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Longhair Dachshund With Back Issue

by rmtran - June 10, 2009

Hi Steve,

I have been seeing a 11 years old MC Dachshund for back problem. His back problem is under the control and he no longer has slow CP.

He started to dream a lot (at least once daily). He also started to have a loose stool when duck based dry food was started (used to be chicken based dry).

His tongue is red with a hint of purple and his pulse is deep and wide, but not fast, and slightly weaker on left. The heat radiation noted BL-23 area. His ears and toes are normal in touch.

I have not tried any herbal remedy for this patient and I think that Chai Hu Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang may help this patient's overall condition; would it be appropriate?

Thank you for your advise.

Rieko

by marneemadsen

June 10, 2009

Hi Rieko,
Sorry, not Steve, but had some questions:

What treatments made his back better?

What is temp preference at home?

What is coat like?

Blood or mucus on stool?

I find CHJLGMLT pretty powerful and cooling, and for me works best if pretty excess signs of heat (behavior, skin, etc)and active GB pts.

Wondering if starting with something a little milder might be good given age and Dacshunds tend to run cool.

Maybe SMS if he is hot at home or SRT if you think that heat might have been GB 25...

Dreaming can also come from Blood Def, so Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang might be an option if he is heat seeking at home. My impression is that duck is cooler than chicken, so not sure how much effect when processed. Perhaps Steve can comment.

Good luck!

Marnee

by naturevet

June 10, 2009

Hi Rieko,

When stool loosens on a processed diet, we can look at that as signifying a faster bowel transit time - a not uncommon influence of processed diets in almost all species.

Meanwhile, the dreaming can signify Liver Blood deficiency, unless there is too much Yang in the upper burner. The depth of the pulse suggests we're more likely looking at Liver Blood deficiency with a degree of impaired peripheral circulation.

Looking at it from western terms, vivid dreaming in dogs is probably in part a cognitive issue, where the sleep is deep enough that the dog completely disengages from its environment, similar to what happens in kids. So increasing cerebral blood flow seems a desirable goal.

Rolling those two or three objectives together then - improving cognition, slowing bowel transit and tonifying Liver Blood to move Qi - we're essentially looking at Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (Ginseng and Astragalus Combination). That's what I'd start with. It's also consistent with the weak pulses, since it tonifies Qi and moves circulation peripherally, and with a purplish tongue.

Hopefully it works for you. I'd give it a try.

Steve

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