Finding out your cat has cancer can be devastating. Especially if the cancer is not curable (many feline cancers are not). Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are three standard treatments that veterinarians will often recommend. There are also herbal supplements out there-less often recommended by vets–that some people have found helpful. This article focuses on an herbal product for cats (and dogs) called ES Clear. ES Clear is essentially the feline/canine version of a century-old cancer remedy called Essiac Tea.
Essiac Tea
Essiac Tea was created by a Canadian nurse named Rene Caisse in the 1920’s. Caisse’s original formula included four herbs: slippery elm inner bark, burdock root, sheep sorrell, and Indian rhubarb root. Caisse titled the tea “Essiac”–her last name spelled backwards. The herbal formula is reported to relieve pain and reduce the inflammation of cancerous tumors. There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence suggesting that Caisse’s cancer patients responded favorably to Essiac Tea. (See essiacinfo.org. )
ES Clear
Petwellbeing, Inc. sells ES Clear, an herbal product for cats and dogs. According to the company’s website, petwellbeing.com, the product was formulated by a “leading naturopathic vet.” ES Clear has a similar herbal makeup to that Essiac Tea, along with some supplementary vitamins and minerals. Petwellbeing.com boasts that ES Clear can “restore energy levels, aid in the healing process, reduce pain and discomfort, strengthen a cat’s immune system, and help slow/reduce tumors and the spread of cancer to surrounding cells.” It does not claim that the product actually cures cancer.
Some cat owners use ES Clear in conjunction with standard cancer therapy. Others use ES Clear alone, or in combination with, other herbal/alternative supplements. It is a personal choice how you treat your cat’s cancer. Wise cat owners will learn as much as they can about any substance before putting it into the body of their sick pet.
No Scientific Evidence
The problem with ES Clear, as well as Essiac Tea and other herbal products that supposedly fight cancer– is that these products are not FDA regulated. In other words, nobody from the government is standing over the shoulders of the workers at of Petwellbeing, Inc., making sure they formulate their product safely and correctly for your cat. Nobody requires Petwellbeing, Inc. to prove, scientifically, that ES Clear is a legitimate cat cancer fighter. So if you buy this product for your cat, you are doing so on the belief/hope that the positive anecdotal evidence is correct. You are treating your cat at your own risk.
The American Cancer Society states that there have been no clinical trials studying the effectiveness of Essiac in cancer patients. Animal studies have been conducted, with the conclusion that no scientific evidence exists to support the use of Essiac as a cancer remedy. In fact, the American Cancer Society warns that the herbal combination in Essiac may actually promote the growth of breast cancer cells (based on one recent study). ACS also cautions that the use of Essiac, in combination with other drugs or herbal supplements, could be a potentially dangerous mix.
The American Cancer Society has not reviewed ES Clear. But because ES Clear is essentially a cat/dog parallel to Essiac, it makes sense to assume that the statements made about Essiac might apply to the world of cat and dog cancer as well.
Positive Anecdotal Evidence
On the other hand, there is a century of anecdotal evidence to be found on the effectiveness of Essiac Tea in humans, and a web-site full of positive testimonials about the effectiveness of ES Clear (see Petwellbeing.com) for cats and dogs. If you are a believer in holistic/herbal supplements, and you are not concerned with scientific evidence as much as you are the opinions and advice of others who have been in a situation similar to yours, it may be worthwhile to order a bottle of ES Clear for your cat.
Summary
ES Clear is an herbal pet supplement derived from a century-old cancer treatment called Essiac Tea. Anecdotal evidence suggests that ES Clear can work wonders for cats and dogs with cancer. Scientific studies have not been conducted to prove this claim. Positive testimonials may persuade the consumer to try ES Clear anyway. When it comes to herbal supplements for cats with cancer, the research and decision-making is basically left up to the consumer – you.
