Q.I have a nine-year-old Irish setter who developed pancreatitis about three years ago and is now diabetic/insulin injection dependent. She also developed cataracts and is mostly blind. She is on a natural diet of raw food and very good dry dog food; I only do homeopathic and natural treatments for her. Can you offer some alternatives or directions to follow? My goal is to have her off insulin, at least the injectible form, and I would like to consider surgery for her cataracts so she can see again.

 

A.We’ve had success treating diabetics with herbs, especially some Chinese herbal formulas, so I would follow your vet’s advice here. One formula we use is Seven Forest’s Rehmania 16. In my clinic, we will add Pancreas-Stomach Drops (Professional Health Products). We’re also using a relatively new supplement called Gluconase, a human supplement that contains vanadium, a trace element reported to have a positive effect with diabetes. We have used and had some success with injectible pancreas from Germany but it could be difficult to obtain. Vitamin E reportedly works as a pancreatic cellular stabilizer.

In all diabetics, we will use Pancreatrophin (Standard Process) or another pancreatic glandular. I would also do a metabolic balancing by blood tests instead of just focusing on the pancreas.

I’ve had a couple of animals over the years whose humans refused to put them on insulin, so we used goldenseal. We had to monitor them carefully, and although their blood sugar levels never returned to normal, they stabilized in the high 200’s to low 300’s, so the animals could live normal lives. LaDean Griffin wrote a pamphlet years ago called Insulin vs. Herbs and the Diabetic, which talked about the blood sugar stabilizing effects of goldenseal.

As for the cataracts, I’ve not seen these reversed when they’re associated with diabetes, so definitely consider the surgery.