Veterinary Notes

Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Veterinary field April 30, 2009

Working in Hong Kong, I encounter many clients who are personally fond of Chinese medicine and even are keen on using it for their pets. So this is obviously a topic worthy of discussion, especially considering the increasing popularity of alternative therapies in both the human medical and veterinary fields.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) encompasses a range of medical practices that include herbal medicine, acupuncture/pressure and massage. This post will mainly focus on the herbal aspect of Chinese medicine and the important question of whether TCM actually works and can it cause any harm.

In 1999, the British Medical Journal looked at reports of almost 3000 trials of TCM and concluded that the quality of the research was poor and there was very little reliable evidence to support the effectiveness of TCM. In another large study examining all the available research on TCM, not one single trial published in China, in the entire history of TCM research, had ever found a test treatment to be ineffective. This means either that the publications were biased (which is more likely) or that all Chinese medicine works effectively. Knowing that every Western/conventional drug that is trialled, is not always successful as a treatment, I find impossible to believe that all TCM is highly effective.

So do herbs and Chinese medicines actually contain any useful ingredients? Herbs can most definitely contain active compounds, that can affect our bodies. Aspirin (from willow), digoxin (from foxglove) and vincristine (from Madagascar periwinkle) are just a few drugs that were originally developed from herbs. One important thing worth considering is whether it is safer to use the drug extract or the raw form.

Digoxin pills and foxglove both contain the same ingredient, which is effective for treating heart problems. It is how they are managed and administered that differs. Digoxin is a drug that can be easily overdosed causing toxicity and even death. The quantity of the active ingredient (digitalis) in foxglove is very variable and so conventional chemists, extracted the digitalis, enabling them to give it as an accurate dose (as digoxin rather than foxglove).

It is also worth remembering that because something is “natural” or from a “herb/plant” does not automatically mean it is safe. There are many herbs that can be toxic to pets. Examples include pennyroyal, tea tree oil (especially for cats) and garlic.

Not all Chinese medicine comes from herbs. Some of the “drugs” originate from animals. One commonly known example is the use of bile from bears. Painful permanent catheters are attached to the bears, which can often lead to complications for the bears and their eventual death. The active ingredient in bile is ursodeoxycholate, which can help with liver and gall bladder disease. In conventional medicine, effective ursodeoxycholate is manufactured by pharmaceutical companies without resorting to unnecessary bear cruelty.

Some medicines have received approval for use in humans and animals which originally were developed from TCM. One drug that has been effective in humans as an antimalarial is artemisinin. In pets, a recent product that has been released for use in allergies is Phytopica, which actually contains various herbs that are also used in TCM. Phytopica has some success in assisting in the management of atopic patients.

One point worth mentioning is that Chinese medicine doesn’t always contain what it promises to. One BMJ study found that Chinese herbal skin creams used for treating allergies in children (eczema) actually contained 5 times the recommended adult dose of steroids. Another article in the Lancet, found that one Chinese medicine company was adding artificial drugs into their remedies.