Thanks for hosting this forum, I appreciate learning from other people's cases. I would like opinions on a new case, a 15-year toy poodle with acute onset of vestibular symptoms on 5/12. She had another milder episode previously. Both featured a left head tilt. This one was very severe, she could not walk, was contorted to the left and could not straighten herself, was lifeless/comatose per owner, no nystagmus. Her regular vet put her on Baytril for a presumed inner ear infection. Owner had to syringe-feed her because she could not prehend food, nor manipulate it with her tongue when it was in her mouth, seemed to have difficulty swallowing. Now she can eat, but frequently smacks lips, and gulps as if nauseated. She also has chronic Hx of a deep gagging cough and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure with right sided enlargement. She is on lasix, being transitioned to spironolactone due to hypokalemia. Was on enalapril, but discontinued because it made her disoriented. Is also on Denamarin for hepatobiliary disease. She has cataracts and poor vision, is easily chilled, prefers warmth. No heart murmur, some wheezes in right lung field. Tongue was initially purple, is now becoming pinker, with redder tip. Pulses are thready, weak, very thin. Sweet disposition. I have been doing acupuncture twice weekly and she has improved significantly in her vestibular symptoms, but I would like to prescribe an herbal formula to assist her recovery and help prevent recurrence. I was thinking this was upward disturbance of wind phlegm, and thought to put her on Kan Herb's Subdue Internal Wind (Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang) Is this a good choice, or is there another that would be better?
Thanks!
Pam Page