4yo MN golden retriever
Large infiltrative lipoma incompletely excised from the point of the left shoulder
(associated with the deltoid) - LI 15 area. Post-op lame left front after excessive use- resolves in 1-2 days with rest. No h/o lameness prior to surgery. Earth personality. LI 11 hot on exam. Paws cool to touch. Tongue and pulse are not too remarkable - I would say tongue is pink with a slight hint of lavender. Pulse is a little on the soft side and a little slippery which improved with the following: sedate LI 11, sedate ST 41, tonify BL 24. Worsened with tonfication of ST 36 (pushed pulse deep), and both T and S of LI 4 (made wiry). No change with SP 9, worse with T (wiry) and S (weak) of BL 40. But overall not too many guiding symptoms. Bloodwork showed elevated lipase 2021 (high normal 1800). All else normal. No past medical probs, although was diagnosed with hip dysplasia on rads - never clinical. I am thinking Blood stasis with Damp and secondary Heat (post op stasis). Dog is not hot overall. Although owner does report sleeping more after walks in summer this year, he has normal activity and energy until he gets home. I am having trouble choosing a very specific formula for this guy and would like to resolve local phlegm and stasis (shoulder - LI channel). I was thinking about going with purely anti-neoplastic formulas since the patient is otherwise healthy. Starting with combining Tan Yu Tang (phlegm, SQ mass) with a little Xue Yu Tang (to resolve stasis). I am confortable with that idea and like the specificity of anti-proliferative action of the formulas for this patient, but was wondering if you might have suggestions for something more channel specific. I tried to look up but have not been able to find anything.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Erin