Essiac has a long history of being used for pets and other critters... When Rene Caisse first began experimenting with the herbs, she experimented on mice. They showed regressions in malignant growth and longer survival rates. In Rene's own words, "These mice were inoculated with Rous Sarcoma. I kept the mice alive 52 days, longer than anyone else had been able to do, and in a later experiment with two other doctors, I kept mice alive for 72 days with Essiac....We found that on mice inoculated with human carcinama, the growth regressed until it was no longer invading living tissue after nine days of Essiac treatments."

A few pet testimonials (hopefully the FDA doesn't mind this kind - please note the medical disclaimer on this site's home page):

1. First, my own, about my dog Moe (almost 18 now):  Last December (2011) Moe had a growth on his gums that was hanging outside of his mouth, so I took him to the vet for treatment.  They removed it, but neglected to send him home with the antibiotic pills they had prescribed.  When I realized this, I was already back home and 200 miles from the vet.  I had started him on Essiac prior to the procedure, and so I began giving Moe extra Essiac to make up for no antibiotics.  We returned to the vet three weeks later and he had healed up just fine!  I kept him on Essiac for another month or so, and a few weeks later, albeit still deaf and blind, he was walking around and very alert and energetic, to our surprise, for Christmas day with family and his cousin doggies.  He is still doing amazingly well for such an ancient chap.  His fur is so shiny and soft, no more gum problems.  I periodically put him back on Essiac for maintenance mode.  He has a couple small benign growths on his head, has had them for several years, and they always get smaller when he is on Essiac.

2. "Hello, Debbie, We have received our package containing the essiac.  Thanks for being so prompt.

We have ordered it for our German Shepherd, Suz, who has had mammary cancer and now about 4 new separate bumps in different areas which the vet would like to remove.  They are not certain what they may be and hence would like to send for pathology.

Unfortunately we believe this procedure may be one of many should we continue down this avenue. As well, Suz has had some horrendous experiences with vets although the one we have now is exceptional.  She still relives her trauma every time we go so we would like to try the essiac as this bumps are not large and see how she does hoping this might work for her.

-B.B., Jan. 9, 2011

update 1: I wanted to send you a quick note about Suz!

This is her tenth day on Essiac.  She drinks it well, I mix it with a little chicken broth and she slurps it right down.  The bump that was firmly attached to her skull just above her eye has diminished to  half the size it was.  It had been quite prominent.  I had ordered the Essiac a few weeks after we had seen the vet, and in that time it had doubled.

I was very concerned about mets to the brain.  It seems to be growing into a smaller denser mass, almost like it is drying up from the inside.

Not sure if this is typical of what you hear, but wanted to let you know.  The  mass on the abdomen was larger, but it too seems a little smaller and harder.  The other thing is she has so much more energy now.;  A few days after starting Essiac, she jumped from a chair, twisting herself in midair to land upside down in my husband's lap, a move you would have had to see to believe.

I have drinking it as well and find it very good.  I love the smell when you are making it...

-B.B., Jan. 28, 2011

Update 2: Suz is doing well, the bump above her eye is very much smaller and the one near her nipple is shrinking from the inside out, amazing.  Told my dentist who is very much a dog man and he is very interested in Essiac.

-B.B., April 5, 2011"

3. "...we are using the tea to try to cure my son's 15 year old cat that has cancer of the tongue.  We have to feed him with a syringe,  but he is a fighter and has already lived 3 months longer than the Vet thought he would.  We had been using blue berry juice but now have added the tea to the regimen.  So far,  so good.

I used the tea 21 years ago to help my Mom who was fighting breast cancer at the time.  She is doing well at 81."  B.M., 11/16/10

4.  "I am giving it to my dog who was just diagnosed with bone cancer.  The vet gave him only 1 – 2 months to live unless we amputate his leg and do chemo and even then, he would be expected to live only one year.  Basically, he is telling me I have a dead dog.   So…  I remembered essiac and started right away.  I also found some new things I haven’t heard of before, dr. reckewegs tumor drops, and artemisinin which is an herb that kills cells high in iron and since cancer  cells are high in iron, it targets them. I figure I have nothing to lose, so I’m doing all three and feeding him cottage cheese and flax oil.  Whatever I’m doing, it’s working.

In just a few DAYS of doing these methods, I was able to take my dog off of all of the narcotic pain killers the vet gave us.  He was in so much pain prior that he woke up in the middle of the night crying and even when I upped the pills by 50% extra, I couldn’t get him out of the car because he wouldn’t move.  He spent the night in the garage with the car  door open.  Finally, after being in there fifteen hours, he finally got out.  Three days after starting all three, he got his appetite back, gets up and moves around, and seems mostly comfortable.  (He still limps when he walks but last week he wouldn’t put weight on his leg and this week he is limping but walking.)"  F.D., 5/5/11

5. "Dear Debbie, I wanted to take a moment to share how the healing power of essiac literally saved the life of our beloved Calico, Missy. Being a naturalist I was aware of the healing powers of essiac and had been using it myself to recover from an internal infections I suffered when our little calico girl began having problems urinating. A couple trips to the vet and numerous tests revealed that she not only had a tumor in her bladder but was also entering into renal failure, two conditions which are fatal to cats. Our second cat, a male british shorthair, had become sensitive to her condition and began holding his urine to be accommodating to her struggles in the box. As a result he was in danger of entering renal problems himself. Though the vet was trying to be optimistic we were reading between the lines that both our cats were in trouble. Not ready to part with them and ready to really put the healing powers of Essiac to the test, I began aggressive measures immediately giving both our cats an increased dose of Essiac twice daily. One week later an ultrasound revealed that the tumor in Missy’s bladder had shrunk significantly to the point where the vet thought he made an error in diagnosing it because bladder tumors just don’t shrink in size like this one did. I told the vet that I had begun giving both cats the Essiac tea twice a day along with prayer and was crediting their improvement to this. The vet knowing that I am a woman of faith and prefer naturopathic remedies was not ready to believe that tea and prayer alone could have done this but the results were undeniable. Also within the week she began to improve in her ability to urinate and defecate regularly. One month later both our cats were back to her old selves. As a result of this experience, Essiac has become a staple in our household for health maintenance and recovery from colds, flu, and other infections for we may encounter. Thanks Debbie for carrying on the legacy of Rene Caisse's work, you are a blessing to us all and the benefits of Essiac invaluable." Deborah W. 12/17/10

More pet testimonials (and human ones!) are available in The Complete Essiac Essentials, including one about using Essiac as a poultice to heal a tumor on a dog's nose.