Neoplasene as a Dog Cancer Treatment
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
Updated: May 24th, 2020
I received a question recently asking if I had heard of Neoplasene, so I thought I should post about it.
Neoplasene is derived from bloodroot, an old herb used by native Americans. The stuff works but can be a bit much for an average dog lover to deal with. Read on.
It is delivered to the dog cancer patient in a salve that is rubbed on the tumor, or pills, or can be injected in the vein or around the tumor.
It is different from so-called “black salve”, as Neoplasene is a specific extract of bloodroot, not the whole herb. Only certain components of the plant are used.
There are a variety of successes documented, especially with tumors of the skin like fiborsarcomas, mast cell tumors, mammary tumors, and others.
Neoplasene is for use under veterinary supervision only. This is a good call by the makers of the product (Buck Mountain Botanicals). The reason for this is, when the ointment is applied to the tumor on the skin, the tumor cells start to die.
When the tumor cells die, the tissue tends to slough off. A hole is left which needs medical attention. This hole can be pretty big, especially if the tumor was on the larger side. Sometimes the defect produced after large sloughs can go down to the bone. Kind of heavy-duty for some dog lovers.
For more helpful tools and information, get a copy of the Dog Cancer Survival Guide
Other factors need to be considered before using Neoplasene. One is that your dog must not lick the ointment. An Elizabethan collar may be needed, sometimes for a long time. Another issue is the wound may need twice daily care. Finally, there can be pain or discomfort after application or use of Neoplasene, which may require the use of prescription strength pain control medication, in some cases.
Like many tools in medicine, we need to consider all the pros and cons of this treatment. For some dogs with cancer and those who love them, it may be a great match, but not necessarily for all.
I hope this information is helpful. For more outside the box ways to deal with canine cancer, check out the dog cancer e-book, The Dog Cancer Survival Guide, Beyond Chemotherapy, Radiation, and Surgery.
Best to all,
Dr D
Dr. Demian Dressler is internationally recognized as “the dog cancer vet” because of his innovations in the field of dog cancer management, and the popularity of his blog here at Dog Cancer Blog. The owner of South Shore Veterinary Care, a full-service veterinary hospital in Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Dressler studied Animal Physiology and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Davis before earning his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. After practicing at Killewald Animal Hospital in Amherst, New York, he returned to his home state, Hawaii, to practice at the East Honolulu Pet Hospital before heading home to Maui to open his own hospital. Dr. Dressler consults both dog lovers and veterinary professionals, and is sought after as a speaker on topics ranging from the links between lifestyle choices and disease, nutrition and cancer, and animal ethics. His television appearances include “Ask the Vet” segments on local news programs. He is the author of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Avian Veterinarians, the National Animal Supplement Council and CORE (Comparative Orthopedic Research Evaluation). He is also an advisory board member for Pacific Primate Sanctuary.
I was given Neoplasene for my dog from the vet who is also a chiropractor for dogs and horses. I BEG EVERYONE NOT TO USE THIS TREATMENT if you love your animals the way we do. I gave my dog one dose and she went absolutely wild. It was like she was on fire. She paced and panted for hours. I called the vet after 4 hours and she said the drug must be working! THIS IS THE MOST INHUMANE TREATMENT I have ever experienced for an animal. The vet then prescribed valium to claim her but it took a while to kick in. I immediately called another vet for a second option whom then set me to an oncologist. Oncologist have humane treatment methods. The cancer had already matasitsized an the Neoplasene would not have been the mircle cure anyway. THIS IS A HORRIBLE DRUG and should be removed from the market.
My dog recently had neoplasene treatment (by injection) to a tumor that has grown back three times. She has been in excrutiating pain for three days now. I resent being talked into a treatment that is doing this to her. She could be a fairly happy dog right now with an untreated tumor, yet she lays on the floor howling and barking from the pain she’s in. Pain pills are doing very little except making her glassy eyed. Worse still is that we paid over $500 for the treatment, and she may have to be put to sleep because it may have caused her to have a stroke, because she can no longer hold herself up.
Dr D.,
Our 7 year old coonhound mix, Otis, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma on August 31. Our primary vet told us it had already metastasized to his lungs, and there wasn’t much we could do. I quickly started researching and came across your book (It really has been a godsend!), which I read as quickly as possible and started implementing the home cooked diet along with Apocaps, k9 Immunity, acupuncture, and some other herbal supplements. Thankfully, Otis doesn’t appear to be in pain.
We decided to see an oncologist, who disagreed with the original diagnosis. It hasn’t metastasized to his lungs; what was appearing on the chest X-rays were mineral deposits. In light of the new information, she recommended amputation and chemo. We asked about Neoplasene, and she said to avoid it like the plague.
On the same day of this recommendation, we had a phone consultation with a holist vet. The main focus of her practice is dog cancer, and she treats it with Neosplasene, diet and supplements through phone consultations in conjunction with working with a local vet. She is saying Otis can make a full recovery with no surgery.
With the polar opposite opinions on treatment, and the fact that many vets are at opposing opinions on Neoplasene, we have no idea which treatment path to choose. Is it possible to try Neoplasene for a while to see what happens, and if it doesn’t work, or Otis can’t stomach it, THEN go the amputation route? Or is it too risky to wait to try an alternative therapy?
Here I am with my little 7 pound toy poodle, thinking we are seeing our last night together, and Im still researching cures. My homeopathic vet persuaded me to not do surgery, and her growth has grown from a pea size, to a baseball, over 5 months, on her lower tummy, with a 1 inch deep opening. She just stopped eating today. And is weak.
I am wondering if I should try the Neoplasene at this stage.
She is on Morphine.If the Neoplasene could be of help, then I will try it.
My dog seems to be at peace, is very weak, and we are happy to say goodbye, knowing that she will be in heaven, but if we can help keep her with us , as I have been reading about others, than we could try the Neoplasene.
Thank you for any advice.
Linda
Dear Dr. Dressler,
Our 10 yo – 90 lb Doberman, Shelby, has osteosarcoma in her distal radius. Her lytic lesion was the size of a golf ball about 6 weeks ago and is now about the size of an lime. We opted against amputation, chemo or radiation and after 2 rounds of leg and lung x-rays, there is no evidence of any metastasis. Shelby limps badly, but is still as vibrant, happy and hungry as ever. We fight to keep her from running around and playing with her sister, knowing that if/when the leg breaks we cannot let her suffer.
Between her oncologist and our prior regimen, Shelby is on intensive herbal blood and immune support with massive artemisinin and specific bone support enhancements, and Tramadol with Gabapentin as needed to keep her comfortable. We’re also praying for a miracle as she is my teenage son’s angel companion.
I have the “original Amazon cansema Black Salve” shipped from Equador and am afraid to use it topically knowing the immense bone damage already done. I was encouraged to give her “orally a 1/2 small pea size amount twice daily” to kill her cancer as the neoplasense would.
My concerns are, given “internally” would the outward tissue damage be as extreme or will she still have a massive open crater where the tumor was, and could there be enough bone remaining to allow regrowth and support her weight.
We do not want to chance that the pain and distress from such a potentially massive open wound would shorten her life more than the cancer will. But if given orally will lessen the outward tissue damage then it may be the miracle we hope for?
Please give me your brutally honest medical opinion as we know we are running out of time to help her.
God Bless You for your generous help to loving owners like us!!!
JANE
I have a big 147 lb working AMBD recently diagnosed with 2 mast cell tumors, just under his skin with hair and no redness. One tumor is the size of a pea, the other a peach pit. He is 6.5 yrs old. I could find only one vet willing to remove the two tumors (due to his large size they said) and His total estimated costs were well over $12,000 dollars. He also said even though one tumor was small, he probably would have to take the dog’s leg and that the tumors would probably reappear. I just ordered your book and apocaps. I have my dog on the diet you suggested online and he is tolerating it well, but coughs once or twice after eating. I question if it is due to him eating the food so fast that he coughs as my husband thinks or probable pathology related to the tumors. My dog loves the cancer diet and never ate dry food anywhere near so fast. He is on 400 mg tagamet and 50 mg Benadryl BID(which puts him to sleep fast) so far for one week. I would like to add Vit C and possibly prednisone to his routine if worthwhile to try. However, I am wondering if you could give me appropriate advice as to dosages. Five weeks ago he weighed 150 lbs, but since he is no longer eating dry dog food he has slipped to 147 lbs. How long do I keep him on this protocol? How important is the surgical removal of the tumors? They were needle aspirated but I can’t find a vet to take the next step and remove them and stage them, except for the one previously mentioned. I am disabled and raising my granddaughter and cannot afford the surgery. How does leaving the tumors, but doing the diet and suggested benadryl/tagamet treatment affect survival rates? Also, can I add a cooked egg to my dog’s daily diet? He so loves eggs. I was told 8-9 yrs would be good lifepan for a dog of his size without cancer. Do you have any other suggestions that will help me get him to 8 without undue suffering? I am a registered nurse, specialty certified in oncology and orthopedics. Please be as technically specific as necessary. I will precisely follow your suggestions, finances permitting. I asked the surgical vet about your suggested protocols and he was skeptical and wouldn’t read the literature I tried to provide him, so asking him for dosage amounts is not an option. So if prednisone is a good idea, I will need suggestions as to how to get the vet to sell me some, since he doesn’t think much of the Benadryl/Tagamet treatments and wouldn’t read the literature and appeared to have no interest in doing so. He said he gave prilocec for stomach upset in later stages but that was it. Thank you so much
I have a collie dog who has a tumor on her mouthiit is out side the mouth it was the size of a golf ball, it smelled and was bleeding , we took her to the vet he started her on treatments with the neoplasense, and have a salve put on it after treatment, it is buck mountain herbal gold , get 2 treatments aweek, it works she has been doing these for maybe 8 mo or more, and it is down to the size of her mouth , it is amazing
Hello Dr. D.
My name is Catalin, I’m from Romania, and I own a labdrador metisse with the age of 10 years.
Soonly has been diagnosticated with bone cancer (osteosarcoma) and I’m desperate, that ii don’t know what to do him…
We’ve been walkin and waling around to all doctors and they toled us that there is nothing that we can do for him…:(
In my reasearches, I found your blog and now I hope that we can do something for him.
Please! I’m beaging you, help me to help him! Help us!
You can write me back and my mail adress catalinpirvu87@yahoo.com.
Please make it as quick as possible, and if u can, leave me a phone number where I can get in touch with you!
Thank you!
Dear Catalin,
this blog is for the benefit of the dog community. Please post your question so all can benefit,
with thanks
Dr Dressler
Dear Dr. Dressler,
I would like to know if Apocaps can be taken simultaneously with Neoplasene Oral treatment and/or during Neoplasene bladder infusions. My dog is recently diagnosed with TCC and I’m evaluating my options. I’m reading your book and already am incorporating the diet – though I’m waiting for a few supplements in the mail. Any insight will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-Margaret
Dear Margaret,
A good question. This combination has not been studied formally, and at the time I wrote the Guide I was not comfortable with the combo. However, since then I’ve used the combination in about 15 dogs in very severe situations and have not seen adverse effects related to the combination. Having said that, please be sure to have veterinary supervision.
All my best
Dr D
Dr Dressler,
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I’m glad to have some more info to take to the team of vets working to help Jasper!
Best wishes,
Korine