Integrative Oncology for Pets
When a pet is diagnosed with cancer, families often want to understand every appropriate way they can support treatment, comfort, and quality of life.
Integrative Oncology at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services combines the expertise of a board-certified veterinary oncologist with carefully selected complementary approaches. Depending on your pet’s needs and your goals, recommendations may incorporate conventional cancer treatment, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition, supplements, and other supportive strategies.
The result is not a standard protocol. It is an individualized plan built around your pet’s diagnosis, overall health, current treatment, and daily well-being.
Request an Integrative Oncology Consultation
What Is Integrative Oncology?
Integrative oncology combines conventional veterinary cancer care and complementary therapies into one coordinated treatment plan.
Conventional oncology may include diagnostic testing, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, or other cancer-directed treatments. Complementary care may include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary changes, selected supplements, and strategies intended to support comfort and overall health.
Integrative care does not require you to choose one approach over another. Some families combine conventional treatment with complementary therapies. Others focus primarily on supportive or comfort-focused care. Your options will depend on your pet’s diagnosis, medical condition, and treatment goals.
The purpose of the consultation is to help you understand those options and make informed decisions—not to pressure you into a particular form of treatment.
Meet Dr. Erin Bannink
Dr. Erin Bannink is board-certified in veterinary oncology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. She also holds a Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Chinese Herbal Medicine and is certified in veterinary acupuncture through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.
Her combined training allows her to evaluate complementary therapies within the context of your pet’s cancer diagnosis, conventional treatment options, laboratory results, medications, and overall health.
Dr. Bannink offers both conventional oncology and dedicated Integrative Oncology Consultations at OVRS. She also lectures to veterinary audiences about combining conventional cancer care with Chinese herbal medicine and other integrative approaches.
Who May Benefit From an Integrative Oncology Consultation?
An integrative consultation may be helpful if:
- Your pet has recently been diagnosed with cancer
- You want to understand both conventional and complementary options
- Your pet is already receiving chemotherapy or another cancer treatment
- You are interested in acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, or supplements
- You want additional support for appetite, energy, mobility, comfort, or quality of life
- Your pet has other health conditions that may influence treatment choices
- Conventional cancer treatment is not recommended or has not been elected
- You are seeking palliative or end-of-life support
- You feel overwhelmed by conflicting information about diets, herbs, or supplements
- You want a coordinated plan rather than trying multiple products independently
You may request an Integrative Oncology Consultation whether your pet is receiving oncology care at OVRS or has been evaluated elsewhere. Complete and current medical records will help Dr. Bannink make the most informed recommendations.
What May Be Included in an Integrative Treatment Plan?
Every plan is different. Recommendations may include one or more of the following options.
Conventional Cancer Care
Because Dr. Bannink is a board-certified oncologist, she can explain your pet’s diagnosis, staging, prognosis, and conventional treatment options. These may include chemotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy, electrochemotherapy, cryosurgery, or other therapies appropriate for the type of cancer.
If your pet is receiving conventional treatment from another oncologist, we can coordinate integrative recommendations with that existing plan.
Learn More About OVRS Oncology
Veterinary Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves placing very fine needles at carefully selected points on the body. It may be incorporated into a broader plan to support comfort, mobility, appetite, or general well-being.
Not every pet needs or will benefit from acupuncture. Dr. Bannink will consider your pet’s diagnosis, temperament, symptoms, and overall treatment plan before recommending it.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbal formulas may be considered for certain patients as part of an individualized treatment plan. Recommendations are based on your pet’s current condition, cancer diagnosis, medications, laboratory results, and other health concerns.
Herbal products can have biological effects and may interact with medications or be inappropriate for pets with certain liver, kidney, bleeding, or gastrointestinal conditions. For that reason, herbs should be selected and monitored by a veterinarian familiar with your pet’s complete medical history.
Nutrition and Dietary Guidance
Cancer frequently leads families to reconsider what they feed their pets. Unfortunately, online information about “cancer diets” can be confusing, contradictory, and sometimes unsafe.
During an integrative consultation, Dr. Bannink can discuss nutrition in the context of your pet’s diagnosis, appetite, body condition, treatment, and other medical needs. Recommendations should support adequate nutrition and be realistic for both the pet and the family.
Dietary changes may be useful, but no single food or diet is appropriate for every pet with cancer.
Supplements and Nutraceuticals
We may discuss selected supplements, Western herbs, or nutraceuticals when appropriate. Dr. Bannink can help families distinguish potentially useful products from those that lack quality control, duplicate ingredients, interfere with treatment, or create unnecessary expense.
Please bring a complete list—or the original containers—of everything your pet currently receives, including vitamins, oils, powders, treats, herbal products, and over-the-counter medications.
Vitamin D Testing and Supplementation
Vitamin D testing may be considered as part of the evaluation for certain patients. Give supplementation only when medically appropriate and at a veterinarian-directed dose, as excessive vitamin D can be dangerous.
Supportive and Palliative Care
When cancer-directed treatment is not recommended or not chosen, integrative care may focus on comfort and quality of life. Recommendations may address pain, appetite, nausea, mobility, sleep, anxiety, and ways to make daily life easier at home.
Palliative care is active medical care. It does not mean that nothing more can be done.
Why Current Diagnostics Still Matter
Even when a family is primarily interested in complementary therapies, understanding the type and current extent of the cancer remains important.
Cancer can progress, respond, or change over time. Liver and kidney function may also affect which medications, herbs, supplements, or diets you can use safely. Bloodwork, imaging, and other tests help Dr. Bannink make recommendations based on your pet’s current condition rather than outdated or incomplete information.
If several weeks have passed since your pet’s most recent tests, we may recommend updated diagnostics. Dr. Bannink will explain which tests could meaningfully affect the treatment plan.
Testing is not automatically required, and you are not obligated to authorize every recommendation. The goal is to make sure you understand the value and limitations of each option before deciding.
What to Expect During the Consultation
An Integrative Oncology Consultation provides time for a detailed review of your pet’s cancer, overall health, current therapies, and your family’s goals.
The visit may include:
- Review of medical records and previous test results
- A comprehensive physical examination
- Discussion of the diagnosis, staging, and prognosis
- Review of conventional treatment options
- Discussion of complementary and supportive therapies
- Evaluation of current medications, herbs, supplements, and diet
- Recommendations for additional testing when appropriate
- Discussion of quality of life and priorities for care
- Creation of an individualized treatment plan
- Initiation of selected diagnostics or therapies when feasible that day
You will have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss what is realistic for your pet and family.
You Remain in Control of Your Pet’s Care
An integrative consultation is intended to expand your understanding of the available options. It does not obligate you to pursue testing, chemotherapy, herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary changes, or any other treatment.
Some families choose conventional and complementary therapies together. Some use only selected supportive approaches. Others decide that comfort-focused care best reflects their priorities.
Dr. Bannink will explain what is medically appropriate, what is known or uncertain about each option, and how different therapies may work together. The final decisions remain yours.
Can Integrative Care Replace Conventional Cancer Treatment?
It depends on your pet’s diagnosis and your treatment goals.
For some cancers, conventional treatments offer the best opportunity to control disease, extend life, or relieve symptoms. Complementary therapies may be used alongside those treatments to support the patient more broadly.
In other situations, cancer-directed treatment may not be medically appropriate or may not align with the family’s goals. Integrative and palliative care may then focus on comfort, function, appetite, and quality of life.
Dr. Bannink will discuss the expected benefits and limitations of all reasonable options so you can make an informed choice.
Are Herbs and Supplements Safe During Cancer Treatment?
“Natural” does not automatically mean harmless.
Herbs and supplements may affect blood clotting, sedation, digestion, liver or kidney function, and the way medications are absorbed or processed. They may also interact with chemotherapy or other cancer treatments.
Do not begin a new herb, supplement, concentrated oil, or alternative product without discussing it with your pet’s veterinary team. Bring a complete product list to the consultation so we can evaluate potential interactions and duplications.
Working With Your Pet’s Veterinary Team
Integrative cancer care works best when everyone involved understands the complete treatment plan.
OVRS can coordinate recommendations with your pet’s primary veterinarian and other specialists. If another oncologist is directing conventional cancer treatment, Dr. Bannink can review that plan when developing complementary recommendations.
Please make sure each veterinarian caring for your pet knows about all medications, herbs, supplements, diets, and therapies being used.
Preparing for Your Appointment
Before the consultation, please arrange to have relevant records sent to OVRS, including:
- Examination and treatment notes
- Blood and urine test results
- Imaging reports and images
- Cytology, biopsy, or pathology reports
- Previous chemotherapy or radiation records
- Current medication dosages
- Your pet’s current diet
- A list of all supplements, herbs, oils, and nutraceuticals
- Information about changes in appetite, weight, energy, mobility, sleep, or behavior
Bring the actual packaging or clear photographs of supplement labels whenever possible.
It may also help to write down your most important questions and what you hope to accomplish through the consultation.
Thoughtful Care for the Whole Patient
Cancer affects more than a diagnosis on a medical record. It can affect how a pet eats, moves, sleeps, interacts, and enjoys daily life. It also affects the people who love and care for that pet.
OVRS Integrative Oncology considers the whole patient while remaining grounded in current diagnostic information and veterinary oncology expertise. Our goal is to help you understand the options, avoid unsafe or conflicting treatments, and create a plan that reflects your pet’s medical needs and your family’s priorities.
To request an Integrative Oncology Consultation with Dr. Erin Bannink, complete our appointment request form or call OVRS at (248) 334‑6877.