoe is a natural treatment used to support pets with cancer, chronic illness, and in hospice care. It can be used alone or alongside conventional treatments to improve quality of life. By stimulating the immune system and targeting unhealthy cells, mistletoe helps pets feel better with increased energy, appetite, and comfort.
What to Expect During Your Appointment
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Mistletoe is administered via subcutaneous injection 1-3 times per week. The injections are given by you at home.
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At the initial consultation, further in-depth education regarding mistletoe will be provided and discussed.
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Several areas of fur will be shaved to expose the skin for ease of administration and to allow you to monitor the injection sites for any reactions such as redness or swelling.
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The first injection will be administered in the clinic followed by a brief waiting period to allow us to monitor your pet's response.
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The doctor may decide that intravenous (IV) mistletoe would be beneficial especially in cases of very aggressive tumors or relapse of disease. Your pet would be hospitalized with us for this procedure.
Types of Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a plant that grows on various trees and shrubs. Depending on the host tree from which they were derived, mistletoe extracts contain therapeutic properties ranging from gentle to powerful. These properties inform the doctor's choice of extract to best address the specific needs of each patient.
Gentle - This comes from the fir tree and is used in a supportive setting to help with quality of life issues and when used in conjunction with conventional treatments.
Moderate - The mistletoe from the apple tree is a more moderate form compared to the others. When choosing which mistletoe to start with, the doctor takes into consideration the type of cancer or disease process, the constitution of the patient and the goals of the pet parent.
Powerful - This form is from the pine tree and is used for robust animals with aggressive cancers.
FAQs
What conditions does mistletoe treat?
European mistletoe therapy, clinically referred to as Viscum album extract, is best known for its use in cancer patients. It has an ability to provide support and possibly life prolonging benefits as part of a holistic treatment plan or in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy and radiation protocols. It also plays a role in many other chronic inflammatory conditions or to improve quality of life when our beloved companions are entering into hospice care.
Because it is considered an immune modulator, it can be used for chronic diseases as well. We can use it for immune mediated disease once the patient has been stabilized to prevent relapse. Chronic recurrent infections such as bladder infection and respiratory infection may benefit from the use of mistletoe therapy.
Benefits of mistletoe therapy
Mistletoe can be used for most cancer patients - with the goal to halt, slow down, or shrink the cancer. It can be used as a stand alone treatment or with other treatments conventional or holistic. It is meant to produce a high quality of life. Animals should feel good while on this treatment with improved appetite, energy levels and decreased pain.
The science behind it
Mistletoe contains many important phytochemicals but there are two that are most important in making this treatment a powerhouse against cancer: lectins and viscotoxins. Lectins are complex proteins that bind to certain carbohydrates on the cell surface, particularly the tumor cell surface. This binding triggers an immune response directed at the cancer cells. In doing so, a fever is produced. This fever lasts usually no more than 24 hours but signals that this activation has taken place. This is a good thing! Viscotoxins also selectively bind to cancer cells which have more negatively charged surfaces compared to healthy cells. They create a hole in the membranes of the cells allowing a flood of calcium into their inner aspects. This begins a cascade of events in which the cells lose their integrity and are destroyed.