An interesting case of what I feel must have been an acute episode of severe dyspnoea - presumably related to chronic asthma in a young cat. Concurrent in its history is loose stools, and there is also an acute on chronic case of diarrhoe today too.
Hx is it is very runty, slow growing, slow moving, lethargic etc. Its name is "special" - don't know if that doesn't just sum it all up nicely.
Exam midnight last night = tongue small, pale pink, a bit moist, clear moss. Pulse deep and a little weak.
Has heart murmur L side - CRT and mmembs seem OK. Chest sounds not increased generally - but notably increased in area near thoracic inlet. Occasional bouts of mild resp noise - more on exhalation it seemed.
Temp normal to low. Diarrhoea pasty yellow on hair around anus.
So feel no doubt that we are in need of tonification eventually - but maybe need some damp draining before we start on that.
Feline asthma formulae include the great tonics of KID and SP - BWDHW and BZYQT - and both seem partly appropriate in this case. The cat is definately "cold" - so to me SRT doesn't seem to be the Dampness drainer appropritae - more a WLT type. But as I said this cat needs tonification in the end so why not just start on BWDHW and assess. Seems more likely that KID yang deficiency (and essence deficiency even more fundamentally)is the primary issue here. If I get it off its really crappy diet and tonify its KIDs will that be enough do you think. I know BWDHW does have some ability to reduce damp - but not really a GIT/diarrhoea formula is it?
Can you combine BWDHW with either BZYQT or maybe 6 Gentlemen in these cases??
Thanks everyone!
Mike